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Ahem.

Moving on...

One way or another, the students of the E-Class had figured out Isogai worked in a café at a good distance from the school. So, intending to pry a little, Maehara, Nagisa, Kayano, Kataoka and Okajima had infiltrated said café to keep an eye on their class representative. No matter how hard they looked, though, Isogai didn't seem to possess any flaw. Even if his poor financial status was negative, he managed to turn it into a cool-guy advantage! In the end, they gave up on finding anything wrong with the boy. They were now enjoying their free second round of tea when the door of the café suddenly slammed open, the bell jingling loudly.

"Welcome—oh, Ame-san!" greeted cheerfully Isogai. "Your usual?"

The girl laughed, running past him. "You know me too well, Isogai-kun!"

She didn't even notice the others and rushed into the kitchen, while the boy calmly wrote down "her usual". Before their classmates could ask any questions, though, three rough-looking men suddenly entered the café, their skin covered in tattoos, and armed with baseball bats.

"Welcome! How may I help you?" greeted Isogai, completely unbothered by their threatening looks.

"Enough, kid!" snapped one of them, walking up to him. He grabbed the boy's collar, shaking him a little. "You've played us for long enough! Just tell us where you're hiding her!"

The E-Class students stiffened, wondering if they should interfere, but the calm look on Isogai's face stopped them in their tracks.

"If you're looking for a girl with black hair, she ran past the restaurant not a minute ago," he answered with a pleasant smile. "Will that be all?"

"Don't you try fooling me—"

The door suddenly opened again, the jingling of the bell drawing everyone's attention. A grey-haired woman came in, looking shaken up.

"Oh, dear me!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe it!"

"What is it, Ito-san?" Isogai instantly asked the customer as if he wasn't currently being shaken around like a ragdoll. "Is there anything wrong?"

"A young black-haired girl almost ran into me just now!" she replied, obviously troubled by the whole ordeal. "I almost fell into the street, and she didn't even stop to apologize! I swear, youngsters these days… They should be more like you, Isogai-kun! And—oh, who are your friends?"

"Difficult customers, I'm afraid," replied simply the boy, still smiling. "I'll be taking your order in a minute, once this gentleman releases me…?"

The man gritted his teeth, but released the boy. He then gestured for the other two to leave and, after glancing around one more time, also left the café. It's only once the three of them fully disappeared from sight… that all of the people present in the café, saved for the E-Class students, started laughing. Employees and customers alike were all breathless, some hitting their fists on the tables and others applauding the act. Almost instantly, Ame came out of the kitchen, a radiant smile on her face.

"Thank you, thank you!" She bowed dramatically. "I'll be here all week! Though, I couldn't have done it without my wonderful partner in crime, Isogai Yuma-kun! And a special thank you to our surprise guest of the week, Ito-san!"

More applauds and laughs followed as the grey-haired woman in question smiled and waved, a faint blush on her cheeks. Isogai rolled his eyes, though he, too, seemed thoroughly amused. Once the excitement quieted down, the boy ordered something on the house for Ito-san, before reporting his attention on Ame.

"You really can't stay out of trouble, can you, Ame-san?" he mused.

"It'd be boring if I did," she replied with a grin. "And it's not like the customers are all that bothered by the free entertainment either, you know?"

"It feels like we're getting more customers exactly because they expect something of the sort to happen," sweatdropped the boy.

"Well, can't blame them—"

"What the hell."

Ame blinked a few times, startled, before turning around. There, sitting around the table, were none other than some of her classmates. She gaped at them, surprised.

"What are you guys doing here?" she wondered.

"Aa? You're the one who just burst in here like a madwoman while getting chased by those gang members!" replied accusingly Maehara. "We should be the ones asking that!"

"Ame-san has been coming to our café since the first term," answered calmly Isogai. "It seems to be her favorite hideout, and we're all too happy to help her out. Even the customers started joining in the fun!"

"But isn't this, you know, dangerous?" sweatdropped Okajima.

"Maa, if those men start stirring real trouble, we can have the police involved in the blink of an eye," shrugged Isogai, unbothered. "And, well, as I said before, we've started getting more customers ever since Ame-san started coming here, so we can't complain. My manager already tried to hire her—twice."

"She tried to bribe me with cake, but I refused," added the girl, a tad sorrowfully. "Though I can't deny it was a close call…"

"Ah, the wonders of cake," agreed Korosensei with a nod.

"I know, right—holy crap!" Ame jumped, taking a step away from the table. "Ko- Korosensei!? What are you doing here? When'd you get there?"

"The honey toast here is divine!" replied their teacher. "It's why I turn a blind eye to Isogai's part-time job. Though, you guys don't seem too upset about Isogai-kun being such a man among men, or about Naoki-san being such a magnet for trouble."

"Hey!" protested the girl in question.

"Well, Isogai's a good guy, that's all," shrugged Maehara, and everyone seemed to agree with him. "And Ame being a magnet for trouble is nothing new, so…"

"Hey!" she protested yet again. "I am not!"

They all looked at her for a moment without a word. She deflated at that.

"Well… maybe a little…" she relented.

At the same moment, the bell signaling the arrival of new costumers jingled. Ame stiffened, wondering if the gang members had come back after all… but the reality was so much worse.

"Ooh? What is that?" None other than Araki smirked, somewhat cruelly. "Our intel was right. A student is working here!"

"Eh, eh, Isogai! You naughty boy!" taunted Koyama.

"This is your second major violation of the school rules, isn't it?" Asano remarked smugly. "I expected better, Isogai."

"Ya bastard…" growled Ame, taking a step forward. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't punch ya in da fucking face!"

He simply raised an eyebrow. "Because you would be expelled from school for assaulting a student?"

"Ah! Ma family's worth more than a stupid school," she retorted, clenching her fists. "I almost lost ma siblings because of ya! Don't ya have any shame!?"

"But you're still together after all, aren't you?" he replied, narrowing his eyes. "A pity, really. Guess I won't do the job half-heartedly next time around."

"Why you—"

"Ame-san, enough," intervened Isogai, frowning. "Asano, let's take this outside, please. We're disturbing the customers."

The prick nodded and was the first to step outside, quickly followed by his lapdogs. With a sigh, Isogai then offered a weak smile at Ame.

"Thank you for trying to divert his attention from my situation, but don't get in trouble because of me," he simply asked.

"… fine. Though, I meant what I said," she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I still really want to punch him."

He chuckled at that, though it was weak. After what, he quickly went outside, though he was followed by the rest of his classmates. Soon enough, the Big Five was facing members of the E-Class once again.

"The last time we found out about your job, you went down to the E-Class," pointed out Asano, instantly getting to the heart of the problem. "It seems you've done no soul-searching since then."

"Can't you keep this quiet, Asano?" pleaded Isogai. "Just working this month will net me all the money I need."

"Well, I would like to give you a chance, if I can…" His smirk obviously said otherwise. "All right—on one condition. Show me your fighting spirit and we'll pretend this never happened."

"My… fighting spirit?" repeated Isogai, confused.

"Per school tradition, those who possess a fighting spirit out in society are revered above all else," explained the asshole. "A fighting spirit that garners enough respect to nullify a conduct violation. And to show that spirit… I suggest a competition of pole-toppling at the Sports Festival."

"P- Pole-toppling?" gasped Maehara.

"Isn't that dangerous?" murmured Kayano, worried.

"You have until the Sports Festival to decide," announced Asano, turning around to leave. "If you decide not to compete, though, then I'm afraid I'll have to tell the Principal about your violation of the school's rules. Until then, Isogai."

The E-Class could only stare in shock as their sworn rivals left.

We… really can't catch a break, can we?

.

.

"Pole-toppling at the Sports Festival?"

"Yep. If we beat the A-Class, they'll let Isogai slide," confirmed Maehara.

"Tche. Obviously, they're looking to embarrass us," scoffed Terasaka.

"So? What do we do?" asked Sugino. "If we say no, Isogai will be penalized again. Screw this up and he might even be expelled!"

"No, you don't have to," however refused Isogai. "You never know what Asano has up his sleeve. And besides, I made this bed—I'll take responsibility and lie in it. Expel me for all I care! I can still pull off an assassination off school grounds!"

…

…

…

"What… A HORRIBLE IDEA!" instantly refused the rest of the boys.

"E- eh!?"

"Quit acting so self-satisfied, you cow-licked poor!"

"You're an idiot!"

"Stop being a self-sacrificing moron!"

"Don't overthink this, Isogai," then remarked Maehara with a grin. "We just have to beat those nerds at pole-toppling, right? We've got this in the bag!"

"We sure do!" agreed Mimura. "We're practically lucky you got caught working!"

"This is our chance to pay them back for all their daily spite!" added Terasaka.

"Topple them—hell, we'll destroy them!" assured Yoshida.

"You guys…" Isogai chuckled, before grinning back. "Yosh! Let's do it!"

"YEAH!"

Ame smiled softly at the boys' joyous exclamations. It would seem they were determined to help Isogai out and kick Asano's butt, too. She had been a little worried things wouldn't go as smoothly since normal people would be a tad more worried about getting involved in such a physical activity but, then again, they were the E-Class: when did things ever go normally?

"Ame-san?"

She looked up, only to find Isogai leaning over the window under which she was sitting.

"Yo."

"Why didn't you go home along with the other girls?" he wondered, curious.

"Please, as if I'd miss your top-secret meeting," she teased.

"Not so secret if you heard everything, uh?" he joked.

She chuckled at that, before getting up to properly face him. "Isogai-kun… I want to help, too."

"I'm sorry?"

"I want to join the team," she announced, serious.

He however frowned. "No way. It's too dangerous. If you—"

"It's only dangerous if they catch me," she cut him off, serious. "And I- I'm not all that strong physically, but I'm fast and agile on my feet. I can give them a hard time. And, well, isn't it better to have as many people as you can by your side? There's no limit to the number of people you can have on your team, after all."

"I…" He stared at her for a moment, before smiling in defeat. "There's no talking you out of it, is there?"

"Nope!" she confirmed cheerfully. Then, her traits softened a bit. "Isogai-kun… You've helped me out many times in the past. Let me return the favor, okay?"

"Fine, fine," he gave in. "But I'll definitely blame myself if you get injured, got it?"

"That's a low blow," she snorted. "But deal. Let's kick their asses!"

She extended her fist to him. Surprised, he then bumped his own against it, grinning back.

"Right!"

.

.

The day of the Sports Festival came at last. It was probably the only school event she ever really bothered participating in before since she could play some sports without having to pay for it, but she wasn't here for the race or the other activities today: no, today, she was here to win.

She glanced at Isogai, easily noticing his frown.

"Something wrong, Isogai-kun?" she wondered.

"It's just…" He let out a heavy sigh, closing the strategy book he had been studying up until now. "No matter what anyone says, Asano is one amazing guy. I'm… definitely no match for him."

Ame considered his words for a moment. Then, she grabbed his book and, without any ceremonies, threw it away.

"A- Ame-san!?"

"Why bother yourself with that stuff?" she mused. "You're an assassin: think outside the book. Asano might be one amazingly smart guy, but you and he are different people with different upbringings and different goals in mind. Just like you can't compare an apple to an orange, you can't compare yourself to him: you're both your own person. However! What he has in numbers and brain, he lacks in allies and leadership abilities. He may be strong on his own, but we're strong as a whole. He's setting out alone on the field, while you're setting out with your friends. That has to count for something, right?"

He gaped at her for a few seconds, unable to find an answer. She smiled at that, before handing him a piece of cloth to tie around his forehead.

"What are you waiting for, leader?" she teased. "We're ready!"

His eyes widened at that and he turned around, startled to find the rest of the boys grinning at him, obviously backing up her words. He let out a somewhat disbelieving laugh before grabbing the cloth and tying it around his head.

"All right, guys!" he exclaimed. "Let's go into this guns blazing—like always!"

"YEAH!"

Unable to conceal her excitement, Ame cheered along. The rest of the boys had been surprised when Isogai told them she'd be joining them, but none had protested as he did. After all, they were all well aware of her skills. Frankly, she was probably the last person who'd get injured in that battle.

And now… let's show this asshole what we're made of!

"And now, for an exhibition match! Seems the E-Class has challenged the A-Class to a battle! Okay, Kunugigaoka's elite—give them hell!"

Ame narrowed her eyes at the team farther away. Asano was standing on the far side and he had a greater number of participants… but they weren't students of Kunugigaoka.

"Foreigners?" gasped Nagisa.

"That's gotta be against the rules!" protested Okajima.

"In the spirit of cultural exchange, this exhibition match will include all our exchange students!"

"That Asano's being way too careful," cursed Maehara. "Is that how badly he wants to win?"

"No matter," replied Ame, stretching her arms. "Isogai-kun, shall we?"

"Aa. Everyone, get in position!"

Asano smirked. With so few members, the E-Class would have no choice but to go on offense. And, when they did, they'd be crushed by their iron-clad defenses—

"Oi, does the End Class even want to win?" suddenly asked Koyama, frowning. "No one's on offense—no, wait. They put that girl on offense, but she's the only one!"

Asano stiffened, instantly narrowing in eyes at the enemy. As told, all of the boys were gathered around the pole, with Isogai standing on top of them. Before them, Naoki Ame was standing on her own, arms crossed behind her back and her face radiating calm and confidence.

"What's with the E-Class? They're going all-in on defense! Might they be cowed by the skill gap? And they've only got a girl on the offense!? But no matter. Now… let the battle begin!"

Asano shook his head. They were trying to lure them, but he wouldn't fall for it so easily. He had planned for every possible scenario: he was going to crush them.

"Offense Team, Plan F!" he ordered.

"Roger!" replied the foreign student.

Four of them instantly started running forward. The E-Class could only watch as the four students started running toward them like enraged bulls. It was obvious they weren't aiming for the pole, but the students, and they braced themselves for the incoming storm.

"Ame-san, watch out!" exclaimed Isogai in worry.

"Damn it!" cursed Yoshida.

"We can't take this!" added Muramatsu.

The two instantly broke off the formation and threw themselves before Ame, blocking the first foreign student before he could reach her. They managed to hold him off for a second, but ended up being literally thrown aside, and they didn't get up.

"Whoa, two down! They've been flung out to the stands! And now Naoki's facing them on her own—wait. Where's Naoki?"

"Ah!" exclaimed the English student. "Why don't you fight instead of defending like a bunch of turtles? Hm, but you don't even understand me, do you?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. And why bother fighting a bunch of losers, really? You're so easily sidetracked, it's almost pathetic. Like bulls obsessed with the red flag, uh? Can't see anywhere else than ahead."

The foreign student stiffened at the voice… that came from behind him. Spinning around, he found none other than the girl from earlier now standing smack in the middle of the field, many meters away.

She used the distraction to move past our defense, he realized. To cross such a distance in the span of a few seconds… She's fast!

"N- Naoki got past the first wall of defense! She's alone in enemy territory, but she's standing in place. Could she be too scared to move any further on her own?"

She rolled her eyes at the biased commentary but didn't say anything more, keeping her eyes on the students ahead of her. The four behind her would be handled by her team.

"Hey, why don't you attack instead of chatting away?" then taunted Karma with a heavy accent.

"Tche, fine. Bring it on!" replied the foreign student.

He charged forward, ready to destroy them. Just as he reached them, though, Isogai gave the signal and the first round of students protecting the pole all jumped as high as they could… before landing back on the four students, pinning them to the ground. Itona then jumped on the pole and made it topple low enough to trap them under it, therefore immobilizing them.

"The- the E-Class comes together with the weight of the pole! Now, this is intense! They're playing dirty!"

On his side, Asano analyzed the situation. While their defense was splendid, they had seven of them strictly on defense and two were out for the count. Sure, having Naoki taunting them of the sort in the middle of the field was irritating, but it's not like she'd be able to do much on her own. Now that they were all divided, his team simply had more of an advantage.

"Guerilla teams on both flanks: Plan K!"

Ten more students instantly started running. Isogai wasn't deterred by their numbers or formation in the slightest, though.

"Come on out!" he exclaimed. "Attack team! Operation: Mucus!"

"Got it!"

Isogai, Maehara, Okajima, Kimura, Karma, and Sugino started running forward, through the opening that had been left by the scattered team members. As soon as they did so, though, the two groups turned back and started chasing them.

"Oh! They've chased after the E-Class and are back on the defensive! What will the E-Class do?"

The boys stopped running, trapped. Then, exchanging a decisive nod, they started running again… this time toward the stands. Without hesitation, they jumped over the fences and started fleeing through the stands. Agile, they jumped from chair to chair with ease, avoiding their pursuers without any difficulties.

"Akabane! Kimura! And Isogai! Keep an eye on those three in particular!" instantly ordered Asano, gritting his teeth. "And Naoki—wait, where is she!?"

Because once again… the girl was missing. She no longer was in the middle of the field, and she wasn't causing a ruckus in the stands either.

Then where—

"Whew, so glad to see you haven't forgotten about me! That'd be a pretty amateurish mistake, you know?"

He stiffened, along with whoever was left on his team, and all eyes snapped to none other than Naoki Ame, who was now standing… right next to their pole. She had gotten through their airtight defenses without even being noticed, using the commotion to get close to her target.

"Last defense, take her!" he instantly ordered.

Asano wasn't stupid. Naoki obviously had something up her sleeve and he wouldn't let her get any closer to achieving her goal. The four students on the right defense instantly moved in to take care of her, but she simply laughed, easily moving out of the way. He gritted his teeth at that but, before he could think of another plan, another problem came up.

"It's time, isn't it?" remarked loudly Karma.

"Aa. Go!" yelled Isogai.

And suddenly, Muramatsu and Yoshida reappeared on the field. The two who had supposedly been down for the count earlier were now back on their feet and running straight for the pole, which was now only defended by the last six students. Asano instantly realized his mistake when understanding he had dispatched his last line of defense against a single girl.

"W- what!? Where did those two E-Class goons come from!?"

"Alright, we're done running!" warned Isogai. "Okay, team: Sonic!"

The boys in the stands instantly started running for the enemy pole and, in a matter of seconds, they all collided with it. Now glued to it, all they had to do was climb up there and make it topple. However, their victory was of short notice as Asano, who was still standing on top, threw away his helmet and started kicking them off one after the other. Having obviously learned martial arts, he was easily stopping any of them from climbing.

"You and I are apparently standing on the same stage," he remarked, a tad darkly, as he stood on the very top of the pole. "Surely you're prepared to get kicked off."

"Less talking, more acting!"

His eyes widened as none other than Naoki somehow managed to climb up. She tried to kick him off but he swung aside, avoiding the hit. He instantly returned the blow but she twisted her body around the pole and managed to escape it. They then started exchanging hits and kicks, neither managing to shove the other down. While Asano was too stubborn to give up his spot on the top, she was more than determined to kick him off, and their wills were evenly matched.

"I- I can't believe this! Asano from the A-Class and Naoki form the E-Class are having some sort of mid-air battle! They're both exchanging tough blows, and neither seems about to fall off! It's an actual fight! But the A-Class is back on their feet and are closing on the E-Class once again. What will they do?"

However, the E-Class hadn't said their last word. Leaving only two men on the defensive, the rest of the team showed up and tried to topple the pole. The added weight managed to make it topple slightly, but not enough. Ame almost slipped when Asano managed to harshly kick her in the face, but she held on tightly, and she returned the blow in kind when she hit him square in the nose. He didn't let go either, though.

"You're a real pain, Naoki," grunted the boy as he escaped her foot, some drops of blood dripping down his nose

"You're one to talk, Asano Junior," she retorted, red trailing down her lips. She then grinned. "Now, Itona!"

Startled by the sudden exclamation, Asano snapped his eyes to the boy in question. The half-second of inattention was all that Ame needed and, without hesitation, she propelled herself at the boy. Latching her arms around him, she forcefully dragged him down with her. Just as they both hit the ground, Itona harshly kicked the top of the pole, which was now undefended, and the last blow was enough to make it topple fully: the pole hit the ground, at last, signaling the end of the game.

"Ah… uh… the A-Class…"

"The E-Class… wins!" exclaimed Isogai, pumping his fist in the air.

Ame exhaled in relief at that, lying down while she tried to catch her breath. She had honestly never fought mid-air before and, while fun, it was a tad exhausting.

"Oi…" She tilted her head to Asano, who was lying down next to her, stiff. "You okay? I tried to protect your head when remembering you didn't have your helmet, but—"

"Enough of the pleasantries, Naoki-san," he replied harshly, getting up. He was gritting his teeth tightly, obviously mad. "You win, I lose. I won't bother Isogai anymore, as agreed on."

Before she could reply anything, he stalked off. She couldn't help but feel a little smug when noticing his bleeding nose, though. Sure, she didn't want to badly injure him, but getting to punch him in the face and not be punished for it? Surely she had died and gone to heaven.

"Ame-san?" She blinked, looking up to find Isogai looming over her. "Are you alright?"

"Uh? Sure." She then grinned. "Good game, leader."

He smiled back. "All thanks to you and the others. Let's get you up!"

He extended his hand to her. She grabbed it but, just as he pulled to help her back on her feet, pain shot through her limb. She let out a curse as she instantly let go of his hand, falling back on her rear.

"A- Ame-san?"

"I think I fell on my shoulder when we landed," she cringed, rubbing the sore limb.

He sighed in defeat at that. "And here I thought we had managed a game without injuries… Here, use the other hand."

She grabbed his once more, using her left one this time around, and she was finally back on her feet.

"Well, can't deny it was cool, can you?" she then replied, a tad smugly. "And I had a lot of fun, too. We should do that again sometime! Though, just with our class. That way, we won't have to worry about actual injuries, you know?"

He chuckled at that. "I'm sure Karasuma-sensei would like that idea—for training purpose, of course."

"Of course."

They exchanged a knowing grin at that.

"Oi, you guys done flirting or what?" suddenly called Maehara. "We gotta clean up, so stop holding each other's hand already!"

"We're not—" Ame's protest died on her lips when she realized that they were, in fact, still holding hands. She instantly let go, somewhat embarrassed. "S- sorry. Didn't notice."

"It- it's fine, it's fine!" assured instantly the boy, a faint red rising on his cheeks. He rubbed the back of his head, looking away. "A- anyway, I should go help them…"

"I'll come—"

"You go find the nurse so she can patch you up," he replied, now frowning slightly. "Considering how you fell earlier, your shoulder might be dislocated. You shouldn't strain yourself even more."

"Ugh, I know you'll keep nagging me if I refuse, so fine," she replied, rolling her eyes. "I'll be back in a few."

"Aa."

She waved with her good hand before heading inside. In a way, Isogai wasn't wrong: it's not like she could have helped in carrying all the stuff inside with her injured shoulder. And, well, it saved her from cleaning duty, so it wasn't all that bad. As she started making her way to the nurse's office, though, she could feel the heavy stares weighing on her back. Just as she reached the stairs, though, she found herself facing three familiar girls.

Aren't those the girls who kept bitching me a few months ago…?

Just as she was about to snap at them to move out of her way, though, the three girls offered her big, bright grins.

"Naoki-sempai!"

"Naoki-san, you were amazing!"

"Naoki-sempai, that was so cool!"

"Aa…?"

The girls kept on gushing about her feats during the exhibition match, which threw Ame out for a loop. She was expecting jeers and taunts, not cheers and praises. She was honestly at loss as to how to react. After a minute or so, she finally regained some of her senses and offered them a nervous grin. Thanking them, she then quickly made her way upstairs as they bid her a wonderful day.

That was so weird…

Though now it explained why so many people were staring in curiosity or awe instead of the usual judging looks. Frankly, though, she couldn't tell what was worst: them being annoying or them acting nice.

I mean, it's such a creepy change of pace!

Just as she passed by the principal's office, though, the door swung open. She froze in place as the principal himself stepped outside. When he saw her, he plastered a cold, placid smile on his lips, but his eyes were as dead as always, if not more than usual.

"I heard about the exhibition match. Good work today, Naoki-san," he congratulated. The slight tension in his jaw told her how angry he really was, though. "You're holding your shoulder… Might you have gotten injured during the match?"

"It's dislocated," she admitted. "I was heading for the nurse's office." Otherwise said, scram so I can leave already!

"I see, I see. Then, do you mind if I ask a favor of you?"

Yes, very much so. "Not at all. How can I be of help?"

"Can you please tell the nurse to come to my office once she's done treating your shoulder?"

Well, not what I was expecting, but… "Of course. If that is all, then…"

"Aa. Have a good day, Naoki-san."

She bowed as he walked away. As soon as he was gone, though, she couldn't help but grow curious. Why would the principal ask for the nurse if he wasn't even in his office in the first place? Unable to help herself, she checked around to make sure no one was looking before grabbing the handle and slightly opening the door. Peering through the crack, she frowned when realizing it was too dark for her to see anything.

What—

"Ugh…"

"Kevin!" She stiffened at Asano Junior's exclamation. "Kevin, are you alright?"

A pained groan answered him. This time, definitely worried, Ame slipped inside and closed the door behind her, without a sound. It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the omnipresent darkness but, once they did, she almost regretted stepping inside in the first place.

"What- what the hell!?" she let out.

Asano instantly stiffened, snapping his eyes to her. "Naoki! What—"

"Did your father do that?" she asked, pale. "Did he…"

Lying on the ground were the four exchange students they had confronted earlier in the exhibition match. They were a bloody mess, red pooling all around them. Two seemed unconscious, a third was holding his arm like it was broken, and the fourth one, the blond named Kevin, had bruises blooming all over his face and blood pouring down his nose.

It was brutal. It was merciless. It was disgusting.

"Asano," she snapped, shaking off her shock. She'd have time to ask questions later. "Come on, we have to bring them to the nurse's office."

"We- we can't. If the other students see them like that—"

"Then lets at least settle them down properly until the nurse comes," sighed the girl. "Help me out, I won't be able to move them on my own."

He nodded stiffly. He had no idea why the girl was there, but there was no helping it now. So, gritting his teeth, he went to Kevin first. The blond couldn't even stand, so both Ame and Asano Junior had to drag him to the wall. The girl handed him some tissues so he could stop his nosebleed, before moving on to the second guy. She grabbed his jacket and made a sling in which his broken arm could lay, so it wouldn't be as painful. The other two, who were unconscious, were laid down next to each other with pillows made of their jackets. Once they were done, both students stepped outside.

"I'll handle things from here," he then stated, gesturing for her to go ahead. "You may go."

"Actually, I've got to go to the nurse's office," admitted the girl, gesturing to her unresponsive shoulder. "It got dislocated when we fell earlier."

"I see. Let's go, then."

She simply nodded, following after him. They both stayed silent: one because she didn't know what to say, and the other because he didn't want to talk. They crossed paths with many students on their way to the nurse's office, but completely ignored the baffled looks shot their way. The last thing they wanted was to extend their time together.

When they finally reached their destination, though, it was only to discover that the nurse had gone out to buy some more supplies and wouldn't be back for a while longer.

"Well, the others won't let me hear the end of it if I come back untreated," sighed the girl, going to sit on the bed. "You can leave, Asano. I'll tell the nurse—"

"I'll tell her myself."

She rolled her eyes but didn't say anything more, simply settling down comfortably. Silence fell in the room, the girl simply gazing outside while the boy mulled over his thoughts.

"… you can't tell anyone."

"Uh?" blinked Ame, glancing back to the jerk.

He gritted his teeth. "You can't tell anyone. About… about what you saw. My father…"

"The principal beat up four exchange students for no other reason than losing, I'm guessing," scoffed the girl. "He ought to get arrested for assaulting minors, really." But if he's arrested, it'll mess up with our assassination. "But fine. I won't say anything."

"He didn't beat them up because they lost," retorted Asano Junior, annoyed. "They provoked him and that was the result."

"Provoked him?"

"… they tried to stand up for me." He lowered his eyes, his fists clenching tightly. "Those idiots took responsibility for my failure and ended up like this!"

"… that's why you're here," she then realized, her eyes widening a little. "You… you're actually feeling guilty?"

He glared at her at that. "Of course I am! They got hurt so badly when trying to help me… I know you view me as some kind of- of—"

"Asshole? Jerk? Arrogant twat? A bastard with an ego-complex?"

His glare hardened before he sighed in resignation. "I'm not without fault, but I take responsibility for my mistakes. That's all."

She considered him for a moment, thinking over his words. They had met under the wrong circumstances, and she hadn't been all that kind when they first crossed paths.

::

"… Asano Gakushu."

"Oh." Understanding then dawned on her: "Wait, you're the principal's son?"

He nodded, somewhat arrogantly. Now that the girl knew to whom she was talking to, she would back down and bow like everyone else—

"Wow. And I thought I had it rough."

::

But then, he always tried to cause trouble for the E-Class, be it in school or their personal life—herself was a primary example of this. However, she couldn't deny that he was honorable, if nothing else. He was true to his word and kept his promises, indicating he had some sense of honor. While she wouldn't call him trustworthy, she could now honestly say he wasn't too much of a bad guy. He was just really ambitious, and that ambition sometimes led him to make some rash decisions that could hurt others.

"… you're not half-bad, Gakushu," she mused, startling him out of his thoughts. She then offered a wry grin. "You know, when you're not trying to destroy us."

He let out a startled, somewhat disbelieving laugh at that, returning a similar grin.

Well, we're far from being at peace, but I guess we can agree on a truce.

For now, at least.

When the nurse finally came back, she quickly reset Ame's shoulder, grumbling under her breath about "stupid kids who can't stay in one piece". She attached the arm in a swing so it'd be able to rest and gave the teen some painkillers. After what, she ordered the girl to lay down for fifteen minutes so the pills could take effect before she could go. Then, the nurse quickly left with Asano Junior. So, fifteen minutes later, Ame no longer felt any strain in her reset shoulder, and she also left the nurse's office. Just as she stepped outside, though, she found herself facing a young boy with disheveled black hair. She couldn't remember his face, meaning they hadn't met before, but he seemed somewhat nervous.

When he saw her, a faint blush rose on his cheeks.

"Na- Naoki-sempai!" he greeted.

First or second-year, then. By his appearance, though, I'd say second-year. "Yes?"

"A- ano… I was really amazed by your match today!" he exclaimed, scratching the back of his head. "You faced all those tough guys on your own and you were evenly matched with Asano-sempai… You were really awesome!"

"Err, thanks?" She then decided that she might as well play nice since he was only there to congratulate her. "What's your name?"

"I- I'm Shinomiya Shouto! From class 2-B!" He bowed in greeting, before his blush deepened. "And I… I was wondering… Would- would you like to be my girlfriend?"

"… eh?"

…

…

…

"EH!?"

"And you said—"

"No! Of course I said no!"

Rio chuckled at her friend's distressed expression. When Ame came back to the classroom looking so rattled, the blonde had been worried another assassination attempt had been carried against her. She never would have guessed that what had shocked the orange-eyed girl beyond words was none other than a love confession.

"What was going on through that head of his, seriously?" insisted Ame, confused and mortified at the same time. "It was so weird!"

"Please tell me you let him down gently, at least," pleaded Rio, amused.

"Well, I said no and that was that." Ame shrugged in a 'what-can-you-do' gesture. "I mean, what else could I say?"

"I dunno, maybe something along the lines of 'I'll think about it', or something like that," suggested the blonde.

"But it's not like I would have," frowned Ame, still confused. "I clearly wasn't interested. Why would I sugarcoat that? He'd only be hanging to false hopes. In my books, that's more harsh than flat out rejecting him."

"I guess so…"

"Hey, girls!"

At the exclamation, both girls turned around to find Maehara, Isogai, Sugino, and Nagisa heading their way. They had apparently finished cleaning up, and the rest of the boys would surely be back to class in the next few minutes.

"Guys, guys, guess what!" exclaimed Rio, grinning from ear to ear.

Understanding instantly dawned on Ame, who tried to stop her. "No, wait, Rio! Don't—"

"Ame got a love confession!"

…

…

…

"EH!?"

"I know, right?" laughed the blonde.

"Rio!" protested Ame with a growl, growing embarrassed. "You don't need to yell it from the rooftops either! I didn't even accept it!"

"Ah, a flat-out 'no', uh?" laughed Maehara, ruffling her hair. "That's so like you, Ame! And Isogai also got some more love confessions today, too! Ugh, you two sure are made for each other!"

Ame blinked at that. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Now, now, stop teasing her already," then interfered Isogai, shaking his head with a small smile. "We should probably head back inside."

"Maa, maa, it's fine!" replied Rio, slinging an arm around Ame's neck, mindful not to touch her shoulder. "It's not like an opportunity like that comes up often! I mean, Ame getting a love confession? That's like a live comedy show!"

Ame huffed at that. "Now you're just being mean. I'm not that bad, seriously."

"Not that bad? You're too strong, so no guy would be able to protect you! What guy wants a girlfriend who could beat him up with her little finger?" pointed out Maehara.

"And you're super secretive too!" added Rio, a tad dramatically. "Secrets are a no-go in romantic relationships, you know?"

"Plus, you keep getting all those injuries!" Ame flinched as Maehara roughly poked her bandaged arm. "You're a real trouble-maker!"

"And a trouble magnet!" laughed Rio. "Seriously, finding you a boyfriend is like, the equivalent of mission impossible."

"Who said I wanted a boyfriend in the first place?" retorted Ame, growing annoyed.

Maehara winked at that. "Oh, so you're playing for the other team, then?"

"Okay, okay, how about we go back in class, now?" suddenly suggested Sugino, coming to stand between her and Maehara. "Come on, let's go."

"W- wait! Oi, Sugino!"

Merciless, the baseball lover grabbed both Maehara and Rio by their collars before dragging them back inside. Nagisa chuckled nervously, then quickly followed after them, leaving both Isogai and Ame behind. Once they were gone, Ame let out an irritated sigh.

"Don't mind them, Ame-san," then said Isogai, drawing her attention. "They're just teasing. I'm sure whoever becomes your boyfriend will be a very lucky guy."

And he offered a sweet smile. She blinked a few times, startled, before her cheeks started heating up.

"W- where'd that come from!? Don't say stuff like that!"

He simply laughed, making her blush deepen. Annoyed, she spun on her heels and started heading back inside without another look back.

They're all so annoying, teasing me like that! And I'm dead meat if Hana gets wind of it. She then shuddered, a horrifying thought creeping in her mind. Or worst, Uma!

She could only hope her friends wouldn't spread the news like wildfire. If they did, she'd never hear the end of it.