Her steps are light. Her purple braids bounced. Her books nestled in her arms. She hums a tune from an old Japanese movie. A red head walks beside her with his hands in his pockets. "Seems like you're fired up, Okuda-san".
She nods. "Yes, this time I get to contribute to the cause".
"One tentacle for one main subject", Nagisa mused. He walked behind her with Kayano.
"Don't worry, Nagisa", Kayano said. She taps his shoulders. "Our class isn't short of aces, you know".
Nagisa sighed as he slides the door open. "Is there a way I can contribute?"
He hummed as he walks to Sugino's desk.
"Don't worry, Nagisa. In English you got us all beat", Sugino smiled. "I'm still thankful for that English lesson in mid-term".
"Yeah, well", Nagisa rubbed the back of his head. "I'm not the English brainiac here in class. So I'm a little bit worried".
"Don't worry, Nagisa. You've been following Koro-sensei's lessons for a year. You'll do just fine", Kayano smiled.
"Y-yes, Nagisa-kun. I-I was also helped by Nagisa-kun's tutoring. N-now I have less p-problem reading English journals", Manami beamed.
"Thanks you guys", Nagisa chuckled. He rubbed the back of his neck.
A phone vibrates. "Shindou?" Sugino picks up. "Moshi moshi. How are you doing? How are things since the last tournament?"
Sugino chuckled. Shindou must have said something funny. "Gee, man". He nods. "Alright, hold on". He sets his phone down and puts it on loudspeaker.
"Listen, the Class A higher-ups are having a special meeting. It is held by their leaders. They are known as the Five Virtuosos of Kunugigaoka Middle School", Shindou said. Nakamura taps Manami. Manami points to the phone. A red flame surrounds the title of the five biggest people in the school.
"Placing second in the overall ranking, his social aptitude and connections with the media makes him a dangerous fella. He is the Head of the Media Club, Araki Teppei", Shindou exclaimed. A boy with neatly combed green hair and glasses pops up on screen.
"Placing third in the overall ranking, his linguistic skills earn him the number one spot in every poetry competition. He is the secretary of the student council, Sakakibara Ren", Shindou exclaimed. A boy with a side part buzz cut and gentle eyes pop up on screen. The group gasped.
"Pretty sure he reminds me of Maehara", Nakamura whispered.
"Yeah, but somehow more annoying", Kayano whispered.
"Why did I get dragged into this?" Maehara groaned.
"Coming at fifth place in the overall ranking, the monster memorization who gets every science equation in his head. He has a grudge against Akabane for taking the fourth spot. He is the Biology Club president Koyama Natsuhiko", Shindou exclaimed. A boy with seaweed black hair and crooked glasses pops up on screen. Manami gulps.
"That guy's head of biology now. Sheesh, I'm glad I never joined the club", Terasaka scoffed.
"But can you really join the club?" Hazama chuckled.
"Bet I can, Hazama", the spiky haired boy balled his hands into a fist.
"Coming at sixth place in the overall ranking, the man whose sharp tongue has been honed by spending time in LA. The meeting leader, Seo Tomoya", Shindou exclaimed. A boy with mid-length hair and a prominent nose pops up on screen. The class irked. Maehara is ready to shout. Sugino puts his index finger on his mouth.
"Do you really have to announce it like that?" Sugino said.
"Oh, my bad. Just want to try being one of those sports announcers for once", Shindou cleared his throat. The screen turns black. The class sighed in relief.
"In first place, the ray of hope in Class A. The top scorer in all of Kunugigaoka Middle School. He is the student council president, Asano Gakushuu", he exclaimed with a much stable voice. A boy with strawberry blonde hair and violet eyes pops up on screen.
"He's the principal's son", Isogai gasped.
"Sugino", Shindou said. "They're a very powerful opponent. They have the academic skills and the charisma to lead a class full of people to reach for the top. They want you guys to stay out of the main campus. If this goes on.."
"It's alright, Shindou", Sugino said. "Thank you for worrying about us but we're not planning to go back to the main campus. Right now, we're trying to graduate from Class E. But to get to that goal, we still need to beat Class A, and we'll put up a good fight. So keep an eye on us".
Shindou chuckled. "Yeah, well the Class E's fight has nothing to do with me. Knock yourselves out".
=itl=
Isogai runs to the twin ponytail blue haired and green haired pair. "Nagisa. Kayano. Do you guys want to study together? I have exclusive passes for the library. It's really hard to get. So I've reserved it ahead of time".
"Let's go", the two exclaimed.
A red head left the scene and yawned. Manami had a question she wanted to ask. The equation Koro-sensei left on the board didn't make any sense. The octopus teacher keeps drawing two circles as the class finds the circumference. Maybe now isn't a good time to ask.
"Okuda-san, do you want to study together?" Isogai said.
"Yeah, let's go. The more the merrier", Kayano beamed. Nagisa, Nakamura and Kanzaki looked at the twin braided girl.
Manami nods. "Yes, let's go".
=itl=
"Isogai really knows how to pick a spot", Nakamura said. She leaned her head on the table.
"I know, right? What a perfect place to learn", Kayano said. She smiles as she's holding the maths book.
Manami murmured. "What's 4?r?"
"You're still solving it, Okuda-san?" Nagisa said.
She nods. "Well, it was a question that was up on the board".
"I wouldn't sweat it, Okuda-san", Isogai said. His hands made a fan.
"Yeah, bet that octopus is just being a pervert in class", Nakamura said. "Drawing two circles and 4?r. It's just another one of his jokes to get Okajima to pay attention".
"Yes, I'm also sure of that", Kanzaki said. "Also if we look at our maths book, this might be the one that shows up in the exam". She opened a page with a big shape; the main part is a triangle, the one attached to the right is a rectangle, the one attached at the top is a circle and the one attached to the left is a cross. On top of it, the question reads; Solve the area for the following shape.
"Yeah, right. Like we could solve it on time", Isogai screamed.
"What is wrong with this maths book?" Nagisa screamed.
"Well, that's just the kind of thing the End Class would say", a boy with neatly combed green hair and glasses said. He appeared with three other boys.
"Don't", Nakamura groaned as she keeps her focus on her friend group. "Please don't say who I think they are".
"If you mean the best students in school then yes, that will be us", the boy answered. "We're the Five Virtuosos".
The four boys build a formation. The first boy is Araki Teppei. The second boy is Seo. "Move out, swine. You're in our seats".
"Hey, no fair. We were here first", Kayano said. Her squabbling revealed the pudding recipe in the maths book. "Don't bother our study group".
"Kayano, your books", Nagisa pointed out.
"As my classmate said, we were here first. We have reserved these seats in advance", Isogai said.
"Yeah, and studying in an air conditioned room is the best", Nakamura sighed.
The third boy steps up.
"Don't you get it, End Class scrubs?" Koyama said. "In our class, grades matter. The End Class is at the bottom. The Ace Class is at the top. Even more so, the Ace Class has the Five Virtuosos – us four here. So you don't get a say in this".
Manami stood up from her seat. "Y-yes, we do and we will".
"What?" Koyama said.
"W-we are aiming to get the top grades in every subject. And we will get it. Let's see you try and boss us around then", Manami said.
"Are you kidding me?" Koyama scoffed. "What's a small one like you doing here? And your glasses make you look like a hick, am I right Araki?"
"Yeah", Araki drawl out his words.
"Among the scrubs, I think we have a rare jewel here", the fourth boy, Sakakibara mused. He had approached Kanzaki. "What are you doing here, sweetheart? If only you had the academic chops, we could have made a great couple. How about you come with us as a maid?"
Kanzaki struggled with his overfamiliarity. "I'll pass".
"She has the worst luck with men", Kayano and Nagisa mumbled.
"Hold on", Koyama fixed his glasses. "Aren't these guys the same ones as the mid-term?"
Sakakibara is still flirting. "Kanzaki Yukiko, 23rd in Japanese literature", Koyama said. In her despair, she can still dodge Sakakibara's multiple advances.
"Nakamura Rio, 11th in English", Koyama said. Nakamura leans her head on the table. She bores her eyes on her clipped notes.
"Isogai Yuma, 14th in Social Studies", Koyama said. Isogai shields Kanzaki from Sakakibara's advances. He yelled at the buzz cut boy to cut it out.
"Okuda Manami, 17th in Science", Koyama said. Manami glared at him. She's scared inside but there's no way she'll back away. "Well, it seems like you guys are good. At one subject. And in the mid range". He knocked Manami's head as if dealing with a door. It hurts.
"Then how about we come to an agreement?" Araki said. He walks to Isogai and Nakamura. "Between the End Class and the Ace Class. Let's see who gets the most top ranks in each subject. Whoever loses should do what the winner tells them". He pats Isogai's head.
Seo comes between Nagisa and Kayano. He puts his arm on Nagisa's chair. "What are you waiting for? Are you guys chicken?" he sighed. "Alright, chicken. We should also put our lives on the line".
Nagisa points his pen at Seo. Kanzaki points her pen to Sakakibara. Nakamura signs Manami. Manami jumps as Nakamura points her pen at Koyama. Isogai points his finger on Araki's chin. Blue eyes bored on Seo's dilated orbs. "Don't be so easy to play with your lives".
Seo gritted his teeth. "Alright, then we have a deal".
He backed away.
"We'll make you do something worse than death", Koyama screamed. Simultaneously, Sakakibara screamed. "You better not run".
"You're going to regret this, End Class", Araki pointed with his index finger. They flee the scene.
"The End Class and The Five Virtuosos. Are you kidding me?" a girl whispered. A boy whispered to her ears, "The End Class will lose for sure".
"It's good that you're both safe", Isogai said. He looks at Manami and Nakamura. "Let's go".
=itl=
"It's such a shame. I just started calculating the area of this pudding", Kayano wailed.
"Does that also include the list of ingredients?" Nagisa said.
"Who'd have thought those jerks would be there", Nakamura sighed. "I'm glad you're alright, Kanzaki-chan. I thought about scaring 'em off with some British slangs when but then you got to 'em first". So that's the reason Nakamura was looking at her clipped notes.
"It's alright, Nakamura-san. I'm used to dealing with those type of jerks", Kanzaki said.
"You're way too used to them", Kayano screamed.
Isogai sighed. "Well, it's a shame we didn't get to study together. I'm going to.."
He puts a hand over his mouth, saying something along the lines of work and part time but nobody caught on. At the same time, Kayano calls out to Nagisa.
She stopped midway as he seems to be in deep thought. She calls out to him once more. He responds. "Maybe we don't have to study together today. We could learn from how we learn our best subjects".
"How will that work?" Kayano said.
"Yeah, like, we could barely do it now", Nakamura said. "How could we do that when they're not even the ones teaching us, Nagisa?"
"Well, it's not completely studying on your own", he fidgets. "We could ask that person in the chat if we have something we don't understand".
He pulls out his phone. "I'm thinking that, probably, we could learn a few things by applying their techniques. Such as if I were to apply the technique of someone who is better at the subject than I am. Such as Science".
His blue eyes meet Manami's. "Either way, I don't want to lose".
He's right. "I don't want to lose either". Manami hands Nagisa a book. "I always like to read this book to sleep. It's called Chemistry Around Us. I love how they have the Periodic Table in colours and I also made some marks on my favourite chapters".
The book hangs by her fingertips. Nagisa sucks in a breath. "I don't want to sound ungrateful, Okuda-san. But will they be in the test as well?"
"And here I-I thought you have the best observation skills", Manami chuckled. "Koro-sensei reads this book a lot in class. H-He was the one who recommended it".
"Really?" Nagisa gasped. "I only noticed. It is his. Koro-sensei's green book. Thank you, Okuda-san".
"That's a great idea, Okuda-san", Isogai said. "If you're talking about Social Studies, I'm the guy. My favourite way to study is by reading newspaper articles. I also read the Ministry's bulletin".
He swiped his phone. "Send".
Sounds of ping went through everyone's phones. "Wow, thanks Isogai".
Kayano exclaimed as she stretched out her phone.
"Your welcome", Isogai said. "We won't lose to them if we work together".
"Mhm. Like we'd lose to those losers", Nakamura said. "My favourite's this. It helps with vocabulary and spelling".
She showed her clip notes. "You can bring them anywhere. Nagisa-kun? You major in English too, right?"
Nagisa nods. "Koro-sensei has been asking Nakamura-san and I to read English books in both English and Japanese. I think some of the best parts of the book are in the mid section. Then for the exam, the possible question could be for the concluding arc. I think this method would make it a fun read".
Everyone reads the book and gasp in awe. Nagisa has also highlighted his favourite parts. "There's.. A lot".
Nakamura hummed. The blue haired boy rubs his neck.
"I would also like to share my tips on studying for Japanese literature", Kanzaki said. "I always write down the Kanji and the possible meaning with the Hiragana. I also like to read the history of each poem".
She moves her pen. That's right, Kanzaki-san is good at Japanese literature.
"I-I'm counting on you, Kanzaki-san. I-I want to have a c-consultation in t-the chats", Manami exclaimed. "I-I also d-did the same for the midterm b-but I d-don't know why I missed the mark".
She sighed. Kanzaki smiled.
"Same here. I'm also counting on you for chemistry".
"I can help with Japanese literature too, Okuda-san", Kayano chirped. "You need to have the right treat for the right season. For example, strawberry cake for spring, mikan orange for summer, sweet potatoes for fall and apple pie for winter. Then, I match the poem with the correct sweets".
"Kayano's methods are.." Nagisa said. Kayano looks at him sweetly to continue. "But that's alright. Now that it's summer, I could eat yuzu orange".
"Yuzu orange! I'll add them to my treat list", Kayano chirped.
"So between the six of us, we've got four out of five teachers", Isogai mused. "How about Maths?"
Nagisa hummed. "Maths".
Kayano taps on her chin. "Maths".
Kanzaki gasped. "Maths, is it?"
"Are none of us good at Maths?" Nakamura screamed.
The three of them sighed with a sad face.
"W-well, i-it's a really hard subject. E-especially at this school", Manami said. "Although I-I'm not really i-into Maths, I-I can be quite good at it, too".
"No, you don't have to Okuda-san", Kanzaki said.
"Yeah, you're already teaching Science", Nagisa screamed.
"And that's one hard subject down", Kayano screamed.
Isogai mitigates the situation. "How about we focus on four subjects first?"
"No", Manami screamed. "Isogai-kun. That won't do".
She takes out a book covered with a clear sleeve and stretched its pages. "I-I I can prove it to you".
Nagisa and Kayano looked at each other. Nakamura slaps her own cheeks. Kanzaki pulls out her eyes. Isogai had a dramatic gasp.
"Okuda-san".
All of them got their act together.
"We're counting on you".
What is 4𝝿r?
Four-pie-r
O-pie
Pfft
Basically a dirty joke.
But 4𝝿r² is the formula for the area of a sphere.
Comments on the Five Virtuosos encounter made by the Class E study group:
"They were rude and it was an uncomfortable encounter" - Kanzaki Yukiko
"If there were only us, I would have thrown my recipe book at them!" - Kayano Kaede
"We have to beat Class A in the Finals" - Shiota Nagisa
"Aw, I missed my chance. Still, they looked scared anyways" - Nakamura Rio
"This is our chance. To prove we're not just the End Class. I believe in all of us" - Isogai Yuuma
"I won't lose. We won't lose. We'll show them what we have" - Okuda Manami
It's Chiba-kun's birthday tomorrow! I'll be posting the postcard on the blog
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Assassination Classroom. Assassination Classroom is a series written by Yusei Matsui. The anime is produced by Lerche. This is a fanfiction to provide a character spotlight on Okuda Manami. Themes and characterisation may differ from the original series. Also uploaded on lavender1112 blogspot and AO3.