Kayano creeps in a little past six.

Korosensei's still awake, and he's actually working on something when she peeks her head in. She freezes up at the sight of him- eyes wide, almost like she didn't expect him to still be awake.

"Oh," she says, voice quiet. "You're here."

"Indeed," Korosensei replies, voice hushed as well. "Why? Is something wrong?"

Brows furrowing, Kayano shakes her head.

"No," she says. "I just wanted to check up on her." She pauses. "Is she sleeping?"

"Yeah," Korosensei says, placing his supplies off to the side. "I figure you can come over, though. She's out like a rock."

Kayano wastes no time. Hurrying across the room, she joins Korosensei beside the bed. There she stares at Aguri tangled up in the covers for a long moment, utterly silent.

"And so it really happened," she says. "...It wasn't a dream."

Voice quivering, she reaches up to bat at her eyes. She sniffles, hiccups, and lets out a sputtery, long-held, sigh of relief.

"...She's alive," she says, blinking quick. "Oh thank god. For a second there I was scared I was making it up. Scared that I'd wake up and she wouldn't be there anymore. But she's… she's-"

She reaches a hand out… motioning to touch Aguri, but pauses.

"She's home," Korosensei says, giving a smile. "You've got nothing else to worry about."

He knows that's not true, but he'd like to think it's some form of consolation, even if Kayano probably doesn't really want to hear that from him.

At hearing his words Kayano seems to straighten up some. Eyes narrowed, she brushes the tears from her cheeks. Still, she doesn't seem mad at him… just humiliated more than anything.

"Yeah," she says, voice tense.

(Turns out she probably doesn't wanna think about what ways that's not true, either.)

She shifts, slightly… shuffles from foot to foot. She looks like she has something she wants to say, but she must suppress it, because she certainly doesn't speak.

That's okay. Not wanting her to focus on the negative elements of her sister's situation any more than she needs to, Korosensei asks her if she's feeling any better.

"You certainly worked yourself hard. You worried her, you know," he says, steepling his hands. "Do you think you'll be able to make it to school tomorrow?"

"School?" Kayano asks, sounding almost surprised. "You mean you're going?"

"Of course," Korosensei replies. "I made a promise to her, after all." He pauses. "Ideally, she'll be able to come, too. I'd like to reintroduce her to the students."

"Well…" Kayano says. "If she's coming, I'll come too. But that's yet to be seen."

"That's okay," Korosensei says. "That's good, even. She wouldn't want to stay here alone." He pauses. "...Though you'll need to go eventually. Back to school, I mean. Your classmates are worried about you."

"Worried," Kayano says, lip twitching. "Mad at, more like."

"Now I'm sure that's not true," Korosensei replies, shooting her a sympathetic look. "They're your friends, after all."

"...In concept," Kayano murmurs. "But I only really enrolled to deal with all of this. Now that the cat's out of the bag…" she drifts off. "Well, I have a feeling that it's going to end poorly."

"Sometimes these things do," Korosensei admits. "...Still, I believe you'll be okay. Both of us have stories we don't want to tell, but must. Why don't we face that together?" He cocks his head, gives her a bittersweet smile. "These things are always much easier with a friend."

"Mmm," Kayano says, only sounding half-convinced. Her eyes are still locked on her sister- illuminated by the dim glow of the nightlight. "...If only for Aguri's sake. She deserves to know."

Something tells him she resents the implication that he's a friend. Still, he doesn't mind.

"Fine by me," Korosensei replies, letting out a low hum. "That's more than a noble reason. If it's your sister who gives you the strength to share the truth, then so be it."

He pauses for a moment… observes her quietly. "You really care about her, don't you?" He asks. "I'm sorry I didn't pick up on that sooner. I should have known who you were." He reaches out to run a tentacle over his tie. "I should have known to apologize for almost taking her away from you."

"It's… whatever," Kayano says with a sigh. "I still don't like you one bit, but it's a good thing you didn't pick up on my act. I don't know what I would have done if you found out." She frowns. "Probably would've just tried to kill you then and there… but that wouldn't have been successful. You probably would have killed me instead."

"Now that's not true," Korosensei replies. "I never would have laid a hand on you. Even forgetting the fact that you're Aguri's baby sister, you're still my precious student. You mean the world to me. All of you do."

"Mmm," Kayano says, still sounding like she doesn't quite believe that. "Yeah, yeah. I know."

They sit in silence for a bit. But as Kayano's gaze drifts from Aguri and to the pile of fabric lying by Korosensei's side, she must be unable to bear the quiet any longer.

"...What are you working on?" She asks. "Are those knitting needles?"

"Ah," Korosensei says, lifting up his handiwork. "I was simply readjusting some things while she slept. What do you think? Will she like it?"

Kayano stares for a long moment- almost like she doesn't know how to react. But after what feels like forever she finally says "...Yeah. She probably actually really will."

And not wanting to stay starstruck for long, she turns. Giving a shrug, she says "...I should probably get going to do something productive, too. I don't want her to wake up to an empty kitchen. Usually I make breakfast around this time, but I wanted to make sure that she was alright first."

"Of course," Korosensei replies. "No shame in that. I'm still processing this myself." Carefully, he places his project to the side. "Good luck with breakfast, Kayano. And I'll see you in a few hours."

"...Yeah," Kayano responds, making her way over to leave. But she pauses in the doorway, and turns her head to whisper something under her breath.

"Thank you for helping me bring her home, for the record. I really appreciate it."

"No need," Korosensei reassures. "I was more than happy to help out, and I always will be. Thank you, too, for letting me know that she was alive at all."

"...Yeah," Kayano says. "Of course." And with that, she hurries off. She murmurs one last "See you sis, and… see you Sensei," and then she's gone. Still, Korosensei doesn't mind. Despite the awkwardness, the aura of anger has started to fade.

"See you, Akari," he says with a smile. And then… listening to Aguri snore, he gets back to work.


Aguri wakes up to sunlight, but the first thing she does is flinch.

It's not a conscious decision- it's involuntary, more than anything- but the minute she sees the bright white she pulls back, shuts her eyes, and braces herself.

...The pain doesn't come.

And carefully, she peeks open an eye. It's only then that she starts to process where she really is. Ah, right… she's not chained to the operating table. At least… she doesn't think. She's in bed. At home.

(It's crazy how unreal all of this feels still.)

There's a faint pounding on her head— a dull aching in her bones, but it's nothing like what she's usually grown accustomed to when waking up. As no needles prick her skin, she lets out a deep, raggedy sigh of relief.

She can faintly make someone out at the periphery of her vision… and at first, she flinches from them too. At least until she processes what exactly she's looking at, and the events of last night come rushing back to her. The gangly, yellow creature perched on the side of her bed is no stranger, much less a foe.

(He's Reaper.)

He looks like he hasn't moved an inch all night. Nevertheless, he must feel her flinch back, because he slowly turns his body and shoots a look her way.

"Good morning," he says. "Did you sleep well? And is everything alright?" He pauses. "You looked frightened for a moment there."

He's back to that same comforting demeanor. Fingers steepled patiently and an everlasting smile plastered across his face, there's no remnant of the awkwardness from the night before. He's his usual chipper self… whatever that means. Thinking about it again, Aguri supposes she doesn't really know what he's like 'most of the time' now.

"I'm… fine," she replies, shaking her head. "Just had a bad dream, that's all."

Symptomatic of a pretty bad life, but she doesn't dare share that.

Korosensei's quick to change the topic. Pointing to something lying flat on his lap, he says "I did some work while you were asleep. I hope you don't mind me touching your stuff, but…" He pauses. "I thought you might appreciate the gesture."

It takes her a moment to process what he's talking about, but as he holds up a strangely shaped T-shirt it clicks. He'd resewn one of her T-Shirts to fit her now. She can hardly even believe it.

"No," she says, a little taken aback. "I don't mind at all. That's… actually really sweet."

Korosensei's face flushes pink for just a split second. Scratching at his cheek, he says "You really think so? Why thank you!" He pauses. "Sorry if the measurements aren't perfect, and I'd have liked to get more done… but there's only so much you can do when you're trying not to wake a sleeping person. Please let me know if you need any readjustments, and I hope three will suffice for now."

'Three?' Aguri thinks, groggily sitting up. And sure enough, two more T-Shirts lie resting on his lap. She can hardly even believe it. He seemed to imply that that was somehow a small number, but she didn't expect to wake up to anything like this at all.

"Thank you," she says, almost transfixed. "...You didn't need to do anything like that."

"Eh," Korosensei replies. "I didn't intend to sleep either way, and I left the papers I'd been meaning to grade at the school. I figured I may as well do something with my time."

Still, Aguri's impressed. Now she's no expert on this sort of thing, but the T-Shirts look almost factory produced. Surely he'd had to unseam, seam, and even resew them. Where did he get the materials for that kind of thing?

(Did… did she know that Reaper knew how to do this, or did he just never share?)

"But that's enough about me," Korosensei continues, sitting up straight. "Why don't you take these for a spin? Get out of that dusty cloak and into something of your own. Surely it'll feel much more like home."

Aguri hesitates for a moment. Honestly… she likes the cloak, but she knows that she can't just keep something that belongs to him. Shrugging it off of her shoulders, she hands it over and begins to remove her scrubs… at least until Korosensei stops her.

"If you're going to undress you should do so in privacy. Unless you'd prefer I just turn?"

Aguri's eyes go wide. Letting out a sudden gasp, she shakes her head.

"N-no!" She sputters. "I'll go. I wasn't thinking about- oh god," She drifts off, feeling horror dawn on her. "I'm sorry."

It hadn't even hit her that what she was doing was inappropriate. She'd simply grown used to monotony and not caring about things like having privacy after months of being poked and prodded at. She hopes he doesn't interpret that as her trying to come onto him… especially after what happened last night. She'd gone into autopilot… and she hadn't even had time to think through what she was doing.

"Don't apologize," Korosensei reassures. "I simply let you know for a reason. Now would you prefer to stay in here while I go, or would you like to go to the bathroom?"

"Bathroom is fine," Aguri replies, standing. Humiliated and disgusted, she'd like a moment to collect herself… and she doesn't wanna force Korosensei out of his comfort zone anymore than she already has.

"Very well then," Korosensei says, handing the shirts over to her. "Just let me know if you need any help. And take all of the time that you need."

Slowly, Aguri drags herself across the floor. She'd thought she was getting the hang of it last night, but after a full eight hours of sleep, her progress seems to have reset. Her limbs are heavy, and she stumbles, slightly, as she slithers along.

Quietly, her stomach lets out a growl. She hadn't realized it the night before, but she's both starving and sore. The pain having in no way gone away completely, it boils her veins and leaves her feeling lightheaded.

Nevertheless, she makes her way into the hallway and over to the bathroom door. She fumbles with it for a long moment - hand slipping from the doorknob, before finally getting a grip and retching it open. Then, she steps inside… body barely fitting through the doorway as she struggles to squeeze into the cramped room.

Taking a deep, stressed-out breath, she places her clothes by the sink and reaches to strip from her scrubs. There, she pauses, however… taking a nice long moment to look at herself in the mirror.

Things are even worse than last night. She guesses she thought things would have been better by morning, but then again she's not sure why. She knows good things don't happen to her at this point: there's no use in getting her hopes up. Even if she's out of that situation (and for now) it's not like it didn't happen.

(Nope. She's stuck with this. That body she can't control, much less bear to look at... and for life.)

Trying her best not to meet her own gaze, she pulls the tattered scrubs from her skin. She's long since outgrown them. Somehow that makes her feel ashamed. Had the scientists really been looking at this for all those months?

Trying not to think about it too much, she takes a random shirt and pulls it on over her head. It takes a couple tries, but eventually, she manages to get it though… and it only takes twice as long to yank her arms through the sleeves. Somehow she expects that to hurt more- bulging veins or whatever, but it makes for a surprisingly loose, comfy fit.

('Plus,' she thinks 'It's not really veins extending from your arms is it? It's muscle. Or tentacles. Maybe both.'

...Ew. Somehow that's worse.)

She doesn't have pants. With her uneven, ever-moving tentacles that's the sort of thing that's far above Korosensei's paygrade… even as an expert seamster or whatever. She supposes she could wear a skirt if she really wanted to- but she's not exactly the flawless feminine type, and besides… Korosensei seems to have accounted for her dilemma, anyways.

He's extended the length of the shirt. Now going down to where her knees would've been, it's more dress-like, and covers her wound and private parts. It's still not perfect… she quite frankly feels humiliated with the lower half of her tentacles out in full view for everyone to see, but she's not going to complain.

The T-Shirt's got some sort of dumb motto on it. That, and a picture of a two-headed horse. "Coffee is drink!" it says, one head raised to the air. A bright green star shape rests behind it- a stark contrast to the orange of the rest of the shirt.

Aguri's face flushes pink, and her heart starts to sink. She remembers how confident she felt in these tees just a few months ago... but now that she thinks about it they're really kind of dumb, aren't they?

("Stop wearing those already!" Yanagisawa demands, slapping his palm across her cheek. "You're embarrassing me! What are you!? Fucking FIVE!?")

Still… she supposes it's too late to dispose of it now. She wouldn't want Korosensei to do any more work than he already has. She'll grit and bear it- wear the dumb shirt. It's not like she can look much worse than she already currently does.

With that, she goes. She sends one last long look at herself in the mirror - trying not to focus on the fact that she doesn't recognize her own face- then turns… reaches out for the doorway, and nudges it open.

In hindsight, she's super thankful that Korosensei stopped her from stripping. Not just because it would have been a violation of his privacy, but because she'd hate to be seen like that, too.

Korosensei isn't the only person waiting for her. Standing outside in the hallway is Akari, eyes wide and shoulders stiff. She rushes to meet Aguri the moment she sees her, arms open as she wraps her in a hug.

"You're awake!" She shouts. "I was just coming to check up on you!"

Aguri freezes up- anxious at the touch. But she soon relaxes as she reminds herself that it's just Akari. Giving a small nod, she says "Yeah. I got up maybe fifteen minutes ago."

Now that she thinks about it she's not sure why she didn't check up on Akari first. Forget her dumb T-Shirts and her issues with Korosensei! Akari was probably worried sick about her. What kind of sister is she?

"I've been up since like six," Akari says, kind of quiet. "I came to check up on you, but you were still asleep. You had me worried."

"Worried?" Aguri asks, still barely processing that. It's her who should be worrying about Akari right now.

"Yeah," Akari says. "I mean… at first I wasn't even sure what happened was real. And when I checked up on you it eased some of my fears, but I guess I wasn't ever gonna be certain until I talked to you again for real." She pauses. "Let's not worry about any of that, though. How are you feeling?"

'Oh,' Aguri thinks. She… must have really stressed Akari out. In hindsight, she regrets not leaving her a note or something- a simple 'I'm okay.' But then again she's not sure she even could have written one.

"...Good," she replies, not wanting to worry her sister any further. "I'm good. What about you? Korosensei told me you worked yourself really hard last night."

Akari tenses slightly, but soon relaxes.

"Oh," she says. "...It's fine. Don't worry about me. I'm feeling better already."

Aguri's not quite sure she believes that, but she doesn't get the chance to dispute it. Korosensei joins the two of them in the hallway, giving Akari a wave.

"Ah!" he says. "Kayano! I see you've seen that Aguri is awake. How are you feeling?"

"Good," Akari repeats, finally pulling away. "It's a relief to see her on her feet."

"Indeed!" Korosensei agrees, giving a hearty nod. "Which does remind me: I have a question to ask you, Miss Aguri. Now that you're up and about, would you be interested in coming to school with me? We won't leave you alone if you refuse, of course… and I completely understand if you don't feel ready, but something tells me that the students would be quite happy to see you."

"Ah…-" Aguri says, a little taken aback. Quite frankly she hadn't had any sort of formal plans for the day. She didn't even really know it was a school day. Having that bombshell dropped on her feels pretty abrupt.

"Well… I mean- that would be nice, I suppose," she admits. "But are you sure I wouldn't be a distraction? I'd hate to frighten them."

"Aguri…" Korosensei says, an apprehension to his tone. "Now I'm sure that that wouldn't happen. If anything, they're just likely very worried about you after what happened last night." He pauses. "I'm sure they'd be more than happy to see you. You are their original teacher, after all."

"Yeah, yeah. I know," Aguri replies halfheartedly. "I just don't want to put them in any weird situations."

Akari lets out a scoff.

"Don't worry about that," she says. "Our situation's already more than weird. We've had that guy teaching us for the past five months." She points a finger at Korosensei. "You'll come as a breath of fresh air." She pauses. "And besides, you're not weird, anyways."

Usually, Aguri would argue. But she's a little too caught up on something else Akari said.

'Five months,' she thinks, brow furrowing. 'Has it really only been that long?'

On one hand… it comes as a relief. She's glad she hasn't missed too much. But on the other hand, it feels like it's been much longer than that. She was in that lab for an eternity. There's no way it could have been that short of a time.

'March,' she thinks. 'It was… March, right? When all of that happened?' She's not quite certain, but it sounds right. She was celebrating something with the Reaper in March. But what would that make it now? March… April… May-

"A very good point," Korosensei agrees. "Your students are already well adjusted to the strange and peculiar. They won't bat an eye- I reassure you. And so what is it, then? Would you be interested in accompanying us?"

"...August."

"Pardon?"

Aguri blinks, pulling herself from her stupor. Shaking her head, she says "Er- I mean… okay, I suppose. But only if you think things will really be okay."

"I promise they will," Korosensei replies. "I'll make sure of it." He gives her a bright smile. "As I said: the kids should be happy to see you, and I can explain the full situation to both you and them there. Then, I can introduce you to Karasuma and Irina-sensei… and the three of us can see what we can do to help you out."

"...Karasuma and Irina-sensei?" Aguri repeats.

"Other teachers," Akari clarifies. "Don't worry. They're more normal… mostly." She pauses- makes a face. "You'll see what I mean."

Aguri nods. She's still not sure she understands the entire situation, but she made a commitment- she's not going to back out on it. And besides, anything is better than having to stay home alone.

"Anyways!" Akari says, straightening herself up slightly. "I made breakfast. It's not anything perfect, but…" she drifts off. "You think it might be a good idea to get something on your stomach?"

Aguri blinks. She must admit she still feels a little bit sick to her stomach- it comes bundled with the entire situation, but now that she's had a bit of time to calm down she realizes that she's starving. Stomach desperately clawing for food, she takes note of her fatigued, trembling limbs.

"I'd… appreciate that," she says. "I haven't had anything to eat in a while."

Now that she thinks about it, she might not have to eat at all. She- like- expelled her stomach or whatever… but either way she's starving, and the desperate lightheadedness doesn't give her much time to think.

Nodding, Akari leads the two of them into the kitchen. There she's got a stack of pancakes already prepared, with some fruit to the side.

"Not the healthiest breakfast," she says. "But if you're anything like me I figured you'd be craving something sweet.

With that, she leads Aguri over to a seat. Awkwardly, Aguri takes her place… struggling to maneuver her tentacles up onto the chair. Thankfully, the kitchen seems to have been tidied up a bit since last night, at least. The chairs are dusted, and another's been pulled up, presumably for Korosensei.

He doesn't immediately take a seat. Instead, staring at the ground for a long moment, there's this desperate, melancholy look to his eyes. Aguri thinks he's sad for a split second, but when his head shoots up he's practically salivating.

"Sweet!?" He repeats, looking a little bit like a kicked puppy. "Ohhh… Kayano- please tell me I can have some!"

Akari hesitates. But she must catch Aguri shooting her an aloof, if a little confused, look, because she lets out a deep sigh and says "Fine. BUT ONLY A LITTLE."

Hardly even listening to what she's saying, Korosensei rushes to her side. Barrelling into his seat he takes a fork in one hand and a knife in the other. Then, particularly crazed, he grabs a plate, a stack of pancakes, and is on them like an apex predator.

"Oh thank you!" he cries, voice a wail. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! You know I need my nutrition! I'll make sure to never forget your kindness, Miss Kayano!"

Aguri jolts slightly at the sudden movement, but is quick to remind herself that it's just The Reaper. She's… not in any danger. She's fine. Reaper is simply devouring a stack of pancakes like a frenzied zoo animal.

('Jeez,' she thinks. 'It really has to have been longer than five months, hasn't it?' There's no way things possibly could have changed this much in that time.)

Akari rolls her eyes- unamused. All the same, her demeanor seems much less hostile towards Korosensei than it had been yesterday… and she's annoyed at worst. That comes as a relief to Aguri. She's not sure what she'd do if they ever fought for real. But she's also sure Akari's had a lot of time to think things over... and so that probably won't happen.

Ignoring the thing seated at their dinner table, Akari reaches out for a bottle of syrup and asks Aguri how many pancakes she'd like.

"You might want to get on it quick," she suggests. "Something tells me they'll be gone pretty soon."

Aguri pauses, thinking. On one hand she's really hungry… but on the other hand she doesn't want to hog. She's sure Akari put a lot of work into this- and she wouldn't want to rob either her or Korosensei of a fulfilling meal. She just got back, after all. She doesn't want to forget her place.

"Er… two would be fine, I think," she says. "If that's alright, I mean. If that's too much, then I'm happy to-"

"That's fine," Akari interjects, sliding a plate Aguri's way. "I asked for a reason."

With that, she hands the pancakes over and places some fruit to the side.

"Syrup?" She asks, holding up the bottle.

"...That would be nice."

Nodding, Akari firmly smacks at the base of the bottle. Slowly… a thick drizzle of syrup trickles out, covering Aguri's pancake. She gives Akari a nod and a smile. That, and a quiet thank you.

"Of course," Akari replies, reaching out for a pancake of her own. "Happy to help."

And with that… all that's left is actually eating the thing. Quietly, Aguri's gaze drifts to her utensils, and she feels a knot form in her stomach. She looks towards the pancake, then towards her malformed hands, then back towards the pancake again… and shifts, uncomfortably, hoping nobody notices.

She is not going to have anyone feed her, for Pete's sake.

She… she can do this-

At least… inalittlebit. Not wanting to humiliate herself quite yet, she reaches out for a slice of cantaloupe and takes that instead.

"So," Korosensei says, finally looking up from his plate. "We've ought to discuss how we're going to get to school. Usually I'd just offer to fly the two of you, but…-" he pauses. "That doesn't exactly seem like the best idea right now."

"Mmm," Aguri says absentmindedly… still staring at the slice of cantaloupe. She rotates it in her hands, bringing it in close to her face- at least until that really hits her, and she freezes.

"Wait," she says. "Fly!?"

"Ahh…" Korosensei says. "Right. You wouldn't know about that. Well, you see: I'm capable of flight now… although it's much closer to that of, say, a rocket, than a bird's flight. Using my super-speed I can propel myself into the air at an incredible velocity… and it's wonderful for getting around. But as I'm sure you can imagine, that's probably not the best solution for today. You're still getting used to your surroundings, after all. The last thing you need is whiplash on top of all of that."

"Well I… I don't disagree," Aguri says, blinking. But his insistence on it not being the ideal plan isn't exactly why she stopped him. She's just- she's just a little stunned… that's all. Because, like, super speed is one thing, but flight?

(...Wow. Korosensei really is capable of some incredible things.)

"Which is why it's probably for the best we walk," he continues. "School starts at 8:30. Usually, I like to be there at least an hour early, but it's fine if we can't make that deadline today." He turns slightly. "Do you have the time by any chance, Kayano?"

"Yeah," Kayano says, glancing at the clock overhead. "It's about 7:20. It's only a forty-five-minute walk, so we've still got some time."

"Good. Good," Korosensei says. "We're right on schedule. Feel free to take your time, Miss Yukimura. As long as you're ready by eight we should be fine."

"...Alright," Aguri says with a nod. "I'll make sure to keep that in mind."

And with that, her gaze finally drifts back to the cantaloupe. Deciding that it's now or never, she pops it into her mouth and starts to chew. What soon washes over her is a wave of utter relief.

She'd known that she was hungry, but it wasn't until she actually got something on her stomach that she realized just how hungry she was. Snarfing the cantaloupe down, she shakes, slightly, and savors the oh-so-sweet taste.

Before she even knows what she's doing she's reaching out for another. And another. She grabs a slice of cantaloupe… a piece of banana… a single grape, and she shovels them into her mouth. Eyes wide, some of her lightheadedness starts to fade.

'Oh god,' she thinks. How long has it been since she ate?

She knows it's pathetic… but she can't will herself to stop. Feeling rather nauseous and suddenly desperate all at once, she clears the plate of fruit and then shoots up. Voice shaky, she asks if she can have a glass of water.

"I'm… I'm really thirsty."

Korosensei and Akari waste no time. Hurrying to their feet, both of them stand. Although when they spot the other do the same, they pause.

"No need for you to worry about any of that," Korosensei reassures. "I'll do it. You just sit right there."

Akari hesitates, looking a little miffed. But eventually, she does as told and sits back down.

Korosensei, meanwhile, pours Aguri a glass of water. He also pours two glasses of milk: one for himself, and one for Akari.

"You should get some protein," he says, sitting back down. "It's good for you."

Akari gives a nod, reaching out for her cup, but Aguri's hardly able to pay her any mind. Own glass in hand, she tilts it backwards and takes desperate, greedy gulps. Still shaking, she savors the feeling of the ice water trickling down her throat... and lets out a relieved, sputtery sigh. She barely even realizes she's gotten water all over her chin until the glass is completely empty.

It's only then that she spots the other two staring at her. She can't tell if they're judging her or just pitying her, but either way it feels pretty bad. She awkwardly places the glass back down, pushing it to the side and giving a nod.

"...Thank you," she says. "That feels much better."

"You can have more, you know," Akari offers. "Both fruit and water. We've got plenty."

Aguri hesitates.

"Well… maybe just a little more would be nice. But not too much-"

Akari stands at once. This time taking the lead, she refills Aguri's glass and grabs her some fruit from the fridge. She slides both her way, sitting back down.

"Just let me know if you need anything else."

Now that she's gotten something on her stomach Aguri is able to slow down a bit. Her limbs still feel heavy... and she shuts her eyes- teary- as she eats, but at least she can refocus on the conversation at hand.

"Today will likely be a bit of a strange day," Korosensei explains. "While usually I'd prefer not to disrupt your learning, we as a class have got a lot to discuss. Hopefully by the time we've arrived, both the students and the other teachers should already be there. We can explain the situation to them in full, and then decide what we're going to do next… namely with regards to you two."

"Kayano," he says. "You've got to decide whether or not you're going to stay in my class. If you'd like to, then I'd be more than happy to have you: but I got the impression that there was a lot of resentment behind your resolve to enroll in the first place. And so if you'd like to leave, then I understand that, too. I'd just like to ensure that you're still getting some sort of education at all." He pauses. "That… and that if you do stay, you fully discuss what happened last night with your classmates out in the open."

Akari fiddles with her food. This uncomfortable expression on her face she says, "Yeah. Of course."

Aguri's uncomfortable, too. She's still hardly even processed what happened last night, but she's sure it's got something to do with those things that were inside of her sister. That, and what she used them for to get her out of there. She hopes that Akari's not in trouble because of her.

(She hopes that she's not still aching- angry, and desperate for revenge.)

"And then as for you," Korosensei says, turning to Aguri. "We've got to discuss whether you'd still like to teach or not. If you'd be interested, then I'd be thrilled. But I also understand if you don't feel capable of that right now. You've been through a lot, and you need time to rest. If you wouldn't like to, then you're under no obligation. I'll take care of the students for you." He drifts off. "...All the same, I think it could be good for you to see how they've been."

"Mmm," Aguri says, sucking on an apple slice. She thinks he has a point, but she's not really in the brainspace to think it through right now. Sure, she used to have a passion for teaching… but a lot of things have changed since then. She's sure Korosensei has been taking better care of the students than she ever could have… and even if she wanted to help him out, she'd be scared of putting them in danger.

It's as she's mulling it over that she realizes she's run out of fruit. Blinking, she turns to the pancake. She considers not eating it at all... it feels like such a steep climb in comparison, but she'd hate to take Akari's hard work for granted. She reaches out for her fork- taking a few tries just to grab it, before finally managing to wrap one of her thick tentacles around the handle. She lifts it up into the air, grabbing at her knife with the other.

It takes another few tries just to cut the pancakes. Her grip slips a few times, and the knife lets out a horrible grinding noise as it skids against the plate. Ultimately she only ends up cutting her pancakes into an uneven set of fours. Any more, and she'd just be drawing unwanted attention to herself.

('Ha,' she thinks. 'What a joke. Stop kidding yourself. They're already staring. You already know they're staring.')

She opts to eat the pancakes with her hands. Usually she'd prefer to use a fork- especially with syrup involved- but there's no use in humiliating herself any further. Food's food. She'll just have to wash her hands afterwards.

She takes a nervous bite… shifts, and wipes her palm absentmindedly against a hand towel.

"I think… I'd like to take things slow," she says. "If that's okay, I mean. I don't want to make any big decisions about… about my job or what I wanna do yet. But it could be nice to see them- you're right." She drifts off- chokes up a little. "I've missed them a lot."

"And they've missed you, too," Korosensei reassures. "I hope you'll be pleased with what I've done with the class. And, yes, feel free to take as much time as you need. I reassure you that, teacher or not, you'll find your place in the assassination classroom with time."

Aguri's brow furrows. Placing her pancake down, she asks "Assassination classroom?"

Korosensei's face pales. Going a dull sort of gray, he fidgets with his fork.

"I did not want to bring this up last night when you were already so stressed," he admits. "But I suppose I have to break the news eventually. You see: the dynamic of your classroom has changed a bit since you last saw it. Maybe even as much as it's stayed the same. As I'm sure you're aware, I am considered a…" he pauses for a long moment, glancing at Akari. "...Danger to the world. The minute I made my existence known many people wanted to end it. But try as they might, they were incapable."

Some of the color returns to Korosensei's face. And almost smug, his smile widens.

"Governments from all across the world have tried to take me down in the time that you were gone. Kill me as a… preventative measure. But it was simply no use. With my newfound powers, I'm much too strong. And that's where me striking a deal of sorts with them came in."

"I told them that if they'd allow me to teach at 3-E, then I would not only stay in one place for most of the day... but afford a new group of assassins an ample opportunity to kill me. Namely…: your students."

"P-pardon!?" Aguri sputters.

"Please try not to get the wrong impression," Korosensei quickly responds. "I've not turned your classroom into a truly violent place. I've simply… weaponized your students, and given them motive to kill me. It was the only way to become able to teach. The government never would have allowed me around such vulnerable people if not for that deal… and if I'd tried to teach them anyways then the government may have attacked me with the students nearby. I couldn't take that risk."

"I've been very careful to make sure that they're safe," he continues. "The weapons they've been using are able to harm no-one but me... and believe it or not, they've actually taken to the challenge incredibly well. Not only are they naturally skilled assassins, but it's given them motive to thrive in their education as well. While the whole scenario sounds absurd, I do hope that you'll ultimately like what you see when you get the chance." He pauses… places his fork down. "My goal going into this was to honor you, after all."

Aguri frowns. She certainly doesn't wish to doubt his intentions, but… this is a lot to take in. Have her students really spent the last five months trying to kill him?

(Has… the whole world?)

She knows that he's dangerous. Objectively, she knows that. But… he's her friend. And the thought of him not being here breaks her heart. If even one of those kids had succeeded then she wouldn't be talking to him right now. She likely wouldn't even be free. How messed up is that?

"...Don't…- don't worry," she says, mouth dry. "I'm sure I'll think it's… wonderful. This is just a lot to process all at once."

"Yes, yes. I understand. Do not worry."

Korosensei's expression doesn't falter… and he still speaks warmly as ever. It's the sort of thing that gives Aguri pause. How is he able to seem so calm discussing all of this? Is he really content with everyone in the world wanting to take him out? Or is he simply hiding it? Like he did back then?

She wishes she could read him. She used to be able to. She knows it. But now things are… things are harder.

She returns focus to her pancakes, unable to meet his eerily pleasant smile. Poking at them, and then taking a bite, she asks:

"Will they try to harm me, too?"

"Well…" Korosensei clicks his tongue. "I'm not sure. First of all: harm isn't the right descriptor for it. And second of all… I'm not sure if they'll have the will. While the students have always been eager to shoot, stab, and otherwise mutilate me, I came into their classroom with a rather over the top demeanor. You, on the other hand… they already knew before all of this. You'll come across as much less of a caricature."

"That said, however, the minute the government hears of your existence, I doubt they'll have the same sentimentality. They, likely, will want you dead. There's a very good chance you have the same abilities as I do, and they'll see those as a threat." He sighs. "Because of that, they may order the students to try... whether they'd like to or not."

The thought makes Aguri feel a little lightheaded. She's not sure how she feels about the concept of dying… that's a whole situation in and of itself, but she knows she doesn't want the students to do it. She'd never put that on them! They're just kids!

(Maybe if… maybe if the government really wants her dead, then she should just turn herself i-)

"I don't get that, actually," a voice interjects.

And Akari leans over the table, pointing an accusatory finger at Korosensei.

"Of course the government wants you dead," she says. "You threatened to blow up planet Earth. But what reason do they have to want to take Aguri out? She's just a victim here."

"Well…" Korosensei hesitates. "There's always a risk of Aguri blowing up the earth, as well."

"Uh- no. I really don't think there is. Have you met my sister?"

Korosensei's quiet for a long moment. Shifting uncomfortably in his seat he says "The truth of the matter, ultimately, is that people don't like others having power that they cannot control. Whether your sister is behaving maliciously or not, there will always be a suspicion painted on her back." He sighs. "That's a disappointing reality of life."

"And for the record," he says. "The planet Earth situation is a lot more nuanced than that. You'll see for yourself when we discuss this fully in class."

Planet… Earth? For a second Aguri can't even comprehend why Korosensei would have made that threat. At least… until she remembers what happened last March 13th.

The moon. It blew up. That's what had kickstarted all of this. And it had signified-

...Reaper's deadline.

She can't believe she managed to forget about that.

She supposes it really has been less than a year. And that he'll be gone soon, whether the kids take him out or not.

(That she'll be gone soon, too. Even if she's finally out of there.)

Even if she somehow miraculously wasn't at a risk of blowing up (And what a joke… she totally is,) she has her powers to worry about. Korosensei's right. They're scary. Everything he can do… she can likely do it, too. The superspeed- the flying. Invincibility and numbness. All of it is within her grasp. And if she was in the government's shoes, she'd be scared, too.

Hell, she is. She'd sooner kill herself then destroy the world.

"Yeah. Yeah. Whatever," Akari says, huffing. "Either way… I'm not going to allow them to portray my sister like they portrayed you. And if the class falls for that shit even for a second then I'll put them in their place myself."

"Woah," Aguri says, a little taken aback. "There's no need to fight with your friends over me-"

"They're not my friends if they'd be willing to believe that an innocent person is the dangerous one here," Akari says, almost too quickly. She glowers. "I'll do what I fucking have to."

Aguri shifts uncomfortably. It's more than clear that Akari is on edge. Aguri feels really bad for her. She's… been lonely, hasn't she?

With her having been enrolled in the E-Class and all, Aguri'd been hoping that she'd at least had a support system while she was gone. But it's becoming increasingly clear that she doesn't know any of her classmates really that well at all. They're strangers to her: people she doesn't trust.

And that's… a pretty uncharitable impression. Sure, Aguri doesn't remember the E-Class being the nicest to her, but something tells her that they wouldn't be raring to kill her off, either. They're good- if struggling- kids... not enemies.

Akari would really have to not know them well at all to doubt that.

"...I understand that the situation is deeply stressful," Korosensei says. "But please try not to worry too much. And please try not to take your anger out on your peers. I'll talk to the government and attempt to explain things as amicably as possible. I won't allow them to do something that will make either Aguri or you students uncomfortable. And while I'm sure it will be difficult, I'm also sure that eventually, we'll come to an agreement."

Akari rolls her eyes, almost like she doesn't believe him... but all the same, she doesn't argue further. Instead, looking exhausted, she simply returns to her meal.

It's only then that Aguri realizes she's finished her own meal. She reaches out for a pancake- heart heavy- to suddenly find them gone. She stares down at her empty plate… eyes blank.

(Did she finish that and just not realize? Or-?)

"Um…" she speaks up, not sure whether it's because she'd like another or simply because she'd like to change the topic. "Do we have any pancakes left? I'm still a bit hungry."

"Uh. Yeah," Akari says, reaching out towards the center of the table. "You want one or two?"

"Just one is fine."

Akari nods, sliding the pancake over onto Aguri's plate. She pours a thick layer of syrup over it… before returning to her seat and retreating back into herself.

"...I… believe you for the record," Aguri says, tearing at the pancake with her hands. "Both that you'll really do everything in your power to protect me, Akari, and that you'll manage to get something worked out, Korosensei." She pauses. "...Try to have faith in each other, alright? I wouldn't want either of you stressing out too much over me."

Akari opens her mouth to speak, but Korosensei beats her to it.

"Well…" He says. "Some stress is inevitable. That said, however, I'm glad you have confidence in us. We'll try our best not to let you down."

"...Yeah," Akari says, seemingly sated. "What he said."

And with that, a quiet falls over the dinner table. Everyone returns to their breakfast, uncomfortable.

There it is again- that tension. It had seemed to vanish for a bit earlier… like they'd found comfort in each other, but just as soon, it's back. Aguri wonders if it's something she's done wrong. She hopes her situation isn't causing them to fight.

"So…" she says, hardly able to stand the silence. There's a beeping of machines- the beating of her heart ringing up in her ears. "...How have you been enjoying class? I mean… aside from the whole assassination element? Is Korosensei a good teacher?"

"Yeah," Akari says. "I mean he's fine, whatever." She pauses. "My grades have been improving."

"That's good," Aguri says. "Pretty impressive, too. You were always a smart girl, so even better grades is just awesome."

Akari looks embarrassed. That... and uneasy. Aguri thinks she feels a little uneasy, too, thinking about it. They're talking the way they used to talk- like nothing has changed, but there's none of the warmth involved. It's not like Akari can return the small talk- ask Aguri how her last few months have been… and try as she may just to not, she still ends up staring.

It's not a scared sort of stare. At least… Aguri doesn't think so. And she's relieved about that much, but it still makes her sad. Akari looks so weary... so mad… so relieved and in disbelief all at once. Almost like she's still having trouble processing that Aguri's there. And it's the kind of thing that gives Aguri pause.

...Quite frankly, she's surprised Akari can bear to look at her at all.

She still remembers what Yanagisawa said. About Akari being afraid of her… about her being a shame to her family, and about all of this just solidifying it. She was so sure that when Akari saw her in the light of the morning she wouldn't help but flinch back. But Akari doesn't retreat from her. Akari doesn't run. She simply continues to stare at her with those worn, woeful eyes.

(And in some ways, that's worse.

Just how much damage did her absence- her screw up do to the one person who'd ever dared to depend on her?)

Aguri finishes up her pancake. She starts to slide her plate to the side, but Akari asks if she wants the last one.

"We've still got one extra," she says. "You want it? Or should I finish it off?"

Aguri pauses. She's still a little hungry… and terribly lightheaded, even after getting something on her stomach, but she wouldn't want to overstep any boundaries. She'd just feel selfish if she dared to ask for a fourth- and besides, she seems to recall reading horror stories about eating too much after your stomach's shrunk, anyways.

"You can have it," she says, content to stay hungry. Akari needs it more than she does- and something tells her that a meal won't be able to help much more with her lightheadedness, anyways.

"Alright," Akari responds. "Just thought I'd ask."

And with that, she reaches out for the final pancake.

...The three of them sit in silence.

Pretty much as soon as Akari's done Korosensei stands. He says it's probably about time they should get going.

"It's almost eight. And we wouldn't want to be too late. We should head out. Kayano, replace your bandages real quick and get dressed. Then we can make our departure."

Akari nods, hurrying to her feet. She limps into the other room, leg dragging just a bit behind her. Aguri considers trying to help, but she struggles to her feet herself… and by the time Korosensei's got her up, Akari's already returned.

"Let's go," she says, fresh bandages applied and a new school uniform donned. "I didn't want to waste too much time."

Aguri's only noticing it now, but it suddenly hits her just how disheveled what Akari'd been wearing up until now had been. It'd been singed for sure… and had there been blood stains? Jesus Christ, she can't believe she sent Akari to bed in that.

(What kind of sister is she?)

Still, not wanting to worry her, she hurries Akari's way. And as Korosensei unlatches the door, the three of them… hesitantly, step outside.

It's a weird experience seeing the outside world again. Aguri seems to recall being a bit overwhelmed by it last night, but it's even crazier in the morning. Her eyes blur- struggling to adjust to the sunlight, and as she feels the warm breeze on her face she freezes, breath hitched.

Birds are chirping somewhere not that far from here. A telephone rings- unfettered- from inside of a nearby house. A leaf flutters to the ground.

"Hey," Korosensei says, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. Take your time. I know this must be a lot to take in."

Nodding, Aguri struggles down the steps. She doesn't remember how she made the trip up last night, but then again she doesn't remember most things. She simply allows Akari and Korosensei to support her… easing her down the small set of stairs until she's safely at the bottom.

From there she allows the two of them to take the lead. It's not like she knows where the school is. Even so, they're careful to hang back- support her. And when she stops, they stop, too.

Making her way across the pavement is weird. She could handle the texture from inside of her house… but the sidewalk is much more rough. It doesn't break her skin- she doesn't think it could even if she fell, but all the same, she feels relatively barefoot… and thinking about it, she supposes she is.

She hadn't even thought about how she wasn't going to be able to wear shoes anymore until now.

'...There are going to be a lot more conclusions like that, aren't there?' she thinks, feeling the sun beat down on the back of her neck. Some part of her wants to be scared, but she thinks she mostly just doesn't feel anything at all.

Akari's still limping. She's trying to pretend it's not serious, but even an actress like her can't hide something of that caliber. She bites her lip, uncertain, and looks frustrated as she shakes her head and picks up the pace.

Aguri hopes that she'll be alright. Korosensei said that it didn't seem to be anything major, but Akari being hurt at all still makes her worry. She can't believe she went through all of that for her.

( "I'LL KILL YOU. I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU, DO YOU HEAR ME!? I'LL KILL YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID TO MY SISTER!

She hadn't stopped fighting back, even long after she'd been hurt.)

She'll have to make it up to Akari, she thinks. Before all of this is over. She'll have to tell her that she appreciates it: so much care being dedicated to someone like her.

She's not sure how much it'll fix: Akari looks so sad, glancing back over her shoulder every so often just to meet Aguri's eye. Aguri's pretty sure there are some things that can never be made up for... but she'd feel like a shitty person if she didn't at least try.

She… doesn't want anyone to suffer because of her. At least not anymore than they already have.

They look so tired now. They're trying to hide it- look supportive, but there's only so much they can do. Aguri wonders if they looked happier before all of this. Before her.

And briefly- some part of her… just the smallest piece, wonders if they'd have been better off if she just hadn't returned at all.

Because sure, she's relieved to be here in some way. But it's more than clear she'd have been better off dead. That her legacy would have lived on in a kinder way. And forcing the people she loves to confront her like this?

...Well, she just feels selfish.

And she'll feel even more selfish when, inevitably, Yanagisawa or the government or someone else entirely comes to take away… putting all of this effort to waste.

Still, she doesn't voice it. She wouldn't want to make them look any sadder than they already are.

And as such, they simply make their way to the school quietly… easing each other to their feet along the way.