Warning!: There's not a lot of comedy in this chapter, mostly angst?

The title and summary may feel you, but this chapter isn't that bright.

The first thing Nagisa does when he wakes up and prepares for school is groan.

He leaves his house as quietly as can be and heads to school, like usual.

This is where his morning routine deviates.

Why, you ask?

Simple.

At the gates of school stands two senpais, presumably second-year high school students.

"Ah, Nagisa!" One of them exclaims, spotting him.

"Hello, senpai," Nagisa bows, before attempting to hurriedly continue past them.

"Let's walk the rest of the way together!" The other senpai pipes up.

Nagisa reluctantly relents.

They walk to the mountains of 3-E, the senpais chatting merrily as Nagisa stays silent.

"Why don't we walk with you up there?" Senpai 1 asks.

"I'm sorry, but I should be fine by myself," Nagisa says. Not like they would make it anyway—they'd die of exhaustion on the way there.

"We insist!" Senpai 2 chimes.

This is where Nagisa feels his blood boil.

His morning had already gotten off to a rough start due to nothing in particular, and where he'd wanted quiet, he'd gotten two over-eager senpais he barely knew acting clingy, like the rest of the main campus.

"I'm sorry, but what do you think you're doing?" He asks.

"We're—"

"No, I don't mean just now, I mean in general," Nagisa interrupts. "Why are you acting like this? What's come over you? Are you okay? Because the main campus that I— no, that 3-E knows— doesn't act like this. The main campus we know doesn't go around fixing our hair or giving us stuff we like. They don't fight bullies for us, hell, they are our bullies! They enjoy seeing us miserable and outcast, they don't try to include us or— or— in general they just don't act nice to us! Why are you suddenly like this? Out of nowhere? What's up with that? It's uncomfortable! You guys are suddenly acting all nice and clingy and overbearing out of nowhere when you're usually the ones torturing us and bringing down our self-esteem and making us feel like crap. What do you want from us? What, do you want to bring our hopes up next and then just crash it all over again? Please just leave us alone!"

During the midst of his rant and screaming, Nagisa had belatedly realized that it had attracted more students. He didn't care what they thought. Everything he had been keeping in just boiled over.

Karma had noticed the commotion and immediately made his way over to Nagisa, standing and waiting patiently for him to finish speaking, before hauling him back up the mountain. They left the rest of the main campus in silence.

On the long trek, Karma had only asked one thing.

"Did it feel cathartic?"

"Yeah."

Nagisa hasn't seen those senpais since his public rant. In fact, he hasn't seen much of the main campus since then. No one in 3-E has. They aren't that hung-up over it.

Despite not seeing them, there are gifts still being left for 3-E everywhere they go.

Hara had received a new apron that had admittedly fit her taste well. Sugino had received a new baseball with his favorite player's signature on it. Sugaya received top-quality art supplies he wouldn't have been able to afford. Isogai received a new pair of sneakers, which he desperately needed (his current pair were ripping apart at the soles).

Nagisa doesn't know what to feel. None of 3-E knows what to feel.

Should they thank the main campus for leaving them alone? Or should they be upset they were still getting gifts from their bullies? Or perhaps should they not feel anything?

What to feel...

"Students! What's wrong?" Korosensei asks.

"No, it's nothing, Korosensei..." Kurahashi mutters.

"It must be something to have you all like this," Korosensei refutes.

"It's just..." Sugino starts, before stopping himself.

No one wanted to bring the topic up.

Karma sighs, before telling Korosensei instead.

By the end of Karma's explanation, Korosensei is silent.

"Hmmm, indeed, it is troublesome," Korosensei agrees. "But I think it is worth it."

"What?" Maehara exclaims. "How?"

"Yeah, I don't see what makes it so worth it," Okano agrees. "It's uncomfortable and weird."

"I don't suggest you put up with anything you are uncomfortable with, but the new-found treatment of the main campus is worth a shot. You all deserve it," Korosensei says softly. "You all have been through a lot. What's wrong with receiving a little affection and attention? They do not mean to harm you through gifts and kindness. And if they do, well... you all are my students. You all are assassins. Look how far you've come from when I first became your teacher. If they do hurt you, stand up for yourself. You can do it. You can fight back. You already have. Nagisa had even set up boundaries, did he not? As my students, I believe you can stand up to everything in your way— because that is what the assassination classroom of 3-E is about. Of course, if you still feel uncomfortable, then you don't have to allow them in. In fact, you can continue setting more boundaries. But I believe you deserve it, and I believe you should try."

The class stays silent for a long time. No one knows what to say.

Nagisa tries hard not to cry as he curls up behind a tree on the mountains of 3-E. It's still a while before school starts, and he doesn't have the courage to face anyone right now, especially the way he is.

"...Shiota?" A hesitant voice calls. "Is that you? Why are you in a skirt?"

Nagisa feels tears begin to prick at the corners of his eyes at that question, trying desperately to keep them from falling.

"Hey, do you need a pair of pants?" Another voice asks. "And maybe a... different pair of underwear?"

Nagisa wants them to go away. He doesn't want anyone to see him like this. But when he feels his throat choke up with the words to drive them far away, his mind brings up a memory.

I don't suggest you put up with anything you are uncomfortable with, but the new-found treatment of the main campus is worth a shot. You all deserve it. You all have been through a lot. What's wrong with receiving a little affection and attention? They do not mean to harm you through gifts and kindness. And if they do, well... you all are my students. You all are assassins. Look how far you've come from when I first became your teacher. If they do hurt you, stand up for yourself. You can do it. You can fight back. You already have. Nagisa had even set up boundaries, did he not? As my students, I believe you can stand up to everything in your way— because that is what the assassination classroom of 3-E is about. Of course, if you still feel uncomfortable, then you don't have to allow them in. In fact, you can continue setting more boundaries. But I believe you deserve it, and I believe you should try.

It's been a week since Korosensei had given that speech, and not much has changed since then.

But, perhaps...

"I could use a pair of pants, yeah," he sniffles, finally letting the tears fall. "I don't need any more underwear though."

He looks up to see Araki and Sakakibara, their faces full of concern.

Like this, he feels better.

"Just... I'll need to change back into the skirt before I get home. If my mom finds out, she'll be mad," he says.

From his words, he sees Araki and Sakakibara come to the right conclusion. Their faces harden in anger, before Sakakibara takes off his uniform jacket and drapes it over Nagisa, covering any view of the skirt.

Ten minutes later sees Nagisa taking a pair of the school's uniform pants from the newly arrived Seo (speaking of, how did the guy know his size?) and changing as the three look away.

"Thanks," he says quietly.

"It was no problem, Shiota," Sakakibara says softly.

"Why were you guys on the mountain anyway?"

An awkward silence ensues.

None of the three Virtuosos in front of him answer.

Nagisa later finds his answer in the form of a gift basket at Korosensei's desk, addressed to all of 3-E, including the teachers

This chapter turned out longer than I thought!

I had severe writer's block for this chapter, and I actually made up most of scenes as I was writing this... it's probably not that good

Anyway! I had a comment long ago about how it might be uncomfortable to be treated this way so suddenly, especially by people who were hating you not long ago, and I agreed, because I was already planning for that before that comment! I didn't know when that was going to be addressed, but as I was writing this chapter, I thought, why not? So I put it here.

This chapter was mostly made up on the fly, and I was in sort of a rush to post this, so I might have to disappoint you all since it probably didn't turn out well (some of the scenes may be lacking). I also wanted to add more comedy to this chapter like I did for the others, but I didn't know what to put, so I just ended up ending the chapter there.

I just wanted to say thank you all to those who have stuck by this fic for a long time. I mostly started out writing on this platform for fun, and I didn't really think things through, especially on how long it was going to take, but regardless you've stuck by me in spite of that. I will try to update more, but I can't guarantee anything because I'm not really one for long, consistent updates.

Thank you, anyway!