The gymnasium was packed, the atmosphere thick with the hum of whispered conversations. Class 3-E stood together, shoulders stiff, eyes straight ahead, as they waited for the assembly to begin. The students, who were so used to being seen as outcasts, tried their best to ignore the stares they received from their fellow classmates in other grades, all of them positioned on the bleachers in front of the stage. The glances were sharp and dismissive, as though the students of 3-E were invisible or worse, beneath them.
Even the teachers had their cold eyes fixed on them, like vultures circling over their prey. Some of the staff couldn't even be bothered to hide their distaste. The usual speech of "We are all equal here" seemed empty today, and it was clear that Class 3-E was anything but equal.
A member of faculty stood at the podium, his voice booming over the loudspeaker. "Today, we gather to celebrate excellence, achievement, and the future of this school. But unfortunately, not everyone here is deserving of that celebration," he said, his gaze sweeping over the students of Class 3-E. His words were harsh, like a blade, cutting through the air with intentional malice.
Ryu could feel the heat of the stares burning into him. His gaze flicked to his classmates — Rio was standing at attention beside him, her expression calm but with a glint of defiance in her eyes. Rinka, ever stoic, stood a little ways off, her hands clasped behind her back. It was a quiet rebellion, the way they held their heads high despite the jeering glances from the others.
Asano's voice echoed again. "Class 3-E, your presence here is a constant reminder of failure. A failure to meet the expectations of this institution. You've been relegated to this… pit, a place for those who couldn't cut it." He paused, letting the words sink in, before adding, "It's a shame to have such a group in this school. But I suppose not everyone can be as… fortunate as the others."
The assembly hall was dead silent except for his cutting remarks. The students in Class 3-E could feel every word, each one landing like a heavy blow. Even the teachers beside the principal seemed to nod in agreement, their gazes filled with unspoken judgment.
Ryu clenched his fists at his sides, anger bubbling beneath the surface. It was one thing for the other students to look down on them, but to have the adults — the people who were supposed to be guiding them — so openly express their disdain? It was unbearable.
Rinka, sensing the shift in Ryu, glanced at him from the corner of her eye, her expression unreadable. Rio, on the other hand, smirked despite the situation. She always had a way of finding humor even in the worst of circumstances.
Asano's eyes flickered over the students one last time. "I hope you'll make yourselves comfortable in this designated part of the school, where failure is the norm. Perhaps someday, we can all forget your shortcomings. Until then, consider this your place." He turned to leave the podium, his words hanging in the air like a foul odor.
As the principal and faculty exited, the gymnasium erupted into low whispers. The weight of the moment lingered in the air, and Ryu could hear the faint murmurs from the other students, the mocking laughter, the snide comments.
"Maybe they should just leave," one student whispered from the bleachers, loud enough for everyone to hear. "They don't belong here."
"Class 3-E? They're nothing but a joke. You can't fix failure."
Another voice piped up, "Why do they even bother coming to school?"
The words stung, but they were nothing new. Class 3-E had endured this for so long, they almost didn't notice the barbs anymore.
As the principal's voice faded into the background and the students began filing out of the gym, a sudden, unexpected noise broke the silence. The door swung open with a dramatic flair, and a striking figure entered the gym.
Irina Jelavić.
Her platinum blonde hair cascaded down her back, and her heels clicked confidently against the polished gym floor. The moment she stepped in, the atmosphere seemed to change, the chatter from the other students halting as their gazes turned toward her.
Class 3-E couldn't help but glance at each other, a mix of amusement and disbelief on their faces. Irina walked in like she was the star of a show, and the reaction was immediate—gasps of admiration from the other classes.
"I'm here, everyone!" Irina declared loudly, her voice dripping with charm.
The other students seemed in awe, staring at her with wide eyes. "Is that... Irina Jelavić from Class 3-E?" someone whispered from the back of the gym.
"Wait, no way," another student from Class 1-A added. "She can't be one of their teachers, right?"
Class 3-E exchanged knowing glances. Rinka smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Guess she's got that whole 'I'm too good for this school' vibe down, huh?" she muttered, earning a chuckle from Rio.
But the biggest reaction came from the students of Class 3-E themselves. As Irina strutted forward with exaggerated elegance, they burst into suppressed laughter, her dramatic entrance completely at odds with the rumors about their class. Ryu couldn't help but stifle a snicker as Irina gave a sweeping bow to the students around her, clearly enjoying the attention.
"Is she really our teacher?" Yukiko whispered to Ryu, a teasing grin on her face.
"I think she's playing it up," Ryu said, his voice low but amused. "She's definitely doing this for the drama."
Irina noticed the class' laughter but seemed unbothered, her smile widening as she gracefully made her way to the front of the gym. "Ah, come on now, you guys! You know you love me!" she teased, her confidence unwavering.
Meanwhile, the rest of the gym buzzed with confusion and curiosity. The whispers grew louder.
"Is she really one of Class 3-E's teachers?" someone from Class 2-B asked. "She doesn't seem like she belongs with them."
"Yeah, but she's too... glamorous to be one of them," another student remarked, still staring at Irina's sharp beauty and style.
The murmurs continued as the students tried to make sense of this unexpected sight. Irina, though, paid no mind to the judgmental stares. She raised an eyebrow, giving a subtle wink to the students in the gym.
"I'm not just a pretty face, you know," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm and amusement. "I'm here to teach you all about the finer things in life... and how to kill a certain target. But for now, let's focus on class, alright?"
Class 3-E couldn't hold back their laughter. Rinka, Rio, and even Ryu found themselves chuckling as Irina gave them a mockingly serious look.
"She's definitely got the 'teacher of the year' vibe," Rinka muttered, causing Rio to snicker.
Just as quickly as she'd appeared, another figure entered the room—a more subdued, yet no less extraordinary presence.
Koro-Sensei.
Floating in with his characteristic yellow smile, he seemed completely unphased by the atmosphere. His ten arms swayed behind him as he hovered at the front of the room, giving the gym a cheerful wave.
"Good morning, Class 3-E!" he called out, as though he were stepping into any normal day. "Are we ready to get started?"
The students of Class 3-E couldn't help but smile as Koro-Sensei's familiar, warm tone filled the room. His unflappable nature immediately put everyone at ease, though the other students couldn't help but glance back and forth, confused by the whole situation.
"That's... Koro-Sensei?" someone from Class 2-A whispered in disbelief. "He's really one of them? But he looks so... different from what I imagined!"
"Of course he is," one of the students from Class 1-C scoffed. "But he's a joke too, right?"
Meanwhile, Class 3-E ignored the murmurs from the others, already used to the strange reality of having an octopus for a teacher.
"I'm glad to see everyone so excited today!" Koro-Sensei continued, his cheerful voice filling the gym as he beamed down at his class.
Just as everyone was trying to absorb the strangeness of the scene, the final teacher entered. Tadaomi Karasuma.
His cold, stern presence contrasted sharply with the upbeat atmosphere Koro-Sensei and Irina brought. The other students immediately fell into an awkward silence as they regarded him.
"Ah, Karasuma-sensei," Rio muttered under her breath, smiling just slightly as she nudged Ryu. "He's the one who keeps everything grounded, isn't he?"
Class 3-E's teachers—Irina, Koro-Sensei, and Karasuma—stood at the front of the room, unaffected by the stares of the other students. Irina gave them one last wink, Koro-Sensei offered a broad smile, and Karasuma simply adjusted his tie, scanning the room with his usual indifference.
The students of Class 3-E exchanged another glance, a mixture of amusement and confidence in their eyes. They knew the rest of the school would never understand, but that didn't matter.
—
Nagisa, having stayed behind to collect his things, was slowly making his way out when two students from Class 2-B approached him. Both had smug looks on their faces as they closed the distance.
"Hey, Nagisa," one of the students sneered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Looks like you and your class have some interesting teachers, huh? A foreign beauty, a weird, floating squid, and a cold, uptight guy. Must be real fun in Class 3-E."
The other student snickered, his eyes flicking over to Nagisa's small stature. "What, you just let them do whatever they want? Must be embarrassing to be in a class like that."
Nagisa, who had been quietly walking, didn't respond at first. His expression remained neutral, but there was a tightening in his chest. He had dealt with mockery and teasing his whole life—especially because of his size—but something about the way these students spoke, so openly and cruelly, made the feeling more intense.
Before Nagisa could gather his thoughts, Ryu, who had been walking behind, noticed the situation and quickly stepped in. He moved between Nagisa and the two students, his casual demeanor hiding the irritation behind his calm expression.
"Is there a problem here?" Ryu asked, his voice low but carrying an edge of warning. He crossed his arms, eyeing the two students who had been bothering Nagisa. They flinched slightly at his gaze.
One of them scoffed, trying to hide his unease. "What, are you gonna protect him now, failure? He's just a little shrimp from Class 3-E. Not like he's worth anything."
Ryu tilted his head, his gaze narrowing. "Maybe you should worry about yourself first. You're starting to sound pretty pathetic, you know?"
The two bullies hesitated, clearly thrown off by Ryu's unbothered confidence. But before they could say anything more, they were interrupted by a sudden shift in the air.
"If you say anything else, I'll kill you"
"Kill?" Nagisa muttered. "Have you ever killed someone?"
Nagisa's eyes, usually calm and composed, darkened. A chilling aura began to surround him—an almost palpable pressure that made the temperature in the hallway drop. His usual sweet expression twisted into something darker, colder, and far more dangerous.
Without a word, Nagisa slowly turned to face the two students. His eyes, now carrying a dangerous intensity, locked onto theirs.
The bloodlust radiated off him in waves.
It wasn't obvious to the average observer, but for those who were sensitive to the atmosphere, it was like being hit with a powerful shockwave. The students' faces paled instantly, their confident sneers replaced by fear. The air itself seemed to freeze, and their hearts hammered in their chests as they realized who they were dealing with.
"You should leave," Nagisa said softly, his voice calm but carrying an eerie undercurrent that made every syllable feel like a threat. "Now."
The bullies, unable to handle the suffocating presence emanating from Nagisa, staggered back. Their bravado evaporated as quickly as it had come. They exchanged nervous glances, but before they could even think about arguing, they turned and bolted, scrambling to get away from the palpable, deadly energy that surrounded the small blue-haired boy.
Ryu watched them leave with a slight grin, the tension in the air slowly dissipating. "Nice," he commented, glancing at Nagisa. "Didn't know you could turn it up like that."
Nagisa's expression softened almost immediately as the bloodlust faded, his usual serene face returning. He exhaled deeply, as if the release of tension was both a relief and a reminder of what he was capable of.
"Sorry about that..." Nagisa muttered, embarrassed. "I didn't mean to scare them that badly. They just… they were getting on my nerves."
Ryu shrugged nonchalantly. "Don't apologize. You did what you had to do. People like that need to be put in their place."
Nagisa nodded, feeling the weight of the situation lift. He glanced at Ryu, a small, grateful smile crossing his face. "Thanks for stepping in."
Ryu gave him a teasing wink. "I wouldn't have let them lay a finger on you, Nagisa. Besides, you've got more than enough power to handle yourself." He clapped him on the back lightly. "You've got this, man."