The Assassin Within

Part 19~Backup Plan

"I worked hard to multiple myself! Let's study!" Koro-sensei was standing in front of the class with way too many clones of himself. He was trying to do too much and it was back firing. His clones weren't even stable!

"Um, Koro-sensei," Kayano called up with a nervous smile. "Aren't you overdoing it?"

"No. I don't think so."

By the time the lesson was over, Koro-sensei looked exhausted. He fell back onto his seat and started fanning himself.

"You look exhausted," Maehara commented with a sigh.

"Why are you working so hard anyway?"

Okajima's comment made Koro-sensei laugh. "So that you'll do well on your exams. And then..." Koro-sensei drifted off into his unrealistic fantasy land of the students surrounding him and asking him for help. He was a weird octopus. "So.. I'm in less danger killed and more likely to fulfil my dream."

"Nah... The midterm was a joke," Mimura stated bluntly.

"Yeah, it's not worth it," Yada added.

"Who needs good grades after we get the ten billion yen for killing you?"

Nagisa had to restrain himself for lecturing them on the value of grades. Karma seemed to notice this and was snickering at him.

"What?! You're kidding right!" At least Koro-sensei shared his views.

"We're class E, the end class, remember?"

"We have a better shot at the assassination than good grades." Seriously, Okajima, Mimura, not even going to give a proper reason. Well, that ain't going to work against Koro-sensei.

"Oh, Isee. At the moment, none of you have the right to call yourself an assassin." And there it is.

Nagisa covered Okabe's mouth before he could comment on his right. "Shush, let him finish."

"Everyone outside in the school yard, now! And please fetch Mr. Karasuma and Miss Irina as well." When everyone had reached the yard, Koro-sensei was doing something with the goal. "Miss Irina, as a professional assassin, when preparing your hit, do you formulate just one plan?"

"No... It's actually rare for the main plan to go off without a hitch."

"Unless you're me," Okabe whispered in Karma and my ears.

"You have a lower success rate than me," Karma pointed out, making Obake jump.

"That's only because you've been on fewer missions than me!"

"You are both worse than me so shut up before I punch you, again," Nagisa grumbled under his breath, glaring with enough power to shut them both up.

"So an assassin must always have a detailed backup plan- or more- just in case," Jelavich continued. "Of course, all the backup plans I had for you didn't work. But you just! I'll get you next time."

"You're so adorable. Mr. Karasuma, when you train the students in knife techniques, is the first attack the only important attack?"

"...The first attack is important of course, but every subsequent move is equally as important. Formidable opponents will most likely dodge your first attack. Whether you are victorious- and survive- depends on your follow-up attacks."

"Good, good, Okabe, tell me, when you are infiltrating a society, do you just try one person?"

"Well, no. To truly gain the society's trust you need to establish yourself with all members. It reduces doubt and increases your influence in society. Of course, that only works if you can find every member without being creepy. If you're too diliigent it can have the opposite effect," Okabe explained with a light blush at the thought of his previous mistakes.

"What are you getting at?!"

"Like they said, assassins always have a back-up plan. What about you? You aren't taking your studies seriously, you're banking on getting that ten billion yen for killing me... But, you're really just refusing to face your problems. What if I get bored and leave? What if someone else kills me first? Then you're stuck with no way out of class E." Koro-sensei started spinning around the yard, pushing over the students. That is so subtle Koro-sensei, it's not like you're a national secret at all. "Let me... put it another way. The schoolyard was covered in weeds, so I cleaned it up for you. I am capable of disintegrating this planet. Weeding this was nothing to me." Show off. "Show me, that you have some sort of backup plan. Show me... that I'm not wasting my time, or I'll flatten this school building and leave! No hurry. You have till tomorrow."

"Am I the only one you think that's a bit of an overreaction," Okabe whispered, making Nagisa nod.

"If you haven't worked out that Koro-sensei is the biggest drama queen ever, I doubt your assassination ability," Karma joked but Koro-sensei decided to ignore them.

"I want every one of you to score in the top fifty of tomorrow's midterm. You're closer than you think. You already have everything you need for your backup plan, thanks to your fabulous teacher! Go into that exam with confidence, give it your best and raise your head high with a smile on your face. Take pride in the fact that you are assassins and the students of class E!"

"Oh, wait up, I forgot my notebook," Nagisa called out to Kayano, making her hault. He ran back to the classroom, pulling open the door. "So this is what you call studying... It seems ineffective."

Both Karma and Okabe jumped apart. A noticeable blush was on their faces as they looked as casual as possible as if they weren't just making out in the classroom. Okabe's shirt was undone and hanging off his shoulder, the poor assassin rushing to do it backup- hopping off the desk to make it easier on himself. "Wha-what are you doing here?"

"I came back for my notebook. I must say, couldn't you have just waited the ten minute walk to Oke's house instead of doing this in front of my notebook." Nagisa picked up his notebook and sent a judging look to the others.

"Like you and Zen are any different," Karma stated, making Nagisa freeze.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Sure you don't. Next time how about when you say you're going to train you actually go train!"

Nagisa ignored them as he walked out with a noticeable blush.

"Now, where were we?"

"Karma!"