Target Tentacles - A Karmagisa Assassination

Chapter 1

Thursday, October 8th

"Ok, so think of it like this. Let's say you're going to lunch and there are two different options. Anyone have any ideas?"

"Hamburger!" Someone calls from the back of the class.

Nagisa nods and writes "Hamburger" on the blackboard. The chalk grates satisfyingly on the board, leaving behind nice, neat letters. He turns back to the class with a gentle smile. "I need one more lunch food, please."

"Ramen!"

"Onigiri."

"Sushi?"

"Let's go with ramen." He writes it up on the board. Just as he finishes writing, he hears a sudden whistling sound, and he turns around with lightning instinct, grabbing a clipboard from the desk and lifting it to shield himself. A dart lodges itself in the clipboard. He removes the dart and places it on his desk. "So we have two options, right? Ramen and a hamburger. Let's say I choose ramen."

He circles the word.

"That means I can no longer have a hamburger."

He exes out the other word and turns back to the class.

"So in this case, the opportunity cost of having ramen is not being able to have a hamburger."

Nagisa hears someone in the front row mutter, "This is dumb," but he ignores it.

"The key definition to understand this concept is this: Opportunity cost is the value of the opportunity that's lost. Let's use a different example. Everyone get out their phones. Yama-kun can use mine."

Nagisa hands his phone to a lanky boy at the end of the first row as the class shuffles through their backpacks, searching for their devices. Yama accepts the phone questioningly.

"So Yama-kun is running a little low on cash this week, so he's decided to work for an hour after school today. He can either work for McDonald's or he can spend an hour weeding someone's garden. Yama-kun, what would you rather do?"

Yama mumbles, "I'd rather weed."

"Ok. So what will Yama-kun's opportunity cost be?"

"Working at McDonald's?" Asks a girl to the left. She has dark brown hair highlighted with a poison-like green.

"Well, yes, but you're supposed to tell me what the hourly wage is. That's why I had you get out your phones."

"You should have told us that."

"Sorry, Hide-chan. Can you tell me what the opportunity cost is now that you know?"

The girl grumbles and begins to say something, but the boy in front of her interrupts. "The opportunity cost is 870 yen ($8.11)."

"Hey!" Hide cries. "I was gonna answer that!"

"Yeah, well you were too slow."

Hide bristles and Nagisa is about to step in, when he hears Yama clear his throat. "Umm... Nagisa Sensei?"

Nagisa turns. "What is it, Yama-kun?"

Yama points to Nagisa's phone. "It says you got a text from the Devil?"

The class's interest peaks and some of the lazier students start to pay attention. Nagisa rolls his eyes.

"The Devil? Who's that?" Asks Hide.

"Just a friend whose love of mischief is matched only by his ego. Ignore it."

"A friend?" asks a boy in the front the row. "You have friends, Nagisa Sensei?"