13. Education

"So, Akabane..." Naomasa scrutinized the boy sternly, "for this term, your Japanese and English grades were the highest in our class. Actually, you had everything best in class, that's splendid."

On the table before them, five papers were strewn clearly over the top, showing each subject and respective grades given.

Karma stood casually, but there was that stiff tension in his shoulders, and his usual proud smile wasn't there. 

Naomasa gazed down at him, almost disappointed.

"Look here, Akabane," Nao placed his hand on the English paper-- "you made four spelling errors, two of which are basic words. And here--" he gestured at the Japanese paper, "a grammatical error."

The air was thick, and cold sweat dripped.

"Frankly," Naomasa mumbled, "these were mistakes that could've been easily solved if you'd given your paper a once-over, but you neglected to."

Karma's chin drooped, and Naomasa caught him swallowing nervously.

"Which basically, I infer--" Naomasa crossed his arms, "you would've gotten perfect grades on these two subjects."

No one moved, terrified of the growing anger bubbling right out of the teacher. It was rare to see him that irritated, disappointed-- 

In a way, Nao was just like the teachers in main campus. Grades were an important factor in life, more important in Kunugigaoka Junior High. Those who were taught by him before knew just how impatient Nao could get when it came to studies. 

If he wasn't angrily reprimanding you for your lack of serious attitude, he was giving up on you and deciding you a lost cause. It was tough to say which was worse, but here Karma quite preferred the latter. 

"In conclusion--" Nao's eyes shot into a glare, erecting a flinch from the redhead-- 

Naomasa snatched the papers right off the table, throwing them into the air.

"You're a prodigious asshole!" Naomasa declared, raising his hand and pointing at the boy, "those who hate Akabane, throw an eraser at him!" 

"Huh?" Karma was baffled, "wait--"

The class rioted, and erasers showered on the red-haired punk.

Naomasa boisterously laughed, and the class bolted around, hunting for every eraser they could find.

Nagisa was so taken aback, "what is this."

Kayano was too surprised to compose a reaction. Her face was frozen in pardon my japanoexcuseme but, not even knowing how people were supposed to respond to this situation.

Everyone bolted right out of their seats, laughing as they picked up erasers and aimed at the boy that was top of their class, finding humour in the suddenly provided opportunity.

Another thing many people who were taught by Naomasa know-- was that he hated gloomy expressions. Sullen students were a contemporary existence after every term examinations-- as such, he'd always do something unexpected to lift their spirits.

Outside the door, Karasuma sighed.

  ー  

"What, here I thought everyone's grades were rock bottom," Nao went around class, taking a peek at everyone's report cards, "Nagisa's risen from previous term, that's awesome!"

Nagisa shrank, unsure of that-- he was 105th among 186 students-- that was in the loser pedestal. In Kunugigaoka standards, that was still quite terrible.

"Oh, Terasaka's 159th?" he announced.

"HEY! who said you could look--" Terasaka shot back, angered.

"Terasaka's the lowest in class," Naomasa was still smiling, "so doesn't that mean you've won against twenty-seven of those main campus dolts?" 

He went silent.

"Despite being Class E, right?" Naomasa smiled.

Being him, Yoshida cracked into a little chuckle. 

"Kuma-sensei, you're so positive, huh," Hazama stated her observation with the tone of a tired corpse, "even though you're entirely negative about everything else."

"Well, that's quite rude of you," Naomasa straightened his back, speaking obnoxiously with a smirk on his face, "I'm rather positive about everything negative, too."

When a few others started laughing, Naomasa almost smiled victoriously.

"Grades won't change after exams. Looking at it will only bring you down, and remembering it will eventually consume you," he told the class, taking his place at the front of the room. "Look at it positively, take the mistakes as hearty jokes, and remember each step as a bump in your journey."

The students gazed at their teacher thoughtfully-- considering, deeply.

"I'm not saying this will really help raise your grades or anything!" Naomasa established with a chortle, "it's just more fun that way, right?"

He placed his hand at the blackboard.

"I won't say 'to hell with grades', because that's just pitifully escaping reality," Naomasa grinned, "but exams are a war game, and to get to the goal most efficiently-- you're supposed to have fun!" he knocked a fist in his own chest, "remember that, alright?"

Somehow-- just somehow, their childish little teacher made them feel a little better. 

Maybe it was the smile he always had on. The positivism he exuded, the bright and joyful air that really made them enjoy his companionship.

Maybe it was his strange way of encouragement, a method the main campus teacher would've scorned. It wasn't a way that chased for results, nor a way that pushed for improvement.

It was a way of enjoyment, of cherishing and finding pleasure even in things they disliked. To go from despise to hate, from hate to dislike, from dislike to obligation, and from obligation to volition.

And they really couldn't hate it.

  ー  

"A second blade?" Nao asked.

Kurahashi Hinano nodded dejectedly, "it's hard to get," she sighed, "Korosensei said we weren't qualified to be assassins, so... it just really makes you realize that this assassin business is more surreal than it seems, y'know?"

Naomasa couldn't suppress the chuckle that rumbled from his throat.

"It's something that's not easy to sink in," he told her, "but at the end of the day, if you pretend this is how it should be, you'll feel much better."

Okano leaned in, interested, "come to think of it, Kuma-sensei wasn't very surprised at Korosensei at all!" she giggled, "even though all of us were so baffled the first couple of days."

"In a way, Korosensei was more surprised by Kuma-sensei than the other way around," Maehara agreed with a chuckle. He picked up a can of coffee from the vending machine, tossing it at the teacher before slipping in coins for another of his own.

"Don't you think it's tiring to always be surprised my something? Ah right, thanks," Naomasa crunched it open, taking a quick sip with gratitude a murmur under his tongue, "my heart can't handle that amount of stress every day, so I've adapted and evolved to survive the change in environment. Remember that, it's biology or something."

"As usual, Kuma-sensei and his textbook answers," Kurahashi sighed, "aren't you more suited to being a biology teacher instead, since you always quote from science?"

"Trust me, Kurahashi, you won't understand a thing of what I'm saying," Naomasa chortled, "mainly because I don't, either."

Okano almost facefaulted, "yet you quote accurately from textbooks," she was bewildered.

"If you hate a subject, and it's not math, crush it into every crevice of your brain and you'll get there somehow," Naomasa told them, "my passion was always for language, so I could compromise on my science and math grades."

At that, Kurahashi seemed to be inspired, "then-- does that mean if I'm not great at languages, I could spin my focus on the other subjects instead?"

"I'm not good at studying, but," Okano supplied carefully, "if I pursue something in athletics and gymnastics, maybe..."

Nao paused, realizing his mistake.

He was a lackadaisical, carefree man that cared not for grades. He closed down paths he didn't like and charged through with the bare minimum, and this wasn't at all an easy route.

Hell, he only agreed to come to Kunugigaoka Junior High because it was the only school that opted to employ him. He would have sold his soul for any other school, but he couldn't keep relying on Ms Sakurai for his living expenses...

The way he was speaking now, he was going to make sure these kids didn't look toward the hardworking route. That was the exact opposite of what Korosensei was doing-- and if anything, made him a nuisance.

"Then--" Maehara was speaking up.

"Of course not!" Nao knocked a book on his head, interrupting him. The knock was gentle and barely felt, but the noise was a loud one.

This spurred the three's attention.

"Your future isn't something you decide on a whim," Naomasa told them, "once you start to think that you don't need this, or you don't need that-- your roads will start to close and your future will begin to darken."

Naomasa turned to them, the coffee in his hand saturated with condensation, dripping to his wrist. 

"I decided my passion on my last year of high school, and as you can see, my job's in shambles and my life's been tough to keep going. I'm not earning enough cash and I'm leeching this coffee off from our dear friend Maehara over there."

Maehara tried to tell the teacher that was okay, but Naomasa glared at him.

"So, what I'm saying is, kids," Naomasa grinned, "a passion has to be something you can roll with without affecting the rest of your life. A passion is something that isn't just your hobby, it's also something you derive joy from despite your hobby."

Seeing confused looks, Naomasa laughed. He leaned back, deciding to find an example.

Naomasa put a hand at his chest, "let say-- Takebayashi! He's an otaku, so what's the stereotypical view of his future job?"

Okano was surprised to be pointed at-- so Naomasa was telling her to give an answer.

"Uh," she stuttered, "a mangaka? or an artist, an animation person-- an animator, is that what they're called? I don't really... know Takebayashi that well..."

"Well, that's the most stereotypical view of it..." Kurahashi mumbled. Maehara nodded, subtly agreeing. 

Naomasa chuckled. "Well, if you ask me--" he raised a finger, "Takebayashi has above average grades in Science! well, his other subjects are mediocre but that's besides the point," he smiled, "there's a strong possibility he'll become a world-changing scientist in the future, y'know!"

This caused a sudden silence.

"Huhh," Kurahashi was appalled, "well..."

"It doesn't really seem likely," Maehara admitted.

"I mean, Takebayashi?" Okano eyed her friends, skeptical. "No way."

Naomasa sighed, dejected. "Why do you think that?" After all, it was true that Takebayashi and Okuda would become world-changing scientists... oh.

"We're the E-as-in-End Class, y'know?" Okano told her teacher, "it's hard to think some of us can have such an... incredible profession in the future. Maybe except Karma."

"Okuda seems like she might be able to do it, though!" Kurahashi chimed.

"But she's kinda gullible, no?" Maehara sighed.

"Well, you're a playboy with no other qualities," Kurahashi retorted.

"You're mean," Maehara whimpered.

The E Class mindset, Naomasa couldn't help but sigh at it. While it was true it was difficult to think of their future when their present is grim as hell-- 

"Look, you three," Naomasa almost barked, animosity growling under his tongue, "Kurahashi's approachable and friendly, Okano's a gymnast expert, and Maehara's... well, you're handsome and pretty independent so you'll get by somehow."

"Kuma-sensei, I'm hurt," Maehara sobbed.

"Anyways, you may have ground grades, but that doesn't mean you're without talent," Naomasa told them coldly, "in that sense, you're entirely equal with the students in main campus. Some of you are greatly above them, too."

The three gulped, not at all used to the angered and disappointed look in that teacher's eyes.

"Principal Asano is a smart man. He is raising strong, independent students that can and will essentially live with their lives laid out in front of them," Naomasa established, "but as a result, you guys are rendered worms that have to crawl their way around and barely survive at all. He's closed down your future, and instead of opening those doors, you're simply accepting it. tell me-- who are the more pathetic ones here?"

The three looked sullen-- but a spark of irritation was in their eyes. Naomasa felt they were ready to fight back, but were biting their tongues in resist.

"That octopus told you guys this," Naomasa put his coffee down, "those who don't wield a second blade have no right to be the assassins that take his life."

Naomasa put a hand on Maehara's shoulder.

"It applies to life as strongly as it does to assassination," Naomasa spoke sternly, raising a closed fist, "if you keep your eyes on the one goal you hold in your hand, you'll never see the alternatives written on the back of your palm. If you keep thinking to yourself that 'this is the only way', you won't realize when you've gone by too many crossroads to retrace your steps."

When Naomasa looked up at them again, the ire in their eyes were gone, and now, they only had interest. They were filled with aspirations, thoughts, and deep considerations.

"I'm not someone to look up to," Naomasa reminded them, a smirk rising, "after all, I'm a teacher that almost got in trouble for punching a kid's face black and blue!"

Naomasa sipped on his coffee, and gave the three a hasty rub on the head.

"My hair!" Okano freaked out.

"Kuma-sensei, that thing took hours to set this morning--" Maehara mourned.

"Well, my hair's curly, so there's no real difference," Kurahashi mumbled, her hair sticking out in weird places.

"Well, you have the year to think about it!" Naomasa laughed, "and if you can't decide, keep studying and maybe you'll get somewhere! well, that's what I did."

When Naomasa left to return to the staffroom, he had a feeling the three of them were just a little more enlightened than they were before.

The tests were over, after all. 

This was the time for rejoicing and celebrating-- it wasn't the time for sadness and melancholy and future-risking considerations.