Yoshida, Aozora and Fujikawa were leaning around the school vending machine, scaring off other students and waiting for the coast to clear. The school day was over and the grounds were soon empty apart from them.

Aozora looked around the campus with a squint. "Are we alone?"

"Yeah, no one else around," Confirmed Fujikawa.

Yoshida narrowed his eyes. "Good. Then it's time to start talking about that teacher."

"I don't get it," Aozora said, looking around once more. "He seemed pretty normal but he was really terrifying."

"Well, that doesn't matter," Grunted Yoshida. "What does matter is that there's a whole classroom of us and one of him. All we have to do is get him in a corner and just punch the hell out of him. Then we win whatever stupid thing he's set up."

Fujikawa folded his arms cockily but there was fearful reluctance in his voice when he said, "I don't think that would work, Yoshida-"

Yoshida fixed Fujikawa with a harsh glare and the teenager backed down. "How many times has it not worked, Fujikawa?" He challenged meanly.

"Z-Zero," Replied Fujikawa apologetically and nervously.

"Exactly. Us three just need to swarm him tomorrow and we'll have this weird test thing over. Then that teacher will run home and we can get the next one, and it'll all go back to normal."

Aozora nodded. "Does sound like it'll work. Besides, last time he caught us by surprise. Now we know what he can do and we can stop him."

Yoshida gave Aozora a nod of approval. "Right. This'll be over before midterms."

.:*:.

Domen followed his mother sulkily into the hospital, hands in his pockets and a scowl on his face. Every day, when she got home, it would be the same thing. A visit to the hospital, doctors in his face and then he'd go home and eat soft food. He could barely have a moment to himself anymore. He couldn't even meet up with his classmates for a smoke or a drink, which he hated. His mother was watching him like a hawk all the time.

Not to mention the new teacher had come in at the worst possible moment. If his mother found out about this psycho challenging a classroom full of violent thugs to kill him, she'd pull him out of the school in a heartbeat and he'd never get back at Yoshida.

The doctors checked his vitals and then did an x-ray. About half an hour later, he was released and was sitting in his mothers' car, driving home.

"Toshiyuki," His mother said from behind the wheel, "I've been thinking..."

"Huh?" He glanced up at her and quickly stopped scratching at the new, itchy bandages. "What?"

The car stopped at a red light. "This Class 3-5... I don't think it has the best potential for you. I know you, sweetheart, and you're very smart when you put your mind to it. So, I've decided. I'm going to organise a meeting with your current teacher and the teacher of Class 3-4. I'm sure we can sort something out."

Domen stared. "Huh?"

"I mean, junior high graduation affects quite a bit, and having Class 3-5 on your resume when applying for bigger schools might not help your chances," She fretted. "I know, Toshiyuki, you'll have all your friends in Class 3-5 that you'll want to say goodbye to, but you should do it soon. After midterms, we'll take this further." She looked at her son in the rear-view mirror. "Is that alright, Toshi?"

Domen blinked at her. A year without Yoshida? It sounded like paradise. "Sure thing, mother," He replied.

She beamed at him. "We'll get your future back on track soon, Toshi, don't worry. Mother will have it all sorted out."

The car kept moving on when the lights changed and it fell back into silence. Domen Toshiyuki - his mothers' child, for sure. He may look like his father but that man barely did anything for him. It was his mother who gave him an easy plan to follow for the rest of his life, and he was okay with that. Domen would be happy being her favourite puppet. After all, she was rich and who was he to pass up wads of cash whenever he wanted for it?

.:*:.

Futaki stayed behind after school, staying sat at his desk. Shiota-sensei was packing up his things at the front of the classroom, not noticing him for a while.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

Futaki just looked at him. "If I were to search up your name on Google, what would I find?"

Shiota-sensei blinked. "Why would you do that?"

"Blackmail is quite effective."

The teacher just smiled. "You remind me of some people I knew from my junior high. You're not the most social type, are you, Futaki?"

"Not entirely, sensei."

"Do you like technology, though?" Shiota-sensei asked, sitting on his desk. "Is engineering fun for you?"

Futaki shrugged. "Not really."

"What about power?"

The change in the rooms' mood was fast and sudden. Shiota-sensei tilted his head. "Do you want to be in power one day? I know some people who can help."

The student looked at his teacher passively. "I can make it on my own."

Shiota-sensei smiled. "That's what we all say. But I have to go home now, Futaki. I'll see you tomorrow."

As he stood up to go, Futaki asked, "What school did you go to, sensei?"

"Hmm?"

"What college? What school taught you like this?"

Shiota-sensei's' smile grew a little brighter. "I've recently graduated from Keisetsu University. But that was not the class where I learnt how to live. Look me up, if you want. I'm sure you'll find something interesting." And with that, he left. Futaki still sat motionless by his desk.

Curious, he thought to himself. He's not worried at all.

Not that he expected Shiota-sensei to be worried. No one challenges someone to kill them without having a few tricks up their sleeves. But that didn't matter. There was one thing he knew for sure. His classmates were too stupid, too uncreative and too spastic to assassinate someone. If anyone was going to 'kill' their teacher, Futaki was sure it would be him. There was no doubt about it.

"Keep playing this game, Nagisa-sensei," Futaki mumbled to himself, picking up his bag and slinging it over his shoulder. He stood up in the empty classroom and looked around for a place to lay his trap. "I'm coming to get you."