𝐁𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐅. karma akabane

「after school」: future time

"Good luck finding flaws in that guy" Chiba said, scrubbing the building's wall.

"The hard part comes after", Fuwa noted. "Turns out bureaucracy is really stressful work. All the interviews, the training, and the bullying really test how you stand up to stress".

But I'm sure he'll be fine, I thought.

"Speaking of which, it would have been great if Iroha made it, huh?" Hara let out a small smile as we reminisced about the girl.

"After surgery she was stuck in coma, right?" Hayami asked.

"Yeah, during our second year in high school" Kataoka answered, before being interrupted by Okajima.

"What's with that depressing topic?!" He exclaimed. "Other people could misinterpret it, you know!".

"That's right," Isogai chuckled. "Iroha actually made it big huh?".

"Who would've thought that our Iroha Inukai would actually manage to develop one of the best selling games there is" Maehara laughed in agreement.

"AssClass, huh?" Fuwa smiled. "A game inspired by our very own assassination classroom".

"And to think that Karma and Iroha would stay strong as a couple" I giggled. "She said they moved in with each other just recently".

"They're a power couple, those two" Kimura deadpanned. "But I can still picture how they're probably bicker like a married couple".

"Iroha hasn't changed one bit though" Hara sighed. "She puts up a professional front in front of the media. But I met her just a few days ago, and she's our same old girl".

"That's fine, that's fine" I smiled. "She's exclusively the same Iroha and she seems successful in her own career".

Korosensei probably would have smiled and said the same thing, no matter what path we chose: "It suits you".

We learned so many different kinds of life from him in one year. And even now... they live on inside us: the life named "pride", the life we share, the life we're given, the life we want to raise someday. I hope we can always stay connected, all of us—and all the different lives we traded back and forth in a classroom swirling with bloodlust.

This classroom is a major memento from Korosensei. I know there's someone I'd like to see using this classroom someday.

✖︎︎●✖︎

              "So, Kaede, how are you and Nagisa?" the blue haired girl mused, slurping on her recently bought frappe.

"You couldn't come to the class reunion, and that's the first thing you ask, Iroha?" I sweat dropped.

"Sorry, sorry" she laughed, before explaining herself. "Something came up at work".

"They took away my day-off and had the guts to dismiss me late. Tsk" she added, clicking her tongue and effectively emphasizing her distaste. "It's a shame I couldn't come today, but I'll try to visit the classroom this weekend. I might come with Manami or Karma maybe".

"Well that's good to hear" I sipped on my cup of coffee.

"Oi, don't avert my question" she told me, asking once more. "How's Nagisa? You two still in touch?".

"Well..." I laughed sheepishly. "I'm not really on his radar right now. You know him—that assassin always has his eyes on his target".

"That guy's still dense as ever, huh?" she sighed before changing the topic.

"So, Ms. TV Drama Actress who's more or less a big shot, before I ask about our middle school classmates, are you sure you should be having coffee with me this late at night? You still have work tomorrow don't you?" Iroha wondered tilting her head slightly.

"It's fine" I assured her. "I couldn't decline, it's been awhile after all".

"Then, how are they?" she queried, to which I answered.

"Great. Everyone's walking their own paths, and so far they're all doing good. Job-interviews are coming up and Isogai suggested that we should put the building to good use" I told her.

"Everyone's successful, huh?" She chuckled. "I think it's a given though. After that year, surely we'd be strong enough to work hard for our own futures. You know, we might as well be invincible even".

"And that's all thanks to Korosensei" I agreed.

おわり
fin.