OUTSiDER (Assassination Classroom Fanfic)

13. Education

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?"