Lesson Learned

You keep making the same mistakes

"Knock it off!" Isogai yelled as he and the other tried to hold Karma back. "What are you two of you trying to prove!"

Karma growled and tried to lunge at Nagisa who was easily behind held back by Sugino.

"Okay!" Maehara, dug his heels into the ground. "I-I don't think I can hold him—"

Mitsuko stepped in and delivered a harsh elbow hit to Karma's stomach, knocking both the three boys to the ground.

Maehara groaned, shoving Isogai off him. "Damn, Mitsuko, a little warning next time!"

Karma fell onto his knees and spat on the ground. "Fuck—what the hell, Mitsuko!?!" He glared up at her with red-tinted eyes. "What's wrong with you?!"

Mitsuko scowled, glaring back down at him. "What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you, dumbass?" she snapped. "You seriously think a fist-fight is going to solve this?"

Karma's face twisted up, looking away from her with a growl.

"A schoolyard fight!" Koro-sensei's voice boomed. "Outstanding! However, you're the assassination classroom!" He appeared in an army uniform, with guns in hand while smoking a pipe. "This is how we settle our differences!"

There was a beat of silence.

"WHAT KIND OF MEDIATOR ARE YOU!?" The class yelled at him.

***

There were so many memories and lessons she always thought about, they'd come back at the oddest and sometimes at the worst moments. Some were more important than others.

The memory of when she received her fish back now seemed very important.

Mitsuko fidgeted in front of her father's desk as he read through the homework and test sheets he'd assigned her to complete. It had been a week since he'd taken her Tigerfish, Dai and Osamu, from her, and she was due to start Kunugigaoka Junior High this Monday.

She rubbed at the dark circles under her eyes which she'd accumulated after days of late-night studying and anxiously worrying about her pets wellbeing. She saw her dad write something on the papers, feeling the minutes tick by slowly as she waited for his verdict on whether she was academically prepared for middle school to earn her fish back.

She wished Gakushuu was here waiting with her, but apparently at their age, they shouldn't be so clingy, and when dad had seen her brother hold her hand he'd even gone so far as to say they were being childish and co-dependent. 

Mitsuko glared at the floor and fidgeted some more, not caring if it was weak or childish wanting to rely on her brother. She just wanted him here.

Finally, dad stopped writing and looked down at her. "I'm satisfied with your performance."

She sighed in relief, feeling like a weight had been lifted from her neck. "Okay, so..." She scrunched up the hem of her dress. "So where are Dai and Osamu?"

Dad stared at her blankly, as a long taunting silence stretched on. "I never said you could have them back yet."

Her eyes watered she felt like breaking down in tears, her throat drying up. "Dad, please..."

"Answer me a question, Mitsuko," dad continued, ignoring her distress. "If they were dead, which they may be since they haven't been fed, what would you do?"

"W-what?" Her voice wavered. "I don't understand—"

"If they died, what would you do?"

She stared at him in growing horror. "Dad, give them back." Her hands curled into fists. "Stop playing games and just give them back!"