Nagisa left his house the following morning in a good mood. The best mood he had been in all week in fact. This was because Karma had managed to convince him that everything was going to work out well in the end. He did, after all, have his feelings restored for Korosensei shortly after his big revelation about his past. The difference was that winter break was just after the infodump so Korosensei didn't have to see his students worried faces. Nagisa, on the other hand, still had to.
He was also at peace about the situation with Ren. Karma was on the case and Nagisa knew an answer would be found. Karma never failed at anything, and although that sometimes annoyed Nagisa, it was a blessing not a curse.
Natsumi left her house annoyed and in a rush. She had woken up late, barely had anytime to get ready, and had left the house in what she deemed to be a sub-optimal state. By that, she means she had barely put any make-up on or brushed her hair. Both of which, she attempted to do on the way to school. It may seem difficult, but she had done it before many times. This wasn't her first time oversleeping.
What would be completely new to her, however, would be what happened on the way to school.
She took a short cut through a rough area of town. It was the morning and a lot of people were about so she didn't think anything bad was about to happen. That was untill she saw the road up ahead was completely blocked by road works. She cursed under her breath and took a detour down a nearby alley.
She was now completely alone. She didn't want to to go this way, but if she tried to go a different route she would be late for school. Normally she wouldn't care about these things, but she was scared of Nagisa Sensei and she worried if he would be strict.
She hurried down the alley at a brisk pace untill she turned the corner and walked straight into a tall man. The man looked down at her and smirked.
"Boys. This is the one I say."
After he said that, several boys of all shapes and sizes walked out of smaller alleyway's either side of her until she became completely surrounded.
"Please," she murmured, "I have money if that's what you want. I will give you everything I have, just please. Let me go."
The leader said nothing for a time. Then, he laughed very loudly. It was a deep belly laugh that Natsumi knew he was putting on just to make a point.
It was one of the boys behind her that spoke up.
"Oh, it's not your money we want." He sniggered, approaching Natsumi's back and running his fingers through her hair. This made her feel incredibly uncomfortable.
"Don't touch me!" Natsumi shouted as she whipped round and smacked the boy across the face. This caused the leader to laugh even more. The next words that came out if his mouth were woven with malice.
"Awww, does the mouse wanna roar? Shall we tell you what we do with mouses that roar?"
Natsumi gulped. She had no idea what their next move would be, but she knew it wasn't good. The leader of the gang approached her. He got so close that her face was almost touching his chest. The man placed his hand under Natsumi's chin and lifted her head up so he could look her in the eye.
"Your lucky. We are not going to kill you like we did with that boy the other day. No. You, mouse, are far too pretty. Were going to take you back to our hangout then me and the boys are going to have a little fun. Is that clear?"
Natsumi gulped and nodded. She didn't want to go with them, but if she tried to resit they would probably kill her. Her greatest chance at survival would be to let them do whatever they wanted to her and then hopefully chuck her out to the street. The gang leader turned around and walked off, the rest of the gang followed, pushing Natsumi along.
They didn't make it very far.
After about fifty metres, something fell like a bolt of lightning out of the clear blue sky. The something landed on the gang leader and immediately crushed him to the ground. The thing, which was now revealed to be a person, stood up and backed off a metre. The gang leader picked himself up and turned around confused. He was met with a punch square to the face which immediately knocked him unconscious. The person then turned and smiled at the rest of the gang.
"Anyone else want a go?" Nagisa asked smirking. Natsumi's eyes immediately lit up. The person who I'm most afraid of is helping me? I suppose he is the most qualified for the job. Still, I'm grateful. The gang members barely had time to move forwards before the short, blue haired man in front of them jumped back up to the roof top from whence he came and disappeared from view. The gang members all looked up, trying to see where the assassin would jump from next. That was their mistake. He causally walked up behind his next victim and hit hin on the top of the head with a dustbin lid, knocking him out.
This got the attention of the rest of the gang. They turned to face where the sudden clang had come from, just to see a dustbin lid flying towards them. It hit one gang member right in the jaw, nocking both him and a few of his teeth to the floor. The rest of the gang, of which there were three people, advanced together, hoping to use sheer number to kill this interloper. They failed miserably.
Nagisa clapped. Two of the men had faces of surprise at what just happened. The third, however, was reduced to a drooling mess on the floor between them. The two gang members still functioning looked at their comrade, a look of confusion making its way across their faces. This pause was their doon.
Nagisa lunged forward, taking one of them around the waste and forcing him to the ground. He then pushed himself off from the floor and the body of the gangster, backfliping over the last active member and landed gracefully behind him. Nagisa held the man around the neck until he passed out and slumped to the floor. Nagisa stood in the middle of a ring of unconscious gangsters, panting. Natsumi watched on in awe.
"Hey Natsumi, lets put these bodies in strange places so they will be very confused when they wake up" the bluenette said, a cheeky grin spreading across his face as he said that. Natsumi was still half in shock, but went along with it anyway, dumping the bodies in awkward places, such as in bins or on top of a random roof.
When they were done, Nagisa asked Natsumi if she was ok, to which she nodded. The two of them walked towards school in silence.
About five minutes later, Natsumi broke the silence.
"How did you know I was in trouble?" She asked. Nagisa smiled.
"I was walking to school when I saw you take a turn down this alley. I immediately recognised it as the alley the Hirose got abducted on, so naturally I followed. My instinct was correct it seemed."
"But why follow. You're a teacher. Shouldn't you just shout at me for putting myself in danger and for making myself late? Shouldn't you have just made your own way to school and not bothered about what happened to me?"
Nagisa shook his head. "I care about all my students Natsumi. If anything happened to any if you, I could never live with myself. Besides, how could I shout at you for being late when I'm not exactly early either?"
This shocked Natsumi. When she had been condemned to class 5, she had accepted the fact that no-one would care about her again. Yet, here was this new training teacher who cared more about her wellbeing than any fully trained teacher she had ever met.
"I'm sorry Nagisa Sensei." She said, starting to tear up.
"For what."
"For being all awkward around you this past week. I know you only want the best for us and I'm sorry I rejected you again."
Nagisa stopped and faced the girl who was slightly smaller than he was. He placed his hands in her shoulders and looked her in the eyes.
"I completely understand your feelings Natsumi. It was a big bombshell that I dropped, being a murderer and all that. I'm just glad you warmed up to me again."
The rest of the journey was carried out in silence. When they arrived at school, twenty minutes late, Nagisa apologized to the whole class.
"Sorry everyone. I ran into a small problem on my way here."
The school day continued as normal. He talked to a few rows of awkward faces, sat in the staff room at lunch, and dismissed then at the end of the day, his students too eager to leave the classroom. What had changed, however, was the look Natsumi gave him. He was on the road to redemption.
As she walked out of class that day, Harumi asked Natsumi "Why were you so late this morning?"
"I almost got abducted by a gang. Nagisa Sensei saved me."
This reminded all the girls and Saiki, as they were walking together, that Nagisa was their protector. They had seen it before with the rescue of Hirose, and now again with the rescue of Natsumi. The eight of them now had their positive feelings restored about Nagisa. Yes he was a murderer and an assassin, but he was their teacher and a bloody good one at that.
When she left the group to head to her own house, Natsumi was deep in thought. She thought about how easy it was for Nagisa to beat up the gang members. How captivated by it she was. How handsome he looked while doing it.
Wait. She thought. Handsome?
Do I have a crush on Nagisa Sensei?
I guess I do.
She smiled awkwardly at that thought as she headed home.