—
BEFORE RIKU AND KARMA HAD THEIR TALK...
"Let's step back for a second," Riku sat comfortably, as always, while she paid attention to Takebayashi up front. "Are the world's leaders really only thinking about killing Koro-sensei?"
Actually, everyone was paying close attention to the guy's words. Knowing that it was hard for him to speak up in front of everyone like this. And that he was one of the class' smartest in the aspect of Science.
Especially, in the branch of Chemistry.
"I don't think so," Takebayashi said. "After all, their primary goal has always been to save Earth."
"Along with their research into killing him, they must be doing research into alternate methods too. Why don't we check up on that?" Takebayashi suggested.
Riku held back her tongue, not wanting to disrupt the class. After all, (so far) no one knows that Riku held some essential information of her own -- using her familial connections to her aid.
Why she was holding back the information was a question with an unknown answer.
Plus, if the government did have other methods, they'd want to kill Koro-sensei because it was the quickest option.
Riku breathed out through her nose before straightening her back. She just decided to respect her classmates' decision of saving Koro-sensei and gave it all she got like always-- even when the end result is something that she was sure was inevitable.
You might think cruel of Riku, but the lavender head girl tried to think things through. Over and over again. Pulling all-nighters to create more strategies centered around multiple possibilities about this damn assassination more than she did with her actual schoolwork.
Only to come out more hopeless than ever.
Thus, the Riku now decided on one thing.
Steel herself, grit her teeth and go through with it.
"Indeed, the world's top science facilities have formed project teams focused on saving the planet." Karasuma agreed with Takebayashi's words. "But naturally, that info is all top-secret."
"It will be difficult for you to find out what they're studying." Riku stopped her eyes from rolling at her mentor and teacher. Obviously.
But then...Riku side-eyes a certain AI not far from her, just in time to see Ritsu perk up and say: "I've gained access to the project database!"
"EH?!"
Riku managed to slip out a breathless laugh at Karasuma's priceless reaction.
"I can get into just about any PC that's online now." Ritsu happily explained as she started to take off her blazer (much to a certain Okajima's pleasure). And Riku's eyes widened at the series of codes along the inner linings.
Ritsu smiled shyly. "I've learned so much this year!"
As everyone gathered around Ritsu, all exclaiming in exciting astonishment, Riku looked at Koro-sensei, who, with no surprise, was already looking straight at her.
Riku furrowed her eyebrows before turning back to the rest of her class.
"Wow! We can see what labs around the world are researching and on what schedule!" Justice wowed.
Riku's eyes grew concerned. What if there's a laboratory that just pulled out a ten-century-old mummy? Riku held back a gasp. They better put that bitch back where it came from!
A dark aura suddenly surrounded Riku, overlooked by the bright atmosphere that blanketed her classmates.
What if-- Riku's complexion turned pale. What if some stupid lab discovered a zombie-like virus?!
She wanted to faint.
"But there are no online traces of what we are looking for!" Fuwa cried with a pout. No one took notice of Riku's sudden dilemma, which, by the way, is a very valid concern!
"I guess the top-secret stuff is only passed around in person."
"Is anyone doing research on how to save Koro-sensei?"
"Glad you pointed that in-person thing out." Everyone whipped to Riku who was coolly scrolling down her phone-- completely unaware of what wild thoughts run through her head: like a possible zombie apocalypse.
Class E watched as Riku stood up and walked towards Ritsu, the gamer not even sparing a moment before muttering out, "There are a hundred different laboratories in the world, we have to narrow it down."
"Ristu," "Hai, Riku!" "Gather up all the biology research facilities that are focusing their studies on antimatter."
Okuda tilted her head in confusion. "But isn't the topic of antimatter heavily based on physics?"
Riku shrugged. "We're talking about Koro-sensei here. He may be a man-made experiment on antimatter-- but they used his body as the basis of the experiment, remember?"
Okuda then let out a noise of realization. "Right...they were working on his cells, making it a biology-based project..."
Everyone could only watch in amazement as Riku and Okuda did their stuff. The green boxes are now numbered down to eleven teams.
Suddenly Fuwa pointed out. "There! An American research team!"
"Preventing destructive antimatter chain reactions that accompany division of tentacle cells approaching senescence." Fuwa read out.
Riku nodded her head while everyone sweat-dropped at the specifications before pulling up her phone again. "Sounds about right."
"Final samples to be returned from ISS on 1/25?" Fuwa continued to read out loud.
"The ISS?" Kayano asked. "Isn't that..."
Riku turned to face her green-haired friend and let out an exciting grin. One they haven't seen ever since their semestral break.
"The Internation Space Station," Riku said, watching as the look of realization seeped into everyone's faces. "The info we need is in outer fucking space."
Mimura's wide eyes met Riku's. In disbelief. "That's where they're doing their research?!"
"Oh! It could be!" Okuda sputtered out. "Lots of research has to be done in zero gravity or in a vacuum. And if there's any chance an experiment could result in a huge explosion..."
Like the moon. Riku thought, sparing Koro-sensei another glance.
"...there'd be less damage in outer space!"
"If we could see that data..." Sugino said.
Karasuma's voice piped up. "Unfortunately, you're just one tiny, distant outpost of assassins." Everyone's faces became disheartened. "Depending on the circumstances, it may never be available."
Everyone fell silent. The reality of their situation becoming clear now.
But there is always that one person who manages to expand that reality and make the chance of one tiny possibility grow bigger.
"I booked a flight." All heads whipped to Riku who waved her phone with a victorious smile gracing her lips.
Isogai raised his eyebrows, eyes looking around before landing back on Riku. "A flight? To where...?"
Riku blinked at him.
"To Washington, D.C." The lavender-haired girl replied in a duh tone.
"Eh?!"
"Isogai passed out!"
"Quick someone! Get some cold water!"
"Akiyama-san I forbid such absences!"
"I think he's dead."
"Quiet, Hazama!"
While Maehara, Kataoka, and Hinata proceeded to panic and flail around their knocked-out class representative-- the rest of Class E, and their teachers only looked at Riku with their jaws dropped on the floor.
"I have to be honest with you Nagisa," Riku turned to the bluehead. "I'm still not completely on board with the whole saving Koro-sensei assignment."
Nagisa looked at his friend in bewilderment at her revelation.
But before he could say anything, Riku raised her hand. "Yet, you showed your point and I acknowledged it." Riku's lips raised once more. "I won't throw away all that effort. So do not dare expect any less from me."
Everyone gulped when Riku's smile fell, erasing any hint of happy emotion that was just plastered on her face. "Whether it is to save or to kill." Riku's eyes glinted competitively. "I will give it all that I got." And all that I am. Riku added quietly.
With that, Nagisa smiled at her. The energy returned to his blue orbs. "Hm."
Just then Karma piped up. "Karasuma-sensei..."
"No matter what happens, we won't give up on this assassination. But we don't want to be wishy-washy about it, either." Karma stated.
"If there's a way to save him, we will." Karma's voice was filled with finality, with full acceptance. "And if not, we've decided to handle that, too." Karma then turned to Nagisa, smiling. "Right, Nagisa?"
Nagisa nodded. "Right. After all, it's our class's critical objective."
Karma turned back to their teachers. "So I want to know for sure which it is, right now-- so we can stick with our graduate."
Karasuma appeared to hesitate. And Riku couldn't blame him, any more and his job with the ministry will be compromised.
Reading the room, Koro-sensei turned to his fellow teachers. "Karasuma-sensei, Irina-sensei, could you please step out for a moment?"
The two only stared up at him in slight surprise.
But Koro-sensei further explained. "Further discussion along these lines could potentially cause liability issues for you two." Sharing the same sentiments as Riku.
After their PE teacher and English left the room, and it was now just Koro-sensei and Class E, everyone took their seats.
"Now, then..." Koro-sensei stood behind his podium. "Here's what you're trying to do..."
"Sneak a peek at the data before it reaches America on its way back from space."
Isogai, who has now recovered, but not fully, looked down at his table. "But how..."
But Riku was quick and crazy enough to be on the same wavelength as her teacher. Her eyes narrowed as she leans her elbows on the surface of her table, resting her chin on her interlaced fingers.
"I like where this is going." Was all she whispered.
"About that!" Everyone tried to take a look at the tablet their homeroom teacher suddenly pulled out. But all Riku could feel was the anticipation bubbling in her stomach.
"Did you know they're about to send this baby up to the ISS?" A manic look began to overtake Koro-sensei's expression. And it didn't take long for Riku to realize that her face looked almost identical to his.
"Oh, I definitely like where this is going." She almost cackled.
Everyone stared at her in confusion and slight concern. Soon those confused looks became momentary as realization started to creep in.
"A manned rocket?" Itona said.
"Yes," Koro-sensei nodded. "A proof-of-concept craft being developed here in Japan. It's supposed to carry an experimental dummy, but..."
Mixed looks of horror, astonishment, and enthusiasm appeared on all the faces of the kids in Class E. Their homeroom teacher's next words both scared and excited them.
"...what if there were real people instead?"
At the ridiculous idea their teacher proposed, everyone let out a crowd of gasps.
"Ha! Our teacher's crazy in the head all right." Karma scoffed, but then his eyes trailed onto the pretty figure sitting next to him. "Luckily for that octopus, he has a student who is just as crazy in the head as he is."
"Hijacking into a private facility?" Riku raised an eyebrow. But everyone could see the almost psychotic look in her eyes. "Sneaking past the guards and staff? Not to mention having to deal with all the technical high-profile security measures?"
"Stealing such data from the ISS is illegal enough as it is," Riku said.
However, she only relaxingly pressed back to the back of her seat, crossing her arms once more. "What a feat, Koro-sensei..."
"Nurufufufu," Koro-sensei chuckled darky. "That's quite the storm brewing up in your head, Riku-chan~"
"You have something in mind, Riku?" Isogai asked from up front, everyone looking expectantly at her.
Nodding her head, Riku licked her lips as she tossed one of her legs over the other.
Riku grinned as she shook her head. "I gotta cancel that plane ticket."
—
"Yes! An out-of-season project for our assassination classroom!"
And that's how this unprecedented project for Class E began. As soon as Riku laid out the foundation of what she planned so far, Kataoka and Isogai immediately made adjustments and assigned each other classmates a part of the whole operation.
Now, with each student having a big role to accomplish, and an even greater goal to achieve-- they all went to work.
Riku and Ritsu mainly worked together with the security analysis of the whole building. Riku used her connection and even pulled some strings to find out the staff's schedules and delivery departures. They even pulled up the profiles of the astronauts who are currently residing in the ISS now.
"Those are some nasty precautions," Riku bit onto her bottom lip.
From what they found out, the capsule will be transported to the all unopened. Not to mention that they made the said capsule to be uncharacteristically heavy-- too heavy for a certain 3-meter-tall yellow octopus organism.
Riku was always seen perched on her desk with Ritsu right in front of her, the two studying the blueprints of the huge and well-guarded building alongside character profiles with furrowed eyebrows.
But aside from studying the building, Riku also worked with Itona in terms of the spacecraft and the ISS itself. The boy impresses Riku with his self-made figurines as he presented them to everyone making his way to her to make some plan modifications.
Which is what he is doing now.
"Ritsu--" Riku let out a sigh. "We can't have Nagisa dress up again. It won't matter. Just because we find one of the guards having some serious delusions about little girls doesn't mean we just bait them into it. Remind me to unblock Karasuma-sensei after this and to phone the police the moment we finish-- Itona."
"We already covered how the craft will rocket into the sky and all that..." Itona began. "But there is another thing that concerns me."
Riku already got an idea. "How they will land. Or return to Earth...Hmmm..."
"Koro-sensei did mention that the reentry capsule will splash down the Pacific Ocean." She told him. "How about just trusting sensei with the craft direction and landing process?"
At her words, Itona nodded. "Well, Koro-sensei is capable of handling the direct immense pressure when it will move through the atmosphere."
Riku smiled softly. "Yeah, so let him be the one to suffer through all that while we were on how we are getting our classmates in and out of the facility. In and out the craft, and even in and out the station without triggering the local stormtroopers."
And just like that, the two's conversation ended. But Itona did not leave. Strangely, he was just standing there fiddling with his all-too-scary-accurate ISS model.
Riku noticed that but didn't comment. She simply moved on with her discussion with Ritsu.
"Do you think you will be one of the two who'll be going to space, Riku?"
The Ri-squared duo turned to face the white-haired boy.
But Riku only let out a huffed breath, bemusement filing her violet-blue orbs. "No. I think we both know the answer to that."
Itona looked up at her. "But you want to, yes?"
The two stared at each other. It was quiet between them for a while.
Riku was not immune to the excitement that some people feel when it came to the topic of space.
The gamer loved it. The study of Earth and space was her best subject when it comes to the different branches of science, after all.
But she didn't join space training with the others because she knew that she was much more needed here. As much as her heart wants to. She knew that there were other people who deserve that once-in-a-lifetime chance. She knew that there were other people who would make good use of that chance.
She knew that she was simply not the girl to do this.
And so Riku decided to get right out with it.
"Compared to those two..." Riku's smile at Itona grew a little bit wider. "I'm far from having the right to enjoy such a chance."
"Not to mention your motion sickness," Ritsu not-so-helpfully added.
At the reminder, Riku felt like vomiting already.
At her answer, Itona nodded, pulling out Riku's chair and just deciding to chil there as he and the Ri-squared duo continued to strategize throughout the afternoon.
"Next time," Itona murmured. "Let's go together next time."
Safe to say that the two formed a bridge of understanding. A bridge for their admiration of technology and space.
Riku didn't know it yet. But she was growing too.
Slowly but surely, she was growing too.
All she needed to do now was take the courage to step forward.
—
"Our plans are in place," Isogai announced. "Now we put them into action."
"If we fail, blame Terasaka," Riku pettily said, causing Terasaka to cause a riot while she merely poked her tongue out at him.
Everyone chuckled at the little interaction, knowing that Riku meant well and was only teasing...or well, they hoped she was.
But Isogai went back to the topic at hand.
"The rocket can only hold two people." Terasaka settled down as everyone quietened down. Isogai raised his arm up. "Who wants to go?"
As expected, half of the class, those who trained for space, raised their hands up. Causing a slightly troubled look to come across Isogai's features.
"Right..." His smile tightened.
"Oh~ All the boys want to go~" Nakamura said in a singsong voice.
"It's an unproven experimental vessel on its maiden voyage." Koro-sensei raised a finger, voice calm. But then he shot his entire tentacle up to the ceiling and cheered, "Who still wants to go?!"
This time around, no one matched the eagerness. Koro-sensei's energy also died down. "Right..."
Just then Okuda turned to Riku. "How about you Riku?" The girl asked sweetly. "This whole thing wouldn't have even taken shape if it weren't for you."
As much as she adored Okuda and is grateful for her friend's consideration, Riku already felt the bile coming up her throat at the mere idea of even entering the spacecraft.
She let out an amused: "Fuck, no."
Riku smiled tiredly at the violet-eyed girl sitting in front of her. "I'd rather not spill my guts out, but I appreciate it, Manami."
"Ah," Minami said aloud, completely forgetting. "Motion sickness."
"I'd want to, too." Everyone turned to Itona who had his arm up. "A rocket would make any mech-head's mouth water. But..."
Itona and Riku made eye contact. "Riku said she had two other people in mind." What Itona said made everyone turn to Riku who, although smiling, was currently thinking of a million ways for getting back at her white-haired friend.
Little shit. An annoyed vein almost popped into her forehead. Throwing me under the bus like that.
Nervous sweats trickled down everyone's faces at the sight of Riku's slightly murderous aura and Itona's nonchalant one.
"Eh," Isogai decided to intervene. "Who are they, Riku?"
Riku's eye twitched.
Taking a deep breath, she simply said, "Nagisa and Akabane." Then with the same confidence, she raised an eyebrow. "Who else?"
At the mention of their names, Karma turned to her. "Huh? I'm not big on putting my life in other people's hands." The redhead stated.
But Riku only continued to sit there. Sitting there like she had all the authority in the world.
"Just send Terasaka and the dummy up," Karma suggested, putting his hands behind his back. "If it crashes, no harm done."
Everyone looked up to the ceiling and imagined a memorial with Terasaka's smiling face pictured and framed. Beside him was also a picture of the dummy--
"WHAAAT?!" As expected, Terasaka broke a fuse. "Do you two have a bone to pick with me or something?!" Terasaka pointed at Riku and Karma, gritting his teeth at the ridiculousness of it all. "Am I your go-to punching bag?! Is that it?!"
Like unimportant dust particles in the air, Riku smoothly transitioned the conversation back on track.
"But..." Karma turned to her. "Your life is not in other people's hands. It's in mine," She said matter-of-factly.
Karma's eyes widened as their eyes connected. Riku's eyes held a seriousness that wasn't to be messed with. "It's in Koro-sensei's. Have a little faith."
Silence filled the room not even Nagisa, the other person Riku wants on the craft, dared to speak. It was the most they out of the two in weeks. The two weren't back to being as close as they were once upon a time, they were still keeping each other at a distance, yet-- the air around them seemed...lighter.
Even lighter than it was back when the two were close friends.
Looking at them...it kind of looked like they were...free.
"It's not like anyone else is suitable, no?" Sugino eased back, smiling brightly.
"Karma, the aggressive fighter, together with Nagisa, the composed assassin!" Kataoka said. "Riku's right. They're the perfect team for hijacking a space station."
From the front, Isogai nodded his head. Putting a thumbs up, he smiled at everyone. "Yeah. We'll save our money and pay our way."
"My parents already paid for everything. We're good." Riku casually put out.
Thump.
"Isogai-kun!"
"He's dead now."
"HAZAMA!"
Throughout the chaos, Terasaka stood up and marched up to Karma. "You two fought as hard as you did to bring the whole class together!" Riku's eyes squinted when the bigger guy's saliva sputtered out.
"Take responsibility and lead the way!" Riku smiled at the sight of the redhead not even hiding his disgust as he turned and leaned away from Terasaka, even putting a hand up as if to stop the other.
"Karma!" The said boy turned to Nagisa who beamed at him.
"Let's give it a shot!" Nagisa pushed. "A graduation trip to outer space with your friend? What could be better?"
It took a moment for Karma to accept, but after what Nagisa said-- the redhead boy finally agreed. "Okay, okay," He smiled. "I did promise I'd do what you say."
Everyone in the classroom cheered.
With that Riku stood up, her arms still crossed over her chest as her face was painted by the classroom's shadow when the sun was blocked by clouds.
"Now," The gamer smirked. "Let's finalize everything. We have a spaceship to crash."
—
"Riku. They're in."
Riku watched through Ritsu's screen as it showed the blueprint of the Cape Shimazu Space Center. A Japanese space station located on a small island off the coast of the mainland.
And, the station that held their spacecraft.
The screen also showed the visuals of who, where, and what. So, basically, tracking devices.
If it wasn't obvious yet, while the others went off to the Shimazu Space Center-- Riku chose to stay behind in the classroom and keep watch. Not necessarily a lookout, but rather like a supervisor who had tabs on everyone.
She definitely didn't choose to stay because they had to travel by boat before diving into the middle of the sea. Pfft. Definitely not.
"Kurahashi, Yada, Karma and Nagisa are in." Riku noted to herself. After a moment, Riku said again. "Justice is in, too." Keeping track of the whole process. "Okay, Karma and Nagisa are now in the vents."
"The girls are done changing, Riku! They're walking through!" Ritsu reported to which Riku nodded in acknowledgment.
"Keep calm, ladies. Don't let me down." Everyone could hear what Riku was saying through their in-ear devices. Yada's cleverly remolded the design of her earrings courtesy of Takebayashi.
"Okay, keep walking straight and you see a sliding door to your left-- yes, that one." Riku's eyes then traveled back to the trackers colored red and blue. Karma and Nagisa.
While the rest of Class E in the operation was represented by yellow dots, the two who were the ones to go to space were given a different color so that Riku could easily identify them.
Knowing that Kurahashi and Yada could play their roles well as distractions, Riku and Ritsu merely waited for Justice to do his part.
"Ristu," It was Justice. "Any of these control-room computers should work right?"
"Yep!"
Not a moment after, Riku and Ritsu gained larger access to the Space Center's software and database.
"Nice one, Justice!" Riku cheered. Justice smiled.
Hey. Who wouldn't smile after being complimented by the Akiyama Riku?
"Security analysis complete!" Riku watched her partner being overloaded with data on the screen. "I've placed a remote-control virus on the control-room computer."
Everyone listened in. All of them grinned when they heard Ristu say: "Now the control center and its system will act on my command."
"Ritsu, Riku," The Ri-squared duo perked up at the sound of Nagisa's voice. "Sorry to ask without any notice. But part of our entry route is out in the open. Can you do something?"
Ritsu and Riku looked at each other momentarily before looking back up at the blueprint of the entire station.
"There's only one camera. Just have it turned off for a few seconds Ritsu," Riku said after her eyes scanned Karma and Nagisa's current position. Her input was quicker before Ritsu could even find out herself.
Ritsu hummed in agreement. "Okay! I'll turn off the corresponding camera for ten seconds."
"Roger that!"
Ritsu began to count down. "Three...two...one...zero!"
And as the dots that represent Karma and Nagisa begin to move, Riku had already kept an eye on the violet dots that represented the guards on duty.
"Remember, Ritsu. Every ten minutes." To which the female AI affirmed.
Just when Karma and Nagisa were right under the craft, the two boys waited for Ri-squared's instructions.
"Security guard passing through. Next patrol in ten minutes." Ritsu said before smiling at Riku cheekily. "And surveillance camera angle adjustment coooomplete!"
"Careful, you two. The cam's still on." Riku heeded. Hoping the two won't make much haste.
Nagisa replied, a bit breathless. "Got it."
"They're on the elevator lift," Riku said. Thinking of all of her classmates who will watch the launching from afar.
Koro-sensei should already be there. Riku thought to herself. Then she sweat-dropped. Although, I don't know why he couldn't just send Karma and Nagisa to the spacecraft directly himself.
"I'm relaying looped footage of the dummies to the control room," Ritsu said. "If you swap them out now, you won't get caught!"
They're in. Riku sucked in a breath as she sees the two colorful dots staying still inside the craft and nervously bit her bottom lip as the countdown began.
"Five, four, three, two, one..." Riku muttered under her breath. "One, two, three, four..." Before her eyes widened. "Up they go."
Riku leaned back on her arms as she sat on her desk, looking at everything through Ritsu's screen.
"They're in space!" Ritsu's face replaced the screen as the AI exclaimed cheerily.
Riku only smiled. In order to even get to space, a spacecraft must move at the speed of Mach 23 or maybe even higher. Riku momentarily looked out the classroom's window, staring up at the clear blue sky. It was quiet. For once, they're moving faster than their lunatic of a homeroom teacher.
The gamer raked a hand through her hair before letting out a sigh, and turning back to Ritsu.
"All right Ritsu, let's get those classmates of ours out."
—
Riku knew what was coming.
So as everyone made their return to the classroom, Riku left, just when her two classmates reached the ISS. Walking out of the room, and out of the building -- out onto the forest.
As soon as she reached a clearing, reaching a cliff where Karma made that crazy assassination attempt of jumping off a hundred and so feet., Riku let out a tired breath. Cramming this entire space operation was starting to take its toll.
But it wasn't only that.
—
"Are you going to tell Koro-sensei, Riku?" Her dad asked as he and her mom sat down on her bed in her room.
"This is getting way too dangerous, my dear," Shimizu Akiyama expressed her worry. "Must you continue? This is not safe anymore. I thought you guys are the ones to kill your teacher. How are there others trying to kill you and your classmates too?"
Riku just continued to stare up at her ceiling. Kotaro Yanagisawa...The head operator during Koro-sensei's experiment and her late former homeroom teacher's fiance. The lavender-haired girl had some growing suspicions ever since Kayano revealed her true identity alongside Koro-sensei's backstory.
It was a highly confidential laboratory study. Meaning that it was only an experiment kept by Yanagisawa's facility and possibly, the Japanese government and maybe the CIA too.
But then...Riku's eyebrows furrowed as she thought back to the time when Shiro and Itona first appeared.
A strange guy bringing in a student with the very same tentacles...not to mention Kayano, as well...
If only a limited number of people knew of Koro-sensei's existence and the entire experiment in itself before, wouldn't that have narrowed down to the fact that Shiro might be one of those people?
Riku had a hypothesis. A crazy one.
But her instincts have been going haywire to the point that she couldn't just simply ignore it.
What if...What if Shiro and Kotaro Yanagisawa were the same person?
Yet from what she heard from both Kayano and Koro-sensei, it was best to assume that the man was dead.
Presumably.
And like she's mentioned before, something in her gut opposes that very thought.
Without doubting her next steps, Riku contacted her father. Asking him to gather some information since this was something far beyond her capabilities. Her dad was happy to help, although initially, in shock about what Riku had thought.
But his little girl needed his help. In addition, he'll be aiding them in their mission to save their home planet.
After promising to keep everything under wraps, her dad was quick to assign a team, and not even a day later -- Riku got the confirmation she needed.
Riku got up from her laying position, facing her parents with a determined look. "No, Koro-sensei won't be killed by any other being in the world but us. I'll tell him. But with all that is going on, I don't think it's the right time yet." Riku turned to her father. "Maybe after the whole space thing, I'll tell him."
Her mother opened her mouth to speak. Riku only smiled and held her mother's hands. "I'll be fine, Mom."
"But--"
"Mom," Riku tightened her hold on her mom. "My classmates and I will save the Earth and graduate middle school. I promise."
"All of us," Riku added.
Shimizu stared at her daughter for a few more seconds before turning to share a look with her husband. After a couple of moments of using the time to have some sort of secret conversation, both parents nodded at each other.
They turned to Riku.
"At least you are aware that this information is something you can't keep from your Koro-sensei. This is absolutely something he must know." Hiroshi began. However, Riku felt like there was more coming so she patiently waited for her parents' next words.
"Nevertheless, this does not change the fact that you and your classmates are in danger. And we simply cannot ignore it or leave it to you anymore." Her father was using that voice of his. The voice of a CEO, the voice of a leader -- stern and full and authoritative -- a voice that was absolute.
"The island, the poisoning...not to mention that kidnapping with that reaper flower guy!" Her mother scolded. "Don't ask us not to worry about these things, Riku. We are parents. And you are still kids! You shouldn't be going through these things and we should have been much more headstrong in protecting you."
"We don't care about the other parents. Whether they are aware or not does not matter to us." Her father continued. "What matters to us, is the fact that we know that you guys' are still risking your lives out there. Not to mention while getting the proper education you need." Her father raised an eyebrow.
Riku blinked at them. "So...what are you two saying?"
Her parents became quiet.
But then her dad stood up. And her mom looked at her smugly.
"What else?"
"We're joining this damn assassination."
—
"Riku! There you are!" A voice chided, waking Riku from her short but much-needed nap. Her back was flat against the soil as her head faced the cliff's edge.
Her eyes fluttered open to see Kayano smiling down at her.
"Karma and Nagisa are heading back."
—
After that long month. When they all came apart as opinions clashed and a fight broke out -- the space operation was finally over. Riku smiled to herself as she watched the compartment that separated from the spacecraft dove down to Class E's personal pool.
Her classmates cheered and raced towards the pool with a rush of accomplishment.
Riku stayed back, watching them all. Her arms crossed as she thought back to everything she's done in this month alone. The discoveries she's made and is about to make with her classmates, and the discoveries she's found in private.
Remind Riku to take a vacation once everything's over.
Riku ignored the panicked pleas of Koro-sensei when Karasuma and Irina arrived. The two other teachers were kept in the dark about this, after all.
Instead, she focused her attention on the newly arrived Karma and Nagisa, who now exited the spacecraft with smiles on their faces.
The young girl turned away from the happy scene, concerned about what was to come.
"We're home!" Nagisa announced.
Violet-blue orbs met with a pair of sweet violet ones.
Okuda smiled up at Riku. "Takebayashi-kun, Ritsu, and I will handle all the data, Riku! You've done enough!"
Riku nodded her head as Okuda headed back down to the rest of the class.
The lavender head frowned.
No. I haven't done enough at all.
Once they were back in the classroom, Riku took her seat while everyone gathered around Ritsu, gawking at a load of data presented on the screen.
"Whoa! Check out this data!"
"It's one thing to get the data, but with all this jargon, I can't understand a word!"
Just like Okuda said. She handled the situation with fine ease.
"I'll handle it!" Okuda piped up. "Here's a summary."
"An experiment in space proved that the risk of explosion for a tentacle creature is inversely proportional to its 'size'. The bigger it is, the more stable it is. While the smaller ones have a higher likelihood of exploding. Unlike those the size of a small mouse, the probability of a human-sized creature going berserk and exploding is much lower than expected."
Riku pulls out her switch, continuing an unfinished game.
"Huh? That means..." Kataoka stepped forward.
Okuda proceeded. "Additionally, by administering the medicine indicated below and periodically stimulating the flow of silicon compounds in the body...Simply put, by 'relieving muscular stiffness' the risk of them going berserk decreases dramatically."
"When the following conditions are satisfied, the possibility of explosion, even at its highest, is less than one percent!"
Riku's thumbs stopped.
Riku turned to everyone. One...percent?
"It is likely that other cells will die out before any explosion occurs, and the creature will peacefully evaporate within ninety years."
Riku's eyebrows furrowed as she turned back to her game. Her heart pounding. Ninety years...She licked her lips. So there is actually a way to save Koro-sensei?
Had Riku been wrong all along?
Terasaka moved forward and pointed at the screen. "So can you make this medicine or what?"
Okuda readjusted her glasses and said, "It's surprisingly easy! In fact...I made one almost exactly like it before!"
"THAT ONE!" Everyone yelled out, all looking comically surprised.
"The key to solving this was right here all along?!" Fuwa asked.
Muramatsu had some questions. "Are you sure? I mean, it was almost too easy to find."
"No..."
Everyone turned to Kayano, who stood at the front of the classroom with NAgisa's blazer in hand. The greenhead smiled. "The road wasn't easy at all."
No longer able to concentrate on her game, Riku put her switch down as she thought things through over and over again. Thinking deeply about the newly acquired information in her head. I was certain... Riku put a hand to her chin. I was certain there are no other options. That we have no choice but to kill Koro-sensei.
What was the factor that made me think otherwise? Riku asked herself.
"We made it here because my sister risked her life to stop Koro-sensei from turning destructive." Kayano's words made Riku turn back to them.
"And because Koro-sensei followed in her footsteps, risking his life to teach us. If not for the commitment of everyone involved, we probably wouldn't have made that medicine." Kayano pointed out.
Koro-sensei? Riku looked down at her desk, deep in thought once more.
"We wouldn't have grown into a class that could look for answers way out in space." Everyone listened to Kayano's words attentively, knowing well that what she said was true.
Sugino pumped his fists. "Either way, less than one percent is as good as zero!"
Riku sighed. Suddenly feeling all too tired.
Koro-sensei...What about Koro-sensei?
The young Akiyama flinched when everyone cheered alongside Sugino.
"Even if we can't kill him, the Earth won't explode!"
Riku's eyes snapped up. Koro-sensei was already looking right at her.
What do you want, Koro-sensei?
almost 6000 words but only a crumb of riku x karma hue hue. but don't worry.
the next chapter will hold something that will hopefully reward your patience.
looking forward to this book's ending with you guys.
love u lots.
Xoxo,
D🌙