Summer in Class E was stifling.
The heat had become unbearable, reaching a point where one might lose their mind or simply collapse under the relentless sun. Since Koro-sensei could no longer bear to watch us suffer, he decided to lead us to the mountain behind the school building. For some reason, he insisted we all wear our swimsuits.
"Nozaki-kun, are your teeth okay?"
"Yeah, they've already started growing back, so don't worry. Thanks for asking, Kurahashi-san."
"I see... hey, wait, let's change the subject! What's the story behind that photo of you and Mr. Karasuma lately?! I'm so jealous; it's not fair~"
"Haha, consider it one of the perks of the job."
"What a ridiculous answer~"
While I spent several minutes dodging Kurahashi-san's persistent questioning, a massive water storage tank—now converted into a pool—suddenly appeared before us. It wasn't just a simple dammed-up stream; it was a meticulously prepared swimming pool.
Upon seeing the pool, Koro-sensei puffed out his chest and intertwined his tentacles with pride, laughing boisterously.
"It takes a full day to fill with water, but only one minute to reach! Now, it'll take you only a single second to jump in!"
Cheers erupted from everyone, mixing with Koro-sensei's distinctive "Nurufufufu" laugh as it echoed through the mountains. The bell for class rang as usual.
To me, being underwater offered a unique, secluded space. In moments when I wanted to be alone or think deeply, I would submerge myself; it helped me organize my thoughts with total clarity. With my recent ability to enter a state of "Absolute Focus," the comfort I felt beneath the surface had doubled.
Using this power—which made a single second feel like hours—I lay at the bottom of the pool, staring at the sun's reflection dancing on the water's surface. In that moment, nothing else seemed to matter. A philosophical thought crossed my mind: I was nothing more than a small, simple organism on a vast planet.
Eventually, the pressure in my chest signaled a need for air, and I decided to surface. As I exited my hyper-focused state, I noticed a foot near me. Judging by the fair skin and the lack of prominent muscle, I guessed it was a girl. When I broke the surface, I found Kurahashi-san standing there, just as I suspected.
"Nozaki-kun, Mr. Karasuma taught us a way to train underwater. Do you want to try it?"
"Definitely! I'm in."
I hadn't realized a conversation had even taken place; I had been too busy relaxing. Truly, Kurahashi-san was an angel in human form.
As I pondered this, Koro-sensei blew his whistle.
"Beep! Kimura-kun! Stop running around the pool! Don't you realize how dangerous it is to slip?"
"Oh... sorry."
"Beep beep beep! Nozaki-kun, Nakamura-san, Hara-san, that's enough diving games! If you stay under too long, I'll worry that you're drowning!"
"Got it."
"Beep! Okajima-kun, the camera is confiscated!"
"Beep! Hazama-san, stop reading for a moment and get some swimming in!"
"Beep! Sugaya-kun! Tattoos are forbidden in public pools!"
Koro-sensei blew that annoying whistle at every opportunity. While complaints rippled through the group, Kurahashi-san approached him with a mischievous grin.
"Don't be so strict, Koro-sensei! Take this!"
She splashed a few drops of water on him. I expected him to snap back with a lecture about splashing the lifeguard, but his reaction was...
"Kyahhhhhh!?"
It was a sharp, feminine shriek—so sudden it left us all stunned. Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at him in disbelief.
"What? What was that?"
"That scream was..."
I exchanged a look with Kurahashi-san.
"You take some too, Nozaki-kun!"
"Kyahhhhhh!?"
I mimicked Koro-sensei's reaction exactly after she splashed me.
"His reaction was just like that, wasn't it?"
"I think it was..."
This time, I locked eyes with Karma. Ah, he was planning something wicked. I understood his intentions perfectly; we were cut from the same cloth.
As if by silent agreement, we both dove underwater, masking our presence as we approached the observation platform where Koro-sensei sat. We grabbed the iron frame together and began to shake it violently.
"Kyahhh!? Karma-kun, Nozaki-kun!? Stop shaking it! I'll fall, I'll definitely fall! Please stop!!"
Koro-sensei panted in sheer terror. Witnessing his exaggerated fear of water, the truth dawned on us; we had likely discovered the greatest weakness we could exploit against him so far.
"Actually, it's not that I'm just not in the mood to swim, or that my tentacles go limp and lose their mobility in water or anything like that..."
"Teacher, you're admitting it yourself now."
"Nyuyahhhh!?"
Koro-sensei couldn't swim.
We felt in that moment that this weakness would be the centerpiece of our mission this summer.
"Since you're holding a kickboard, we thought you were excited to swim..."
"This isn't a kickboard! It's a type of light, crispy snack!"
"It's just a snack!?"
While discovery energized the rest of us, one man stood apart, isolated.
"Tch... pathetic..."
Terasaka looked at us with pure disdain and contempt.
●○●○●
Several days passed since the opening of the Class E pool. As far as we knew, no major problems had surfaced, but strange things began to happen periodically. Mostly, it involved minor sabotage of the pool. I also heard that Kataoka had been harassed by some local punks, but Koro-sensei had likely handled it.
"Nozaki! Aren't motorcycles great?"
"That's right, Nozaki-kun! Be a man who rides big bikes! A real man in every sense of the word! Since you were born a man, you should have hobbies like this!"
"Ah... sure."
"What are you doing, Yoshida?"
"Oh... T-Terasaka..."
Terasaka appeared suddenly, looking like he was in a foul mood. He seemed suspiciously angry.
"Oh, nothing. We just got excited talking about bikes lately. Since no one else in this school cares about this stuff but us, we talked a bit too long."
"Nurufufufu, that is the way. Furthermore, they say this bike reaches speeds of 300 km/h. I'd love to ride a real one just once."
"Are you an idiot? Flying while carrying someone would be much faster!"
Laughter broke out in the classroom at the comedy-routine-like banter between Yoshida and Koro-sensei. But Terasaka, appearing as though he couldn't stand being there another second, let out a scoff. He kicked the motorcycle model Koro-sensei had built, smashing it to pieces.
"Nyuyahhhh!?"
"Hey! What are you doing, Terasaka!?"
Yoshida shouted, condemning the sudden violence, followed by rebukes from the rest of the classmates.
"You guys annoy me too, like buzzing flies! I'll wipe you all out!"
The noise seemed to have pushed him over the edge. Terasaka pulled a can of insecticide from his desk and slammed it onto the floor with all his might until it burst. Koro-sensei grew angry at the outburst, but Terasaka showed no remorse, only deep-seated disgust.
"Terasaka-kun! Even delinquency has its lim—"
"Don't touch me! You monster! You sicken me, and so do these idiots who follow you like children under your thumb!"
Everyone took offense, but only Karma responded with his usual provocative tone.
"I don't get what's actually bothering you. If you can't stand him, just kill him. Isn't that why we're in this class?"
Naturally, Terasaka exploded at Karma.
"What did you say, Karma? Are you challenging me too? Fine, I'm ready. You've always been—"
"This isn't working, Terasaka. If you want to fight, you should use your hands instead of your mouth."
Terasaka's childish rage didn't faze Karma. With physical grace, Karma quickly clamped a hand over Terasaka's mouth, literally silencing his complaining.
"Damn it, let go of me! To hell with you and your nonsense!"
Terasaka shook off Karma's hand and stormed out of the classroom in a blind fury.
"What's his problem?"
"Can't we just live in peace together?"
I couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for our class representative, who looked visibly pained by the situation.
●○●○●
[Terasaka's Perspective]
I worked on the equipment that the man named "Shiro" had requested for the fight against the octopus, while thoughts raced through my head.
Class E used to be a comfortable place for me—a gathering of failed students from whom no one expected anything. It was the destination for those who couldn't study or who were ill-behaved like me. That place, which resembled a trash bin, was very cozy; it was where the human trash that no one cared about gathered. Yes, Class E was comfortable that way.
But that monster came and changed everything. He planted a grand goal in everyone's heart—"Saving the Earth"—and the place filled with life and energy. Since Koro-sensei arrived, they had changed remarkably. Despite the harassment from the main building students, their grades rose significantly. They even beat the baseball team in the last game.
A great achievement, truly. But that bright, hopeful atmosphere in Class E sickened me. It made me feel like I was suffocating. Saving the Earth, self-improvement for the sake of assassination, shedding the stigma of failure... honestly, I didn't care about any of it. I just wanted to live my day with the same indifference I always had.
That's why I...
"Excellent work, Terasaka-kun. Sabotaging the pool, spraying the chemicals, mixing the drugs... thanks to you, we've prepared with high efficiency. Here, this is your reward: one hundred thousand yen."
This situation suited me much better.
"Having an inside collaborator like you helps us immensely, Terasaka-kun. That octopus has a keen sense of smell; if anyone from the outside moved around him, he'd realize it instantly. That is why I asked for help from someone on the inside."
The modified human with tentacles, Itona Horibe. And his guardian, who called himself "Shiro."
"Itona, it seems something has changed in you... is it your eyes? Or your hairstyle?"
"Oh? You noticed? A change in hairstyle means the tentacles have changed. We learned from the mistakes of last time and implemented a precise cultivation plan to adjust them and make them even stronger."
I didn't fully understand what he was saying, but the gist was that Itona had become stronger. As I pondered this, Shiro spoke in a tone that suggested he understood exactly what was on my mind.
"Ryoma Terasaka. I understand your feelings. Your anger toward that octopus has left you feeling increasingly isolated within the class. That is why I contacted you. Rest assured, if you act according to my plan, we will kill him soon and return Class E to the way it was before he arrived. On top of that, you'll have the money. Isn't that a good deal?"
When I thought about it, it didn't seem so bad. While I looked at the money I had just received, Itona suddenly approached me and glared.
"W-What do you want?"
"You... you're weaker than that red-haired boy, and weaker than the silver-haired one too. Even though you surpass them in physical strength and size. Do you know why?"
I remained silent at his blunt question, so Itona continued sharply.
"Your eyes lack a clear vision. You have no will to win, no means, and no passion. A cow that eats grass peacefully... cannot defeat a wolf that possesses a clear vision to kill it. A clear vision... that is all you need."
Itona walked away after tossing out his usual provocations, fueling my rage.
"What is wrong with that bastard?! As usual...! Has even his brain turned into tentacles?!"
"My apologies; it seems I haven't disciplined him well enough. Try to get along with him; we are, after all, strategic partners."
Shiro said this, trying to appease me after my mood soured.
"Since you've become an outcast in the class, your strange behavior will seem natural to the others. You are the perfect person to execute our plan. The climax will be during our free time after school tomorrow."
Shiro said this as he handed me a familiar-looking pistol.
"What is this?"
"It looks like a pistol, but it's actually a transmitter to send a signal to us. The plan is as follows—"
Place the Class E students inside the pool.
Once they are in position, Itona intervenes.
Itona drops the octopus into the pool.
We launch an all-out attack by Class E, Itona, and myself to kill him.
It was a simple plan.
"Do you really think this is enough to kill him?"
"Don't worry. That is why we strengthened Itona. Trust us. Actually, the medicine you sprayed today is like a pollen allergy that affects only him. We will execute the plan when his mucus runs out. That mucus is what annoys us the most."
I didn't care about the petty details. The only thing that mattered was killing him. I nodded in agreement to Shiro's words and took the transmitter.
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