After a chaotic day filled with failed assassinations, Class 3-E finally returned to the hotel in the evening to rest.
The great kidnapping incident had already been recounted in detail by Nagisa and Kayano, which only caused the rest of the class to swarm Akira and Erika with even more questions.
"Erika-san, did you really carry him in a princess carry?!"
"Erika-san, did you seriously run off alone?!"
"How did you even know where he was?!"
"Why did he look half-dead when you came out of that labyrinth?!"
Erika, who had mostly recovered from her earlier bloodlust, was now completely embarrassed by her own actions.
With her cheeks flushed red, she could only try her best to deflect the barrage of questions.
Akira, meanwhile, wasn't spared either.
The boys immediately surrounded him.
"Akira, why did you look so dry?!"
"I was dried," he answered plainly.
"Akira, why did you get kidnapped?!"
"To experience how it was." Akira answered flatly.
Karma grinned.
"So how was it?"
Akira thought about it for a moment.
"Honestly, it was disappointing. They were amateurs."
Unlike Erika, Akira answered every question openly and casually.
And just like that, night fell.
The students changed into the yukata provided by the hotel and began wandering around the building for fun.
In the arcade corner, Kanzaki was absolutely dominating one of the old arcade machines.
A small crowd had already gathered around her.
Sugino groaned as another game ended.
"Dammit! How the hell are you dodging all of that?!"
Kanzaki smiled sweetly.
"This is... a little embarrassing."
Sugino stared at her.
"She smiles so sweetly, but she plays like a pro..."
Okuda watched in awe.
"Wow! I had no idea you were this good at games, Kanzaki-san."
Kanzaki replied softly,
"I kept it quiet. In my family, frivolity was frowned upon."
She looked thoughtfully at the screen.
"But maybe I've been too worried about what other people think. Clothes, hobbies, status... I ran from it, got swept up in it, and ended up lacking confidence."
Then she smiled.
"But now I understand. You just need the person you are inside to face forward and do their best."
Akira, who had been watching from the side, immediately perked up.
"It seems there are quite a few arcade machines here."
He cracked his knuckles dramatically.
"Time to show them who the boss is by destroying all the records—"
Before he could even take a step, Erika firmly grabbed his hand.
"No. You have to stay next to me."
Akira blinked tilting his head.
"Why?"
Erika's cheeks turned slightly pink.
"That's your punishment. If I take my eyes off you, what if you get yourself kidnapped again?"
Akira's expression softened into a small, genuine smile.
"Okay."
For once, he obediently followed her without complaint.
Secretly, he was quite happy being dragged around by her like this.
And so the two of them wandered through the hotel together, occasionally running into other students.
At one point, they even stumbled across a group trying to peep on Koro-sensei while he was bathing for some reason.
Akira immediately wanted to join them.
Erika immediately stopped him with another firm tug on his hand.
After dinner, the boys eventually returned to their rooms.
The girls did the same.
—
In the boys' room, everyone had gathered on their futons. The lights were dimmed low, and the atmosphere had become relaxed as they talked late into the night.
Naturally, the conversation quickly drifted toward the usual topic—
Romance.
More specifically, who liked whom in the class.
Maehara grinned.
"Figures Kanzaki's in the top spot. Well, no one doesn't like her."
He looked around the room.
"So who do you like, Nagisa?"
Nagisa blinked.
"Huh...? I..."
Sugino immediately redirected the question.
"What about you, Maehara? Who do you like?"
Maehara waved his hands.
"Who, me? My lips are sealed."
Okajima suddenly threw his hands into the air dramatically.
"I can't pick just one!"
Just then, the door slid open.
Karma walked in with his usual lazy grin.
"Ooh, looks like fun in here."
Maehara's eyes immediately lit up.
"Karma, great timing!"
He pointed at him.
"Is there a girl you like?"
Karma thought about it for a second.
"Hmm... Okuda, maybe?"
Maehara raised an eyebrow.
"Interesting choice. Why?"
Karma smirked.
"I bet she could make some sketchy drugs and chloroform."
His grin widened.
"Really kick my mischief-making up a notch, y'know?"
Sugino deadpanned immediately.
"That's one match no one needs to be making."
Maehara laughed, then suddenly turned toward another target.
"Oh, almost forgot."
He pointed at Akira, who was lying flat on his futon staring up at the ceiling.
"Akira-kun, what about you?"
Akira answered without the slightest hesitation.
"Is that even a question? I like Erika."
Maehara rolled his eyes.
"Everyone already knows that. I'm asking why you like her."
Isogai nodded.
"Yeah. I mean, I get it. She's intelligent and beautiful. Anyone would like her."
He tilted his head.
"But what about you specifically? Is there a reason?"
Akira fell silent for a moment.
He actually thought about it seriously.
"Huh... That's... I don't know exactly, I guess?"
Nagisa looked surprised.
"You don't?"
Akira slowly sat up.
"Well... I've known her for years. But I honestly don't know exactly when I started liking her."
Maehara's eyes immediately sparkled.
"Well then! Tell us your love story! You're the only guy in class who's actually in a serious relationship. Give us some advice!"
Akira let out a dramatic sigh and sat up straighter.
"To think... One day I would actually be asked for love advice."
He folded his arms.
"Fine."
Then he pointed dramatically at the room.
"It seems I must personally enlighten the mortals."
Everyone immediately got annoyed.
But after remembering that he was the only non-single guy present, they reluctantly tolerated it.
Karma sat down nearby and leaned forward with interest.
"I'm curious too. Go on."
Akira nodded.
"Well, to be honest, I don't know exactly when it started. Back when we were kids, she was the one who always stuck to me."
Maehara raised an eyebrow.
"Really? Then why does it feel like the opposite now?"
The rest of the boys nodded in agreement.
After all, Akira acted like an overexcited golden retriever whenever Erika was around.
Akira immediately protested.
"It's true, okay? Back then, I usually stayed locked in my room doing experiments and making new things. But Erika was the one who always dragged me outside to play."
He paused thoughtfully.
"I guess it became a habit as time passed… and I started loving her more and more along the way."
He leaned back and stared at the ceiling.
"Though I do have to say... I feel different from before. Just a few months ago, I was different from how I am now."
He tilted his head.
"But I changed right after I confessed. Which is weird."
Koro-sensei, who was somehow sitting beside him, asked gently,
"So, Akira-kun... Do you prefer this version of yourself, or the previous version?"
Akira thought for a second.
"I don't know. But I feel happier now than I did before."
He paused.
"Though I do feel like I lost some brain cells to love."
Koro-sensei chuckled.
"That's simply how someone in love behaves."
Then he smiled warmly.
"But if you're happier than before, isn't that better?"
Akira nodded.
"Yeah. That's better."
Then he suddenly turned his head.
"By the way, Koro-sensei... Since when have you been here?"
The room froze.
Only then did everyone realize that Koro-sensei was casually sitting right beside them.
And worse—
He was taking notes.
Koro-sensei beamed proudly.
"In the middle! But don't worry! I managed to write everything down for educational purposes~! Nuhuhuhuhuhuh~!!"
The room went silent for half a second.
Then—
It exploded.
"HE TOOK NOTES?!"
"Kill him!"
"We have to bury the evidence!"
Even Akira immediately joined the charge.
But Koro-sensei had already blasted away at Mach 20 speed, laughing cheerfully as he escaped.
"Nuhuhuhuhuhu~! Nabbing this kind of data is exactly what my ultra-high speed is for!"
---
In the girls' room, a similarly lively conversation was taking place.
Kataoka tilted her head.
"Huh? What boys we like?"
Nakamura grinned.
"Yeah. That's what girls talk about on trips like this. It's fun!"
Kurahashi immediately raised her hand excitedly.
"Hai, hai! I know! Karasuma-sensei!"
Nakamura burst out laughing.
"Yeah, yeah. Everyone likes Karasuma-sensei. I mean someone in our class."
Kurahashi blinked.
"Huh?"
Nakamura rested her chin on her hand thoughtfully.
"I guess Isogai and Maehara are pretty all right..."
Kataoka looked surprised.
"Really? You think so?"
"Sure," Nakamura replied, as she shrugged.
"Unfortunately, Maehara plays the field. So doesn't that put Class Rep Isogai in the lead?"
Yada nodded.
"If we're going by looks alone, Karma-kun is near the top."
Kurahashi immediately sighed.
"If only he behaved better."
The entire room nodded.
"If only..."
"If only..."
Okuda spoke up softly.
"But he's really not that scary, though."
Kayano nodded in agreement.
"Yeah. He's usually pretty nice."
Then Nakamura suddenly grinned mischievously.
"Well, if we're judging purely by looks... Akira-kun probably beats everyone."
The room immediately agreed.
"Yeah, he is the most handsome…"
"But… something about him feels a bit… wrong?!"
"Yeah, like… I don't know… different?!"
"Like even though he is friendly, it's like he is distant."
"He is really close to Erika-san though."
Nakamura immediately seized the opportunity.
"Which is why..."
She pointed dramatically at Erika.
"Why don't we ask Erika about it?"
Everyone turned.
Erika, who had been completely lost in thought, suddenly snapped back to reality.
"What?"
Nakamura leaned forward.
"Tell us about your love life."
Erika froze.
Kurahashi immediately leaned in as well.
"We want to know! Why do you love Akira-kun?"
Yada joined the attack.
"Yeah! Who fell in love first? And who confessed? We need details!"
Kayano nodded vigorously.
"Yeah! We need to know everything!"
Erika was instantly overwhelmed.
Her face turned bright red.
"I-I..."
Just then—
the door slid open.
Irina walked inside.
"Hey, children. I'm here to tell you it's almost lights out. More or less."
Nakamura's eyes immediately sparkled.
"Oh! Bitch-sensei! You came at the perfect time!"
She pointed at Erika.
"Erika is about to tell us her love story."
Irina's expression changed instantly.
"Oh? Gossip?"
She walked over without hesitation.
"Well, it would be a waste not to listen."
Then she sat down.
Seeing that escape was no longer possible, Erika let out a deep sigh.
"Fine... So what do you want to know?"
Nakamura immediately answered.
"How did you fall for him?"
Erika's face somehow became even redder.
"Well... When I first saw him when we were small, I guess."
The room exploded.
"It was love at first sight?!"
Erika shyly nodded.
"You can't blame me. He looked sooo cute back then. Like the cutest little doll."
She smiled fondly.
"When I first saw him, I wanted to take him home with me."
The girls collectively wondered just how absurdly cute young Akira must have been.
Kayano blinked.
"Wait... How old were you?"
Erika answered,
"We were both seven."
Nakamura immediately muttered,
"My, my... Possessive from the beginning."
Irina looked genuinely curious.
"Well, he has top-tier looks now. But it can't be just that, right? What happened afterward?"
Erika smiled softly.
Still embarrassed.
"Well... He was really kind and gentle."
The room immediately froze.
Kind? Gentle? Are we talking about the same person? Did she not see what happened to those kidnappers?
Looking at their expressions, Erika quickly explained.
"It's true. Back then, whenever I asked, he always came to play with me even if he was busy. Whenever I felt uncomfortable, he always solved the problem for me. And whenever I felt lonely..."
Her smile softened.
"He would just stay beside me quietly."
She lowered her gaze slightly.
"I started wanting to stay with him all the time. Forever."
The girls collectively thought:
He only does that for you.
Irina smiled knowingly.
"So it started with love at first sight. And it just kept growing afterward?"
Erika nodded.
"Yep. That's basically it. Before I knew it... I couldn't imagine a day without him."
Irina sighed nostalgically.
"Oh, to be young. This makes even me, someone in her twenties feel old."
Kurahashi blinked.
"What? Bitch-sensei you're twenty?"
Irina immediately sat up.
"Now listen here, girls, we—"
She suddenly stopped.
Her eye twitched.
Everyone followed her gaze.
Sitting comfortably among them—
completely pink—
was Koro-sensei.
Listening intently.
Irina immediately screamed.
"HEY YOU! DON'T JUST WALTZ INTO OUR GIRL TALK LIKE THAT!"
Only then did everyone realize he was there.
Koro-sensei waved his tentacles cheerfully.
"Awww, why not? I'd like to join the girl talk too~!"
Irina pointed furiously.
"Like hell you can!"
Erika stared in shock.
"Wait... Since when were you here?"
Koro-sensei beamed proudly.
"Nuhuhuhuhuhu~! From the beginning! I even recorded everything for educational purposes!"
Then he tilted his head mischievously.
"Though I do wonder if Akira-kun would be happy if I showed this to him."
The room fell deathly silent.
For half a second.
Then—
it exploded.
"KILL HIM!"
"Capture him first! Make him tell us his love story! THEN kill him!"
"DON'T LET HIM ESCAPE!"
All the girls immediately charged with their anti-sensei knives.
Koro-sensei screamed and blasted away at Mach 20 speed, laughing the entire time.
"Nuhuhuhuhuhuhu~!"
The girls chased Koro-sensei through the hallway at full speed.
"Over there!"
"Don't let him escape!"
But just as he turned a corner, the boys who had also been chasing him came rushing from the opposite side.
"There he is!"
"Murder him!"
Koro-sensei screamed in panic.
"Rats! Caught in a pincer attack!"
The entire group converged on him, wildly stabbing with their anti-sensei knives as he desperately dodged for his life.
Karma and Nagisa stood off to the side, watching the chaos unfold.
Karma smirked.
"I guess it all comes back to assassination in the end."
Nagisa sighed.
"Yeah…"
Just then, Koro-sensei finally found an opening and launched himself through a nearby window.
His signature laugh echoed through the night.
"Good night, students! Have sweet dreams~! Nuhuhuhuhuhu~!"
The students could only stare helplessly as the Mach 20 octopus vanished into the darkness.
Soon, most of them returned to their rooms.
A few continued wandering around the hotel.
Meanwhile, Akira stood alone on a balcony, quietly gazing up at the permanent crescent moon hanging in the night sky.
Lost in thought.
Erika walked up beside him.
"What are you doing?"
Akira answered softly,
"Measuring the circumference of the moon."
Erika sighed.
She honestly had no idea why she even bothered asking anymore.
Then she spoke more gently.
"So... did you enjoy the trip?"
Akira thought about it for a moment.
"Well, it was fun. I got kidnapped. You came to save me. It was fun. Let's do it again."
Erika immediately pinched both of his cheeks.
"Don't you dare say that."
Akira winced.
"Fine, fine... I won't..."
Erika finally let go and sighed.
The two stood quietly together for a while, looking up at the broken moon.
Then Akira murmured softly,
"The moon is beautiful tonight."
Erika instantly turned bright red.
"I... I can die happy."
Akira immediately became alarmed.
"Why? What happened? Why do you want to die?"
Erika's blush immediately shifted into a furious shade of red.
She stomped hard on his foot.
"Why are you like this?!"
Akira winced in pain, completely caught off guard.
"Why? What did I do now?"
Erika pointed at him accusingly.
"You know what those words mean?!"
Only then did realization finally hit him.
"Oh... wait. I meant it normally. Why did you suddenly go for poetry?"
Erika immediately stomped on his other foot.
"Look at the atmosphere! Think before you speak!"
Akira winced again but instinctively looked back up at the moon.
It really did look beautiful.
But for some reason, he had a feeling he'd be beaten to death if he said that out loud again.
Still, as he stared at the broken moon, something suddenly clicked in his mind.
Something he hadn't fully realized before.
Slowly, he raised a hand toward the sky.
"I have to reach the moon."
He was immediately pinched again.
Erika glared at him.
"What did I just say about not doing that?"
Akira winced.
"But that wasn't even a romantic line."
Erika pinched harder.
"Still saying that?"
And so, with Erika scolding him and Akira being Akira, the day came to an end in its usual unusual fashion.