Deadly One

Chapter XXIII: Round Two Time (Edited)

Mizuki sat in the office, her piercing gaze focused on the yellow octopus-like being she unfortunately had become accustomed to, Korosensei.

As sunlight filtered through the windows, casting long shadows across the room, highlighting the contrast between the mundane school setting and her deadly profession.

"Mizuki," Korosensei's voice broke the silence.

"What?" she replied flatly, barely paying the man any attention. Why exactly was she here wasting time again?

"I know you already have an occupation as an assassin. But do you want to become something else instead?"

'Ah, that's why. This bastard wants to waste my time'

Mizuki's brow furrowed in annoyance as she studied Korosensei. "Something else?" she questioned, before adding, "Get to the point octopus"

"Have another job, I mean."

Scrunching her brows in slight disgust but also partial confusion, she shook her head slowly. "No."

"May I ask why?"

She sighed, looking down at her intertwined hands on the desk as she leaned backwards as if she couldn't care less about his question, even though in truth, she was thinking quite hard. "Assassination..." She paused, choosing her words carefully. "It's the only thing that can keep me stable."

Korosensei's eyes softened with concern. "What do you mean by that?"

"None of your business, Octopus." She stretched her legs, dismissing his inquiry. "Besides, I don't know what else I'd do."

"I see, then I'll let you go. Well, I believe there is only one person left." As he said that, Nagisa walked in.

Mizuki zoned out briefly, her thoughts wandering until the conversation drew her back.

"Should I become an assassin?" Nagisa's question echoed in the room.

Korosensei stood up, addressing the young student. "You're a sensible student. You must have considered the risk and absurdity of becoming an assassin before you asked me this question. Nagisa, there can be no doubt that you have a gift for assassination. Whether facing a monster, a violent teacher, or a genius assassin, you have the courage to attack without hesitation..."

Mizuki tuned out again, only snapping back when her name was mentioned.

"What?" she responded shortly, slightly annoyed.

"Could you please go and tell Nagisa what you think about him becoming an assassin?"

"If he wants to then he can. I don't care"

"Then talk to him about what he most likely hasn't thought about. I feel it's best if he heard it from you"

Emiko rolled her eyes at his statement. "Yeah, whatever," she muttered, walking off. She left the building and quickly spotted Nagisa walking down the path. "Oi, Blueberry," she called out, making him jump and whip around. He sighed in relief when he saw her.

"You scared me."

"Okay," she answered, unamused before she cleared her throat. "What makes you want to be an assassin?"

He looked down, repeating the same words he had said to Korosensei.

"Being an assassin isn't as easy as you think," she began. "Being an assassin means you need to be continuously on guard, both night and day, no matter what, since you never know when someone will attack you."

"I-"

"This job is definitely not for the faint-hearted. It's hard. Once you're in that world, you can never get out. You'll always have scars, and you'll be corrupted," she said bluntly. "You won't settle down and have a loving, caring family because, despite what the books tell us about cute assassin couples, those are just stories. Finding love in this field is hard and dangerous because you put yourself and the other person at a disadvantage."

Nagisa stared at her, mouth agape.

"It's a lonely life," she continued. "So if you really want this to be a permanent job, think of all the repercussions before you jump into the deep end with all the sharks."

"Then why did you--"

"Why I became one is unimportant. As I said, once you get into the world of assassins, you can never get out." She gave him a serious look. "You're not as prepared as you think you are. You're still too faint-hearted despite being able to fight someone without cowering. If you went into that field now, you would simply die from the stress. Any assassin you meet is unstable. One wrong move, and they'll snap."

Nagisa remained silent.

"I understand that you think you could become an assassin. But now that I've told you this, rethink it, think about what it takes and question yourself deeply. Do you have what it takes?"

He looked away but smiled softly. "Thank you, Mizuki."

She scoffed. "Don't get chummy with me, Blueberry. I only did this because that damned Octopus asked me to and wouldn't get off my back." She walked back toward the building, her thoughts heavy.

And indeed was Emiko correct. The life of an assassin is a lonely one. That's why she was constantly lost in thought. What if she had the opportunity to retire as an assassin? What would she do then? What would she enjoy doing?

Unfortunately, Emiko herself, did not know the answer to such questions...

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Word Count ~ 839