Deadly One

Chapter XXXII: Graduation Time (Edited)

Suddenly, an involuntary shiver ran through Emiko as she glanced down at her cloak. The realisation that her cloak was not covering her as thoroughly as it should have quickly prompted her to pull it over herself with greater urgency. She couldn't help but wonder about her current appearance in the midst of their perilous situation. The boys, who had momentarily lost their focus, quickly averted their eyes—except for Itona, who remained transfixed.

Emiko's gaze turned icy as she directed her irritation towards him. "What are you staring at?" she demanded.

Itona's gaze remained steady, devoid of any sign of embarrassment. He simply responded, "Big."

Emiko's hand instinctively went to the dagger at her hip. "Say that again. I'll—" she began, but was cut off by a sudden intervention.

Strawberry, ever the mediator, stepped in with a chuckle. "C'mon now, Emiko. He's just being honest. Let me help you with that."

He took the cloak from her and adjusted it to cover her more presentably. As he did, he handed her his own jacket. Emiko huffed, accepting the gesture with a grumble. Slipping it on over her cloak, she relinquished the warmth he had extended to her.

"I'd rather he'd have covered my body first..."

"Mizuki, now that you're not dead or dying, is this the time to say that you're really pretty?" Maehara piped up

Emiko raised a brow, "Excuse me?"

"I'm- well we're just saying, we've never seen your face before"

Hearing his words, her hands instantly went to her face, petting her cheeks- expecting to feel a material blocking her, but alas there was not. She instinctively grabbed something to cover her face, in this case, it was Karma's jacket.

Everyone let out a weak laugh, clearly exhausted with the day's events.

As she adjusted the layers, Ryushi let out a weary sigh, collapsing backwards with an exaggerated groan. "Phew... I'm beat."

Karma helped Emiko to her feet, and Ryushi's voice cut through the tension. "Class, what kind of assassin would let their dying target escape?" he challenged, his voice steady despite the exhaustion evident in his face. "Don't you see? It's killing time. Fun times are bound to end. That's what a classroom's all about."

The blaring light of the laser cut through the room, a stark reminder that time was running out. There was no room for hesitation. Ryushi's words struck a chord as everyone turned their attention to Isogai, who now stood at the centre of the chaos.

"Guys..." he said, his voice filled with determination. "We have to decide this ourselves. We could choose to stay out of this and leave it to fate..." He scanned the room, "Show of hands: Who doesn't want to kill Korosensei?"

One by one, hands hesitantly rose, a visual testament to their collective internal struggle. Emiko, despite her fatigue, raised her hand- though it was barely noticeable past her hip. Her pride battled with her exhaustion, but she could not ignore the reality of their situation.

"Okay, hands down. Who wants to kill him?" Isogai asked.

A heavy and pained sigh escaped Emiko as she raised her hand once more, higher this time. "Mizuki?" he prompted.

Glaring at the floor, Emiko's voice was almost inaudible. "He's like family to me—"

Her words faltered as she felt Karma's tremble beside her. She looked up abruptly, her eyes meeting his. "Which is why I want to kill him. I need—no, I want to release him from the chains that he's been shackled to."