Who Are You? (Akabane Karma x OC) [IN EDITING]

Chapter Eighteen

(1660 Words)

It's a lot tougher than midterms! I thought as I looked at the questions. At a combined junior-senior high prep school, it's not unusual for junior high students to start learning at a high-school level during third year. Fastest paced subjects: English, math, science. But the same conditions apply to us all. So let's get this thing started.

I cracked my knuckles and began to work. All those extra cramming, from junior to university leveled questions for every single subject, twenty questions per subject, everyday. I've carved everything into my brain, inside and out. I've never been so determined about a test. It's like what Mark Reid said. You don't study to pass the test. You study for the day when you are the only thing between a patient and the grave.

~~~~~

"Well, then, minna-san. Your scores in all subjects have arrived."

The whole class tensed up in anxiety. To put it in short, it was like this...

English (1st place): Nakamura Rio (100), Kasumi Aika (100)

English (2nd place): Asano Gakushuu (99)

English (3rd place): Seo Tomoya (95)

Japanese (1st place): Asano Gakushuu (100), Kasumi Aika (100)

Japanese (2nd place): Kanzaki Yukiko (96)

Japanese (3rd place): Sakakibara Ren (94)

Social Studies (1st place): Kasumi Aika (100)

Social Studies (2nd place): Isogai Yuuma (97)

Social Studies (3rd place): Asano Gakushuu (95)

Social Studies (4th place): Araki Teppei (93)

Science (1st place): Kasumi Aika (100)

Science (2nd place): Okuda Manami (98)

Science (3rd place): Koyama Natsuhiko (95)

Math (1st place): Asano Gakushuu (100), Kasumi Aika (100)

Math (10th place): Akabane Karma (85)

...Dammit. I studied so hard that I never noticed that Karma was too lazy to study. I looked outside to see Karma. He was leaning against the tree and crumpled up his test scores in frustration. I'm not surprised, he dug his own grave on this exam. I should talk to him. I stood up from my table and headed outside, but to see Korosensei already there first.

"The A Class is mighty indeed. They monopolize the top seven ranks, except the first, in overall scores for five subjects. The best overall scores in the E Class was Kasumi-san, who managed to take grip on first place. But besides her were Kataoka-san and Takebayashi-kun, both tied for eighth place. That's to be expected. Everyone in A Class studied like mad, too. The tests' difficulty levels had been greatly increased. No lazy student could be expected to keep up."

"What are you trying to say?" I heard him ask.

"You thought, 'I'm so cool I'll ace these exams, no sweat'? How mortifying!"

Karma turned to a bright shade of pink. How cute... O///O No! You're supposed to comfort him for his loss and then punch him for being lazy!

"Four students have the right to destroy one of my tentacles: Nakamura-san, Kasumi-san, Isogai-kun, and Okuda-san. You contributed nothing. Not to this assassination and not to this wager. Is that understood?"

Whoa, harsh words for an octopus.

"Those who can't do what they have to when the time comes for action will find their presence fading in our classroom." Korosensei began to poke Karma's face. "An assassin who neglects to sharpen his blade is no assassin at all. He's just a boastful brat swinging around a rusty sword."