"Look, I really didn't mind the fact that I died and reincarnated into Ansatsu Kyoushitsu. I didn't really mind that you gave me a hole in the heart. That was a real dick move, but I didn't complain. So god, Void, whatever, I'm sorry I punched a stu...
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7. Irina
Nao made it to school somewhere within third period, having gone to the hospital for a checkup in the morning. He had built up a decent amount of stamina to climb the mountain during the past month he had taught here, so he was able to make it up by himself, albeit with quite some effort.
The children were in the midst of their Physical Education Class-- they seemed to have that class every day now to keep up with the assassination-- and Nao quietly bypassed them, heading straight to the staffroom.
To be frank, he wasn't quite expecting to find anyone in the faculty room before him.
The woman was at Naomasa's age-- but she seemed much more mature. She rooted from foreign origins, blonde hair falling in waves that framed her figure perfectly. Her eyes were the shade of pale ice, sharp and narrowing in scrutiny upon Nao's entrance.
She smoked by an open window, leaning by the windowsill as she tapped at a tablet on her lap. She raised an eyebrow at Nao.
Nao, noting the stare, broke into an instinctive smile of professionalism.
"You must be the new teacher," he addressed, casually moving toward his desk and placing his items on the chair-- taking a step forward toward Irina, he calmed his breath.
He was nervous-- this is my first time meeting her, he reminded himself, I know nothing else.
"It is very nice to meet you, I'm Kunomasu," Nao introduced himself humbly, "I teach Japanese and Modern Literature. I've heard you would be taking half of the English classes that I was originally in--"
"Please refrain from the needlessness," Irina Jelavic interrupted briefly, "I do not intend on staying very long-- but it is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance... Kunomasu."
Irina approached the male carefully, placing her tablet precariously on the desk. Her movements were fluent, gentle, perhaps even graceful. Trained and indoctrinated so, Naomasa thought, she moves that way because it is simply part of her job description to do so.
It was enchanting-- her figure was curvy, a bumblebee waist, her businesswoman getup only seemed to accentuate her every movement in ways to amplify her bewitching, alluring proportions.
Naomasa swallowed.
Vaguely, he recalls bearing a female physique in his past life. Yet-- this woman had the ability to make his heart falter at the pure beauty of her presence.
Irina Jelavic, a highly renowned honeypot assassin-- terrifying.
Removing her cigarette from her lips, she stalled three steps before him and acknowledged Naomasa. "So I assume you are... a normal teacher in this class?" she considered, almost in disinterest, "I admire your polite greeting, but unfortunately, I do not intend on building relationships beyond the scope of my work. "
She was stern and cold, her glare a frozen orb that only oozed interest in the stream of her current mission.
Nao knew she saw her as useless as the students in class. She knew Nao had nothing of worth from just one look through him-- Nao had no way of contributing to her assassination attempts, so why would she bother with him?
"I see," Nao sighed, acting dismayed by the rejection, chortling nervously. Turning back to his desk, he picked up yesterday's unwashed coffee mug.
"Sorry to bother you then, Ms Jelavic," he smiled at her, "I wish you luck."
Irina's gaze considerably darkened at the name she did not offer.
Feeling the animosity, Naomasa wondered if he'd pushed a button too far. Ah-- I could pretend he got her name from Karasuma, that'd work.
But what would Nao even do? He was just a teacher.
Surrounded by monsters, but there was nothing he could really do.
Nao left the room, washing his cup and opting for a new mug of coffee.
ー
"Bitch-neesan?" Nao couldn't burst out laughing right there, "as someone who's taught an English class, you guys are surely one to disappoint!"
The Japanese notoriety of mispronouncing Vs and Bs were as infamous as Ls and Rs-- but never in his life had Naomasa thought he'd really witness such a tragedy.
"Ms Jelavic has such a pretty name, so it's such a shame," Naomasa sighed.
Nagisa could only laugh dryly at the comment from the teacher, "Karma-kun started it, and everyone just followed."
"I don't like her!" Kayano whined, munching on her bread almost angrily. "Her boobs too, cow tits. No one can do desk work with those, she doesn't look the part of a teacher at all!"
"Is that really what you're angry at, Kayano?" Nagisa retorted.
Naomasa couldn't suppress the giggles that just rumbled from his throat, "it's okay, Kayano, you're still a growing child."
"I'm not a child!" the girl pouted.
"Don't mind, flat is justice," Nao corrected himself.
"Kuma-sensei's a pervert! Lolicon!" she whimpered.
"I'm a feminist," a reference no one would understand.
Kayano did not like the correction, but Nagisa and Sugino laughed it off as a harmless joke. Naomasa laughed along too, the three enjoying what was their little time of recess with their teacher.
"So," the conversation dimmed, "Kuma-sensei, what do you really think of the... new teacher?"
Sugino Tomohito was a gentle, kind-hearted boy. He refrained from the crash language he didn't prefer to use, but the discontent was clear in his tone. He did not like Irina Jelavic as much as the other students, but he was letting the disgruntlement bubble below his chest.
"She's not a bad person," Nao's answer was immediate., "she's devoted to her job, that's why she sees nothing else. She's confident in her abilities, and holds a strong pride for her capabilities-- though, it's not to say that her haughty farce won't be her downfall."
Nao-- over the years, he had come to think thoroughly about each of the characters he knew by soul. He developed a personal opinion on each of them, so clear to him it was easy to bring up. It wasn't anything deep, but he liked to ponder upon them every once in a while.
Irina Jelavic was just as her nickname dictated-- a Bitch. Even so, Naomasa couldn't bring himself to hate her. Even as an outsider, he never found himself disliking Irina-- in fact, he found her endearing.
She was a screwd hitman that used the charm she was born with to the best interests of the masses-- to survive. She discarded pieces she didn't need without hesitation, and seeks to hold no lingering attachments in her life.
To Naomasa, Irina was an admiration for just how human she was.
But the fact that Irina was an elegant woman that held no remorse for men, held no tact and emotion to just use people for their advantage-- that fact alone reminded Nao greatly of his own sister, Kunomasu Kazane-- and the thought filled him with repulse so great he felt nauseated.
Naomasa held two views of Irina Jelavic-- one of his past life's experiences, and one of his present life's sufferings.
It was a strange conflict of feelings to harbour within him. Half of him wished to respect the hitman as a strong embodiment of feminine strength-- the other half refused to accept her as any much more than the euphemism everyone referred to her as.
His past life sees the future-- yet his present life lingers in the past.
Clenching his heart, Naomasa felt that something was really wrong about this situation.
