Lesson Learned

This is Normal

Finals were nearly here.

Mitsuko held her pen tight as she wrote down in her book and worked through the questions.

How the fuck were finals nearly here?!

Her hand shook, swallowing a lump in her throat as her gaze darted across the textbook somewhat erratically.

"Mitsuko?"

A yellow tentacle rested on her workbook, making her pause and look up. "Huh?"

A copy of Koro-sensei was in front of her while his other copies helped her classmates at their desks.

"Try working out question ten differently," he said gently, pointing to the question.

"It's not wrong," she replied defensively, hunching her shoulders as her gaze narrowed.

"Not it isn't," he agreed, his voice irritatingly patient like she was some scared animal. "But you're rushing too much."

Mitsuko felt a rise of embarrassment, lowering her gaze as she scowled. "Right..." She rubbed her eyes tiredly. "Okay, so what'd I need to do?"

"Use short division instead," he told her, pointing to her multiplication and then started to explain a better workflow, but his voice just sounded like rambling.

Mitsuko was barely paying attention, fleeing a headache coming on, feeling too warm.

"Mitsuko?"

Pay attention!

She forced her head up, looking at him. "Yeah, okay, I get it."

He stared at her with those stupid beady eyes. "Are you sure?"

She let go of her pen and picked her pencil up. "Yes, it's fine. Now can you leave me alone and let me focus already?"

Koro-sensei remained silent. "...If you're sure."

"Yes, I am," she snapped impatiently, narrowing her gaze at him.

"...Of course." His copy disappeared a second later.

Mitsuko swallowed thickly, looking down

***

Of all the places Takaoka could have bruised her, it just had to be the wrist?

Mitsuko glared at the large purple blemish which had darkened in colour from where she was sitting in the staff room while her classmates were outside having lunch in the sun.

"What's got you all angsty?" Bitch-sensei sat back down with a bottle of water in hand.

Mitsuko directed her glare at her, as she pulled her blazer sleeve back down. "Maybe it's your suckish seduction techniques?"

Bitch-sensei scoffed. "Oh, please, I'm an assassin, not a miracle worker." She sighed, leaning back in her chair. "Did you go over the homework assignment I gave you?"

"Yes." Mitsuko replied curtly.

Bitch-sensei smile patronizingly. "Then show me."

Mitsuko swallowed her anxiety and stood up. "Okay." She cleared her throat and walked over. "Hey...Rio." She forced a smile.

"Hey," Bitch-sensei replied dully.

"Listen, there's something I need to tell you," Mitsuko said levelly.

"What about?" Bitch-sensei raised an eyebrow.

Mitsuko forced her smile to stick. "I...I really...think you're amazing and fantastic and anyone would be lucky to have you as a girlfriend," she said, blushing as she looked down. "A lot actually...um." She kept her gaze low. "Because you're just so fantastic—"