Archive of Our Own ^beta

The sun had barely begun to dip behind the mountains when the tension between Kunugigaoka’s Class 3-E and the Main Campus finally boiled over. It had started as just another underhanded attempt to humiliate the so-called "losers" of the school, but tonight, things escalated beyond mere words.

It began when a group of Main Campus students—spurred on by their inflated egos—cornered some 3-E students near the gym. The insults were routine, but then the shoving started. Karma Akabane, usually smirking, tensed up, his eyes flashing dangerously. But before he could do anything, a sharp voice cut through the crowd.

“Enough.”

Gakushuu Asano stepped forward. His amethyst eyes held a steely determination as he placed himself between the aggressors and the outcasts of Kunugigaoka.

“Gakushuu? What are you doing?” One of the Main Campus students sneered. “You hate these failures as much as we do.”

Silence fell over the group. The students of 3-E, led by Nagisa and Karma, watched in stunned disbelief. Gakushuu Asano, the ever-arrogant leader of the Big Five, their greatest academic rival, was standing up for them?

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Gakushuu’s voice was calm, but his tone was ice-cold. “I hate incompetenceate . But what you’re doing isn’t discipline—it’s pathetic. If you have to step on others to feel superior, then you’re no better than trash.”

The words hit hard. But not as hard as the punch that followed.

One of the Main Campus students lunged, and Gakushuu barely had time to react before the blow struck his ribs. He staggered back, but didn’t fall. More students rushed in, and suddenly, the fight exploded into chaos.

The students of Class 3-E weren’t about to stand idly by. In an instant, Karma grinned and ducked under a swing, retaliating with a brutal counterstrike. Nagisa moved with deadly precision, slipping through the crowd and taking down opponents before they even knew what hit them. Ritsu, watching through the security system, disabled the lights for a split second, giving 3-E the upper hand.

But even in the chaos, everyone saw it.

Gakushuu took a hit meant for one of them.

A well-aimed steel pipe had been swinging toward Okuda, who had been too slow to react. But before it could land, Gakushuu stepped in. The pipe connected with a sickening crack against his side, and he collapsed to the ground.

For a moment, the entire battlefield froze.

“Gakushuu!”

The voice wasn’t from the 3-E students—it was from Ren Sakakibara, one of the Big Five. He was at Gakushuu’s side in an instant, eyes wide with worry. The rest of the Big Five weren’t far behind, pushing past stunned Main Campus students to surround their fallen leader.

Karma and Nagisa exchanged shocked glances. They had always seen the Big Five as Gakushuu’s loyal followers, obedient to his every whim. But now, seeing their raw concern, the frantic way they called his name, the way Araki immediately pressed a hand to the wound to slow the bleeding—it was clear that their bond was something much deeper.

"Idiot!" Sakakibara hissed, his voice shaking. "Why'd you take the hit? You could've dodged it!"

Gakushuu coughed, wincing, but managed a smirk. "Tch… It would have been… inefficient… to let an underdog get taken out when they still have potential."

It was the closest thing to an admission of respect that Class 3-E had ever heard from him.

“Shut up, don’t waste your energy,” Araki muttered, his hands steady despite the tension in his jaw.

Korosensei arrived in a blur, his usual carefree expression replaced with something unreadable. “Oh dear, it seems one of our honor students has made a rather reckless decision.” His tentacles moved quickly, assessing the injury. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine with a little care.”

Gakushuu let out a breath, relief flickering across his face. But he still had the strength to glare up at his father’s school from where he lay. “This school… is rotten,” he muttered. “And if I have to side with the ‘losers’ to prove it… then so be it.”

Class 3-E stood in stunned silence, processing what had just happened. They had always thought of Gakushuu as just another arrogant rival, an extension of the Principal’s ideology. But now, as they watched the Big Five rally around him—not as followers, but as true friends—they realized something.

Gakushuu Asano wasn’t just a scheming genius.

He had a heart.

And tonight, he had chosen to fight for them.

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Gakushuu Asano lay on the ground, breath shallow, as the chaos around him began to settle. The Main Campus students—once so full of confidence—now looked uncertain, their resolve shaken. Some had already started backing away.

The sight of the Big Five gathered protectively around their fallen leader had unsettled them.

Nagisa took a cautious step forward. His sharp eyes flickered between Gakushuu and the Big Five, noting their expressions. Concern. Frustration. Fear. None of it was fake. They weren’t just lackeys. They cared.

Before he could say anything, Korosensei moved first. The yellow octopus gently lifted Gakushuu off the ground, tentacles surprisingly delicate as he assessed the injury. “Hmmm… several bruised ribs, possible hairline fracture… nothing too severe, but definitely painful,” he diagnosed cheerfully.

Gakushuu groaned. “Get your slimy hands off me.”

Korosensei’s face wobbled in mock sadness. “Oh, Gakushuu-kun, and here I was about to use my special ‘speed-healing massage’ technique!”

“That sounds horrific,” Karma muttered.

Korosensei ignored him and turned to the Big Five. “I’ll take him back to the mountain for treatment. You’re all welcome to come along!”

Sakakibara looked torn. He glanced at the rest of the Main Campus students—many of whom were looking to him, unsure of what to do. Finally, he exhaled sharply. “Tch. Fine. You better not drop him, octopus.”

Korosensei beamed. “Of course not! Now hold on, we’re off~!”

In a blink, he was gone, carrying Gakushuu up the mountain.

The Big Five exchanged a glance, then without a word, they turned and followed.

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Kunugigaoka’s Unspoken Divide

Back at the 3-E classroom, Gakushuu sat on a cot, bandages wrapped around his torso. He looked far from his usual composed self, but despite the pain, his expression was still sharp.

The entire class had gathered around, silent, waiting.

Sakakibara crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. “You can stop staring like a bunch of idiots.”

“But… why?” Sugino asked, voicing the question on everyone’s mind. “Why did you defend us?”

Gakushuu exhaled, looking up at the ceiling. “Because I refuse to be my father.”

Silence.

Nagisa’s eyes widened slightly. The rest of Class 3-E looked just as stunned.

Gakushuu continued, his voice steady despite the exhaustion. “Kunugigaoka’s system is rotten. It exists to keep power in the hands of the privileged while crushing those below. I hate weakness, but what’s even worse is wasted strength. And you,”—he gestured vaguely to the students around him—“have potential. My father dismisses you all as failures. But I see something different.”

For the first time since meeting him, Class 3-E wasn’t sure what to say.

Karma let out a low whistle. “Huh. So you do have a soul after all.”

Sakakibara shot him a glare, but Gakushuu smirked. “Surprised?”

“A little,” Nagisa admitted. “We always assumed you saw us the same way your father does.”

Gakushuu scoffed. “I am not my father. I don’t need to step on others to prove my superiority.” He leaned forward slightly, expression darkening. “But if you really want to prove yourselves, then stop letting Main Campus walk all over you. You have the skills. Use them.”

The words sent a ripple through the class.

Karma grinned. “So you’re saying we should fight back?”

“Not with brute force, idiot.” Gakushuu rolled his eyes. “You have the best teachers in assassination, combat, and strategy. Use them. You could tear down my father’s system if you wanted to.”

The idea sent a thrill through Class 3-E. The thought of not just surviving under Kunugigaoka’s oppressive hierarchy, but actually challenging it… it was tempting.

Korosensei, who had been watching quietly, suddenly laughed. “Oh my, Gakushuu-kun, are you suggesting my adorable students start a rebellion?”

Gakushuu smirked. “You’re the one training them to be assassins. I’m just suggesting they aim higher.”

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New Allies, New Plans

Over the next few days, a strange shift occurred.

The Big Five, once seen as distant elites, started appearing more often around Class 3-E’s mountain campus. Sakakibara still acted annoyed about it, Araki was as unreadable as ever, and Seo continued to make sarcastic comments—but they stayed.

The divide between Main Campus and Class 3-E had always seemed insurmountable. But now, for the first time, cracks were forming.

And at the center of it all was Gakushuu Asano—injured but unbroken, watching it unfold with a satisfied smirk.