Korosensei would conduct the three-party meeting and suppressing my anxiety I went to school the next day.

“Nagisa’s mom, huh… she’s tough.”

“Korosensei says to leave it to him but…”

“Want me to play the homeroom teacher?”

“Huh, Bitch-sensei?!”

“No good. Officially the homeroom teacher is Karasuma-sensei. Parents wouldn’t get along.”

“I see…”

“Actually it’s easy. I’ll just impersonate Karasuma Tadaomi!”

“Korosensei?!”

“Yes! I am Karasuma!”

“‘That resemblance is terrible!!’”

The classmates all shouted at the low accuracy of Korosensei’s cosplay.

I was anxious but all I could do was pray that Korosensei would convince my mother and let me stay in Class E.

* * *

“Nice to meet you. I am Shiota Nagisa’s mother. Thank you very much for taking the time today.”

“Please, have a seat. It must have been difficult coming all the way into the mountains. Have some cold juice. By the way, you’re very beautiful. Perhaps Nagisa-kun takes after you.”

The moment he said that my mother’s expression darkened slightly.

This flow might be bad…

“If this child had been a girl I would have raised him exactly as I wanted…”

“Your ideal?”

“Yes, girls this age look best with long hair. I was only allowed short hair… I got angry when he tied it up without permission in his third year but it suits him so I let it slide. Anyway, about his future. From my experience, he can’t afford to experience failure at this age. Kunugigaoka High produces many Keio admits and if he’s thrown aside in middle school it’ll negatively affect university and employment. So please, help him escape Class E.”

“Have you properly discussed this with Nagisa-kun?”

“He doesn’t understand anything yet. Parents who’ve experienced failure should naturally make the path for their child.”

“Mom… I…”

“Nagisa, be quiet for a bit.”

“…Okay.”

“I see. I understand why Nagisa-kun is who he is.”

With that, Karasuma—no, Korosensei—suddenly started removing the wig on his head.

“‘A wig?!’”

“Yes! I, Karasuma Tadaomi, am a wig! Hairstyles, universities and schools aren’t for parents to decide. Nagisa-kun decides for himself. Nagisa-kun’s life is his. It’s not a tool to hide your complexes. As his homeroom teacher I’ll be clear. Unless Nagisa-kun wishes it, I will not approve him leaving Class E.”

“What did you say?! Who do you think you are talking to parents like that?! Are you so great you can criticize others’ education policies?! Nagisa! I wondered why you’ve been rebelling lately, you’ve been brainwashed by this teacher! Just watch, I’ll wake you up soon!”

With that my mother stormed out in rage.

“Korosensei…”

“Phew, I may have spoken a bit strongly. But what matters most is that you clearly state your own opinion.”

“But right now, while I can’t do anything alone, maybe I should follow Mom…”

“That’s not true. If you have the will to kill, you can do anything. The first lap of your life has already started in this classroom.”

“My… first lap.”

* * *

“Thanks for the meal…”

After the intense meeting, I was eating dinner with my mother.

“I’m sorry, Nagisa. I yelled in front of your teacher… I was just desperate.”

“…Yeah.”

Huh, my eyelids feel heavier than usual.

“So I was thinking… I decided I won’t forgive anything that gets in the way of my life.”

* * *

When I came to, I was at school at night.

“Mom…”

“Ever since you fell into a place like this… you’ve gone astray. You started defying me. Burn it. This school building…”

“What are you saying?! Mom!”

“If you light it yourself, guilt will make you unable to face anyone here. Cut off your retreat, then we’ll go ask the main building teachers…”

“No! I won’t!”

“Don’t talk back! Who do you think raised you?! I sent you to cram schools and private schools, do you know how much money and effort I spent?! I’m exhausted from work every day and still cook for you and you don’t even know that hardship! And then you get brainwashed by some weird teacher and learn stupid things! You, as a person, I created you completely! A tool should shut up and listen to its owner!”

That’s wrong… but also right.

What should I even say…

Then I remembered Korosensei’s words.

“First… clearly state your own will.”

“Mom, I…”

Something moving faster than the eye could see instantly extinguished the fire in her hand.

“Quit yapping, old hag. You’re ruining my drama time.”

That killing intent, without a doubt an assassin.

“Who are you?! Don’t interfere!”

“You’re the ones interfering. Wednesday 22:00, I always watch serial dramas at this time.”

“Killer… police!”

As she reached for her phone, the whip snapped and knocked it from her hand.

Mom was terrified.

Mom... Living while reading your mood nurtured a certain talent in me.

Not the talent you wanted but thanks to it I can help everyone here.

“Mom, I’m giving it my all in this class. I’ll produce results by graduation. If I succeed I’ll cut my hair. I’ll pay back all the money you spent on me. If that still isn’t enough…”

As I said that I slowly approached the assassin.

“I’ll graduate from you too.”

Bang!

Mom. I’m incredibly grateful you gave birth to me and raised me.

It might be selfish but if you could just be happy that your child was born and grew up mostly safe… everything would be fine…

“What was that?! What did he do, Nagisa?!”

“Ma’am this area is used as a hangout by delinquents. I recommend not approaching it at night.”

“Korosensei…”

“Now then, Ma’am. Nagisa-kun is still immature. But please watch over him warmly. He isn’t betraying you. He’s just preparing to leave the nest, like everyone does.”

“Hah…”

“Mom!”

“Phew, it seems she fainted after relaxing. I’ll drive her home in her car.”

On the way back we continued talking about my future.

“So Nagisa-kun, even if you killed me, would you use that talent to become an assassin?”

“Probably… no. Talent isn’t fixed. Even assassination-suited talent can be used to protect someone, like I protected Mom. That’s not an assassin. I’ll look for a path that won’t make my parents worry.”

“Take your time! And don’t forget to keep trying to communicate with your parents.”

“Yes!”

* * *

Ayanokōji POV

From what Nagisa told me, he too had been treated like a tool by his parent.

But he chose to decide for himself and carve open his own future.

For me that had been normal and never particularly painful.

But watching Nagisa made me want to know a little about freedom.

If I were allowed to wish just a little…

Thinking that, I once again opened the staff room door.

“Ah, Ayanokōji-kun. Here to consult about your future?”

“Something like that.”

“So you’ve decided what you want to become?”

“Not what I want to become, but what I want to do…”

“And what would that be?”

“I want you to… deny me freely. I’ll now tell you everything about the White Room. After that I’ll decide my path. The White Room is an institution my father runs to turn ordinary people into geniuses through education alone. The children confined there study and train from morning to night. Those who can’t keep up drop out. There are no human rights in the White Room.

Dropouts are reused as test subjects or have their minds broken by severe trauma and become useless, one of two outcomes. I spent 15 years there from birth and became the greatest masterpiece. If the Earth still exists, I’ll eventually become an instructor there. That’s already decided. And this may sound arrogant but I don’t think there’s anyone who surpasses me in individual ability in anything normally taught."

“I see. If that’s true, you’re the completion of the chairman’s education. Then what do you mean by wanting to be denied freely?”

“In the White Room’s education, it can only produce robots that carry out assigned tasks. That leaves no future for this country but my father never doubts it. And if I, the completion of that education, am superior to everyone, there’s no way to deny it.”

“So before becoming an instructor, you want an education different from what you believe in to surpass you?”

“That’s correct.”

“Then there’s a school perfect for you. Its goal is to cultivate the generation that will shoulder Japan’s future. It’s also a fully boarding school isolated from the outside so once enrolled, parents can’t forcibly take you back. Its name is… Advanced Nurturing High School.”