Chapter 1

"I am so late!"

My feet run non-stop uphill, a treacherous journey. I am very, very late for class. For the first day in school, the worst thing that could happen is that I overslept! Tardiness would mar my first impression to my teacher and my new classmates.

My new class in Kunugigaoka Junior High is 3-E, a class of students who had failed the academic standards in the renowned school. It is placed not strategically on a mountain behind the main campus. There are no proper tar roads or any means of transportation to reach the class. The only thing I can do is walk with my bare legs and they are killing me.

Short of breath, I fasten my pace, taking a large step at a time. However, I miss a tiny rock on my path and tripped, falling to the ground face first. Ouch! My head now spun like a roller coaster. I shake my head to shake away the dizziness.

Bad luck comes in a trio though. Suddenly I hear a hissing sound near me and look up, only to find a snake glaring at me, as if it is mad I trespass its territory. Completely defenseless at the snake that is about to take a bite out of me, I scream. I am devastated and paralyzed. The snake inches closer and bares its fangs.

My fingers fumble for a rock so that I can throw it at the snake. There is none. Oh god no. Of all the bad things that could happen, why a snake? I try to stay silent as possible, hoping not to agitate the reptile but it slithers nearer.

Suddenly, someone accidentally steps on that snake. I am surprised but relieved that I am saved. I look up at my savior with gratitude glinting in my eyes, only to see a guy with fiery red hair. He looks down at me, with a mischievous glint in his mercury gold eyes.

"You okay there? You looked like you are in a pretty mess," he says, smirking. My instinct nagged at me that this guy is nothing but trouble even though he saved me. Without waiting for him to offer his hand, I stand up and brush dirt off my clothes. I stare intently at him. Nothing of him is significantly striking except his red hair. He looks like a normal middle school student, fairly tall and slim.

He is scanning me with a bored look on his face. Yawning, he doesn't wait for any reply and walk towards the class that I was heading, leaving me standing. The snake beneath his shoes slithers away silently.

I sigh and look at my watch. My face aghast. "I AM SO DAMN LATE!"

Karma

"Yo, Korosensei," Karma says as he opened the door to his classroom. Everyone is already in class for the past 10 minutes. He walks past the teacher and to his seat that is at the back of the class.

Korosensei, their teacher, is a giant yellow octopus-like creature donned in a huge cloak. On his big round face is a wide grin and a pair of tiny beady eyes. "Karma-kun! Sensei expects you to be punctual at least once a week. How are you gonna—"

"Yeah , yeah," Karma waves his teacher off, and yawns. "I will be punctual next time."

Korosensei makes no comments and continues his teachings. He draws math symbols over the blackboard while explaining to his students. Karma pays not much attention. He understands all of it before Korosensei taught them.

Karma has only returned to school a week after his suspension was lifted. He is excited. Excited he could kill a teacher like Korosensei. He anticipates everyday though, with loads of mischievous ideas and assassination plans going through his mind. As the only one to have hurt Korosensei for now, he is proud of himself. However, he knows he has to try harder if he is to really kill that octopus.

The class pays full attention at their teacher until the door opens. The girl he just met on the way to class is by the door, panting and her face a shade of red. "I am so sorry that I am la—" before she could finish her sentence, she trips and falls to the floor, face first.

The class becomes eerily silent as they wonder how clumsy the girl is. Karma smirks. This is the second time he sees her falling, being a klutz like that. Interesting.

Korosensei walks to the girl and lifts her to her feet with his tentacles. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Looking dazed, the girl bows at him and then at the entire class. "S-sorry I am late, sensei," she stutters.

"Nuya… it's okay. Just be careful and don't be late next time," he pats her head and turns to the class. "Class, this is our new classmate. Why don't you introduce yourself?"

The girl sheepishly looks at the class and takes a deep breath as if it could encourage her. "Good morning everyone. My name is Akari Okumura. It's a pleasure to meet you!" However the entire class is still quiet, as if she has said something wrong. The girl starts to look even more nervous.

Karma smirks. "Hey," he calls. "Aren't your name supposed to be Okumura Akari instead of Akari Okumura? I thought your surname goes last."

Akari blushes furiously. "I am so sorry! I-I just came back from the US and I got mixed up with the culture there and the culture here especially how to introduce names and stuff," Akari blurts. "I am so sorry!" She bows at them.

Everyone in class looks at each other and laughs. Not in the mocking kind of way, but in a kinder way that encourages people forward. Isogai Yuma, the male class representative stands up and smiles at her. "It's okay really. You don't have to apologize so many times. Just make yourself feel at home."

Akari looks at everyone in class. They are all smiling friendly at her, welcoming her to be part of this assassination classroom. She nods and smiles too. Her eyes finally darts to Karma, and their eyes meet for a second. Immediately she lights up a bright smile. His eyes widen but nonetheless smiles back, though it probably looks more like a smirk.

"Well, let's continue our class, shall we?" Korosensei picks up his chalk.

Since I am a latecomer, I am arranged to sit at the back of the class, right next to the redhead who saved my life from a snake. Sometimes as I jot down notes, I'd sneak a peek at him. The redhead always wears a look of boredom on his face. Rarely would he take down any notes. Even though my intuition tells me not to get into trouble with him, my morality nags me to be at least polite to thank him for his good deed before.

The recess bell rings and Korosensei says he is going to India to get some curry for lunch. Within a blink of an eye, the giant octopus flies straight out of the window, leaving a trail of dust behind. I sigh. How am I going to kill an octopus creature that moves in Mach 20?

"Aka-chan!"

A familiar voice calls my name and I look up. A blonde with blue eyes approaches me and gives me a big hug. Nakamura Rio, a childhood friend of mine grins widely. The mischievous glint in her eyes is nostalgic. "Long time no see, Ri-chan," I greet as I hug her back.

"Don't forget about me too," says Kataoka Megu as she approaches us. She has long brown hair that is tied into a low ponytail. Her entire look is a perfect model appearance as the female class representative. She gives me a big hug too.

Nakamura Rio and Kataoka Megu. They are in the same class with me when I am in first year in this school. And we have been best friends ever since. Even after I moved to US, we would also exchange emails or chat in a group chat. I miss them so much. Two familiar faces in this new class make me feels relieved. At least I won't be too lonely.

More and more classmates approached me, all introducing themselves. The male class representative, who previously saved me from my awkward predicament, introduces himself as Isogai Yuma. A green-haired girl with the most petite frame named Kayano Kaede. A short guy with blue hair—who I almost mistaken him as a 'her'—named Shiota Nagisa. A quiet yet pretty looking girl named Kanzaki Yukiko. A cheerful-looking girl with bright-coloured hair named Kurahashi Hinano. An athletic boy with shortly-trimmed hair named Sugino Tomohito. A pervert-looking boy with army-standard haircut named Okajima Taiga. A handsome yet playboy-alike boy named Maehara Hiroto. A shy girl with two braids and wore spectacles named Okuda Manami. And lots of lots of others whom their names I imprint in my mind.

However, there is one whose name I didn't know.

"Ri-chan," I nudge the blonde. "Who's the guy sitting next to me?" I look over her shoulder at the redhead.

"Akabane Karma," she replies. "The prankster of this class. A devil. Though probably the strongest among us. He's by far the only one who has hurt Korosensei." Her eyebrows lifts in a way that hinted an upcoming teasing. "What? You are interested in him?"

I shake my head. "He saved my life, that's all." Without waiting for any comments, I approach the boy, taking in a deep breath before I speak to him. He looks up from his unruly scribbles on the desk and awaits my talk with intrigue.

"Umm…" I stutter under his gaze. "T-thank you, for saving my life today." I bow down.

After a few seconds, I hear him snicker. "You're welcome, Aka-chan." He says my name like it was a joke. "You don't look much like a baby to me. Except the fact you fell twice like one."

Puzzled, I look at him. And then look at Rio and Megu. Both of them have blank expressions on their faces. I look back at Karma. There is this mischievous glint in his eyes, which is much more intensified compared to that of Rio's. I ponder my head what is going on. It takes me some time to realize that it is my nickname that Rio gave me. Aka-chan meant baby in Japanese. Plus he is the only one to have seen me fall face first twice today, like how toddlers would when they learn to walk.

Somehow anger starts to pulse in my body but I suppress it. Anger wouldn't be a solution. I am gonna reason with him in this. "Karma-san, the name has no re—"

But he interrupts my speech. "Well, since I saved your life," the smirk on his face intensifies. "Why don't you repay me by being my personal maid for a month?"

"Wait what?" My mind goes blank.

"You heard me."

That is when my mind starts to create illusions. A pair of tiny devil horns pops up on his face. His face twists into a devil's and a devilish tail wags behind him. He snickers like a real devil.

I realize I fall prey to an annoying, mischievous prankster.