A Summer Festival(I)

Back baby :D I've been sleeping at around 11 PM. I haven't stayed up that late since my DNA project in high school.

Polls are also closed.

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"All right... Karma Akabane."

"Here."

"Yuma Isogai."

"Here."

The yellow-headed creature was giving roll one last time. Fortunately, it seemed like all of them were present.

"Taiga Okajima."

"Here."

"Hinata Okano."

"Uh-huh..." He heard the girl sniffling and saw tears running down her face.

One by one, he called out roll, saying each of his dear student's name out loud. When all was called, he gave brief exhale of relief.

"I'm so happy... to be killed by you all." He turned his head up, looking at the blue-haired boy sitting squarely in the center of his chest, dagger poised to strike down.

"From one traveler to another..." The boy slid the green knife out of the sheathe. "... a yell-" His voice grew louder, "for all of life!"

He saw that his student Nagisa was struggling internally. The boy's face contorted several times as his grip on the knife trembled. Soon enough, tears started streaming down the pained face of the boy. It seemed like he had to give more lesson before left after all.

Using one of his tentacles, he stretched it forward to touch the boy gently on his neck to get his attention. "Please-" he said, giving the boy a smile, "don't be sad. Calm yourself. Smile."

The boy paused, leaning back as his body trained to restrain the shudder that was pulsing throughout his thin figure. Looking back down, Nagisa face was smiling as tears flowed freely down his cheeks.

"Goodbye, Koro-sensei."

"Yes," he said, nodding his head, "goodbye."

The boy put the knife down, pushing all the way through his chest. Giving his class a last smile, he whispered his last words.

"Congratulations on your graduations...."

His vision was bright, but in the distance, he could make out the blurry figure of Aguri, waving for him to hurry up.

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A soft, golden light surrounded Koro-sensei's body as he turned into light particles that hung in the air like fireflies. The students watched as the light lingered around for a moment before fading away.

A tall Japanese man in a formal suit stood next to a buxom blond to the side. Taodaomi and Irina stood in silence as they watched their students grieve over the loss of their teacher. Sorrow over both their faces. While their goal was to eventually assassinate the yellow octopus, the teacher grown on them as well.

Taodaomi tilted his head up to look at the night sky. He let out a breath of air.

"Thanks for letting the kids have this."

Thinking that Taodaomi was talking to her, Irene turned her head curiously to him. It was then that she noticed two figures approach them from behind. One was a boy no older than her students in a neon-stripped green jumpsuit and the other was a short girl with curly green hair in a dark-green dress.

The boy nodded at Taodaomi, his face somber. "I understand. Loss... is never really easy to handle. Especially for those you care about."

The short girl on the other hand just gave a huff and crossed her hands. "Hmphed. Why am I suppose to care about some stupid brats? If that stinky octopus tried to pull something fishy, I would've crush him like a bug."

"Why you-!" Outraged, Irene was about to give this girl a piece of her mind when a hand grabbed her shoulder. Taodaomi gave her a stern look which told her to back down. He shook his head.

"Thank you both again for being so lenient in regards to this matter. The Japanese Ministry of Defense once again is grateful for the JDA's help in these matters."

The girl ignored the gratitude entirely, choosing to play on her phone. The boy next to her just smiled apologetically.

"Sorry about her," The boy said as he scratched his head, "she really doesn't this type of thing well." The boy turned to look at the group of students for a moment before turning back to Taodaomi. "Well, it seems we were not needed. We'll be on our way then." But before the boy finished his sentence, the green-haired girl had already flew up and away.

Apologizing once more, the boy began to leave as well, running faster than any normal human was capable of.

Shocked, she turned to Taodaomi for explanation. "There are more of them?" She whispered.

He sighed before putting his hands in his pockets. "I thought you already knew, being an assassin, but I guess you weren't that good."

Ticked off, she gave him a light punch.

"I can't explain much too you as you don't have enough clearance but," he paused, pointing up at the moon, "if it weren't for that little girl, we wouldn't have a full moon."

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Summer was almost over.

He had just finished a shift at Bob's diner. He had an unexpected call-in today because Tina, Bob and Linda's daughter, accidentally crashed the car.

Earlier this week, he had dropped off Ren-chon at her home back in the country-side. But the events that followed that still replayed in his mind. The little girl wanted to stay longer, but he reminded her that her school's summer ended earlier. She was disappointed until he decided to spend the remainder of the trip at Disneyland Japan. How he got the private plane, hotel, and tickets go was anyone's guess. (I call this abuse of power!)

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(Flashback)

He just finished saying goodbye when he decided to stop by the candy store. Drawing carefully so as to not accidentally hit anyone, he made his way to the front of the store where he parked his car next to a delivery van. Making his way to the entrance, he called out before he entered.

"Is anyone here?" He asked out loud.

"Oh, did you just get here Naoto?" From behind the desk, Kaede looked up from her magazine, surprised by his sudden visit.

"Yeah, I just wanted to stop by and say hello. I thought I might as well buy some sweets for my parents back home."

"Hmm, I know your dad likes sour stuff....your mom likes tea flavored ones right?"

As they looked for confectionaries for him to bring back, he continued to make small talk with her, asking if she stressed out from running the shop, find anything funny recently, etc.

With both hands full, he walked back to his truck with Kaede by his side, opening up the door for him.

"Thanks," he said, putting the bags in the shotgun seat. But she didn't say anything. Puzzled, he turned around to check on her, only to feel a pair of lips touch his.

Leaning back, he saw Kaede lightly blush before pulling her jacket closer as if to cover herself. "I know it's your last year- but," She stopped, thinking of something else to say before changing her mind. Looking him right in the eyes, she leaned right next to his ear. "I'll be waiting," she said, her voice tickling his ear like a bell.

With that she ran off and back into the candy store, leaving him stunned and blushing, touching his lips.

"Huh."

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(Present)

"Huh."

He knew that they were close, but to the extent that she liked him? He experienced this before with Occhako, but because they were both too busy training to become heroes, nothing ever moved past the friendship status. He was ok with that. But now...

'Alright,' he thought, 'I'll come up with a answer to Kaede's feeling before next summer.'

With that decision made, he continued to walk home. As he walked by people, he noticed that they were wearing yukatas. He presumed that summer fair was already starting. He just hoped that Nagatoro wouldn't do anything too crazy this time.

Later that night.

Currently, he was looking back at his 'Hero Analysis for the Future, V2,' to make sure some of the scenes from his manga were as accurate as possible. But from time to time, he would look up at his phone on the desk next to him, his gaze expectant. Realizing what he was doing, he blushed a little bit.

'You know,' he thought, 'maybe I should be the one that invites her out this time.'

But as quickly as that thought passed was it shot down. He shook his head frequently.

'No. No. No.' He repeated in his head. 'No way. No way. Why would I ask her?' Focusing back on the manuscript before him, he started to sketch again.

A phone rang.

His head shot up instantly, moving to grab his phone to answer it. "Hello?"

But contrary to his expectations, he was greeted to an elderly man's voice. "Good evening, young Hachioji."

Slightly disappointed, he responded back. "Good evening Bang-san. Did you need something?"

"You see, I heard you had a truck..."

Hours later, he along with Bang's only disciple, Charanko, were unloading boxes off at the summer festival. Seeing the old man sitting back against his booth with a bottle of sake in his hand, he grew slightly concerned.

"Um, Bang-san, should you be drinking that much alcohol at your age?"

Silverfang just laughed before taking another big gulp from his bottle. "At my age, there's too lose if I do drink. I'm already one foot in the grave." He laughed again, his face flushed red.

Next to him, Charank set down the last box before wiping the sweat from his forehead. "That's the last of it. Thanks again for letting us use the truck so last minute."

"No problem. But can I ask why your dojo decided to make a booth?"

"Oh, sensei said that this would be a great way to advertise to people to join, but sensei's reputation is... not to great locally."

He couldn't help but understand why the public didn't want to join. While the old man was kind and generous, when it came to teaching, he was a demon. As he himself took classes every weekend, he understood that the average person didn't have the mentality needed to endure the training.

"We won't leave until midnight, so you should just enjoy yourself and look around."

Looking at the drunk man waving his hands enthusiastically at the people, he raised his eyebrow. "Are you sure you don't need someone else to help handle Bang-san?"

Charanko waved his hand, starting to push him out of the booth. "Don't worry about sensei, I handle this all the time."

Standing in the middle of the festival, he decided he might as well look around. Going to the entrance, he started to look around there first before heading touring the other areas.

Looking up at the red Tori gates, he took in the lanterns strung underneath and the many colorful yukatas and clothing milling around the food stalls.

'I'm craving some yakisoba... do they have Katsudon as well?' He wondered. Distracted, he didn't notice a hand touch his shoulder. Turning around, he was greeted to the sight of Gamou and Yoshi. They were respectively wearing a blue and green yukata with star patterns.

Her grin grew as she pointed at him. "Paisen located."

Putting two fingers upwards, Yoshi echoed Gamou. "Located!"

"Hello to you as well?" He awkwardly greeted. But he noticed that familiar look in their eyes. Those were the eyes of a predator, eager for their kill. So he did the obvious thing.

He bolted.

"After him." He heard Gamou shout from behind him. "Roger!"

At his pace, they had no chance of catching up to him. Looking back, he saw that they were still far away. But as he was distracted looking behind, he didn't see a pencil on the trip and stepped on it. Slipping on the pencil, his body somersaulted several times before he landed on his butt right on the steps on a shrine.

This gave the girls enough time to catch up, making sure to keep their senpai between them so he couldn't escape. They both leaned down to leer at him.

"I didn't know you came to festivals, Paisen." Gamou said with her hands on her hip. "That's surprising."

"A surprising loner sea louse." Yoshi added. "Surprise louse!"

Still slightly dazed, he stood up to make sure he didn't lose anything in his fall. But the orange-haired girl saw this as him ignoring her. Leaning closer, she raised her eyebrows as if she came to a conclusion.

"Wait a second. Did you come down here thinking you might bump into Hayacchi?" But before he refute that statement, Yoshi chimed in as well. "Good on you!" She said while clapping her hands together.

"N-No!" He said loudly, "I came here to help a friend set up a booth. Not to s-see if Nagatoro was here!"

But both girls looked at each other as if they couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth. "Either way, it's too bad. She's doing stuff with her club right now."

"I-I see." He said mutely. While Nagatoro at times could be too much, he had come to like that about her. Seeing no reasons to continue hanging out with these two, he tried to leave. But two pair of hands grabbed his arms.

"Come on." Gamou said, gripping his biceps. "You might as well spend some time at the festival."

"Come on." Yoshi said, struggling with Gamou to keep him grounded.

"I am, I'm just going to try and find some Yakisoba."

The girls both let go of him after he admitted not to leaving. Gamou rubbed her chin as she thought of an idea. "I see... well then," turning to Yoshi, she made a circle with her hand. "Take out the thing we won at the raffle." Yoshi gave a thumbs up.

Suddenly, he felt a pair of hands touch his neck as something was loosely put around it. Looking down, he saw that he was now wearing a...collar?

"!"

"Got a paisen!" Gamou shouted, holding onto the leash attached to the collar. Yoshi cheered in the background, bumping her fist in the air. "Got him!"

"Wait! Wh-What are you doing-?!"

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Across the town of Hayama, light shined from inside the girl's locker rooms next to the pool. Inside, Nagatoro was drying her hair after doing a mock swim meet the girl's swim captain decided to host.

"Sorry to keep you so late." A voice said. The voice belonged to the swim captain who was drying herself as well.

"It's fine," she said, drying her arms now. "I've been getting out of shape recently."

"Oh yeah. Wasn't the festival today?" The swim captain asked. "I know it's late, but do you plan on going?"

Thinking about it, an image of a certain somebody flashed through her head before slightly blushed. Smiling she answered. "I don't know."

"Are you sure? I heard that you and Hachioji-senpai have been getting close to each other."

"Senpai?" Pausing, she gave the other a girl a smile. "Why did you ask? Jealous?" She said grinning.

"No, but he's pretty popular among the upper-classman girls. I heard that some girls were expelled because they tried to take a picture of him shirtless once on pool day."

'They better,' Nagatoro thought, her fists bunched tightly together. 'Those hussy deserved it.'

Her phone beeped.

Seeing that someone sent her a message, she pulled her phone out of her backpack to see what it was. It was from Gamou-chan? Opening the text, she a picture of wearing a collar while her friends were taking a selfie with him.

Tremedous rage soared insider her body.

'What are they doing. What are they doing. What are they doing. What are they doing. What are they doing. What are they doing. What are they doing. What are they doing. What are they doing. What are they doing. What are they doing. What are they doing. What are they doing. What are they doing. What are they doing. What are they doing. What are they doing. What are they doing. What are they doing. What are they doing. What are they doing. What are they doing. What are they doing. What are they doing. What are they doing. What are they doing. What are they doing. What are they doing. What are they doing. What are they doing. What are they doing.'

The swim-club captain felt a chill in the air. Covering herself with her towel to keep warm, she turned around to tell Hayacchi to mind the cold when she saw the girl's face. Hayacchi was gripping her phone as she looked down on it. She could almost see a black aura surround the girl.

"Are you alright-?"

But the girl had already rushed out, changing into her clothes in neck-breaking speed.

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"What!" He shouted. "You sent it to Nagatoro?!" Now she would have more things to tease him later when school started again.

Gamou continued to hold onto the leash looking proud of herself. "I did." She said, pleased with herself. "She might actually come now!"

Confused, he looked at her puzzled.

Holding both hands under her head, she tried to imitate Nagatoro's voice. "'They're stealing my pet!'" She laughed at her own joke. Yoshi leaned forward, poking his stomach. "Pet!"

"Who are you calling a pet?" Crossing his arms, he gave them a resigned look. "Nagatoro's busy with her club. You can't just demand it." Making sure to state his point he repeated, "She's not coming."

From a distance, the group could her foot steps. Looking over, they saw Nagatoro sprinting towards them in her school uniform.

Nagatoro had finally reached them, stopping right before them as she took in big breaths of air.

"Sorry," Gamou apologized, but still smiling, "you had a club tonight, didn't you?"

Panting, Nagatoro pulled a strand of hair behind her ear, not making eye contact with Gamou. "Actually, it ended early. I was bored, so here I am."

"Yeah?" Both girls said, grinning so wide that it must've hurt their cheeks. Both Gamou and Yoshi wiggled their eyebrows witnessing their friend blatantly lie to them.

Finally getting her breath, Nagatoro's attention shifted to the collar on his neck. "A collar?" She asked, her eye twitching.

"Right? Isn't it hilarious?" Gamou asked snidely.

"Hilarious!" Yoshi cheered.

"Could you please take it off already?" He asked. But he was ignore once again.

"That looks fun." Nagatoro said, feigning a casual attitude. "Give me." She said, motioning to the leash Gamou was holding. Tryin to take it out of the bigger girl's hand, she failed as Gamou pulled it out of her reach.

Sadistically looking down on the tanned girl, Gamou pointed at her friend. "We're taking paisen. If you want him, fight for him!"

"Fight!"

"All right then." Nagatoro said, staring at Gamou with a face contorted with a smile. "I don't care about senpai, but I accept your challenge!" Gamou only smiled back with an equally unsettling face with a smile.

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"It's two-on-two. The team that wins more of the better prize wins." Gamou said, holding a toy rifle. Across from her, Nagatoro was doing the same.

"Okay." Nagatoro said, smiling confidently. Looking at him, she began talking. "Senpai, don't you dare drag me down."

"I'm playing too?" He asked, still slightly confused why he was the prize.

"Here." Yoshi handed him a rifle as well.

Gamou went first. Eyeing down the rifle, she took aim before firing at a stuffed cat. The cork hit the stuffed animal, but failed to knock it over.

"But I hit it!" Gamou exclaimed. Putting a cork in her rifle, Nagatoro glanced over. "You have to aim higher."

"I did, though."

Nagatoro looked over to her senpai, who was busy loading his rifle with a cork as well. Giving him a half-smile, she talked to him. "I didn't think you'd come to a festival."

Glancing at the girl, he took aim down the range. "I was helping a friend. And I guess I might as get some fresh air."

He fired his shot. The cork hit the stuffed animal, knocking it down from the stand.

"He got it!" Yoshi shouted in shock.

"We have a winner!" The stall owner said, picking up the stuffed animal to hand over to him. "Here you go." Taking the stuffed animal, he gave it a closer look. It was definitely a cat, colored black with two tails instead of one. "A nekomata, huh?"

"Congrats, senpai! I didn't think you could actually shoot anything at all!" She said happily, smacking his back repeatedly. Looking at Gamou and Yoshi, she began to brag about her team already scoring one prize.

Looking at them having so much fun, he felt that it was worth it to stick it out at the festival.

"Senpai." Nagatoro said, drawing him out of his thoughts. Now having her attention he looked at her as she took position to take her turn. "Were you..." she said, trailing off. "... waiting for me to invite you?" She finished with flirty grin.

Seeing her smile that way, he felt chills go down his back. "Of-Of course not! I-I already told you, I was here to help a friend!"

Smiling at him, she turned back to the range and fired. Her cork hit a glass bottle, toppling it over.

"She got it, too?!" Yoshi exclaimed again.

"Bull-eye's." Nagatoro said, grinning.

"In the future," Nagatoro began, looking away from him, "if there's someone you want to invite, you could just ask them."

Blushing at her insinuation, he looked away as well.

Over the course of the night, the group of four played more and more games. But eventually, the competition had come to an end.

Pulling out the prizes, they presented each side's winnings.

"I think we won this." Gamou said, nudging Yoshi's shoulder. "Victory!"

"No, take a good look." Nagatoro confidently said. "What we lack in quantity, we made up by our quality." She held up a pink squid plushie. "Look at how huge this Gesopie is."

"Not enough to make up for the numbers." Gamou said. She turned to her teammate for affirmation. "Right, Yoshi?"

Scrunching her face, she stared at the huge plushie with want. "This Gesopie is a rare item, though..."

"Here, you can have it." Nagatoro said, handing it over to Yoshi. "You've been collecting them, haven't you?"

Yoshi grabbed the stuffed squid from Nagatoro, hugging it to her flushed face. "Thanks, Hayacchi," she squealed.

Gamou was shocked at the sudden turn in events. "You bought her off!"

Narrowing her eyes, Nagatoro smiled. "And so..." She then grabbed the leash from Gamou. "I get senpai!"

"Can you get this off already?" He asked, pointing to the collar. "Ok fine."

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They waved to both Gamou and Yoshi who were going to head home.

"Later, paisen. Don't get caught next time." Gamou said, waving goodbye.

"Go back to the mountains!" Yoshi said happily, hugging the plushie tightly to her chest.

Straight-faced at there remarks, he questioned how he got to this point. "What am I, an animal?"

Turning to look at Nagatoro, he smiled as he gestured to the fair around them. "Want to take a look around."

Nagatoro's face felt hot before she smiled as well. "Yeah, let's take a look around."

They walked forward, side by side as they explored more of the summer festival.

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An. Done. And the polls are.... I'll leave that for a later date for the answer to be revealed :D. Have a wonderful weekend. Peace out baby.