On the day of the field trip, everyone went to the station. Class E watched the other students board first class.

“Classes A through D are riding first class….” Sugaya said, scratching his head.

“Like always.” Rio sighed. “And like always, we’re riding in coach.”

Another teacher overhead them and said with a smirk as he closed the window of his compartment, “Those were the rules explained when you got here.”

No they weren’t. The entire class deadpanned.

Two bullies that often bothered Nagisa leaned their heads out the window. “Students with good grades get the priority!” One said, eating some chips. The other held his nose mockingly.

“Oh, dear. Is that the stench of poverty I smell?” Sakuragi sighed.

She walked over to the two boys. “Have you had enough of being mean to my classmates? I mean, I’m a former A Class student, so I’m probably smarter than you two, Class D idiots A and B.”

Veins pulsed in the boys’ foreheads. “You were placed in Class E for a reason!”

“Oh?” The boys flinched. “You think it was because of my grades?” Sakuragi thrust her midterm results in the boys’ faces.

“1st in the grade?!” “An E Class student?!” Cries of shock ensued.

“So boys….” Sakuragi’s innocent grin was back on her face. “When you think of insulting my friends….”

“Remember just why I ended up in the End Class.” She cracked her knuckles. The boys hurriedly closed the window.

“Thanks, Sakuragi.” Sugaya said with a smile. “You can be scary when someone wants to hurt someone you care about, hm?”

Sakuragi smiled back. “I guess. I care a lot about all of you guys. Although I don’t like violence, I’m willing to take on the whole world for my friends.”

“Awww….thanks!” Most of the class exclaimed, some of the guys patting her on the back, the girls giving her hugs. Karma watched silently.

Class E started boarding the train, and everyone except Karma and Sakuragi were on board. Sakuragi was about to climb the steps to Class E’s area when Karma said, “Wait, Sakuragi.”

Sakuragi smiled at him. “Yes, Karma?

“Don’t give me that fake smile.” Karma glared at her.

Sakuragi’s smile wavered. “Huh?”

“I’m not as gullible as everyone else, you’re clearly putting on an act.”

“I….see.” Sakuragi said slowly. Her expression slowly turned cold and emotionless. Karma jumped. I didn’t expect this much of a difference.

Sakuragi sighed. “It’s a relief to not pretend in front of someone at school besides Gakushuu-kun.” She ran a hand through her hair and stared at Karma. “So what are you going to do about me having a fake personality? Tell everyone?”

Karma shook his head. “I have a feeling that will reveal itself eventually. What I want to know is: Did you ever really care about us? Was all you said to us a lie? Your friendship?”

“....” Genuine emotion flashed through Sakuragi’s eyes. Karma wasn’t sure what it was at first, but then he realized: pain.

It was gone as soon as it came, then Sakuragi said briskly, now in her cheerful persona again, “Never mind that, let’s go in now, Karma! We need to pretend everything is normal.”

Karma paused, then let a forced lazy smile cross his face. “Alright, Sakuragi. I will find out why you are the way you are. I will get the truth someday.”

“Don’t hold your breath.” The two walked inside and sat down separately.

“What did you and Sakuragi talk about?” Nagisa asked Karma curiously.

Karma let out a breezy laugh. “Nothing much.”

Not too far away, Kayano asked Sakuragi the same thing. Sakuragi smiled cheerfully, and replied, “Oh, he was just congratulating me on my score in midterms.”

She glanced at a seat a few rows down. Irina was sulking next to an annoyed Karasuma. “What’s wrong with Irina-sensei?”

“Karasuma-sensei made her change clothes.” Kayano replied, amused. Sakuragi laughed.

“Hey, Sakuragi.” Sakuragi looked up and saw Karma looking at her with a smirk. “Do you have a group yet?”

“...” Trying to keep an eye on me? Sakuragi shook her head.

“How about you join mine and Nagisa’s group?”

Sakuragi plastered a smile across her face. “If Nagisa-kun is okay with it, I am too!”

Nagisa nodded. “It’s alright. We’ll be glad to have you.”

Sakuragi thanked him.

“Anyways,” Sugino said. “The train left the station, but did Koro-sensei actually board?”

“I don’t know…..” Isogai replied.

Sakuragi looked around, then at her window, the one with a smiley face on it. Wait what? 

“Hi Sakuragi-chan!” Sakuragi screamed as the face on her window, which turned out to be Koro-sensei, spoke.

“What are you doing?” Fuwa asked. “Oh! Are you acting like that one guy in this anime….” Fuwa started talking about some obscure anime that only Takebayashi had any idea about.

Koro-sensei sweatdropped. “Uh...no….I was buying snacks and the train left without me.” 

He suddenly turned transparent. “Don’t worry, now all people can see is my clothes and luggage stuck to the side of the train.”

Kataoka sighed. “Like that makes things any better.”

After they left the next stop, Koro-sensei sat next to them in the train, in his disguise.

“You do know that isn’t going to fool anyone, right?” Okajima said.

“Hey!” Koro-sensei said, offended. “My disguise is fabulous, thank you very much!” His fake nose then fell off. Sakuragi giggled.

“Oh, Koro-sensei! Here!” Sugaya said, tossing him a fake nose. “I filed it down to fit your face and make it look more natural.”

“Awesome, I didn’t know you could do that!” Sakuragi said excitedly. “Could you teach me how to carve sometime?”

Sugaya nodded. “Sure, why not?”

“Thanks!”

“You see all kinds of new sides to people while you’re traveling together.” Kayano commented.

“And once this trip is over….” Karma said. “Who knows what true colors will be revealed?” He glanced at Sakuragi as he said this, making Sakuragi clench her fists.

“Are you okay, Hana-chan?” Kayano asked. Sakuragi nodded and stood up.

“Anyone want to go and get drinks with me?” she asked. Okuda raised her hand.

“I-I’ll go!”

“May I go as well?” Kanzaki asked.

Sakuragi smiled and nodded, then took everyone’s orders, and the three walked away, Kanzaki bumping into a taller boy. Kanzaki apologized shakily and followed after her two friends.

Later, Class E entered the hotel they were staying in, a traditional inn.

Koro-sensei was laying down on a couch, groaning.

“Motion sick?” Sakuragi questioned as she approached. Koro-sensei nodded weakly. Okano tried to stab him with her knife as she asked if he needed to go to bed. Koro-sensei refused.

Kanzaki was searching her bag frantically. Sakuragi approached her. “Kanzaki-chan? What’s wrong?”

“I can’t find my itinerary!”

“Oh. Mind if I help you look?” Kanzaki nodded gratefully. “Thank you, Sakuragi-san.” 

“Ah, don’t worry about it, Kanzaki-chan!” Sakuragi bent down and helped look. After some minutes went by, they found nothing and gave up. By that point, people had started playing table tennis, so Kanzaki and Sakuragi joined them. 

…

“She’s so fast!"

“The table tennis champion!” Sakuragi laughed, thinking darkly More like assassination champion.

“Thanks! You guys aren’t bad either!” 

“Do you play often?” Nagisa questioned. 

“This is actually the first time I’ve played.” Sakuragi laughed, rubbing her head.

“REALLY?!” Sakuragi is talented. The students shouted out loud and in their heads. Meanwhile, Karasuma was taking a call.

“Thank you for accepting the job. We have nobody else.”

“No problem! Whoever Twilight-san wants me to help, I’ll help.”

“Twilight?”

“You know, the assassin. You might know her, Hana-oh wait, she instructed me to keep silent about her identity. I’ll be there tomorrow.”

 “Wait!” Red-eye hung up. Karasuma ran his hands through his hair.

Was he about to say Hanako Sakuragi? I’ll need to do some research.