One Choice

It really was interesting.

Exam week was coming up soon and like the previous one, Korosensei was going all out prepping them for the materials and honing in on their individual strengths and weaknesses by creating multiple after images of himself. The students focused for if there was one thing they didn't want to lose to, it was to the Chairman of Kunugigaoka Junior High School and those arrogant and stuck-up students. They were going to beat each and every last one of them and with that mindset, flames erupted behind them as they blazed passionately.

However, even as Korosensei was teaching them, the only person he paid attention to was Lucy as he cupped his cheek in his hand and stared at her. No matter how long he stared at her, he just never got tired of her and it really was interesting. It was interesting how the human mind could influence the body and heart to view someone in such a way.

"Karma-kun, just where is your attention being focused on?" Korosensei asked with a tick mark on his head.

Karma turned and smiled innocently. "Of course it's on Korosensei. Can't you see?"

"You really are-! Hey, Karma, stop that!" Korosensei yelled as Karma attempted to stab him with a knife, causing his afterimages to falter and destabilize.

He merely laughed in response and smiled as he readily returned back to studying. After all, even though he really didn't care about grades, he wasn't the type to fall behind everyone else. Since if he was to score any lower than all of them, then he wouldn't be able to act as high-and-mighty as he always did and that would be a rather boring thing.

Though others were busy grasping the material, Lucy had long comprehended everything and finished all the assignments that Korosensei had assigned them as practice. Not only that, she had completed everything with perfection without the slightest mistake. The students of E Class couldn't help but glance at her as she just sat there, watching the outside view with a serene and melancholic look in her eyes — a look that went unnoticed to them.

Turning her head back down, her golden blocks fell gently to her side as she pursed her lips. Placing her head on her palm, she glanced at the class as Korosensei hurriedly moved around in his afterimages, thinking to herself how tiring it must be to keep up with all of that. But it was because of that very action that she could see how much he treasured his students. In fact, she could tell that both Karasuma and Irina, too, treasured them dearly. Looking at them, she remembered back to the time where she and Gildarts were like that, too.

"Lucy-san?" Korosensei peered at her.

Lucy lifted her eyes without batting an eyelash and stared at him. She looked at him in question.

"If you're bored, you can take a walk in the forests over there," he said. "You've already finished all the assignments with complete perfection so scoring high in this exam would be an easy feat for you. Rather than staying here in this classroom, wouldn't you rather explore the outside?"

"Ehhhhh?" the class whined in envy.

"Of course, that goes for everyone else, too. But, only and only if you finish all the assigned tasks and handouts," Korosensei grinned.

"That's definitely not going to happen," the class said in unison with a deadpan look.

Korosensei only grinned and continued laughing as green stripes appeared on his face. Seeing his arrogant side, it only made them want to punch him even more but even so, he was still their teacher and they were his students; they didn't have the right to go against them. Not only that, they were aware that what he was doing was for their own good which infuriated them even more because if they did attack him, they would be the one in the wrong. Korosensei knew that and he continued laughing.