Kiichi Nozaki's day begins with a punch to the alarm clock blaring at 6:30 AM, shattering the silence of his deep sleep beneath the covers.
I woke up at a time that was neither early nor late, immediately entering a fierce battle with blankets that had absorbed my body heat and become far too comfortable. After five minutes of desperate struggle, I finally managed to crawl out and change for school.
To hell with those blankets; they have grown far too skilled at tempting me lately. Even if the alarm manages to wake me, the moment I let my guard down, I find myself on the verge of slipping back into sleep. Those warm covers cling to me and refuse to let go; I fear the day I might actually skip school just to stay in their embrace.
── Well, perhaps that wouldn't be so bad once in a while. After all, I am classified as a "delinquent."
Since everyone labels me a delinquent simply because of my sharp gaze and white hair—and since I constantly face provocation from strangers for that very reason—it might be better for my mental health to actually act the part and cut class.
"Good morning, Nozaki-kun."
No, that's impossible. If I even thought about skipping, Koro-sensei would pay me an immediate, meddlesome home visit.
Am I starting to imagine his voice just because I considered being absent? This is a bad sign.
What is the medical solution for auditory hallucinations? Should I see an ear, nose, and throat specialist? Could I use that as a legitimate excuse for an official leave? "Going to the hospital"—isn't that a convincing enough reason to stay home?
"Nozaki-kun."
That's strange. The voice I've grown accustomed to lately is calling me now, synchronized with the sound of someone tapping on the window from the outside.
Tap, tap. The knocking continues from behind the closed curtains. This is suspicious; at this hour, that supersonic octopus should be loitering in Hawaii or somewhere similar.
Suddenly, my phone rang with an electronic tone.
The name displayed on the screen was 『Koro-sensei』. It was a call from the number he had forced me to exchange with him on his first day at school.
"Hello?"
『Hello! Good morning, Nozaki-kun. The air outside is quite refreshing. Why don't you open the window and have breakfast with your teacher?』
Ah, so they weren't hallucinations after all.
I looked toward the window I had been deliberately avoiding since I heard the voice, and I froze in shock.
『Nyurfufufufufu...』
It was a scene enough to make anyone faint from sheer terror.
Can you imagine it? You wake up in the morning and hear a voice calling you from outside your window, tapping on the glass—even though your room is on the second floor! Then you get a phone call from a suspicious individual asking you to open the window, and when you look fearfully, you see the massive dark silhouette of a giant octopus pressed against the glass behind the curtain...
It was pure horror; there is no other way to describe it.
To make matters worse, I could see his tentacles moving behind the fabric and hear the squelching sound of them sliding against the glass. Honestly, this scene outdoes any cheap horror movie.
And shouldn't this octopus feel some shame for clinging to a student's house in broad daylight? Doesn't he consider himself a state secret?
I opened the window, sighing deeply.
If my grandfather or grandmother noticed this, a disaster would ensue. They would either be paralyzed with shock, slip a disc, or, in the worst-case scenario, drop dead from a heart attack.
"Koro-sensei, what are you doing here?"
"Since you missed breakfast yesterday, I was worried you might repeat the mistake today, so I prepared a meal and brought it to you. By the way, Karma-kun quite enjoyed what I made for him."
So, he went to Karma's house too.
"I appreciate the concern, but I usually eat my breakfast, so there's no need to worry."
"Nyu? Really? Then take it with you for lunch. It isn't good for your health to always rely on convenience store meals. Besides, I am very proud of this dish I created."
He set down the lunch box (bento) and took off at lightning speed in the opposite direction of the school—likely off to buy a foreign newspaper.
Strangely, that octopus controls his momentum with such incredible precision that the air pressure from his flight didn't even disturb the items in my room.
Regardless, I'm grateful for the meal and will certainly eat it.
"Kiichi, I heard a noise. Did something happen?"
"... Nothing, just a friend calling me early in the morning."
I tried to dodge my grandfather's question when he entered the room.
I couldn't tell him that my teacher literally flew to my window; that remains a top-secret military matter.
Today is Friday; I'll give it my best.
And so, after that unexpected visit, I ate breakfast and headed to school without further incident.
As I walked the route I've become familiar with since moving into my grandparents' house, I found a delinquent with a classic "Regent" hairstyle and his followers loitering in the street.
To be honest, I thought they were blocking my path, but they stepped aside in a panic to let me through.
This has been happening a lot lately. Not long ago, a mere glance would have been enough for them to bark at me, "What are you looking at, you white-haired idiot?" before they started harassing me.
I walked past them with a slight nod, feeling puzzled. As soon as I cleared them, I heard their whispers behind me.
"Hey, is that the Kunugigaoka kid?"
"Yeah, that's Nozaki. You can't miss that silver hair."
"So that's the "Silver Reaper" who stands side-by-side with the "Red Devil"?"
Hold on a minute... from the context of their conversation, that embarrassing nickname "Silver Reaper" definitely refers to me, doesn't it?!
And since they call Karma the "Red Devil," there's no doubt about it—I'm the only one fighting by his side!
"They say he can take down ten people by himself. Even crazier, he passes by his opponent and knocks them unconscious with a single, blindingly fast strike. They call him the "Reaper" because his enemies fall behind him like the dead the moment he passes. And since his silver hair is his trademark, he became known as the "Silver Reaper.""
Thank you for the explanation I didn't ask for!
What is wrong with them? Am I really being called such an exaggerated name? They've inflated the story way too much.
It's impossible for me to face ten people at once; it's just that I take them down one by one with precision.
Unlike the training Isogai and the others did with Karasuma-sensei at a two-on-one ratio, these thugs have no coordination or skill. If one attacks with a naive move followed by another's predictable motion, anyone used to fighting can handle them easily.
"Really? He's a dangerous guy then."
Stop it, please... have mercy on me.
I felt a wave of heat wash over my face from sheer embarrassment. I'm not the legendary figure they're talking about, so I really wish they wouldn't spread these delusions around.
That was a deeply humiliating part of my commute that left my face bright red.
Shortly after, as I walked along the path leading to the E-Class building, a cat emerged from the bushes and approached me, rubbing against my legs.
Cats are wonderful; they don't spread strange rumors about people.
"Oh, hey there... good girl."
I began petting the stray cat as it let out a soft meow. I rubbed its neck and scratched behind its ears; it rolled onto its back, exposing its belly, so I continued stroking it gently. It made a low purring sound in its throat, clearly content.
I felt a bit bad leaving it, but I had to move. I stopped petting it and stood up.
"Oh, Nozaki-kun?"
"... Eh... Kurashi-san."
The moment I stepped away from the cat, I heard a voice behind me. I turned to find a girl from my class. Her hair was a pale, somewhat faded reddish-orange, styled in a smooth, flowing way.
Her name, if I recalled correctly, was Hinano Kurashi. She is one of the students very enthusiastic about the assassination. We don't have much direct interaction, so I only know her by name.
"What's the matter? Is there a problem with that cat?"
She asked, tilting her head as she looked at the cat.
Does she think I was hurting it? Even if I am treated like a delinquent, I hate being misunderstood in matters like this.
Because I am a "delinquent," students tend to avoid me, so it becomes exhausting to monitor my every move just to avoid being misread.
"It's a stray. I see it often on my way to school."
"Heh? It seems to really like you."
"Really?"
Thank goodness, she didn't think ill of me.
I felt a deep sense of relief. The confusion caused by the "Silver Reaper" nickname was enough; I didn't want "Animal Abuser" added to it.
"Definitely. When an animal shows its belly, it's a sign of absolute trust. The belly is the most vulnerable part of its body, completely unprotected."
"Hoh..."
When she said that, I suddenly felt that the cat I had been petting casually became much more precious to me.
Even though it was already a beautiful cat to begin with.
"And by the way, it could also be a sign of total submission..."
"What..."
That's a bit depressing. I thought I was being friendly; was it just a humiliating display of the power gap for her?
That interpretation completely flipped my sense of satisfaction.
"I'm just joking! That cat looks genuinely comfortable with you."
"Don't scare me like that, Kurashi-san."
"Ahaha, sorry, sorry. It was a rare sight to see you like that. But it really is fond of you—do you keep it?"
"No, but playing with it every morning led to this. Actually... most wild animals I encounter act this way around me."
I corrected my sentence after thinking about it for a moment.
Now that I think about it, most animals I meet do act like this—whether they are stray or house cats, dogs on a walk, or even pigeons, crows, and other birds.
My grandparents say my late mother had a nature that naturally drew animals to her, and it seems I inherited that trait. My grandmother always tells me how much I resemble her.
"How wonderful! I'm actually quite jealous; I love animals too."
"Hooh, really?"
We petted the cat together for a while before continuing our way to school. The cat followed us for a bit, but as soon as the old school building came into view, it vanished into the woods.
After the cat disappeared, Kurashi-san and I were left alone, dozens of meters from the building. An awkward, tense atmosphere settled between us.
I thought about using my secret weapon for such situations: talking about tomorrow's weather. But she unexpectedly initiated a conversation in a friendly tone.
"That calico cat was really cute."
"Yeah, calicos are nice, but white ones are great too, aren't they?"
"Tell me, what do you do with Karasuma-sensei every day after school?"
"I asked him for extra training ever since the day he became a teacher here. I really hope to become a great man like him when I grow up."
"You're right! Karasuma-sensei is so attractive and cool!"
Thanks to Kurashi-san's varied topics, that annoying silence never took hold. It seems I was the only one feeling awkward at first.
And so, we reached the building, and classes began as usual.
As always, the bell rang in that extraordinary classroom where the teacher's enthusiasm blends with the students' intent to kill. Lessons commenced to the sounds of the teacher's laughter and the clatter of BB pellets.
The lunch Koro-sensei prepared was genuinely delicious.
While I'm not great at describing food, the fried chicken was legendary. That perfect balance between the crispy exterior and the tender, juicy meat is what you call a flawless taste. It was so good I had an exaggerated reaction like something out of a "Food Wars" episode, which prompted Fuwa-san to bombard me with questions and teasing.
After classes ended, it was time for after-school activities.
"Nozaki-kun, today I will teach you close-quarters knife combat. But as I always tell you, be careful not to misuse it."
"Understood!"
I was undergoing extra training with Karasuma-sensei in the courtyard of the deserted old school building.
Ever since the day I came to admire his way of life, I asked him to give me some of his time to train me after school if his schedule allowed, and he agreed.
"First, as we always do, try to land a strike on me with the knife."
"Understood, I'm starting now!"
I began lunging as ordered, but Karasuma-sensei blocked every attack with his arms as if he knew exactly where the next strike was coming from.
"Listen closely. I've taught you how to angle the knife correctly and which stance to take, haven't I? But that alone won't be enough to kill your target. Why do you think that is?"
I began to think of an answer to his question.
It didn't take long to find it.
"Because our target is a monster moving at Mach 20."
"Correct. However, your attacks are being crushed right now by me, and I am just a human. Why?"
I thought about his second question.
This time, too, I knew the answer.
"Because I am slower than you, Sensei. And because I am only using the knife techniques I learned from you. I haven't been able to break out of the standard patterns of combat!"
I said this and tried to incorporate a kick into my attack.
Karasuma-sensei didn't look surprised; instead, he gave a faint smile as he skillfully blocked my kick.
"Exactly. And this applies to all the students... except Akabane-kun. You all stick to what you learn too literally and excessively. Since I have only taught you knife skills, it's natural that you're at a level that can be easily countered as long as the opponent watches only the hand holding the knife."
Our sparring stopped for a moment.
It seemed he was about to give an explanatory lecture.
"Listen, an opponent carrying a weapon is certainly a threat. But no matter how correct your stabbing angle or how stable your stance, as long as the arm holding the knife is the sole source of the attack, the start and end points of that attack will be predictable. Therefore, use your entire body."
He said this and pulled out his own training knife to begin the next phase: I would be the defender, and he would be the attacker.
"I'm attacking now."
"Ready!"
Karasuma-sensei began attacking me using the techniques he had taught us. I tried to hold my ground using the defensive techniques I had learned from him in class or "stolen" by observing his private lessons.
"Good, you're holding up excellently. But..."
Karasuma-sensei launched an exceptionally sharp and fast lunge.
I managed to block it with great difficulty, but I lost the round immediately to an unexpected follow-up.
The moment I blocked the knife, I found Karasuma-sensei's driving knee stopping just centimeters from my cheek.
"As you did earlier, adding unexpected attacks creates infinite variety and opens up gaps in the opponent's defense. When you attack with a knife, the opponent will guard against the knife first. In 그 moment, you exploit their opening to land a kick or a punch. This is your next step in training."
"I understand!"
Today's training was extremely useful, as always.
I think Karasuma-sensei's lessons are endless. If the opponent has a knife, you have to be careful of it, but at the same time, you have to watch their other movements while maintaining focus on the blade. No doubt he will eventually ask us to monitor the surrounding environment during combat as well.
"Aside from that, the defensive technique you used earlier is my own personal technique. You executed it well. Keep up this level of effort."
"... Yes! Thank you very much!"
Karasuma-sensei teaches me practical, human combat arts in these after-school sessions.
It might seem like we don't need human fighting techniques against Koro-sensei, but by learning what an opponent should watch out for, we can understand Koro-sensei's perspective and the points he might be cautious of when we target him.
It's truly valuable training. Moreover, the fact that he monitors my progress and praises me makes me genuinely happy.
After an hour of training, I said goodbye to Karasuma-sensei.
After he left, I began my solo practice.
To apply what I learned today, I decided to start mastering dual-wielding. I began practicing swinging knives with both hands; since I didn't have a second knife, I used a suitable tree branch in my other hand.
"Oh, still training as usual."
"Koro-sensei. Thanks for the lunch; it was delicious."
"You're very welcome; I'm glad you liked it. But I see you're doing something different today? Are you practicing a two-sword style?"
"Yes. My extra training with Karasuma-sensei revealed my weaknesses, so I started practicing. I'm trying to create a knife style that exploits the opponent's gaps precisely. I decided to use two hands to increase the variety of my movements, and these are some of the stances I've thought of..."
"───"
I began swinging the knife and the branch in both hands to show him my seriousness, but Koro-sensei remained completely silent. His eyes widened, and he looked stunned, his mouth hanging open in shock.
"Excuse me, Koro-sensei?"
When I asked him while he stood frozen, he cleared his throat slightly and offered some advice.
"Your perspective is excellent. However, your body isn't ready yet to use both hands with the same efficiency at once. First, you must make your left hand function as efficiently as your right!"
After patting my head with a tentacle, he vanished in a gust of wind, returning seconds later carrying a notebook.
『Training Notebook: Toward Mastering Ambidexterity!』
"Ah... okay, thank you."
I looked at the notebook he handed me and found it filled with countless training methods.
Things like moving the right hand left and right while the left hand moves up and down, or trying to write with the left hand, or spinning a pen with it.
"And now, Nozaki-kun? It is past 5:00 PM. It is time to go home. No matter how used to the path you are, descending the mountain in the dark is dangerous."
When he warned me, I checked my phone; it was 5:15 PM. Even those in sports clubs at the main building had started heading home by now.
I'll head back now.
"Then, Koro-sensei, see you on Monday."
"Yes, goodbye. Have a wonderful weekend."
I gathered my things and went home.
On the way back, as the delinquents strangely avoided me as usual, I reached the house to find a car parked where cars usually aren't.
My grandfather and grandmother returned their licenses to the police, so they don't own a car. But I know this car and this plate number all too well.
"... It's Friday, of course."
I felt a heavy tightness in my chest at the arrival of a visitor I didn't want to see.
"I'm back."
"Welcome home, Kiichi... your father is here."
"... I know."
I hate Fridays.
Because my father comes.
I, who was kicked out of my father's house—my father made it a condition for placing me in my grandparents' care that he meet me once a week, specifically on Friday.
"......"
"...... Kiichi."
"......"
But there is nothing to say.
The relationship between my father and me is completely broken, beyond repair. So, with all due respect to my grandparents, these meetings and discussions are meaningless.
A father who doesn't care about me.
And a son who has lost all hope in his father.
Time passes without either of us saying a word.
My patience usually runs out after about an hour, and I lock myself in my room. Spending time in solo training to earn Karasuma-sensei's respect is infinitely more useful than this absurdity.
"There's nothing to say, so I'm leaving."
"...... I see."
That is always his reaction. He doesn't try to stop me, and he doesn't bring up a topic. He just spends the time in silence, and when I try to escape, he says, "I see," and that's the end of it.
If I spent this time counting grains of sand in the garden, it would be more enjoyable. It is a pure waste of time.
A relationship that lasted fifteen years won't change now.
I gave up a long time ago.
I went back to my room, put on my headphones, turned on the music, and lay down to sleep without eating dinner.
This is the diary of Kiichi Nozaki.