Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I don’t own Assassination Classroom

The first time he saw her with her hair down was when he went to her house to drop off some assignment worksheets.

She’d been absent in class for two days already. Koro-sensei said she was recovering from a cold. Now that he mentioned it, he recalled her looking pale during their last chemistry lab session, accompanied by a couple of sneezes. He thought they were merely due to the chemicals they used that day.

Koro-sensei, being the all-seeing and (self-proclaimed) all-knowing, had noted the red-head’s eyes darting back and forth from the blackboard to the empty seat in front of him during class. He ended the lecture for the day. As the students shuffled out of the room, he watched Karma put his notes in his bag.

“Karma-kun,” he called out.

Looking up from his desk, Karma saw his teacher pull out several sheets of paper. Slinging his bag over his shoulder, he sauntered to the front desk. “What’s up, sensei?”

“I’d like to give you a little assignment,” he replied. He placed the worksheets in an envelope and handed it to Karma. “Could you please drop by Okuda-san’s place and give these to her? These are some of the homework she missed during her absence.”

Karma blinked. He took a look at the envelope. He noted a small post-it with Okuda’s address written on it. Smirking, he understood immediately. He then narrowed his eyes at the teacher.

“And why do I have to do it? Kayano-san or Kanzaki-san would’ve been the more ideal options, wouldn’t they? Seeing as they’re Okuda-san’s close friends.”

Koro-sensei snickered at him. “But isn’t it the responsibility of partners to watch each other’s back? As Okuda-san’s assassination partner, I would assume you’d have already known that. Now go be a responsible partner, Karma-kun. We can’t have Okuda-san falling behind on our lessons.”

He couldn’t really contest that. Stretching out his arms, Karma hummed as he made his way out of the classroom. He placed his hands behind his head as he yawned. “Fine, fine. I’m off, sensei.” He left with a wave of the hand holding the envelope.

He stood at the front door of Okuda’s house. He had to admit, he didn’t expect her house to be just a few blocks away from his. Not that it was a bad thing. In fact, it would certainly make things easier for him to bug her in case he comes up with more maniacal plans to wreak havoc.

He rang the doorbell. After a minute, he heard shuffling of feet, followed by a weak but audible “Coming!” Placing a hand in his pocket, he waited as Okuda unlocked the front door.

As the door opened, he watched her head peek out. Her bespectacled eyes widened at the sight of him. “Karma-kun?”

“Hey,” he grinned at her.

“Um, w-what brings you here?” she asked.

He waved the envelope in front of her. “Koro-sensei asked me to give these to you. Homework.”

She stared at the envelope, then opened the door a bit wider to reach for it. His eyebrows raised at the sight before him. She was barefoot, wearing a pink Hello Kitty pajama top, along with thigh-length light green shorts. It was a little more skin than he’d expected to see, since it was Okuda-san after all. Cute, he thought with a small smile. But what surprised him more was the fact that her braids were missing. She stood before him with her raven-colored hair flowing down, just a little past her shoulders. This was a first for him. And he had to admit, she looked absolutely adorable like this. The hand in his pocket itched as he vaguely wondered how it would feel if he ran his fingers through them.

“Oh,” she said, snapping him out of his reverie. “That’s right, he messaged me he was sending someone to deliver them.” She fidgeted with her glasses. “I just didn’t expect it to be Karma-kun.”

“I didn’t expect it either,” he replied. But the distraction was very much welcome. He smirked as he tilted his head to the side, appreciating the sight before him once more. Knowing Okuda-san, she was probably still unaware of her state of wear as she stood before him.

She looked up at him and smiled her shy smile. “Thank you for this. And I’m sorry for troubling you to go all the way here.”

“No trouble at all. Turns out you live just a couple of blocks away from me. I basically just took a detour on my way home. How are you feeling by the way?”

He watched her as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Only then did she realize her hair wasn’t tied in its usual braids. Ah, she’s finally noticed it, he thought with a tinge of disappointment. Her eyes widened as she looked down at herself. She squeaked (actually squeaked) as she used the envelope to cover her legs.

“I-I’m feeling a bit better, thank you! I-I’m so sorry you had to see me like this!” Flustered, she looked down, blushing furiously. “I was expecting Kayano-san to drop by so I figured it was okay to stay like this.”

Yep, definitely cute. He chuckled. “Well, I’m glad to know you’re feeling better. I should head home now, let you rest and get started on the assignments.”

She flushed once again. “R-right, I should! Thank you so much again for dropping by, Karma-kun! I think I’m well enough to attend class tomorrow.”

He grinned at her, a hint of tenderness shining in his golden eyes. “Good to know. I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

He turned, ready to leave. She waved as he made his way towards the sidewalk. She watched him walk away for several steps before he paused.

“By the way, you look good with your hair down.”

A/N: I just wanted to try my hand at a Karmanami fic! This pairing has been a constant source of happiness for me during this quarantine period. Hope you enjoyed!

Chapter Text

A/N: College AU!

The first time he saw her drunk was during one of the Class 3-E reunions.

Karma gave a soft kick on the door, letting light from the hallway flow through the entrance of the apartment. The girl in his arms stirred. He carried her inside and settled her on the couch in the living room. After closing the door and locking it, he proceeded to the kitchen. He turned on the light, then headed for the fridge to pour himself a glass of water. A groan was heard from the couch. Smiling to himself, he poured his companion her own glass of water.

A quick glance at the digital clock on the counter told him it was 1:35AM. He sighed. Though he wouldn’t deny he enjoyed it, he’d expected the reunion to go on until the wee hours of the morning, being the young adults they were. What he didn’t expect was seeing some of his former classmates give in to the effects of alcohol so soon.

His girlfriend had been one of them.

Unlike him, who’d been accustomed to weekly drinking sessions with Nagisa (another lightweight), Manami was too busy with her research papers and thesis proposals in university to even think about drinking. He already knew her preferred method of relaxing was to stay home and cuddle in with a good book and a cup of hot tea. Sometimes she’d meet up with Kayano and Kanzaki at a café for a catch-up session. If he were to be honest though, Karma had already anticipated Manami’s low alcohol tolerance.

What he didn’t anticipate was the fact that all it took were three cans of beer.

Grinning at the memory, he headed back to the living room. He set her glass of water on the coffee table, pausing for a moment to observe her sleeping form. The fishtail braid she’d done for the special occasion had been disheveled. The white jacket she’d worn had some beer stains from when she attempted her fourth can. He was thankful she decided to wear contact lenses for the reunion. She would’ve had a panic attack if she managed to break her glasses again.

He slowly lifted her up to take off her stained jacket. After tossing it in the laundry basket in the bathroom, he came back to another groan.

“You awake?” He asked, taking a seat beside her on the couch.

She grunted in response. He watched her struggle to bat open an eye. She started talking, but her words were slurred. He chuckled, then leaned over to press a kiss on her forehead. “You’re drunk, Manami. Just close your eyes and sleep it off.”

“Am not drunk. ‘M completely fine.”

“Mmm, but that’s what drunk people usually say.”

She groaned again, then struggled to sit up. He helped her. As she settled herself, he handed her the glass of water. He watched her take a few sips. After setting the glass back down, she stared off into space. He did the same, slowly feeling the exhaustion creep in.

He was taken aback when she suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck, cuddling her face onto his chest. Her voice was muffled as she spoke.

“What’s that?” He asked. He lifted a hand to stroke her hair.

“Wuff… you…”

“Woof…?”

“I… luff… you…”

“Come again?”

“Love you! I said I love you!” She looked up at him with the most adorable grumpy face he’d ever seen, her amethyst eyes locked on his. Her face was flushed. He knew his was too, but he hoped she was too drunk to notice. As he tried to recover from the shock of her sudden outburst, she buried her face at the side of his neck.

“Thank you for taking care of me today,” she said softly.

He smiled. “You’re welcome. Even though you already know I’ll always take care of you no matter what.” He adjusted their position, taking her into his arms and placing her sideways on his lap. He kept his arms loose around her waist.

“It was nice seeing everyone. I missed all of them.”

“Yeah, it was a great reunion.”

“I wonder when we’ll all be complete again,” she mused, laying her head on his shoulder.

“Who knows,” he replied lazily.

She felt her sigh. She was about to fall asleep again. Karma took this as a sign and lifted her up, bringing her to their bedroom. He set her down on her side of the bed, pulling up the covers until her chest. He headed to the closet, changing into an old shirt and shorts. Settling himself beside her, he pulled her into his arms once again.

“By the way, I love you too,” he whispered, pressing a chaste kiss onto her lips before letting sleep claim him.    

A/N: Because the idea of them living together is perfect to me. Thanks for reading!

Chapter Text

The first time he saw her in a swimsuit was during a weekend trip to the beach.

It was during their summer vacation as sophomores in high school. Though they’d all gone to different schools, it wasn’t hard to organize the trip with the rest of Class 3-E since they kept in touch often. Plus Isogai mentioned it was best to make the most of the vacations they had while they were still in high school. Once they graduate it’d be more difficult to plan reunions, as some would be moving to different cities or countries while others would be joining the workforce.

Kanzaki had offered her family’s ocean villa. Though some had argued they couldn’t possibly impose, she waved them off with a hand, saying it was the least she could do for everyone. She also made the valid point that saving up on lodging would make it easier for them to allocate their budget on mainly food and transportation instead.

As in middle school, they’ve all split into groups. Some had gone to the nearby resort to do water activities. Others decided to go hiking in the nearby mountain. The rest stayed and went directly to the beach.

Karma was in the middle of mixing wasabi into Terasaka’s guacamole dip while he and his group were swimming in the beach. He sat alone under the beach umbrella, an ice candy dangling at the corner of his mouth as he added a bit more wasabi. He chuckled menacingly, his canine teeth bare, devil horns appearing. This is gonna be so good.

“Karma-kun?” Okuda’s voice brought him out of his shady aura, his horns slowly hiding themselves. He lifted a hand, a gesture for her to wait.

“Hang on, I’m still adding more spices to Terasaka’s dip. This is bound to warrant another visit to the ER.” He gave a dark chuckle. “I wish you’d brought your cyanide, Okuda-sa—“ He paused when he turned to look at her.

She stood before him, her hands clasped together in front of her. She wore a ruffled off-shoulder one piece swimsuit with purple floral patterns. Considering the two-piece suits and bikinis their other classmates wore, hers was modest in comparison. Gone were her twin braids, replaced by a single loose one over her shoulder. She had a flustered look on her face.

Karma stared at her, eyebrows raised. If it weren’t for the ice candy in his mouth he knew his jaw would’ve dropped at the sight of her. He’d known since middle school that she was cute. Perhaps not in the most obvious way, but he’d watched her enough during their last school year together to know that her cuteness was revealed in the subtlest of ways. It didn’t occur to him that it was possible for her to become even more appealing than she already was to him. The realization felt like a punch to the gut. Shit.

“I-Is something wrong?” she asked, snapping him out of his reverie.

“What?” He shook his head. “Nope, nothing wrong. So, uhh, you’ve decided to go for a swim, then?”

She looked down, still shy about her swimwear. “Kayano-chan and Kanzaki-san sort of dragged me into it. I didn’t pack my bathing suit because I wasn’t planning on swimming.”

“Not planning on swimming? What’d you plan on doing at the beach then, Okuda-san?” Karma teased, smirking at her.

Her head shot up, her amethyst eyes suddenly full of determination. “R-Read a book, of course!”

He blinked. Once, twice. Then he laughed, genuinely amused. How was he even surprised? Of course she’d want to read a book at the beach. Even during their class trip to Okinawa she’d opted to sit on the sand and look for sea shells with Kanzaki. Although he figured that was partly due to their decision to stay with Kayano, since she’d forgotten to bring her swimsuit.

“Well, since you’re dressed for it anyway, you might as well take a dip,” he told her.

She looked down at the swimsuit she wore, an unsure expression once again on her face. “You don’t think this is too… revealing?”

He gazed at her. If she looked back at him she would’ve seen the fondness in his eyes. “Not at all. It looks good on you.”

She looked up at him. “Really?” Then she smiled, suddenly full of confidence. “I’m glad you think so. Thanks, Karma-kun! I’ll go swim now. Kayano-chan and Kanzaki-san are already waiting for me. You should come with, Nagisa-kun and Sugino-kun are also there.”

“Go ahead, I’ll just hang out here a bit longer. I think I’m gonna get an ice cream later.”

She waved at him. “Alright, I’ll see you later then!”

She walked off towards the water. Karma watched her for a while before returning to his task. After adding the last of the spices into the dip, he hid the container in the picnic basket. He stretched out his arms, rolling his shoulders when he noticed three boys, looking about their age, heading towards Okuda’s direction.

“Hey, man. You see that chick with the braid?”

“Yeah, she’s cute. Wanna go talk to her?”

“Let's ask her to get ice cream with us!”

“Let’s ask her first if she’s got friends to introduce to us!”

“Oh yeah, good idea!”

“Okuda-saaaaaaaan!”

In a matter of seconds, Karma was at her side. He casually slung an arm around her shoulders, falling into step with her as she headed for the water. She looked up at him, the unspoken question in her eyes. He looked down at her and gave her a smile full of tenderness. “I think I’ll also go for a swim. I’m done messing with Terasaka’s dip anyway. All that’s left to do is wait.”

“Oh dear. I want to feel sorry for him, but I guess he should’ve seen it coming already,” she replied with a laugh.

He beamed back at her. Then he turned his head to the group of boys who’d been staring at them with wide eyes. His smile turned into a dark, sly grin, his eyes darkening with warning. I’d like to see any of you try coming near her.

After watching them back off and run towards the stalls, he shifted his arm to lay a protective hand on the small of Okuda’s back. She didn’t seem to mind.

“By the way, Okuda-san.”

She blinked up at him. “Yes?”

“There’re lots of dangerous creatures out here,” he said, his tone suddenly serious. He tried convincing himself he was there for her sake, to protect her from unwanted attention. After all, knowing Okuda and her lack of self-confidence, she was unaware of the effect she had on the opposite sex. Particularly on him, for that matter.

She stared at him, curious of his change in mood. “Okay…?”

“So, stay close to me okay?” His expression abruptly shifted again, smiling at her with the same tender eyes he laid on her a moment ago.

Even if I’m the one in real danger here.

Chapter Text

The first time he’d ever seen her nag at him was after the pole-toppling event.

Everyone had gone home for the day, exhausted from today’s activities. Karma was about to head out himself. Slinging his bag over his shoulder, he walked towards the front doors of their dilapidated school building. 

He paused as he passed by the science lab. It was no surprise to see Okuda there, surrounded by various apparatuses. She seemed to be heavily concentrated on her experiment, her eyebrows furrowed, amethyst eyes fully focused on the liquids she manipulated. Confident she was oblivious to his presence, Karma decided to watch her, leaning against the doorframe and tucking a hand in his pocket. 

How many times had he watched her like this? He couldn’t even remember anymore. Not like he ever kept count to begin with. All he knew was he was fascinated with her. Granted, it was initially her Chemistry knowledge and skills that had caught his interest, knowing she’d be useful in his pranks. Her open honesty and scientist’s curiosity had made her a willing and enthusiastic partner, much to his delight. From there he supposed their relationship had developed from a casual partnership to a legitimate friendship. For him, she was someone he could easily confide his inner thoughts to, knowing she would accept them wholeheartedly and without judgment. He felt... comfortable... in her presence, which was something, considering his reputation and overall personality. 

“Karma-kun?” Her voice snapped him out of his musings. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be heading home now?”

“I could ask you the same questions, Okuda-san.” He removed himself from the doorway and walked towards her table. 

“Well, I hardly did anything today. I just watched everyone participate in the events, so I’m not really tired.” She adjusted her glasses as she gave him a once over. “You, on the other hand, look like you need to rest.”

He wasn’t going to argue with her there. Truth be told he was dead tired. And hungry. He should probably ask her if she wanted to grab a bite before they go home. It’s not like they’d be walking home together for the first time. After discovering their houses were close to each other it seemed inevitable they’d be going home together every once in a while, more often than not actually. He jumped when she suddenly grabbed his arm.

“What happened here?” She inspected a nasty-looking cut at the back of his forearm. 

He spared it a glance, then shrugged. “Must’ve gotten it when Asano kicked me.”

She gently laid his arm on the table, turning around to go to the teacher’s table. He watched her open a drawer and pull out a medical kit. As she rummaged through the supplies, she looked up at him.

“We need to disinfect that. Wash that wound for me over there, will you?” She angled her head to point at the sink by the window. “Although in reality you should’ve washed it right away. Oh, and don’t forget to wash it with soap. And wipe it carefully with that clean towel over there.”

He noted the change in her tone as she ordered him. He didn’t mind though. This was a first for him, seeing a bossy Okuda. A rare Pokemon. He decided rather quickly he liked it. Smirking to himself, he headed to the sink and did as he was told. “Yes, ma’am.”

When he came back she began to apply hydrogen peroxide, gently patting the cotton on the wound. He observed her once again. She had that look of determination, her eyes focused on the task at hand. 

“You should be more careful, Karma-kun,” she admonished him. “You’re lucky this is just an abrasion. What are you going to do if you get seriously hurt?” She looked up at him, her expression a mix of worry and reprimand.

He was torn between wanting to tease her, or the desire to remove that troubled look on her face. Realizing he liked the idea of her worrying over him, he opted for the previous. “Easy. I’ll come to you again so you can treat me.” He grinned at her. 

To his surprise she chuckled at him. “Silly Karma-kun. If you had any serious injury I’d ask Karasuma-sensei to send you to the hospital.” She placed a piece of gauze over the wound, securing it with micropore tape. “There, all done.” 

After a quick glance at her work, he smiled at her. “Thanks.” 

She smiled back, handing him the bottle of hydrogen peroxide. “You’re welcome. Now go on home and rest. Reapply this on your wound after taking a bath, okay?” She turned back to return the medical kit in the teacher’s table.

“Oh, I’m not going home yet.” 

“Eh?” She looked back at him in surprise.

He gazed back at her with a lazy grin. “I’m not going anywhere until you’re done here, Okuda-san.” 

“But... I’m not...” She glanced at her work on the table.

Once again he tucked a hand in his pocket. “Being the true gentleman that I am, I’m obliged to repay the kind lady who took care of me by treating her to a nice meal. How ‘bout we grab dinner on our way home?”

She was still staring at him, unsure of what to say. “Uhh... I...”

“Go on. Finish whatever you need to do here. I’ll wait for you.” He sat down on one of the stools across from her. Propping an arm on the table, he cradled his chin in his hand, his golden eyes brimming with anticipation. “Unless you’d like to wrap up already so we can eat and head home. Then I can take a shower, then reapply the medicine. Then I can finally rest. After a long and tiring day.”

She immediately understood. With a huff, she turned off the Bunsen burner. “Oh, you think you’re so clever, Akabane-kun. But I know how you play.” 

“You say that now, but you’re already fixing your things, aren’t you?” 

“Only because I was already done,” she tilted her nose up in the air as she returned the beakers and test tubes. Laughing at her uncharacteristic mood change, he stood to take her bag with his and slung them both over his shoulder. An idea popped into his head.

“By the way, Okuda-san, I think I have a cut over here by my left eye.”

A/N: Ugh, I just can’t with these two. I love them both so much.

Chapter Text

The first time he realized he was going to marry her was when she ruined his breakfast.

Karma loved Lucky Charms. Even at the age of twenty-seven, he'd proudly have it for breakfast. When he was younger his parents had brought home a box from one of their travels. After the first spoonful, he was hooked. There was just something about the combination of marshmallows and oat cereal, the mix of sweet and bland, colorful and plain cereal, that got him. He just loved it. 

Manami thought it was cute. She wasn't one to judge after all. In fact they'd spent numerous mornings in companionable silence as he munched on his favorite cereal, she with her oatmeal.

One day, they stopped talking to each other.

Karma couldn't even remember anymore what the fight had been about. All he knew was that it had already been three days. Manami avoided eye contact with him. She'd hardly spoken a word to him, only when necessary. And when that had become unbearable, he'd walked out of the apartment without a word and crashed in Nagisa's couch the night before. Looking back, he figured that was probably the moment he'd dug his own grave.

Now that he was back home that morning, he'd try to make things right. 

Try.

With a yawn, he strolled into the kitchen. She was already there sitting by the counter, holding a mug of what he assumed was coffee, a half-eaten bagel on a plate, and the morning paper spread out in front of her. She didn't even look at him, merely continued to pore over the headlines.

Karma pulled out a bowl and a box of Lucky Charms from the pantry. He grabbed a carton of milk from the fridge. He was groggy while he poured the cereal into the bowl. As he was about to pour in the milk, that was when he noticed it.

"What the hell?"

"What's wrong?" Manami asked over her mug.

"Would you look at this?" 

"Oh my."

They were gone. The marshmallows were missing! Everything in his bowl was just oat cereal. No rainbows, no hearts, no colored balloons. Nothing.

"Maybe someone tampered with the box," Manami offered, taking a sip of her coffee.

He couldn't even dwell on the fact that she'd slowly become more talkative with him again. He was too tired and too hungry. "No one could've tampered with it! It was sealed up like a drum when I opened it!" 

"Must've been a fluke by the factory then," she said, her tone dismissive.

"Impossible. They'd never make this kind of mistake. It's just stupid."

Karma abruptly stood and headed to their pantry. He pulled out another box of Lucky Charms. Pouring the contents into his bowl, he stared in disbelief. No marshmallows. Taking out another box, he tore at it. Still no marshmallows, just oat cereal.

"This is bullshit!"

"There's really none?" She strode to the table and looked over at one of the boxes.

He went for the last box of Lucky Charms. "I swear, if there aren't any marshmallows in here I'm going to file a complaint against them. No! I'll fucking sue them!"

"Wow, language, Karma." 

He didn't care for his profanity. He was outraged. He ripped open the box. 

No marshmallows. 

Slamming the box on the table, he stormed out of the kitchen. 

Great. Just when things couldn't possibly get any worse. His girlfriend was still mad at him. He missed her so much. He hardly had three hours of sleep. He hadn't taken a shower yet. He was just tired of everything. And now his favorite cereal, the one thing that could've salvaged his day, was sabotaged.

"If you really want cereal, I think I have some Shredded Wheats here," Manami called out.

"I don't want anything!" He shouted.

He'd just about had it. He was going to sue! He had his connections. He'll make sure everyone, from the board of directors, right down to the shipping staff, will pay. He'll teach them the concepts of proper quality control.

He kicked open their bedroom door. After changing his clothes and a quick rinse on his face, he headed for his night stand to get the car keys and his wallet. He opened his drawer, and that's when he saw them. 

Hundreds of marshmallows inside. His keys and wallet were buried under scattered rainbows, hearts, moons and balloons. The colorful inside of his drawer was mocking him. 

All Karma saw next was red.

He slammed the drawer shut and charged to the kitchen. 

She'd already sensed his bloodlust the moment she heard the drawer open. Remembering how red his face had turned when he left the kitchen, a flashback to middle school days when his rank dropped during the first semestral finals, she hid her smile behind her mug. When he stomped back into the kitchen, he was fuming. She sat by the counter, crossing her legs. Taking another sip of her coffee, she simply raised an eyebrow at him. "Problem?" 

Back in middle school she feared him. But when they'd gotten closer during the course of their last year she realized he wasn't scary at all. In fact she wondered how she was ever scared of him. When they reached high school she'd heard rumors of his ruthlessness and mischief. Still she wasn't fazed.

Now as adults, knowing how he had managed to brutally climb his way up to the top at such a young age, she still wasn't the least bit intimidated. 

"Manami." Karma gritted his teeth. "Don't you think this is just a little too childish?"

"It was. And I enjoyed every minute of it."

"Wouldn't it have been easier to just poison me?" 

"I prefer to hit where it hurts the most." 

He clenched his fist. He didn't know whether to praise her, kiss her or smack her. If he were to be honest what he really wanted to do was scoop her over his shoulder and bring her to their bedroom for his own lewd plan of revenge. But right now he was a roller coaster of emotions: anger, exhaustion, disbelief, frustration, exasperation. But prevalent is how overwhelming his love is for her. 

She was an assassin, through and through, he thought proudly. She may have been hesitant and timid before, but she was more forthright and open now. She wasn't afraid to face him head on. She may not match his physical skills and strength, but she could rival him with her intellect and clever tactics, which she'd come to develop and hone because of him. There was never a dull moment with her, even when they're fighting. She was his confidant, his best friend, his partner-in-crime.

Best of all, she was his. And she was going to be his wife. He'd make sure of that. 

"I can't believe it," he muttered to himself, but he knew she could hear him. 

"What's that?" She asked.

"I'm in love with a cereal killer."

Chapter Text

The first time he saw her jealous was during an unexpected meeting at a café.

It was a habit for Karma to visit the particular café after school two to three times a week. Sometimes to study, sometimes to meet up with Nagisa for a catch-up session, sometimes to just relax after a tiring day.

That day found him at a corner booth, a couple of books laid out on the table, an iced café latte on the side, and a plate of half-eaten strawberry shortcake beside it. He had his earphones on, a bored look on his face as he perused through his side notes on a page. Their midterms were in two weeks. Though he had no doubt he’d ace them, it was routine for him to skim over his notes every once in a while.

Suddenly he felt a tap on his shoulder. Looking up, he removed an earphone. It was one of his classmates. What was her name again? Suzuki-san? He vaguely recognized her from the shoulder-length auburn hair and brown eyes. She gave him a friendly smile.

“Akabane-kun, right?” she asked with a small tilt of her head.

“Yeah. What’s up?”

“I just came by for an iced coffee and saw you studying. I remembered you’re one of the top-performing students of the class. You and Asano-kun always fight for the top one spot,” she said.

“I doubt you can call it ‘fighting’ when I usually win anyway,” Karma smirked. He reached for his café latte and took a sip.

She chuckled. “I guess that’s true. Well, you see, I’m having a bit of hard time with my Math and Chemistry. I was wondering,” she twirled a strand of hair. “Would it be okay for you to tutor me? Just for the upcoming midterms, at least.”

He blinked. Tutoring? Well, it’s not like he hadn’t done it before. He tutored Terasaka and Yoshida during their finals back in their last year of middle school. Err, but he doubted his teaching methods with the two would be…appropriate…for a girl. Let alone someone he barely knew.

He shrugged. “Sure, I guess I can spare an hour or two.”

Suzuki beamed at him. “That’s great! Thank you, Akabane-kun! Is Saturday afternoon okay with you? I can meet you here if this is where you prefer to study.”

“Yeah, that works for me,” he flashed a polite smile back at her.

She gave a wink and waved at him before heading out. Placing his earphone back, Karma resumed his review, feeling proud of himself for doing something nice. He made a mental note to call Nagisa later to postpone their meeting that weekend. It also wouldn’t hurt to brag about his good deed for the day to his friend.

“Wow, what an amazing feat, indeed.” Nagisa’s sarcastic voice resonated against Karma’s ear on the phone.

Karma was lying on his bed, playing with his S.A.A.U.S.O. rubber knife. He rolled his eyes at the mocking tone. “Sarcasm, really? Not your best suit, Nagisa.”

“I agree with the fact that you have done something nice, Karma.” Nagisa’s tone changed into a more serious one. “All I’m saying is that you be careful because she may or may not have an ulterior motive.”

“What, like she’s using tutoring as an excuse to get closer to me so we’ll magically fall in love?” Karma laughed cynically. “Yeah, like that’d happen. Besides…” He trailed off, suddenly lost in thought.

“Haven’t messaged her in a while, have you?” Nagisa asked.

“Last time we spoke, she said they had a group project due for their Science Week in a few days,” he replied with a shrug, flipping the knife between his fingers. “I didn’t want to bother her.”

“I don’t think it’d hurt to ask her how it’s going,” Nagisa suggested. “In fact, she might find it endearing that you remembered.”

“I guess I could.” After a few more minutes of chatting, Karma hung up. He stared at his phone for a while, then proceeded to make the next call.

“Karma-kun! What a pleasant surprise!”

He smiled. Hearing her voice always had that effect on him. “Hey, Okuda-san. Just wanted to check up on you. How goes the progress of your Science Week project?”

She chuckled. “That’s sweet of you. As a matter of fact, we’re doing very well! We’re two days ahead of schedule, so we’re just taking it easy with some of the test runs.”

“That’s good to hear,” he started flipping the rubber knife up in the air, catching it single-handedly.

“What about you, Karma-kun? Anything new with you?”

“Mmm, nothing much. Midterms are in two weeks though, so I’ve been reading every now and then.” He remembered his good deed of the day. “Oh, I’ll be tutoring a classmate this weekend actually.”

“Oh, that’s nice of you!” He could practically hear the smile in her voice. “You haven’t tutored anyone since middle school.” She paused. “Please don’t hit your classmate, Karma-kun,” she said in a low voice.

He laughed. He knew she was remembering the time during their second semester finals when he’d smack Terasaka and Yoshida with a bokken whenever they’d get the math questions wrong. Good times. “You dare take me for a brute, Okuda-san? I’m hurt.”

“We both know you’re as despicable as they come, Karma-kun,” she said lightheartedly. 

He chuckled. “I won’t hit my classmate. Swear on my spices and strawberry milk.”

“I’ll take your word for it then,” she said with a laugh. Another pause, then some shuffling sound. “Do you, umm, wanna hang out after my project presentation next week? After classes? Just to unwind from everything. And it’s been a while since we last saw each other, right?”

Karma abruptly sat up. This was yet another first. Okuda was asking him to hang out! Usually he’d be the one to call and ask her to meet up when they weren’t busy with school and club activities. It didn’t happen often though, much to his disappointment. When they saw each other it would usually be during mini-reunions with Nagisa, Kayano, Sugino and Kanzaki. Not that he minded, since it was always fun being with them.

It’s just that, he kinda missed being with just her.

He was about to respond when she spoke again. “Ah but you have your midterms! I don’t want to distract you from your studies. Hmm, maybe we should do it the weekend after your exams?”

If it were up to him he still wouldn’t mind seeing her next week. He’d been reviewing for the midterms since last week. He was confident he’d rank first again, easily. He could spare a day to be with her. He would spare a day to be with her. And he was about to tell her so when he stopped himself. Mmm, probably not the right time to tell her that yet.

With a sigh, he fell back on his bed. For now, listening to her voice would be enough. He liked to think he was a patient man. “Sure, weekend after my exams sounds good to me.”

“So after you use the distributive property, you can rewrite the equation now,” Karma instructed, pointing his pen at the worksheet.

Suzuki sat across him, writing as he taught. After solving the problem, she held up her paper. “Like this?”

He grinned. “There you go.”

“Wah! Thanks, Akabane-kun! I finally get it,” she let out a sigh, wiping at the sweat on her forehead. Then she rummaged through her bag for her wallet. Standing up, she looked at him. “Would you like anything to drink? My treat.”

He glanced at the overhead menu of the café. “Mmm, an iced coffee’s fine. Thanks.”

“Sure thing! Thank you for teaching me!” She went off to the counter.

Taking out his phone, Karma scrolled through his messages and e-mails. As he was replying to a group message from Nagisa and Sugino, he heard the bell of the front door. It was soon followed by female voices. Sensing a familiar presence, he looked up.

Okuda walked in. She had on a light green sleeveless buttoned-up top, matched with a pair of jeans and white ballet flats. She’d arrived with a female friend, apparently. Probably a classmate. But she was here, actually here.

Karma still couldn’t believe his eyes. He hadn’t expected an encounter with her, at the café of all places. His mind had already been set to anticipating their meet-up after his exams. But seeing her here, looking all sorts of pretty in her casual wear…

“Karma-kun?”

He blinked, then looked up. She was suddenly in front of him, her hands clasped in front of her, a bright smile on her face. “It is you! I’d recognize your red hair anywhere!”

He smirked back at her, lifting his hands to rest them at the back of his head. “I’d recognize your braids anywhere, Okuda-san. What brings you here? You don’t usually go to this café, that much I know.”

She looked back at the table where her friend sat. “My science groupmate dragged me to go shopping with her today. She bribed me with coffee and toffee cake.”

He chuckled. “Oh, my. Okuda-san, if I’d known all it took was toffee cake to drag you out of your little cave I would’ve done it much sooner.” And more often.

With a nervous laugh, she scratched the back of her head. “Well, it was an impromptu thing. Plus she made the valid point that said little cave has been preventing me from experiencing the outside world.”

“Well I could’ve told you that,” Karma teased, crossing his arms. It was all the best could do to prevent himself from pulling her to sit next to him.

“Here you go, Akabane-kun! Your iced coffee,” a voice said.

Both Karma and Okuda switched their gaze to the stretched arm holding the cup of coffee. Suzuki blinked, first at Karma, then at Okuda. Taking her seat across from him, she gave a hesitant smile, shifting her gaze from one to the other.

Karma was the first to speak. “Ah, that’s right. Okuda-san, this is my classmate, Suzuki-san. She asked me to tutor her in Math. Suzuki-san, this is my friend Okuda-san. She’s a former classmate from middle school.”

Okuda’s eyes widened for a second, then extended her hand to Suzuki. “How do you do, Suzuki-san? It’s nice to meet you!” She flashed a smile.

Suzuki stared at Okuda a while longer, then reached out to shake Okuda’s hand. “It’s… nice to meet you too, Okuda-san.”

“So, umm, I’ll let you guys get back to studying! It was nice running into you, Karma-kun! I’ll see you around!” Avoiding Karma’s gaze, Okuda then hurriedly left to go back to her friend.

Karma let out a breath of frustration. He couldn’t help but feel unsettled after that awkward moment. He suddenly felt the need to explain to Okuda. Explain what though? He’d told her he was tutoring a classmate the other day. So why would she suddenly avoid looking at him? Before he could organize his thoughts, Suzuki spoke.

“Umm, are you okay, Akabane-kun?”

He looked up at her. “Ah, sorry. I just had a lot on my mind.” He reached for his iced coffee. Taking a sip, he flipped a page of the test booklet he brought. “Could you answer these problems next? I’ll be right back.”

He stood up. Striding over to the booth Okuda shared with her friend, he braced an arm on her seat. He felt her jump when she turned to look at him. Before she could speak, he flashed her companion a devilish grin. “Hi, there. I’m Akabane, friend of Okuda-san here. If you don’t mind, can I borrow her for a second? Thanks.”

He took hold of her elbow, gentle but firm, then dragged her out of the café. He was glad she didn’t put much resistance. Then again, it was Okuda. She was smart enough to know fighting him was a bad idea. She was well aware of the difference in their physical abilities. 

Stopping at the alley beside the coffee shop, he released her. Crossing his arms, he raised an eyebrow at her. “Mind telling me what happened to you over there?”

Clasping her hands in front of her, she fiddled with her fingers. She still refused to look at him, so she fixed her gaze on the trash can behind him. “You didn’t tell me.”

“Tell you what?”

“Your classmate. The one you’re tutoring.”

“What about her?”

She brought her hands up to her mouth, a gesture attempting to cover her pout. “She’s a girl.”

Karma blinked. Her cheeks had begun to form a blush he didn’t expect to see. That’s it? She was upset with him because he neglected to tell her the classmate he’d been tutoring was a girl? And damn if she didn’t look cute blushing about it in front of him.

Something warm began to spread in his chest. For some reason, he was elated. Fully aware of her lack of ability to process foreign emotions to her, he knew she’d deny it. He decided to give her a little push. Just because.

“Okuda-san,” he began. She still wouldn’t look him in the eye. Still with his arms crossed, he leaned down, his face a few inches from hers. Unable to resist, her gaze met his, amethyst eyes meeting his darkening golden ones. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were jealous.”

Her eyes widened. “Jealous?”

He smirked. “That’s right. You didn’t like seeing me with another girl. That’s why you just left without giving me a proper goodbye.”

She blinked, then dropped her gaze. She seemed to think about it. He let her. He watched the transition of emotions in her face. From uncertainty, to understanding, to realization, then finally, clarity. It was quite the sight, one he thoroughly enjoyed. Then she looked back at him, a frown forming her lips. There it is, the denial he’d been waiting for.

“I suppose you’re right.”

It was his turn to blink. Wait, what? He hadn’t expected that. He expected her to deny everything. He was so sure she would. Once again she’d rendered him speechless with her unabashed honesty.

Sensing the change in his mood, her expression changed. She smiled at him. “You’re right, Karma-kun. I guess I was jealous. When you told me you were tutoring someone, I immediately assumed it was a guy because I remembered Terasaka-kun and Yoshida-kun were the last people you taught.”

He stared at her, still unable to respond. She continued on. “But it’s wrong for me to get jealous. I know that now. I’m sorry I misunderstood the situation.”

How the hell had she turned the tables on him? He had to turn them back around, back in his favor. Leave it to Okuda to shift the tides so easily like that. “Since you’ve admitted your jealousy, does that mean you have feelings for me?”

Suddenly aware of the close proximity between their faces, she took a step back. Turning her head to look away from him again, she pursed her lips.

“Well, you’re someone special to me. That much I can admit,” she muttered.

He didn’t seem satisfied with her answer. She hadn’t grasped the full meaning of jealousy. Not that he could blame her for her inexperience. If anything, he was grateful for it. Still, it would be interesting to see her try.

Tllting his head to the side, he looked down at her, a smirk playing along his lips. “So if I ask Suzuki-san out on a date, you won’t be mad?”

She abruptly looked up at him, her eyes wide with shock. “You are?”

He shrugged.

Once again she fixed her gaze behind him, unsure of how to react to what he just said. And again Karma watched the play of emotions on her face. He could tell she was way into deep with her thoughts now, as if she was waging a war with herself as she attempted to tackle the green-eyed monster. My poor Okuda-san.

Deciding she’s had enough for today, Karma chuckled, knowing it would get her attention. He waited for her to face him. “I’m kidding. I’m not gonna ask her out.”

Relief washed over her face, her amethyst eyes suddenly shining. “You’re not?”

“Nah. She’s not my type,” he said as he buried his hands in his pockets. Because if he didn’t he was sure he would have pulled her close in an act of intimacy she wasn’t ready for.

He turned to go back to the café. As she followed him, she tugged on his sleeve. “Then what is your type, Karma-kun?”

He stopped in his tracks, his eyes hidden under his bangs.  She blinked at him. Had she gone a bit too far? Was that too personal? Before she could retract her question, he looked up and turned his head to face her.

“I’d say a dorky girl with braids is my type,” he said with a grin.

Later Karma would contemplate how adorable she looked, speechless and flushed as left her to go back inside the café.

Chapter Text

The first time he realized he found her legitimately cute was a few days before the finals of the first semester.

“One tentacle for each top scorer, huh…” Nagisa crossed his arms, pondering on his game plan for the upcoming exams.

Karma watched their group – Nagisa, Okuda, Kayano and Sugino – as they talked about the recent revelations and incentives of Koro-sensei regarding their coming final exams next week. He figured he already had one tentacle in the bag, knowing full well he’d be one of the top scorers in their class. Crossing his arms behind his head, he leaned back on his chair and looked up at the ceiling, already coming up with different ways to shoot off a tentacle.

“Yeah! We can do this, guys!” An enthusiastic voice interrupted his musings.

Averting his gaze back to his groupmates, he all but saw Okuda light up as she tried to encourage their friends on their studies with her timid smile and rare burst of energy. He smirked to himself.

How cute.

“Since when are you ever this fired up, Okuda-san?” He asked, tilting his head a bit to the side.

She turned to him, her hands clasped before her, sharing with him the same timid smile.

“Well, since Science is my one strong point, I figured I might be able to help everyone out!”

That actually wasn’t a bad idea. The top students of certain subjects could tutor those having difficulty with them. It would certainly help with their grades, which would definitely make Koro-sensei happy, maybe enough to let him continue spouting more incentives.

Soon Sugino receives a call from his former teammate Shindo, who warns him of Class 3-A and their plans of beating them. He then proceeds share information on the top students of the class, all of whom Karma recalled were pretty much douchebags, even during his time as their classmate.

His eyes shifted back to the braided girl in the small crowd of students who’d gathered around Sugino’s desk. Karma knew that Koyama, the Science specialist of section A, had a grudge against him for beating his score during the midterms.

It should be interesting, seeing a showdown between the Science top scorers. He had no doubt Okuda would emerge victorious, seeing as she’d become more open to conversation with her classmates. It would definitely help with her study habits too.

Though he didn’t particularly have any problem with certain subjects – he was amongst the Top Ten Overall scorer in the entire grade, after all – Karma knew he and Okuda had the same weak subject: Japanese. Hmm, maybe if he could get her to study with him in the library one of these days… tomorrow, perhaps?

Just thinking about it suddenly intensified his interest in the cute Science dork. Smiling to himself, he remembered how she’d been slightly more vocal during their class trip to Kyoto. Perhaps if he further engaged in conversation with her, she’d be even more talkative. Oh, the poisons and pranks they could scheme about together…

Later in the day, as everyone else prepares to head home, he overhears Isogai inviting Okuda to a group study session at the library tomorrow. She happily agrees. With a frown, Karma shrugs on his bag.

Maybe another day. Someday. He’d make sure of it.

Chapter Text

The first time he realized he wanted to (finally) pursue her romantically was when she'd gone on a blind date.

"Everyone, listen up!"

Karma, Nagisa and Sugino turned their heads towards the girls who'd just returned from the restroom. They were currently at Kayano's favorite dessert place, meeting up for their monthly hang out session. After their middle school graduation they'd promised to keep in touch – everyone in Class 3-E did – and make time to see each other at least once a month to catch up.

As Kayano, Okuda and Kanzaki took their seats, Karma reached for a french fry. "What's up, Kayano-chan?"

Kayano smirked, nudging her friend beside her. "Manami-chan, here, has a date."

"Eh???" came the response of Nagisa and Sugino. Karma merely raised an eyebrow.

Okuda looked down, a blush forming on her pale cheeks. "I-It's not what you guys think!"

"Care to enlighten us, Okuda-san?" Karma asked, casually tossing another french fry into his mouth.

Looking back up at her friends, Okuda adjusted her glasses. "Th-The thing is, we have a school dance coming up next month." Her blush deepened. "And we're required to bring a date. So a friend of mine from school decided to set me up with someone."

"And we're gonna help her with her date!" Kayano happily clapped her hands together.

"We plan to take her shopping and dress her up," Kanzaki said, flashing her friends her signature gentle smile.

"Afterwards we'll spy on her and the guy to make sure things go smoothly. 'We' includes you, boys." Kayano narrowed her eyes at them.

"When is this date, Okuda-san?" Nagisa asked.

"It's next Friday."

"I have baseball practice after class on Friday, but I think I can catch up," Sugino said, giving a thumbs-up.

"I don't have anything planned on that day, so I guess I don't mind tagging along." Karma shrugged, then stretched out his arms and rested his hands behind his head.

"Is it really a good idea to spy on them, though?" Nagisa asked, scratching his temple. "They'd probably prefer a little bit of privacy."

Kayano lightly punched Nagisa's arm. "Keep in mind this is Manami-chan's FIRST DATE. We're not going to stick so close to them, just far enough to see how things are going. That's what friends do." She turned to her braided friend. "Right, Manami-chan?"

Okuda smiled. "Yup! I don't mind having you guys there. In fact, knowing you guys are nearby would help me stay calm."

Yet Karma, who tilted his head up to the ceiling with a fry hanging from the corner of his mouth, couldn’t explain why something in him didn’t feel calm at all.

Karma and Nagisa were seated at a corner booth of the coffee shop, both engaged in a mobile game.

"Karma, there's one inside the house! Take him out!"

"Relax. I'm on it." Karma smirked as he gunned down the opponent.

After ten minutes of gameplay, Sugino arrived. Sweating from having to rush from baseball practice, he flashed his friends a grin before collapsing on the seat beside Karma. Taking out his handkerchief, he swiped at the sweat on his forehead.

"I thought I was gonna be late! Is Okuda-san here yet?" He asked, reaching for his water bottle in his bag.

Nagisa shook his head. "Nope. Kayano just messaged me they're already nearby. The guy should be here already though."

The boys glanced around the coffee shop. The girls failed to mention what the guy looked like, or at least what he'd be wearing for easier identification. It was difficult to pinpoint the mysterious date since the cafe was full of teenagers and young adults. There were groups of friends scattered amongst tables, some individuals who were busy with schoolwork, several people scrolling on their phones.

"Nagisa!"

Kayano waved at them as she entered the cafe. Sitting next to Nagisa, she beamed at them while reaching for the plate of nachos the boys had ordered. Sugino glanced behind her.

"Kanzaki-san and Okuda-san aren't with you?" He asked her.

"They just made a quick trip to the restroom. Kanzaki-san wanted to make sure she was okay," Kayano chuckled.

"Is she though?" Karma raised an eyebrow at her, taking a sip of his iced coffee.

She smirked. "Worried?"

He shrugged, lifting up his phone to start another game. "If she wasn't then it'd be pointless to push through with the date, right?"

Nagisa narrowed his eyes at his best friend. He had an inkling the redhead held feelings for their friend, though he couldn't really verify it. Karma was always laidback and nonchalant with his actions, so it was hard to tell. And it's not like him to talk about something as trivial as girls. Perhaps this blind date would confirm his theory.

He turned to look at Kayano, whose smirk remained as she, too, stared at Karma. She probably suspected the same.

"So wait, Kayano. Who's the guy? You seen him?" Sugino's voice broke the awkward silence.

She gasped. "Oh, that's right! Manami-chan said he was already here."

"Do you know what he looks like?" Nagisa asked.

Her brows furrowed. "Err, no."

"What? So how will we know who he is?"

"Didn't you guys stalk him or something?" Karma said without looking up from his phone, tapping continuously at his game.

"Well, we wanted to, but Manami-chan made us promise not to. Said it'd ruin the point of it being a ‘blind’ date," Kayano grumbled.

Nagisa chuckled. "That's Okuda-san, alright."

He didn't miss the small smile that formed on Karma's lips before frowning again at the game he was playing.

"They're here!"

Karma looked up from his phone. His eyes widened at the sight of her entering the cafe with Kanzaki. She was wearing a simple buttoned sleeveless light green dress and white ballet flats, accessorized with a silver necklace with a purple pendant. Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail. As they stepped inside, Kayano waved them over.

“Wow, Okuda-san!” Nagisa exclaimed.

“Lookin’ good!” Sugino grinned at her, then shot a wink at Kanzaki. “Nice work, Kanzaki-san.”

Chuckling, Kanzaki gave a gentle pat on Okuda’s back. “It wasn’t hard. She’s already pretty to begin with.”

Blushing, Okuda clasped her hands in front of her. “N-No, it was all you, Kanzaki-san! Thank you so much for helping me out!”

“I think she’s right,” Karma spoke.

Everyone turned to him. “Who’s right, Karma?” Kayano asked.

He shrugged. “Kanzaki-san.”

Noticing how his friend chose to remain silent, Nagisa decided to veer slightly off-topic. “So, you ready, Okuda-san? Do you see the guy anywhere?”

Okuda glanced around the café, her eyes widening as her gaze fixated on a bespectacled brown-haired boy sitting alone by the window.

“Oh, there he is!” She turned to her friends and flashed them a smile. “Well… here goes nothing.”

Taking a deep breath, she exhaled as she made her way towards him. Everyone’s eyes followed her until she stopped by his table. They continued to watch as she introduced herself. The boy stood, then pulled the chair across from his for her to sit. Smiling, she took her seat and they began to engage in conversation.

“Hey, he’s cute. They actually look good together.” Kayano pulled out her phone to discreetly take a picture of them.

Nagisa frowned at her. “Kayano, what are you doing?”

She turned to him and shrugged. “What? It’s for documentation purposes.”

“Geez, it’s like you’re her mom.” Sugino rolled his eyes.

“More like stalker.” Karma smirked, reaching for his iced coffee.

Kayano shot them a glare. “When your socially-challenged, extremely shy friend goes on her first date, you HAVE to take pictures. Besides, this guy could be her date to the dance. And if things go well for them, maybe they could get together and he could become her boyfriend!”

“Kayano-chan, that’s a bit of a stretch, even for you,” Kanzaki chuckled.

She gazed proudly at their friend in the distance.  “Okay, fine. But at least our Manami-chan’s expanding her social circle. Good for her.”

“Umm, is it just me or is the guy getting a bit touchy on Okuda-san?” Nagisa commented, pausing before he took a sip from his frappe.

Kayano looked up from her phone, alarmed when she noticed the boy’s hand slowly travelling up Okuda’s arm, the other toying with her fingers. Her friend’s eyes widened, unsure of what to do.

“Let’s give her a minute. Physical contact with the opposite sex is totally new to her so of course she–“

“Doesn’t look like she’s enjoying it,” Sugino said, his eyebrows furrowing in worry.

They watched as Okuda quickly shot a look towards them, one that pleaded for help, before she turned back to her companion and gave him an awkward smile. Before anyone could react, Karma abruptly stood.

“Wait, Karma!” Sugino moved to follow him when Nagisa placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Let him,” he said. This should be interesting.

“Is he gonna be alright?” Kanzaki asked, her eyes filled with worry as they watched Karma saunter towards Okuda’s table.

Kayano concealed her lips for a moment, trying her best to hide her knowing smile.

“He’ll be fine. The other guy, probably not.”

“M-Masato-kun, umm, could you let go of my…” Okuda once again made a weak attempt at pulling her hand away. Only to have the boy clamp his hand down on hers more firmly.

“Let go? Why? Don’t you like it?” He gave her a friendly smile, running his thumb over her knuckles gently.

“Umm, you see, I—”

“Have you ever had a boyfriend, Okuda-san?”

“Eh? Boyfriend? I’ve never—”

“But you’ve gone on dates before, right?” His hand made its way up her arm, his smile turning into a smirk.

“Masato-kun, please let go of me!” Okuda began to pull away harder.

“Manami? That you?” A voice called out.

Both Okuda and Masato turned. Karma stood by their table, one hand tucked in his front pocket. Okuda noted the smile on his face, but his eyes were dark. With… rage?

“K-Karma-kun?”

Masato turned back to her. “Someone you know, Okuda-san?”

Before she could respond, Karma laid a gentle hand on her back, patting her discreetly as gesture for her to stand. As she did so, she managed to pull her arm away from the other boy.

Karma kept his eyes on Masato. “A friend of hers.”

Masato stood as well, his own eyes defiant at the redhead. “Hey, buddy, in case you didn’t notice we were on a date here.”

“And in case you didn’t notice, she didn’t like you touching her.”

Though the redhead was a few inches taller, Masato didn’t hesitate to poke a finger at Karma’s chest. “You’re interrupting us here, you rude son of a –“

“Masato-kun, enough!” Okuda hissed, trying to get between the boys. The last thing any of them wanted was to make a scene in a public place.

Karma narrowed his eyes at the brunette, slowly clutching the finger on his chest, then squeezing hard. “I think it’s best you leave.”

If they weren’t in a café and Okuda wasn’t anywhere near them Karma would’ve easily pummeled the other guy in seconds. He felt proud for being able to restrain himself. So this was maturity.

Masato yelped, pulling his hand away to clutch at his sore finger. Then he turned to Okuda. “Fine. This was a lame date anyway. No one would wanna date someone as boring as you.” Then he stomped out of the café.

Karma lunged after him, only to abruptly stop when he felt a hand tug on his shirt. He diverted his gaze at Okuda, whose head was bowed down. She only shook her head.

“D-Don’t bother, Karma-kun,” she said in a shaky small voice.

He gently took the hand that was still tugging on his shirt. “Forget what he said, Okuda-san. I mean it.”

Still holding her small hand in his, he began to pull her towards the doors of the café, but not before he sent a look towards the table where their friends sat. Nagisa nodded, then turned to whisper something to Kayano. She gave Karma a nod.

Karma led Okuda towards one of the more secluded areas in the mall, a garden area with very few people sitting on benches. He still held her hand, and when they’d stopped he gave a small squeeze. She still refused to look at him. He turned to her, then tugged lightly at her bangs.

“Okuda-saaaaan~”

She flinched, still keeping her gaze on the ground. She was trying to get over what happened in the café. He gave her a few more minutes. After a while, he gently poked at her cheek.

“Manami.”

She suddenly looked up at him in surprise. He smiled. “Oh, good. I was starting to get worried you might have a stiff neck from looking down.”

Okuda flushed. He’d called her by her first name twice already. She felt an odd, warm sensation in her chest. Dismissing the strange phenomenon, she smiled back at him. “Thank you, Karma-kun, for what you did back there. I really appreciate it.”

 He shoved his hands into his pockets, feeling relief wash over him. He thought she’d been crying over what that Masato jerk said to her. “You alright? What that guy said…”

“Oh, that’s fine. I’m kinda used to people telling me I’m weird or boring,” she said, rubbing the back of her neck as she chuckled.

“You shouldn’t be. Coz you’re not boring. You’re weird, yeah, but in a good way.”

She laughed, unsure of how to react. “That’s nice of you to say, Karma-kun.”

He raised an eyebrow at her. “I wasn’t lying though.”

Her self-confidence had always been low, so it was hard for her to believe him. It was frustrating. But he couldn’t really blame her after she’d been bullied all throughout grade school and half of middle school.

“What a disaster of a first date,” she said to herself, chuckling once again.

He scoffed. “So what? You can go on other dates. Just coz he was your blind date doesn’t mean he’ll be the one you’re taking to your dance.”

She fell silent for a while, biting her lip as she contemplated on what to say next. After a moment, she looked him straight in the eyes.

"Then, would Karma-kun be my date for the dance?"

He blinked, letting the shock settle. Then he chuckled, lightly flicking her forehead. "Okuda-san, you don't have to choose the first guy you see as your date. You have to choose someone you WANT to bring to the dance. Someone you're comfortable with so you don't have to feel anxious all the time."

She tilted her head up at him, her amethyst eyes brimming with determination yet looking as if she was struggling with something. "B-But, I WANT Karma-kun to go with me."

Karma raised his eyebrows. Seeing her work up the courage to speak to him confidently never failed to amuse him. In fact he enjoyed it. And he felt proud when she'd begun to stutter less.

He watched her look down, one hand playing with the pendant on her necklace. "I feel like I can be myself with Karma-kun. It's so easy to talk to you, and I feel like I can talk about anything with you. Also," she brought her gaze up to him and smiled. "I feel safe as long as it's Karma-kun."

Karma felt his heart flutter, a warmth spreading through his chest. Damn if she wasn't prettier than she already was at the moment. If it weren't for their friends nearby – he just knew they were – he'd have pulled her in for a hug.

Instead he returned her smile with his own. "Are you sure, Okuda-san?"

"Yes."

And right there and then, Karma had decided. He wanted to be her date. Not just for the dance, not just that one time. He wanted to take her on many dates, to places he knew she'd enjoy. He wanted to see her smile, the same way she was right now. He wanted to wait by the gate of her school and pick her up after class. He wanted to study out with her. He wanted to take her to dinner. He wanted to cook for her, make her try some of his spices. He wanted to watch her perform experiments again. He wanted to embrace her. He wanted to bury his face into her hair and nuzzle her. He wanted to watch her become flustered. He wanted to be with her, period.

But it would all have to start with that one time. That one dance. He grinned at her.

"Then, I'd love to take you to your dance, Okuda-san. As your date."

Chapter Text

The first time he ever tasted her creation was on Christmas Day of their junior year in high school. Yes, tasted.

Karma blinked. Outside on his porch was Okuda, wearing a dark green turtleneck sweater, a red scarf wrapped around her neck, dark jeans, with her hair tied in a one-sided braid and peppered with snow. She held a white box in her hands. Then she beamed at him.

“Merry Christmas, Karma-kun!”

He felt his cheeks warm. Chalking it up to the nearby fireplace, he grinned back at her. He opened the front door wider and stepped aside to let her in. “Technically it isn’t Christmas yet, Okuda-san.”

She haphazardly removed her boots, muttered a quick “ojamashimasu,” and walked into the doorway that led to the spacious living room. Her own cheeks reddened at the sudden warmth brought about by the fire Karma had started an hour ago in the fireplace.

She turned to him, holding out the box towards him as she smiled. “This is for you.”

Karma tilted his head, curiosity brimming in his amber eyes. He took the box, noting the weight of it. “This is pretty heavy, Okuda-san. You carried this all the way here?”

She nodded. “Yup! But it’s okay, I’m hoping it’s worth it.”

The corner of his mouth tilted up. “I’m sure it is. So, what’s in it?” He lifted the box up, turning his ear towards it before he gave it a sha –

“Don’t shake it!”

He paused, his eyes widening in shock when she grasped his hands. She regarded him with apprehension, her lips forming a pout. Karma bit his lip to keep from laughing at how cute her expression was. “Alright. No shaking.”

Giving an exhale of relief, she let go of his hands and began to unwrap her scarf, hanging it on the coat rack by the front door. Okuda then checked her watch for the time, gasping before she rushed to take the box back from Karma.

“Quick, Karma-kun! To the kitchen!”

She’d been to his house more times than he could count with his fingers to be familiar enough with where the main rooms were. They’d planned so many schemes after school in his house (it was better – safer – at his place than hers because he was usually alone and his parents were often travelling) that seeing her head towards the kitchen with such familiarity wasn’t surprising to him. What was surprising, however, was how she practically ran with such urgency.  

He, on the other hand, decided to take his time. Karma all but dragged his feet with a lazy grin. “What’s the hurry, Okuda-san?”

He stopped when he saw her bent over by the island counter, the box opened, revealing a round cake with light pink frosting and strawberries on top. She’d just finished lighting up the single candle at the center of the cake. Straightening her body to meet his eyes, she smiled at him.

“It’s twelve midnight. Happy birthday, Karma-kun.”

He sauntered towards her, pausing before the counter, the cake between them. He took in the appearance of the cake. On top of the cake was a scribbled “HBD, KARMA!” in white frosting. Then he shifted his gaze to her, feeling the shock of her surprise settle into a warmth spreading throughout his chest. “Did you make this for me, Okuda-san?”

She blushed and looked down, suddenly unable to face at him. “Y-yeah.”

He chuckled. “I know you’re not the best chef in town, but I never knew you baked.”

She fiddled with her fingers. “Baking isn’t as complicated as cooking, you know.”

He begged to differ, since he cooked for himself all the time. But he decided against arguing with her. “Sure looks better than that bento you made me.”

That got her to swiftly tilt her head up at him, puffing her cheeks. “You said it didn’t taste bad!”

He smirked. “I never said it did. I just said it didn’t look appealing.”

Crossing her arms over her chest, she huffed. “Well, I can assure you I bake better than I cook.”

Karma reached for one of the forks she laid out in front of them. “Let’s have a taste, then.”

“Wait, not yet! You haven’t blown your candle yet,” she laughed.

“Oh, right.” He inhaled.

“And don’t forget to make a wish first!”

He held his breath. He’d already thought of his wish days before. After he gently blew on the flame, Okuda clapped her hands together. “Excellent, Karma-kun! Now you can try it.”

He cut himself a small slice of cake. He blinked when he saw the layers of white sponge cake. “Strawberry shortcake?”

She smiled proudly at him. “I know it’s your favorite.”

It was, and when he took that first bite, he knew she wasn’t kidding when she said she baked better than she cooked. “Damn, this is good.”

Her braid bounced when she jumped for joy. “I’m glad you liked it! I wasn’t sure if the sweetness was enough or too much. And it was quite tricky to find the good strawberries at the grocery last week. I was also worried if the sponge wasn’t moist enough – “

She blinked when he suddenly reached over to pat her head. His eyes, which shone with mischief not even a minute ago, was suddenly filled with tenderness. “I enjoy anything you make for me, Okuda-san. This is awesome. Thanks.”

She gave him a small smile. “I figured this could be a nice birthday-slash-Christmas gift for you. And since I know your parents aren’t here to celebrate with you, I thought I’d surprise you. I hope you don’t mind.”

He shook his head. “Not at all. Actually, I was okay with spending Christmas alone this year.” He gestured towards the cake. “But this was a pleasant surprise.”

Another surprise was when she suddenly ran around the counter to wrap her arms around his waist. Speechless, he could only look down at the top of her head. He really wanted to reciprocate, but her arms kept his own trapped on his sides.

“Happy birthday again, Karma-kun,” she said in a muffled voice against his chest.

He smiled, then bent down to nuzzle his nose against her hair. “Thanks. But… could you loosen your hold a bit? I can’t move.”

He laughed when she abruptly dropped her arms and leaned away from him. Her face was red. “Ah! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to – “

She was cut off when he grasped her shoulders and pulled her back towards him, wrapping his own arms around her shoulders.

“I never said let go,” he said quietly.

Okuda hesitated for a moment, then slowly crept her arms around his waist again. They both fell into a comfortable silence in each other’s arms. In the far distance church bells rung, signifying it was indeed Christmas.

Karma couldn’t recall a happier start to his birthday, knowing his wish had come true the moment he opened the front door and found her on the other side.

Chapter Text

The first time he’d ever confessed to her was during one of their study dates.

They were at the café closest to their houses, seated in a booth by the farthest corner. Notebooks, books, handouts and papers were scattered on their table. He was studying for his upcoming World History midterm, she was finishing an English paper due by the end of the week.

Karma twirled his pen between his fingers, his earphones in place as he continued to skim through his notes. Manami shifted from one textbook to her notebook, scribbling on her yellow pad. After ending another paragraph, she put her pen down.

Exhaling, she stretched. Karma seemed unfazed, still keeping his gaze on his papers. Manami reached across and tapped a finger on his hand. He looked up at her, taking off one of his earphones. “What’s up?” He asked.

She smiled apologetically at him. “Sorry, I knew you were in the zone. I’m gonna buy us some drinks. Iced latte?”

He grinned. “You already know me well enough to know that.”

Chuckling, she reached for her wallet in her bag. “Alright, then. I’ll be right back.”

When she returned with a tray of their drinks, he was in the middle of underlining and marking some words in his handout, earphones back in place. As she set down his iced latte beside his pencil box, he shot her a smile and mouthed a quick ‘thanks’ before returning to his notes. Taking her seat across from him, she propped an elbow on the table, resting her cheek on her palm.

Manami watched him as he flipped a page of his handout. She knew he was aiming for the number one spot again. Asano had topped their Calculus midterm last week, narrowly beating Karma’s score by a mere two points. She remembered how he seethed while telling her about it over the phone when he found out his score. He was determined to take all the top spots in the other subjects in the following week.

He never failed to amaze her. Even in middle school she’d admired him, how he seemed so aloof yet would always manage to secure a spot in the top five of their entire batch. Apart from that, he was one of the most athletic students in class. How easy it was for him to chase after Koro-sensei during their PE exercises, how he would accurately shoot the targets Karasuma-sensei laid out for them on the field, how he could effortlessly avoid all the rubberized knives Bitch-sensei threw at him in defense training.

He wasn’t bad to look at either. Karma was easily one of the most handsome and sought-after boys in school by the female population. She recalled hearing a rumor that even high school girls back then would also hit on him. Recalling Bitch-sensei’s kiss ranking of their class, she supposed it wasn’t surprising he’d be top three. Who knows how he’d become so good at it. Feeling an unfamiliar pang of jealousy, Manami shook her head. Then she sighed.

He was practically perfect. He had the brawn, the brains, and definitely the looks. He excelled at everything he did. He was popular… and infamous at the same time. The bad boy almost every girl wanted.

So how on earth did someone like him end up with someone like her?

He’d told her before that he enjoyed being with her. She felt the same. He was one of the first people she’d ever really opened up to. She remembered how surprised she was at how easy it was to talk to him, despite his scary reputation. She was shocked with herself, how suddenly she’d become so talkative when he called out to her, how he would casually start up a conversation with her without any of the awkwardness she was used to with other people.

Soon after graduating middle school, they were seeing each other at least once a week. Usually he’d message her, asking if she wanted to hang out or watch a movie. She didn’t mind. It was definitely an excuse to get her out of the house every once in a while. She never really knew how they’d fallen into a routine of meeting up on weekends, whether it was to go out or study somewhere together.

She remembered Kayano teasing her about it.

“I think he likes you,” she said.

Manami laughed. “Don’t be silly, Kayano-chan.”

“Oh, am I? Then how do you explain seeing him almost every weekend? If those aren’t dates, I don’t know what they are.”

She brushed her off. “We don’t go to the same school anymore, so we hardly see each other. We just meet up on the weekends to catch up.”

Kayano rolled her eyes. “No. You and I meet up once a month, that’s catching up. What could you possibly catch up with him on weekends when we both know you text each other every day?”

Manami pursed her lips. “W-Well, I guess it’s because I enjoy his company. And he probably also enjoys mine so he asks me to meet him.”

Kayano chuckled, then reached over to pat her bestfriend’s hand. “I know the concept of romance is foreign to you, Manami-chan. But trust me on this one. He likes you. He wouldn’t ask you out so often and message you every day if he didn’t.”  

Ever since that conversation with Kayano, Manami couldn’t quite shake off the warmth she felt every time she met with him. Does he really…?

Before she knew it, she’d stared off into space. When she felt a movement in front of her, she blinked. Karma was waving a hand in her face. “Okuda-san, you okay?”

She straightened, dropping her hands on her lap. “Umm, yeah, I’m fine. Sorry, I think writing that paper took a lot out of me.”

He raised an eyebrow at her. “You sure?”

She gave him a weak smile, then nodded.

Narrowing his eyes at her, he dropped his pen, then took off his earphones. He reached for his iced latte and took a sip. After setting down his glass, he crossed his arms across his chest. “Tell me what’s really on your mind, Okuda-san.”

Of course he’d also be intuitive. How much more perfect can he get? Manami knew it would be pointless to hide anything from him. Exhaling, she looked at him.

“Well, I was just wondering…”

He stared at her, silently urging her to continue.

She flushed. “W-What is it you…”

He tilted his head.

Manami gulped. Here goes nothing.

“D-Do you really like me, Karma-kun?”

He blinked. She could feel the heat in her cheeks spread to her ears and neck. She clutched at her skirt. Maybe it was silly of her to ask. Suddenly regretting her question, she began to fumble with her words.

She was babbling before she realized it. “I-I mean, you always ask me to hang out with you. Or call me to go study here. I know you’re usually a busy person, and I’m sure you’d rather go socialize with other people or do something else. I know I’m boring and plain, and I prefer staying home reading books or being at the lab, so I was wondering if it’s really okay for you to be with me and–"    

She paused when he suddenly laughed. Then he wordlessly dug into his pocket for his phone, bringing it out and placing it on the table in front of them. He began scrolling through his music playlist. Then he took his earphones and looked up at her.

“Come closer, Okuda-san.”

Curious, she felt herself moving towards him. He placed the earphones in her ears. Before she knew it, a song began to play.

You've got that smile, you've got it all
I know I'm right, you think I'm dead wrong
You've got that face, you've got that laugh
I know you're shy and, girl, I like that

Manami felt herself blush.

Can't find a mirror to see what I see in you
But I will follow you until you see it too
I know I can't help but love everything you do

She began to feel that familiar warmth again, spreading through her chest.

So take my world, just take it all
I'd cross the earth to break your free fall
I'd run the streets to show you that
I'm so in love and, girl, I like that

 She felt herself smile.

You got glasses on…
No makeup on…
I like that

Her eyes shot up to meet his. He smirked at her. When the song ended, she removed the earphones. She suddenly felt shy, unable to respond.

It was his turn to prop an elbow on the table and lean his head on his fist. “Did that answer your question, Okuda-san?”

If anything it just prompted even more questions. But of course, only Karma could be both direct and indirect at the same time. He certainly got his point across, but not in the conventional way people would. Then again, would he be Karma if he was?

She looked at him then, smiling as she watched him with the same tenderness that reflected in his eyes.

“I guess.”

Two months later he would tell her the eight-letter words she wanted to hear. Right after she’d answer yes to becoming his girlfriend.

Chapter Text

The first time he'd ever seen her blush up close was when they'd been reviewing for midterms.

Koro-sensei had given them free period after lunch, supposedly to study for their upcoming exams. Naturally, some of their classmates dispersed and began chatting with each other, the classroom immediately becoming noisy. Few others actually pulled out books and notebooks to review, Okuda being one of them.

Usually Karma would take this time to pop out of the classroom and nap by the trees behind the building. And he would have, if he didn't notice Okuda's loose right braid from his seat behind her. He thought of calling out to her, but she was already busy poring over her notes.

An idea came to him. Silently, he swiftly moved his table directly behind her, smoothly dragging his chair along with his foot. As he sat down, he propped an arm on his table, resting his chin on his palm, grinning.

"Okuda-san," he said. She didn't respond, didn't even move. He called a second time, still with no response. She must've been in the zone studying for the exams.

He leaned forward, reaching out in front of him to tug the loose braid. He felt her stiffen. Smirking, he let his fingers trail along her neck, causing her to jolt. She quickly turned around to reprimand whoever it was that was touching her.

Only to pause when she realized their faces were inches away from each other.

Okuda's eyes widened. Karma blinked. He had to admit, he might have misjudged the proximity of the table to her chair when he moved it. He decided he didn't mind the minor miscalculation. It allowed him to fully appreciate the amethyst color of her eyes, which were currently locked on his. He could seriously stare at them for hours without ever getting tired of it.

"Karma-kun?"

Her timid voice brought him back to reality. He blinked again, then grinned. "Your braid over here's getting loose. I tried calling you, but you were so focused on studying you probably didn't hear me."

They were still inches apart, neither of whom seemed inclined to pull away. Karma was surprised she hadn't backed away in an instant. Instead she continued to stare at him, her gaze almost inquisitive, as if to ask him: 'what are you doing, Karma-kun?'

He couldn't help but be fascinated and appalled by how Okuda was so dense when it came to social interactions. Any girl would have flushed and turned away by this time. Karma wanted to know, how far can he go before she realizes their position?

So he inched closer, their noses barely touching. Automatically Okuda blinked, then slightly pulled away.

There it is, the faint blush he'd been waiting for.

It was almost endearing, if it weren't for the mild ache he felt in his chest. He had full intention of teasing her from the beginning, but now he couldn't help but feel disappointed for some reason when she leaned away from him.

Karma mentally tucked away his thoughts. "May I fix your braid, Okuda-san?"

She hesitated for a moment, then gave him a small smile. "O-Okay. If you don't mind."

She turned to face the blackboard, and Karma proceeded to redo her braid.

For now he would have to ignore how his heart rate had increased momentarily a while ago. He would also have to ignore the urge he had to caress the skin along the nape of her exposed neck.

More importantly, he would have to ignore why he suddenly experienced this wave of unfamiliar feelings, the frustration, affection and urge to just hug her from behind. There will be time for assessment later on. He wanted to get used to it first.

He never liked surprise attacks anyway. Not on him, at least.

Chapter Text

The first time he'd seen her in his bed was when he came back from a business trip.

Being the newbie in the department, he'd been assigned on several out-of-town trips for work for the past few months now. He didn't mind. He needed to earn the experience, after all. And he'd taken note of the good places to visit when he planned to bring Manami back for their vacations.

What he did mind was having to be away from his girlfriend for days, sometimes even weeks if there were multiple trips to be done. Though they'd anticipated this, it still sucked. It didn't help that Manami was almost always busy with her research at the laboratory. Though they'd been dating for over a year now, getting their schedules to line up was a constant struggle.

"I'm sorry, Manami. This is probably gonna take up to five days," Karma said as he held his phone between his ear and shoulder.

He was in the middle of packing his duffel bag when his phone rang. He was usually a light packer, but maybe he should pack a few more extra clothes. He'd been planning on coming back a couple days earlier and heading straight to her apartment to surprise her, maybe even spend the night. He smirked at the thought.

"It's okay. I know how work can be so toxic at times," Manami chuckled. Her sweet, soft voice made him smile.

"I'll call you once I've landed when I get back. I can pick you up from work and we can have dinner somewhere." He was more excited about the notion of seeing her expression when she comes home in less than five days to find him there.

She hummed. "Just don't over exert yourself, Karma-kun. You know you can be such a workaholic sometimes."

Karma scoffed. "Says the woman who always stays up late in the lab. You know you're as much a workaholic as I am."

He could imagine her flustered face. "N-Not always! Only when I have deadlines to make," she replied defensively.

He chuckled, then sighed. "I’ll miss you, Manami. See you when I get back?”

He could almost hear her smile. "I'll be here. I’ll miss you too. Have a safe trip, okay?"

"I will. I'll call when I’m at the airport. See you soon."

Karma couldn't contain his excitement. He arrived at the airport earlier than he planned. As he waited to board his ten o'clock evening flight, he took out his phone. Manami was on speed dial, and it wasn't long before she answered.

"Karma-kun!"

He smiled to himself. "Hey."

"How's your trip? Everything okay?"

More than okay. He'd gotten everything done in two days instead of the estimated five. Now he was on his way home.

Karma leaned back on his seat, crossing his legs. "Everything's fine. What about you? How's work?"

He heard her groan. "I have to redo another test. I was pulling an all-nighter last night when the power tripped. I didn't realize I forgot to save my data."

He had a bad feeling about this. "Don't tell me..."

She sighed. "Yes, I'll be working late again tonight."

His heart sank. So much for surprising her at her place when he got back. He checked his watch. 7:00 PM. Looks like he'll have to head home once he landed. Knowing her, she'd be staying at the office until around nine o'clock before going home.

He can surprise her tomorrow instead. He'll head to her place in the afternoon - they'd given each other keys to their respective apartments after all - and prepare her a nice dinner. Maybe have some wine. Maybe even draw her a bath. Then he'll join her. Then... Before he could get lost in his trail of thoughts, her voice brought him back.

"I can't wait to see you, Karma-kun."

Warmth spread through his chest. "Me too. I'll be home soon. Don't stay too late over there."

"I won't, I'll leave around nine."

He didn’t doubt it. "Message me when you get home, okay?"

"I will. Karma-kun?"

"Hmm?"

There was a moment of silence. "I... I love you."

He couldn’t contain his silly grin. It wasn't the first time she'd said it to him, but it never failed to make him smile when she did. He rubbed a fist over his chest, as though to calm his heart.

"I love you too."

It was a little past midnight when Karma unlocked his door, stepping into the dark apartment. He sighed. He should be with Manami right now, but he knew she must've been exhausted from working overtime again.

Without turning on any lights, he dropped his duffel bag by the shoe rack and headed for the bathroom. He was used to navigating in the dark, among other things (he had Karasuma-sensei to thank for that). He effortlessly made his way into the shower and washed all the airport and plane off him.

He paused as he reached the door to his bedroom. Something felt off. He couldn't describe it, but his assassin's instincts told him to be cautious. He reached for the pocket knife he kept hidden behind one of the tribal masks his parents sent him on the shelf in the hallway.

Was he being followed? Targeted by someone? Though he knew he wasn't the most friendly of people, he couldn't think of anyone who'd go so far as to confront him in his own home. He'd just started working with the government less than a year, so he hadn't made that many enemies... yet.

He slowly opened the door. His eyes widened, focusing on the lump on the bed. There was someone lying in his bed. His grip on the knife tightened. As he drew closer to the figure, he held his breath.

Manami was asleep in his bed, hugging a pillow that had on one of his old college shirts. Karma exhaled, shocked. Goddamn . He hid the pocket knife in his bedside drawer.

Though this wasn't the first time they'd shared a bed - he sometimes slept over at her place and vice versa - this was the first time he'd ever seen her lying on his bed, on her own. What made her come to his apartment and climb into his bed without him in it, he didn't know. It didn't matter. He immediately decided he liked coming home to a sight like this.

Unbelievable. Just when he thought he'd surprise her, she turned the tables on him without even knowing it. He knelt beside her, gently placing a hand on her cheek.

"How do you do this to me, Manami?" He murmured. Chuckling to himself, he caressed a thumb over her cheek.

She stirred in her sleep, unconsciously leaning toward his touch. Her eyes slowly opened, glassy amethyst orbs finding his golden ones. He smiled at her.

"Karma... kun?"

He pecked her cheek. "Hi."

She blinked once, twice. "Are you really here? Or am I just dreaming...?"

He leaned in again, this time to press a kiss on her lips. "That feel real to you? Or should I... do something more?"

She squeaked, then wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a hug. "You're back! You're really here! Welcome home, Karma-kun!"

He brought his arms around her to return the embrace, burying his face in her hair. He felt the exhaustion of the entire day melt away. "I'm back."

He pulled away and held her at arm's length. "Although I must say, I'm quite surprised to find my beloved girlfriend in my bed with a pillow wrapped in my shirt," he teased.

A moment passed, then she flushed a bright red. "I-I can explain..."

She took the said pillow and brought it to her chest, covering half of her face to hide the blush. "I have a confession to make."

Karma waited.

Manami looked down, suddenly feeling shy. "I've actually been sleeping here since the day you left. I don't know why exactly, but I guess I just miss you when you're gone. We don't always see each other because of work, and every time I come home after doing overtime I feel so restless and... empty. Sleeping here in your bed with this pillow kind of makes me feel like you're here with me."

Damn her open honesty, doing weird things to his heart. Over a decade of knowing each other, yet he still couldn't help the giddiness he felt when she said such things. Karma was thankful for the darkness to cover his own faint blush. His cheeks suddenly felt warm.

"So in other words, you always miss me when I go on my business trips," he said, smirking.

She looked up at him, then slowly nodded. He growled, then pulled her in for another hug, the pillow squished between them. "You drive me crazy, you know that?"

Manami shot him an inquisitive look. "Crazy? How so?"

Even after a year together, she was still clueless about such trivial matters. It was one of the most endearing yet frustrating things about her.

"You just do, but crazy in a good way." Karma kissed her temple. "I have an idea."

She rested her cheek against his shoulder. "What is it?"

He ran his fingers through her hair. "Since you're a guest in this apartment, a frequent one at that, how about you come live with me here?"

She was silent for a moment. Then she looked up at him. "You mean... I move in with you?"

"Yes."

Her answer was immediate. She flashed him a smile. "Okay."