Chapter Text
Growing up Karma didn’t have many friends. He would scare them off with his sharp teeth and unnaturally red hair. The one friend he did have moved away after two years.
So what Karma bit him once? It wasn’t fair. His parents weren’t even his friends. When they came home at night they would say a word or two to the boy and then go to sleep or to ‘watch a movie’ in the basement. Karma was left alone.
Alone with a stuffed bear he found at the park. It was abandoned, a lot like he was. The bear sat on the park bench beside 8 letter beads. The beads weren’t on a string or anything and they were scattered. Karma saw them and read ‘Ugauksuh.’ It was a nice name, unique like his was.
So he got Ugauksuh cleaned and cut up some clothes to make the bear wear and soon enough he brought the bear everywhere. Ugauksuh was the friend he never had, one who wouldn’t run away after being bitten once. Not like Karma still bit people though, he was 5 now thank you very much.
Karma and Ugauksuh went everywhere together, everywhere. They would sleep in the same bed, sit beside each other on the plane, he would chill in Karma’s backpack while Karma was at school and be in Karma’s arms as he walked home.
It was a great relationship they had, they would tell each other secrets, and Karma would read textbooks to the bear. The bear was the best listener ever, he never interrupted! He understood all the concepts that his new school friends never bothered trying to learn. Sugino was always too into baseball to listen to his theorems and movie reviews, while Terasaka was too into smelling leaves.
Those two didn’t stay Karma’s friend’s for long though, once they turned 10 they found that talking to a stuffed bear everyday was weird and ditched him.
So it was just Karma and Ugauksuh again. It was actually just Karma and Ugauksuh for two more years, and then he met Nagisa and Rio.
Nagisa and Rio were different than the others, they listened to him talk and walked around with him. They didn’t find him odd or intimidating, they found him interesting and maybe even cool. He would help them with homework sometimes and the three of them would watch movies together.
The more they came over the less Ugauksuh was brought out, and the more time he spent with them was less time for him and his stuffed bear. He didn’t mind though, actually he barely noticed. Ugauksuh didn’t seem to care either, he was happy enough sleeping beside Karma in bed anyway.
“Ugauksuh! I’m going to a sleepover so don’t wait up,” Karma laughs, walking out his front door. Nagisa’s mom’s out of town and they’re having a sleep over. Rio has to sneak out but she makes it in time.
“Karma! You made it!” Nagisa smiles, opening the door for Karma. Rio is sitting on the couch in her yellow pyjamas and Nagisa is wearing his blue ones. Karma still has to change into his pink pjs but he gets right to that. Tonight’s gonna be fun.
”Truth or dare,” Rio smirks, looking at Karma.
“Dare.” What kind of dares were even acceptable for 14 year olds?
”Huh, okay,” she thinks, “call someone on your contact list and tell them you love them. Oh! I’ll pick who.” Karma’s smile falters. Who’s number does he even have saved. He knows he has Nagisa’s, Rio’s, his mom’s, his dad’s, Sugino’s, and like two other people’s.
“Knock yourself out.”
“Oooooh! Who’s Shuu?”
”This kid I bit once,” Karma found out that his parents had his friend’s mom’s number from back in the day and one night when he was feeling extremely lonely he asked Benji’s mom for it. (OH MY GOSH THIS IS PLOTLESS.)
“Okay call him and say it.”
”He doesn’t know I have his number though it’s weird.”
”Yeah too bad,” Rio presses the call button and Nagisa gives Karma an apologetic look.
”Hello?” Two rings, he must be bored. Oh is that English? “Hello? Is anybody here?”
”Oh,” Karma sighs, not switching languages, “is this Shuu?”
”Yep, who’s this?” So they’re having a conversation in different.
”This is gonna be weird, it’s Akabane Karma.”
”Shit what? Hey!” Sounds like he’s smiling?
”Hey! This is really weird gosh, um,” he turns to Rio, glaring daggers at her.
”How’d you get this number?”
”Boredom does things to the desperate,” Rio adds, loud enough for him to hear.
”Oh are you with someone?” What time is it for him again?
”Yeah that’s my friend Rio. She’s right though I got bored and asked your mom.”
”Ah, she’ll be glad to hear the Japanese
on the call. Did you have a reason for calling today in particular?”
“Rio,” Nagisa frowns, this isn’t the best way for them to be reconnecting.
“Is that someone else? Isn’t it like 11 in Japan?”
“It’s 12am,” Karma explains, “um what are you up to?”
“I have an exam tomorrow so I’m studying,” he explains.
“Oh nice, studying what?” Only Karma could be genuinely interested in that.
“You asking out of courtesy or?”
“Wondering about the education system in uh.”
“California?”
“Exactly.”
“Well if you must know, I’m doing boring things. Geometry, but I have some extracurricular courses that makes the workload more challenging,” he explains, and Rio yawns.
“So you’re a nerd?”
“Soulmates!” The blonde yells, turning to Nagisa so the two of them can play chopsticks.
“Why does the term nerd have to be derogatory?” Shuu asks, flipping a page. He’s taking grade nine science at night school.
“It doesn’t have to be, hey can I bother you later? My friend started a fire on the rug,” he lies. He feels like he’ll embarrass himself around Shuu if he hangs around any longer.
“Huh? Oh, sure. Just don’t call at 3am.”
“Haha thanks love you bye,” he hangs up and his friends look over at him.