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"you both are horrible." the girl, Nakamura Rio mumbled, squinting her eyes at the sight of the duo who were sitting at the back of the class— namely Shiota Nagisa and Akabane Karma.
"we're doing nothing." Nagisa pointed out, his face turning into a frown in disagreement with Rio's sentence, "and where did you even come from? I could've sworn the door was closed shut a moment ago.
Nakamura didn't answer Nagisa's question, and instead let out an exasperated groan, which caught the attention of most of their classmates. and their, odd, mess of a mutated yellow octopus teacher. well, so much for staying off the radar of attention.
"how are you both together? you're like, polar opposites." Nakamura responded smartly after a period of silence, some of their classmates approached the duo. great.
"come to think of it, Nakamura's got a point. what spell did he use on you, Nagisa?" now was Okajima's turn to talk, and the one sentence alone was enough to outrage most of the duo's classmates, shouting things like 'okay that's way too far!', 'not cool Okajima', or 'what makes you think that's a reasonable possible answer?!'
Nagisa himself didn't really think much of it, so he didn't bother to answer the question. after all, it was Karma, he had a lot of admirers; he just happened to be lucky and was chosen before anyone else was. in other words, no one stood a chance.
since Nagisa didn't speak, the class turned their attention to Karma, and—
"Karma's blushing?!" now that wasn't a sight you'd see on your day-to-day basis, Karma was a sadist, cold and to the point. why is he trying to one up his hair color now?
and the whole class demanded an explanation, the two had no choice but to give in.
1.
Nagisa isn't used to passing the main campus, he was always early so he wouldn't get picked on. but today he was late, and not by mistake. his mother had been so determined to brush his hair personally and tie it herself, he didn't have the nerve to say no to her. not when she was in one of her moods.
he would just have to hope that the kids on the main campus didn't notice him, for all they knew he could just blend in with the shadows. he thought about using the assassination skills he learned to get his way to his own classroom but eventually decided against it. Mr. Karasuma wouldn't be pleased.
"look at the E-class failure, hanging out on the main campus like he belongs here."
well, that's not good.
Nagisa inhaled slowly, before turning towards the two far too familiar faces. Takada and Tanaka, they would always find ways to shove something up Nagisa's mood, and he couldn't begin to explain how much he hates the two.
but he smiled, anyways.
"can I help you both?"
the two seemed to chuckle, before getting all cocky and snobby, "you can help by getting lost. honestly, they should've just moved E-class to the sewers, you guys have no hope getting back on top to where we are. we're better than every single one of you in every way imaginable."
and funny enough, Nagisa wanted to argue. none of the classes from A to D would comprehend the experience, memories, and lessons Koro-sensei had taught all of class E. but he digressed and kept quiet, letting them be satisfied with their mindless teasing.
displeased from seeing the lack of reaction from Nagisa, the two simultaneously stepped forward to tease and most likely bully the boy some more— that was until a small carton of strawberry milk hit one of them right on the head, causing a bruise.
"oh? I thought elite grades meant elite manners, but looking at just you two I can see you have none of both."
Nagisa knew that voice, he was far too familiar with it, he turned around.
Karma..
"you fall behind me in grades, and manners? forget about that. you speak all high and mighty when you both are inches away from being sent in the same place you call hell on earth, blink once and you'll fall with us, become one of us. then you'll have to deal with me. wouldn't that be.." Karma trailed off as he opened his eyes, which were previously closed. his amber eyes held no sense of humor nor sympathy, almost dull as his words were a genuine threat, "fun?"
the two D-class students seemed to be shaking at their feet, stuttering and blubbering about something that Nagisa couldn't comprehend. before the two ran off, like cowards.
Nagisa hummed, that's Karma's effect.
"you need to stop scaring the main campus students, they'll tell on you and you'll never make it back to the main campus.." Nagisa muttered, but Karma didn't look like he cared, he tilted his head as if confused— but Karma's never confused, at least that's what Nagisa thinks. Karma's mind always seemed to be sorted and organized.
"I'm just having a little fun, and who says I want to make it back to the main campus anyways? if anyone's killing that squid—"
"octopus."
".. octopus, it'll be me." Karma finished, before realizing someone had corrected him, and it wasn't Nagisa, "wait."
Nagisa and Karma looked towards their teacher, who was in a terrible Mr. Karasuma cosplay.
. . .
ah,
"do you have no respect for Mr. Karasuma?!" the duo simultaneously shouted at Koro-sensei, who shrieked and ran off to honestly who knows where. at Mach 20 speed he could be in France right now.
the interruption from Koro-sensei resulted in Nagisa not having the time to properly thank Karma for defending him, he felt bad, obviously. but there'll be another time, surely.
2.
it felt suffocating, trapping.
Nagisa wanted to get out, he needed to get out one way or another.
he hated this place, his home.
it didn't feel like a home, it felt like prison.
his mother wasn't home, she'd be home late today.
he subconsciously reached for his phone.
[. . .]
Karma's parents were rarely ever home, in fact. he can't remember the last time they did, and he liked it better that way.
he had finished studying, he didn't think it was necessary but after his last feat against the big five.. never again. for a moment he decided on sleeping the rest of the day away, so he closed his eyes, but then his phone rang.
it was Nagisa. only Nagisa ever called him. it sounded sad, but he preferred it that way.
"hey Nagisa, missed me did ya?" Karma said as he picked up the call.
then he heard a sob, his heart dropped. something wasn't right.
"I beg you, get me out of here."
and Karma didn't need to be told twice.
"I'll be there at five."
[. . .]
it felt like he had to wait forever for his redhead of a friend, every second he stayed there felt suffocating. he needed out, and he needed out now.
he wished Karma got here sooner, where was he anyways? had he decided he wasn't bothered enough to help him out of here..
. . .
he begged and prayed that wasn't the case.
knock knock.
what?
he turned to the source of the sound, his window.
.. Karma.
Nagisa slowly walked to the window, and opened it. and his redhead friend immediately leaned in on the window frame.
"come on blueberry, let's go." Karma cooed, poking lightly on Nagisa's cheek. Nagisa smiled weakly, wasting no second to jump through the window frame and directly into Karma's arms. they weren't dating. "there we go princess, hi there."the redhead grinned, Nagisa rolled his eyes, but held not even a twinge of annoyance.
Karma had brought his bike with him, Nagisa noticed it didn't look old, so perhaps it was recently bought? but he didn't have the energy to ask, he was tired. tired and he just wants to sleep it off.
"Karma, I'm tired." he mumbled, closing his eyes and furrowing his eyebrows slightly. Karma hummed and used one of his hands to stabilize Nagisa so he wouldn't fall off the bike, it was hard, and with other person he wouldn't even bother, but this was Nagisa. and he wouldn't forgive himself if anything happened to Nagisa.
"you closing your eyes and drifting off right now means you won't blame me if I go at mach 20 speed and drop you." Karma's words were meant as a joke, he hoped Nagisa got it. he wouldn't mind a few protests from Nagisa, it meant he was still capable of understanding humor.
"I trust you, you wouldn't do that." Nagisa murmured, before fully drifting off.
Karma could feel his heartbeat increase at a rapid rate.
after a while, they both eventually reached Karma's house.
"Nagisa, wake up." it surprised the redhead that Nagisa managed to sleep through this, considering Karma was going at an insanely fast pace.
however, that mattered little. what he needed to focus on more was the fact the blueberry behind him was still asleep, somehow. makes him wonder how someone like Nagisa had the natural skills of an assassin.
"Nagisa?" Karma raised an eyebrow, no response.
well, he didn't have much of a choice now, he carried Nagisa on his back, the bike could wait to be put away properly.
another situation Nagisa hasn't been able to thank Karma properly for.
3.
"hey Nagisa, guess what?" Nakamura and Maehara approached him one fateful day, something behind Maehara's back.
Nagisa didn't answer, just blinking at them obliviously.
the duo grins wiidely, showing him a newly acquired feminine attire. he didn't know when, why, and how they got it, but it made him feel sick.
his mother tried dressing him up that morning, insisting he tried a skirt for a change, maybe he'd love it. she was only projecting her wants to him, she wished he was a boy. he wished she'd see him as a girl.
Nagisa felt slightly overwhelmed, trying to convince Nakamura and Maehara to drop it, entirely.
but they didn't quite get it, and Nagisa was sure they weren't doing it on purpose— he was just being too nice to shout at them.
he wasn't like Karma, he realized, Karma would've been able to defend his boundaries so easily. why was it so hard for him? a part of Nagisa thinks this is why Karma distanced himself from Nagisa.
"guys, maybe not today. I really don't want to.."
"aw, come on Nagi! it'll be fun, we won't post the pictures, promise!"
"pictures?!"
the idea didn't sit right with Nagisa, he's pretty sure the class has taken his feminine perks more than once, but honestly today he couldn't bring himself to submit to his classmates'wants. he couldn't, he'd suffocate, he'd die—
okay, a bit of an exaggeration.
he just wished Karma could tell them off.
...
"alright you two, knock it off. the blueberry doesn't want to."
speak of the devil.
"Karma? I thought you were for the whole corner-and-dress-Nagisa-up thing." Maehara's eyes widened as Karma put a hand on both his and Nakamura's shoulders, Karma tilted his head.
"I am, but not feelin' it today. how about you both pick on Okajima? he's doing real shady stuff right now."
and the two never left Nagisa alone faster.
it made Nagisa wonder why was Maehara with Nakamura in the first place? usually he was with Isogai.
that didn't matter.
"you okay? you look like you're about to throw up." he heard Karma ask him, he looked towards the redhead— he was holding a water bottle, Nagisa pointed at himself questioningly, "yeah, it's for you. I know something happened, your face is easy to read. wanna talk about it?"
Nagisa smiled.
it didn't matter to Nagisa how many times Karma loved to tease him in front of their classmates, he concluded.
did he feel humiliated sometimes? yeah, did he wish Karma would drop it sometimes? of course. but what exactly made Karma's teasing different from that of his class? what was so special about Akabane Karma?
the answer, is Karma wouldn't take it too far. yes, he teases Nagisa to almost no end. but he'd never do so if Nagisa's final decision is stop.
it took Nagisa far too long to figure this out.
and he, again, didn't know how to repay Karma.
4.
Nagisa's breathing was frantic, uneven, desperate.
it's like he forgot to breathe all together.
"Nagisa, hey." Karma murmured, sitting beside the boy.
where they were right now was a bit inconvenient, anyone could easily catch them. they were behind the school building, sitting directly behind the wall.
it was obvious, but as of Karma's threat, no one dared approach Nagisa. not even their teachers.
"Karma." Nagisa didn't give a wave, smile, he didn't even look at Karma.
and the redhead frowned at this, puncturing his strawberry milk box with a straw before sipping on it.
he wasn't too good with communicating, that was mostly Nagisa's part of the deal. he didn't even remember having that many friends to begin with, did he even have any at all before this? he didn't quite remember.
"you look horrible." Karma commented, ruffling Nagisa's hair, which made the bluenette groan.
"you're horrible." Nagisa finally gave the redhead a small smile.
they were communicating okay now, finally. took them long enough.
"what's gotten you so roughed up around the edges?" Karma inquired, Nagisa hummed as he placed his head against Karma's shoulder, bouncing his feet lightly. he didn't know how to answer his question, or rather how to properly answer without revealing too much.
"just assassination stuff, I feel kind of pressured to do that. while juggling everything else." he eventually answered.
Karma raised his eyebrow, because he knew Nagisa wasn't being honest, there was more to that answer that he held back. something more, something deeper.
but Karma didn't pry, he doesn't do that. not directly, at least.
"you have the keys to my house, right?" he said all of the sudden, confusing Nagisa.
"uh.. yeah?" Nagisa murmured, Karma then chuckled and stood up, grabbing Nagisa's arm and yanking him slightly in the process so he'd rise up to Karma's arms.
the redhead wrapped his arms around Nagisa and tucked his chin just above Nagisa's head, humming and nuzzling.
"then if you need someone to lean on, you know where to find me."
".. and I know where to look." Nagisa smiled, thankful for his best friends support, despite knowing little about the problem.
Karma didn't know what exactly was bothering the bluenette, but he offered his support nonetheless, undivided attention, and a place to lean on.
and, once again, he didn't know how to thank Karma.
he'd have to do so eventually.
5.
"what do you mean you have too much money?" Nagisa deadpanned, looking at his and Karma's hands that were intertwined, "and how's that a bad thing?"
"hamsters shouldn't ask so many questions, I invited you on this little trip to a newly opened restaurant with the intention of testing the theory of if this establishment is worth the hype." Karma answered simply, and Nagisa was left no room to argue.
"and you had to drag me along?"
"yeah."
"why?"
"so I can see your cheeks stuffed with all kind of goods."
".. I'm really just a hamster in your eyes aren't I?"
"precisely."
Nagisa sighed for the nth time that day, letting Karma do as he pleased, because he was Karma.
purely that.
when they arrived, it was obviously crowded. given that the place is brand new, Nagisa was almost hesitant if they could even make it inside.
"hello sir, reservation by Akabane Karma?" an employee asked, Karma nodded.
??? do newly opened places accept reservations when they just opened.
this was an odd thing.
"how did you— I didn't know they had reservations already." Nagisa spoke his mind, trying to meet Karma's eyes.
"they don't, I paid them so they'd reserve a seat for us." Karma said so easily, skipping the line that was longer than the eyes could see.
"what— Karma!"
"what? it's why I was insistent on you coming, would've been a waste. now come on, pick something."
Karma and Nagisa arrived at their table, and Karma handed Nagisa a menu.
and holy shit.
"Karma.."
"hm?"
"everything's expensive, I didn't bring this much.."
"now who said you were paying?"
"huh?" Nagisa looked up to finally meet Karma's eyes, and they were dead serious.
"I can't— I can't just make you pay.."
"you're not making me do anything."
honestly, Karma had a point. but that still didn't make Nagisa feel any better. the food was expensive, he doesn't even think two months worth of pocket money would cover one dish here, he struggled to get that point across.
"look, I'm just saying friends treat each other to things. so let me spoil you endlessly." Karma hushed him by pulling out multiple platinum cards and other luxuries, and Nagisa could've sworn some of them didn't belong to him, did Karma take something from his parents?
".. fine, but I'll pay you back—"
"nope."
"Karma!"
Karma just stuck his tongue out as Nagisa rambled endlessly about how he'll pay everything back. it ended with a drunk-on-sweets Nagisa and a very amused Karma who paid for everything, and he somehow made Nagisa forget that he said he'd pay back. a win win or Karma's part. if Nagisa ever remembered again, that's future Karma's problem.
and honestly, Nagisa did remember. but he again, didn't know how to pay Karma back— definitely not with cash. Karma would refuse.
+1
no one knew how it came to this, it started with a little 'friendly' dispute between Asano Gakushuu and Karma, and now they were throwing punches at each other.
"I'll kill you." Karma scowled, trying to release himself from Nagisa and Sugino's grip.
Asano and Karma were equally bruised, both having studied martial arts. Asano was held back by two of his four goons, the other two ran off, probably.
"I'd like to see you try, imagine what the principal would say." Asano chuckled out a laugh, but choked on his own blood.
Nagisa and Sugino looked at each other, keep this up and one of the two might actually die to the others hands.
they didn't want Karma to die, but didn't want him to be a murderer either.
"Sugino, I got an idea. help me drag Karma—"
"Nagisa! what do you think you're— ugh!" Karma struggled to free himself from Sugino and Nagisa, who were dragging him.
in reality he could do it perfectly fine by himself. but he didn't want to hurt Nagisa so he tried to have himself under control.
but that mattered little, in this situation anyways.
"yeah that's it, run away before I give you something worth crying for." Asano spat, before coughing up again.
[. . .]
"Nagisa, what do you think you're—"
"Karma." Nagisa's voice was stern, and made Karma shut up immediately.
Nagisa gestured Sugino to leave them alone for a bit, he raised his eyebrow but didn't question it as he left the room immediately.
and so Nagisa approached the fuming redhead, who backed up slightly.
and..
".. ng?"
1 hit.
oh, shit. this was not what Karma expected.
2 hit.
was Nagisa..
3 hit.
"mn.."
5 hit.
god, when did Nagisa get so good at..?
10 hit.
Karma felt his knees buckling slightly, but he couldn't just give in—
20 hit.
.. Nagisa kissed good.
30 hit.
Karma closed his eyes, finally giving in. he felt his eyes prick with tears, he definitely wasn't prepared.
40 hit.
"mnh..?"
50 hit!
Nagisa finally pulled away.
Karma panted, eyes dazed and lips slightly swollen from the.. ekhem, contact.
he looked like a confused kitten, to Nagisa.
eventually, Karma's legs did give up, because his legs immediately buckled and he was now kneeling down in front of Nagisa.
".. Karma?" Nagisa murmured worriedly, but he didn't have time to bend down to look at Karma's face, because the redhead circled his arms around Nagisa's waist, his legs were now in a criss-cross position as he hid his face somewhere in his own arms, ".. Karma." Nagisa murmured again.
"you're the worst." Karma murmured, Nagisa only chuckled, "you're the worst, because that was my first and best kiss."
and suddenly, Nagisa mused. because he just paid Karma back for all the times he's helped the bluenette.