Chapter Text
The results for the third term tests were posted. Karma is first. This is not a surprise.
He expects to see Asano in second place. He doesn't. It's Ren. He looks further down and down until finally, Asano is 50th place.
What the hell happened?
Because the school is kind of fucked, the results for each subject are posted. Because you know, peer pressure or whatever. In maths, Asano got 100. As expected. In Japanese, he got 50. What? In English, he got 0.
Karma grins. He thinks he understands what Asano is trying to do. He's rebelling against the principal.
By showing that he can get whatever score he wants.
Karma thinks he's got it figured out.
He was wrong.
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10 years later.
-
Karma is at a bar, spending his Friday night alone with nobody but his friend, alcohol. No, he isn't an alcoholic. But working in the economics sector can be stressful, and who doesn't celebrate the end of the work week with a drink? It's at this moment that he spots Ren. He hadn't kept touch with Ren, or Asano for that matter. Though they had gotten on relatively well in school, eventually. After they graduated from Junior school. He was surprised Ren stayed at Kunugigaoka after the horrible memories they'd had there with the whole brainwashing thing. But he supposed they must think the same about him. He stayed despite the prejudice against 3E. But Asano was the only who could intellectually challenge him. Even if decided to bunk the exams and do what he wants, which Karma was glad to witness. Anyways, he's getting off track.
The point is, he sees Ren in the bar. And he sits down opposite him and says hello.
"Hey." He greets Ren.
"Akabane, what's up?"
"Not much. Been busy climbing the corporate ladder in economics. You?"
"I've been busy too. Actually, I've got a meeting in Europe soon. I'll be spending two weeks away. Almost like a holiday."
"Nice."
"Actually, I need to ask you a favour. I'd ask literally anyone else, but Araki, Koyama, and Seo are all also away across the globe in meetings somewhere."
"What? You need me to housesit? I wouldn't mind that, actually, I get to work from home most weeks."
Ren winces. "Sort of. I live with Asano, actually."
"You two are abnormally close, are you guys dating?" It wouldn't surprise him, honestly. He's seen the way Ren looks at Asano.
"No." Ren says flatly.
"Wait, why can't Asano housesit, if you guys literally live in the same place?"
Ren huffs. "Do you know what DID is?"
"Stands for...dissociative identity disorder or something, right? Caused by childhood trauma or- wait. Does Asano have DID?" Fuck, how did he not notice? If he ever saw the principle again, he'd kill him.
"Yes, and one of his alters keep threatening to hurt himself, I don't think he'll actually do it, but I can't leave him on his own. In case...I just can't leave him alone. I know he could probably handle it, but I'd be worrying the whole time."
"Okay. I'm not a hundred percent saying yes. I need to speak to my work about spending two weeks working from home. But it would be nice to catch up with Asano."
"Thanks. It's not like he isn't independent, it's more for my piece of mind that anything. You don't need to watch him 24/7 or anything. He isn't some mental asylum patient. He's an independent person, but I just...worry. And I think it would be nice for you two to catch up. You don't have to live at the house or anything, just visit every couple of days or something."
"Okay. I'll speak to work."