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You stepped off the bus into the cool night air, the streetlights glowing like scattered stars along the sidewalk. A pair of strangers passed in front of you, briefly blocking your view, then they drifted apart, and there she was.
Nakamura's eyes lit up.
"There you are!" she squealed, throwing her arms around you.
You hugged her back, laughing. "I can't say no to my best friend."
You both separated and linked arms to walk down the lit street.
"So, what's so good about this party?" You asked.
You were never a party goer. Nakamura, on the other hand, couldn't get enough of it.
She was practically begging you to go to this one. Promising to do all your English assignments for a month, promising to take all the blame if you both ever get caught by your parents.
In the end, you relented, of course.
"My seniors are there," Nakamura explained. "I have to stay connected. Talent and good looks aren't everything in this industry."
Your friend wants to become an idol, and her debut is just around the corner. She's just as excited as you are.
"Besides, this party is very exclusive. You can't get in unless you know someone." She winks. "Feel important yet?"
You playfully rolled your eyes. "They invited you, not me."
"And I invited you." She said. "So loosen up. It's a Friday night. And who knows, maybe you'll find another guy to obsess over instead of Akabane."
"Hey, leave him out of this." You frowned.
"I don't understand why you like him so much." Nakamura shakes her head. "He's hot, but I hear he's an asshole."
"Not to his fans." You argued.
You had heard the rumours too. Stories about Karma being rude, blunt, impossible to approach, and impossible to control. But when you hear stories from his fans who were lucky enough to meet him, they were all positive experiences.
He was playful, charming and seemed to love joking around with them. It was a side of him that you couldn't help but adore.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." She dismissed you.
It was a shame, really. You had never managed to get her into Karma's music, no matter how many songs you sent her or how many edits you forced her to watch.
"I wish you would debut under the same company as Akabane." You sighed wistfully.
"They only take the best." Nakamura reminded you.
True. You've seen many other idols who debuted under that labelling company, and each one of them turned out be successful.
Nakamura looks down at your red shoes. "You sure you want to wear those?"
You looked down and lifted one foot a little, smiling proudly. "Yep. They're cute, aren't they?"
The red‑and‑white sneakers gleamed under the streetlights, the tiny devil emblem catching the glow. Karma Akabane's limited‑edition collab. Your birthday gift. Your treasure.
A well-known shoe brand had partnered with Karma and designed them to match his aesthetic perfectly—bold, stylish, and just a little bit dangerous-looking. They had sold like crazy, and for good reason. They weren't just shoes. They were a statement.
"Hm." Nakamura took one last look at them. "I guess they are pretty cute."
"And super comfortable." You grinned.
According to Nakamura, the party was hidden underground, tucked away in a narrow alley that looked like the perfect setting for a horror movie. The city noise faded behind you as you approached, and the deeper you walked, the more the alley seemed to swallow the light. The walls on either side loomed close and damp-looking, and your skin prickled with unease.
You hesitated.
Nakamura, however, didn't.
She tugged you forward with complete confidence, like she'd done this a hundred times before and had no intention of letting your nerves slow her down.
"It looks shady," you muttered, glancing around. "And kind of creepy."
There wasn't a soul in sight. Just the distant throb of bass music somewhere below ground and the occasional flicker of light from a window far above. You tried to insist that Nakamura should just leave, but she was far braver than you and kept walking, your arms still linked as she dragged you along.
At the end of the alley, there was a door leading to a stairwell. Even before you reached it, you could hear the faint vibration of music and the muffled sound of people talking, laughing, moving around in a space hidden far below street level.
Knowing you're not walking into some serial killer's house, you walked down the stairs with your friend.
The music and voices got louder. At the bottom of the stairs was a long and dimly lit hallway, and at the end of the hallway were two large bodyguards near a door.
One of them was talking to a group of girls, trying to talk their way into the door.
You glanced at the girls, but Nakamura ignored them.
Instead, she greeted the second bodyguard and pulled you closer to her. "Hello, I'm Rio Nakamura. And this is my friend."
The bodyguard scanned his clipboard, looking for her name. When he found the name, he nodded and opened the door.
"Have fun."
You both grinned and stepped into it, and before the door closed, you could hear the girls from behind you complaining that two supposedly normal girls their age could get in, and they couldn't.
Inside, the party hit you all at once.
It was loud, crowded, and chaotic in a way that made the whole room feel like it was constantly shifting. Bodies moved to the music. Colored lights flashed overhead and dipped across people's faces. There was the scent of perfume, alcohol, sweat, and something sweet lingering in the air. Laughter rose and fell in waves, and every corner seemed packed with clusters of people leaning close to talk over the music.
You and Nakamura didn't enjoy the party just yet. She wanted to find one of her seniors first.
It wasn't hard.
She found him sitting on a couch, talking to a couple of girls who looked older than you.
The moment she spotted him, her whole posture shifted. She slipped easily into conversation, all charm and confidence, and within minutes, the topic turned to work, the industry, gossip, and connections.
Things you couldn't really follow.
You figured it would be a quick chat, but it wasn't.
Once they started talking about work, industry gossip, and things you couldn't really follow, you realized you were going to be standing there for a while. The conversation had that tone people got when they were talking shop, and you knew better than to interrupt.
You didn't even really have to go, but it was an excuse—something to do other than hover awkwardly beside your friend while she networked her way through the party.
You told Nakamura that you'll be back. She gave you a quick nod, and you left.
Luckily, the bathroom wasn't far from where you were sitting, but it was crowded. People were dancing and moving with the music.
You managed to get through the crowd and found another hallway. This one was shorter and quieter, leading to a lower section of the party where the music was still present but less overwhelming. The atmosphere changed almost immediately. The lights were dimmer here, the air cooler, and the noise felt more muffled, like you'd stepped into a pocket of the party that belonged to a different world.
There were lots of people here, too, but not as crowded as it was upstairs.
One guy, who was leaning against the wall, pushed himself off just as you were walking past him.
Your shoulders collided, but because he was much bigger than you, you ended up stumbling to the side with a small yelp.
Your back hit someone else, but before you could lose your balance completely, two hands landed on your shoulders and steadied you.
"Whoa, you okay?"
You look over your shoulder.
The boy who had caught you was taller than you, but definitely a teenager. He wore a dark hoodie that shadowed part of his face, and for one brief second, all you registered was the easy confidence in the way he stood there, the casual tilt of his posture, the unsettling sense that he didn't look surprised at all.
Then your eyes caught on the sunglasses sitting low on his nose, just enough to reveal a glimpse of those familiar golden eyes beneath them.
And then there was the red hair peeking from his hoodie, which was the final clue of who this person was.
Your brain promptly stopped functioning.
The redhead looked down at your shoes.
He grinned. "Nice shoes."
You just stared at him, mouth slightly open, all coherent thought abandoning you in the span of a heartbeat.
Karma didn't say anything and let you go. He walked off, hands in his pockets, walking down with all that confidence.
When it finally hit you, a lightning bolt hit you.
'Karma Akabane?!'
You bolted down the hallway to follow him.
It wasn't easy, though. The people dancing didn't care about your problems and made no clear path for you.
You squirmed, pushed through, and probably even elbowed someone, but you don't care.
You managed to find the front door, zoom past the bodyguards and climbed up the stairs.
You slammed the door open, and you burst out into the night.
Cold air slapped against your face, a welcoming feeling you couldn't enjoy at the moment.
You ran out of the alleyway and into the street, wildly trying to find the redhead idol.
And you did spot the red-haired boy. He hopped into a black car before you could say anything.
You could only watch the car drive away.
You covered your face, almost letting out a scream.
[The next day]
"(Y/n)." Your best friend narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure it was him?"
Last night, all you could talk about was that you met the Karma Akabane. She had a hard time believing you and figured you would get over it by morning, or at least thought about it more clearly now.
Seriously, what are the chances of you coincidentally running into your favourite idol in such a large city like Tokyo?
"For the hundredth time—yes!" you snapped, though there was no real anger in it. Just desperate excitement.
"But he was wearing sunglasses and a hoodie."
"You think I wouldn't have recognized his voice? Also, I recognize the sunglasses he wore. He's been wearing it for a couple of months now, after that trip to America. Here, let me show you."
You whipped out your phone and started looking through your saved pictures of the redhead.
Nakamura could only stare at you dully. "You know, when I look at people like you, it makes me want to not become an idol."
You ignored her and showed her the pictures of the time he wore those glasses. "See?"
Nakamura dully looks at the picture, then studies the desperate look on your face. She understands how much of a fan you are, but she never considered you to be obsessed with Karma to an unhealthy degree.
If you looked this desperate, then you're most likely telling the truth.
Nakamura sighed and lowered your phone away from her face. "Okay, okay. I believe you."
"He was right there. H-he grabbed my shoulders, complimented my shoes, and what did I do?"
"Stood there like an idiot?"
"Stood there like an idiot!" You repeated with a groan.
You dramatically fall back onto your bed.
You could have said anything. Literally anything. You could have told him you loved his new album. You could have asked for a photo. You could have introduced yourself like a normal person instead of silently staring at him like your soul had left your body.
There were so many options.
Nakamura patted your knee for reassurance.
But that was not good enough.
You spring back up.
"I have to see him again." You said with determination.
"How? Are you gonna break into his house?" She jokes.
You glared at her. "No. I'm going back to that party."
Nakamura's eyes widen. "What? You can't."
"Why not? We were there together yesterday."
"Yeah." She said flatly. "Together." She pointed at you and herself. "My senior was also there to keep us out of trouble. You shouldn't go alone."
"Alone?" You furrowed your brows. "Won't you come with me?"
"I can't even if I wanted to. My debut is next week. My group needs me tonight."
You felt the urge to beg but kept calm. You shouldn't be immature. This is her dream, and she shouldn't treat it so carelessly just because you were dumb enough to let a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to properly meet Karma slip away through your fingers.
'Guess I'll just go alone-'
"You are not going alone," Nakamura warned as if she were reading your mind.
Your shoulders jumped.
"What? You're the one who begged me to go with you in the first place."
Nakamura sighed, showing a stricter side to her that you rarely ever see. "Again. We went there together. Going alone is a little dangerous. Some of the guys there are real sleazebags."
"But I have to go." You whined, not thinking clearly about her warning.
There was some back and forth between the two of you. And even though Nakamura feels bad for being so firm with you, she doesn't think it's worth the risk.
Even if it means seeing your idol again.
"(Y/n)," she glared. "If you go to that party, I'm telling your mother."
You gaped at her.
Your mother?
That was low.
You outright glared at her, but after a minute, you just clicked your tongue.
"Fine. I won't go."
[Later that night]
'I'm sorry, Nakamura.'
You felt really bad for going against your best friend, but you really want to meet Karma again. You just have to!
So, you wore a cute outfit, applied some light makeup and did your hair just right. You had no problem leaving the house. All you had to do was tell your parents that you were going to a friend's house for dinner. Your parents didn't question your outfit, since you wore a large, bright red hoodie over it.
It kinda ruined the outfit, but whatever. You'll just take it off before you meet Karma.
That is, if you can ever get into the party.
You went on your toes to see how many more people there were in front of you.
Tonight there was a line-up unlike yesterday. Not a long one, thankfully, but that didn't mean you were any less patient. You tapped your foot, checked your phone and mentally snapped at the bodyguard who was supposedly taking too long.
Finally, it was your turn.
"Name?"
"H-Hi." You smiled nervously. "My name is (y/n) (l/n). I was here with Nakamura yesterday."
He scans the clipboard once.
"You're not on the list."
You winced. "B-but I was here yesterday." You lamely protested.
No reaction.
"You are not on the list." He stressed his words more this time.
He won't budge. Of course, he wouldn't. You're just some nameless teenage girl.
Your face flushed, mostly because of embarrassment but also because of anger.
You were about to give up and head out, but someone slung an arm over your shoulder.
"Aw, c'mon, let the poor girl in. I'll let her join my group."
It was a boy you had never seen before. You were about to pull away from him, but the bodyguard looked at the boy once, nodded and opened the door for him and his friends.
You blinked in surprise.
This isn't going how you planned, and you don't like the idea of this guy casually touching you like this, but whatever. You're in, and that's all that mattered.
You just have to find Karma and ditch these guys.
But that was hard. This creep seemed determined to keep you around.
Apparently, his date flaked on him, and he was the only one in his group who didn't have a girl.
Not that that was your problem. You kept ignoring the guy, who was clearly hoping to score with you by trying to brag about how much money his family had.
You didn't care. Because he wasn't Karma.
After thirty minutes, you were at the point where you wanted to put your foot down.
His friends left him and you alone, doing God knows what. He was chatting your ear off, near a wall. You weren't listening and just kept looking around the crowd.
"Hey, um... I see my friend... so." You slid a foot back, gesturing that you want to leave.
The guy narrowed his eyes at you. "Why are you being like this? I'm the whole reason you're here."
You gulped, not enjoying that tone he was using on you.
He seemed to have noticed his mistake of luring you in, so he cleared his throat and grinned.
"My friends and I are going to my place after this. You should come. It's going to be wicked cool now that the pool is working again. And you won't be the only girl there."
You don't care if he has a pool, and you don't care if you want to be the only girl at that party. You weren't even supposed to be in this one.
Does he really think you're some reckless girl who is looking to party and drink?
You came here, lied to your best friend and to your parents for one reason and one reason only.
The frustrating feeling bubbling up in your chest didn't match your expression, however. Because you never had to deal with this alone.
Nakamura was always the one to shoo boys away whenever they made you uncomfortable.
But Nakamura wasn't here.
And suddenly you felt that absence very sharply.
Maybe you should have listened to her. Maybe you shouldn't have come here. At least not alone.
You were starting to feel like this wasn't worth it. You couldn't even find Karma, and there was no guarantee that he would be here tonight a second time.
"Oh, there you are." A voice from behind cut through. It sounded smooth and effortless. Before you could turn around, that person put an arm around your shoulder.
You froze.
The boy beside you was warm through the thin fabric of your clothes, and when you looked up, your breath caught so sharply it almost hurt. Red hair. Sunglasses. Black hoodie. That lazy, half-amused posture.
Karma Akabane stood beside you like he had every right to be there.
The guy beside you straightened, trying to recover his confidence. "Who are you?"
Karma ignored him like he was nothing and instead kept his focus on you.
"I told you not to wander off like that." He acted like the two of you have been friends forever. "You never listen, do you?" He said it so naturally that for one wild second, you almost believed him.
The working part of your brain was screaming at you to say something and acknowledge that he was trying to help you.
Agree. Nod. Play along.
But all you could do was stare.
Your silence wasn't helping you because the guy was now suspicious.
"I don't think she knows you." He called him out.
You felt your stomach drop.
But Karma didn't even flinch.
He just smiled and looked at you. "Uh-oh, we got caught." He said playfully.
Then, before you could react, he took your hand. "Let's go already." He takes your hand and pulls you away so you both can run off together.
Your breath hitched.
You don't protest or make any sort of attempt to stay, even when you hear the guy shout for you to come back.
Your stomach flipped so violently, it nearly made you dizzy.
He led you through the crowd with easy confidence, slipping between clusters of people like he knew exactly where he was going. You barely noticed the faces turning, the music changing pitch as you moved farther from the center of the party, the strange mix of heat and perfume and alcohol fading behind you. All you could really focus on was the feeling of being pulled along by someone you had spent months imagining seeing in real life.
Your pulse thudded in your ears so loudly you were sure it would embarrass you if he turned around and noticed.
Karma took you down a side hall that was dimmer than the main floor, quieter too, with the bass reduced to a dull vibration. The hallway smelled faintly cleaner, like the farther you went, the more you were leaving the chaos behind. There were fewer people here, mostly staff moving in and out of doors or guests looking for somewhere to escape the noise.
At the end of the hall, Karma stopped beside a door, only briefly, just to open it. He pushes you inside.
You stumbled, almost losing your footing.
Inside was a private room. It was small but comfortably furnished, with a low sofa against one wall, a table with untouched drinks, and softer lighting that made the space feel almost unreal compared to the loudness of the party outside.
Karma looked left and right like he was some criminal. He stepped into the room and shut the door.
Now the room was quiet enough for you to hear your own breathing.
"Ah." Karma lazily rubbed his neck. "My manager would flip if he found out about this." He muttered.
Karma looked back, and you flinched.
This is not happening. There was no way that Karma Akabane was standing in front of you. He was actually standing in front of you.
No amount of photos, clips, or fan edits had prepared you for how real he looked like this. The sharp line of his jaw, the lazy confidence in his posture, the half-mischievous expression like he knew exactly how much trouble he caused just by existing.
"Uh, you know you shouldn't be in a place like this." He smiled lazily, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.
It wasn't any of his business what you do in your free time, but after seeing how uncomfortable you looked with that guy, he felt inclined to at least warn you.
One glance and he can immediately tell you don't belong in a place like this.
"Oh, um..." You fumbled with your words.
You wanted to say something. Anything. Something cool, something normal, something that would prove your brain wasn't absolutely dissolving under the pressure of standing in front of Karma Akabane.
"I-I'm sorry." You finally managed to say. "I was just..."
You just wanted to see him.
"Haha, so you can talk," Karma said, amusingly.
You blushed as you remembered how brain-dead you looked when he was trying to help you, and the other night when you had the chance to talk to him.
"Thanks..." You intertwined your fingers together tightly to keep them from trembling. "For helping me."
Karma merely shrugged. "Yeah, well. I need to do at least one good thing every now and then. Anyway, do you have a ride back home, or do you want me to call you a cab?"
Your body stiffened, realizing this meeting was going to end soon.
"W-wait," you raised your voice. You cleared your throat. "Sorry. To be honest, I really don't like parties. I only came here again because I was hoping to see you again."
When you said it out loud, you felt a twinge of embarrassment in your chest.
'Oh great. Does he think I'm some kind of stalker?'
Whether Karma looked annoyed with you or not, he never showed it on his face.
"You were willing to put up with some creepy guy just to meet yours truly, huh? Well, not the craziest thing I've heard a fan would do for me."
You weren't sure if he was making fun of you or not, or if he was just amused by your actions. Could be both.
"So, are you gonna kidnap or something?" He cheekily grinned and even extended his arms for you to tie him up.
You know he was kidding, but you still furrowed your brows concerningly. "Aren't you worried I would?"
You trust him, but he doesn't know you. You've heard the lengths some of his so called fan would go through just to be near the guy.
Karma laughed at your question. His laugh was something you heard a dozen times before, but only through a screen. Hearing it live sounded better.
The redhead's laughter died down. "Even if you did try to knock me out, I think I can take you on. Anyway," Karma lifts his sunglasses up, letting them rest on his head. "Why don't you tell me your name?"
Your heart skipped a beat.
He wants to know your name. Your name.
"My name? My name is (y/n) (l/n)." You smiled politely. You hope he will always remember it.
Before you could say anything else, a voice echoed faintly from outside the room.
Someone out in the hallway was calling out to Karma.
Karma's smile faded, replaced with somewhat of an annoyed look, but he did look pretty tense.
Karma signals you to stay quiet and carefully opens the door to poke his head out.
Down the hall, he can see his manager checking door to door. Karma was in the very last room, but it won't take long for him to reach this one.
Karma clicked his tongue and quickly but quietly shut the door. He lowers his head with a sigh, trying to figure out a way to escape.
There were no windows and only one way to make it back to the party.
Then it clicks him.
He snaps his head to you.
"Switch hoodies with me." He ordered as he unzipped his.
"Huh?" You squeaked, clutching your clothes.
Meanwhile, out in the hallway, Karma's manager was still going door to door, looking for that rebellious redhead.
Each room was either empty or had teenagers making out or doing drugs.
When he shuts the fifth door, a teenager with a black hoodie zooms past him.
"Ah, hey!" He runs after you.
Your heart was racing faster than ever before.
"I said stop it, you brat!"
You didn't stop. Not until you were far enough to give Karma the chance to escape.
You made it back to the dance floor. You purposely slowed your pace, but you supposed you didn't have to since there were so many people in your way.
A hand shot out and grabbed your shoulder.
"There you are. How many times do I have to-"
You turned your head, and immediately the manager pulled away with a guilty look.
"Ah! I'm so sorry!" He bowed. "I thought you were someone else."
He quickly ran off, but not without bumping into a few other dancers.
"Phew." You placed a hand over your beating heart.
'I hope Karma managed to escape.'
Ah, but you need to find him quickly. As much as you would rather keep his hoodie and sunglasses, you knew you had to do the right thing and return them.
Also, your phone was in your hoodie, and your parents will kill you if you ever lose it.
You decided it was time to finally leave this party.
You left the underground party and stepped into the dark night.
At first, a part of you expected Karma to be long gone by now. So you were startled when you saw him leaning against the wall, next to the door.
"Hiya." The redhead idol greets you. He pushes himself off the wall. "Thanks for helping me out."
You smiled, your heart fluttering at the appreciation. "You're welcome. I'm guessing you need your stuff back."
"Nah," he dismisses you. "Keep it. Mind if I keep yours?" He grins, tugging the hood of your sweater.
Your shoulders jump. "R-really?"
"Why not? It's my way of saying thanks." Karma said as he slipped your phone out of the pocket. "But I'm pretty sure you want this back." He said just as he tapped something on your phone.
The next thing you knew, Karma put an arm around you, pulling you closer to him as he raised your phone.
Your mind went beautifully, hopelessly blank.
Click.
Karma lowered the phone, gave it back to you, and looked pleased with himself.
"Hope I'll see you at my next concert." He grinned.
Once again, you could only stand there, with your phone clutched in your hands as you watch your celebrity crush run off into the night.
A couple of teens walked past you after leaving the party, but you paid them no mind. The sounds they made did bring you back to reality.
You blinked.
Looked down.
With trembling fingers, you opened your phone and searched for the picture.
And there it was.
Proof.
Real, impossible, undeniable proof.
Karma beside you, grinning at the camera, flashing a peace sign, looking like he had done this a hundred times with you. You looked startled in it. Your eyes were wide, cheeks flushed, halfway between disbelief and a dream.
A small squeal escaped you as you hugged your phone and jumped up and down.
Tomorrow, Nakamura will definitely give you a huge lecture for disobeying her, but you're prepared for that. What she isn't prepared for is the number of times you were going to keep bringing up this magical night.