The only one(Fem Karma x Asano)

Chapter 22 He asked her out and she said yes

to Karma, this was unacceptable: "No way in hell, what about the timing?"

"We know that we have the same time,"

"Ugh, true" the girl bit her lip.

Meanwhile, the room erupted into another wave of laughter, crying, wailing and shouting. It was difficult to tell whether those noises meant something bad or good since the only thing anyone could make out were words "HOLY SHIT" and "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!".

However, all the ruckus eventually died out and they were back to the usual ear-piercing attempts of karaoke singing.

As far as Karma was concerned- her plan has been foiled and although she would never admit it, it hurt more than she thought was possible. It was hard to say why - because she made so much effort to actually ensure she would win? Or because she was once again left to wonder for who knows how long? Whatever it was, it didn't change the fact that she was now sitting on the ugly piece of furniture in an ugly room with people she never really liked and a person whom she maybe liked too much who was also wearing a necktie of the ugliest colour in this world.

Her change in mood didn't go unnoticed by Asano. Frankly, he could have left her be, gone and enjoyed himself with others because despite everything else, he was first and didn't have to abide by Akabane's ridiculous orders. But he didn't. Instead, he chose to sit next to her for twenty minutes, quietly, thinking of a way to enliven the atmosphere a bit.

"So... about the bet," he started, knowing very well that this was the stupidest thing he was about to do.

"Forget it," the redhead however cut him off.

"No, wait, I actually want to suggest something," he said and Karma raised an eyebrow questioningly. But she didn't shut him up so he took it as a cue to continue.

"Since we both won, why don't we like... both make a request? Or whatever it is that you wanted,"

And yeah, maybe he was nuts, but this posed to be quite a good opportunity for what he wanted to do and he doubted there would ever be another chance. That's why he decided to take the plunge.

"I will say mine first though," Asano cleared his throat, already feeling the rapid beat of his heart. Ugh, seriously. Seriously. This was so stupid. So silly. So so so so embarassing.

"G-go with me to the cinema. Next Saturday, 2 p.m. It's supposed to be a good film. And if you don't want to, use your right for a request to make me withdraw mine."

He never thought he could speak this quick but it turned out that he could, and it only took him one breath. Sure, he was feeling hot and dizzy now, but whatever.

However, judging from Karma's face, she might have not understood everything. She was looking at him with wide, confused eyes, not saying anything.

Was it too quick? Or did she not hear it because of the karaoke? Or was this such a bad request she couldn't help but UGH WHATEVER GODDAMN IT

"Forget what I said while I go and bury myself, please forget that you know me I'm nothing but air, just an ilusion that your mind created to kill time, so-"

"Okay,"

This sudden response made him freeze.

"What?" he almost choked, the blood in his face making it hard to focus.

"Okay, let's go," she repeated louder this time, and was that blush he saw?

"You... agree?" He asked sheepishly and if he wasn't red before, he was bloody flaring now.

"Yeah, sounds fun,"

With that, she broke the eye contact, suddenly eyeing her drink that became like thousand times more interesting than before. Because it was so... odd. Just a while ago, she was bored out of her mind, listening to the worse singing ever, sitting on the most uncomfortable sofa, suffering the most awkward half an hour of her life, spending it with the most obnoxious person she knew, yet at this very moment, all the bad disappeared. It was like in that dream of hers. The boring setup of a classroom that suddenly shifted to a medow of flowers, though this time, they weren't burning. They were blooming. And they weren't that ugly anymore, not even though they were yellow and too optimistic to be true.

She could remember how happy she felt in that dream, but if that was what one would call happiness, then what she felt right now was a bliss.

And it took both of them about another ten minutes of dull staring and thinking, loading, loading, loading, until it clicked that...

Asano asked Akabane out,

and she said yes.