The Girl Who Loved A Beautiful Devil ~Karma AkabaneXReader~

Chapter 7

 Akabane Karma was unwilling to tell me anything about him.

In reality, he was a very secretive person who formed bonds and relationships with others easily without needing to share more than a modicum of his own personal life with them because he was able to get away with that as one of the perks of his good-looks and persuasive words.

That was what I had figured out while I sat on his bed with my notebook and pen in my lap, endeavoring to give a proper diagnosis to the redhead's mental state with the little amount of information that I'd gathered from observing him since our first encounter. I sighed as I failed my task once again, but it wasn't really my fault though, the real one to blame was Karma who kept on refusing to give me any information about himself.

"Karma-kun," I said, feeling slightly defeated and very frustrated. "Please, be cooperative with me. You have to at least give me something to work with, I can't do my job if you keep shutting me out."

Karma, who sat beside me on his bed, looked up from the manga he was reading and gave me an almost bored expression. "I don't see why I have to, you were the one who said that all you wanted to do was observe me, so you should be able to use what you've gathered."

"Yes, but I also said that you had to talk, answer my questions in order for me to observe you." I replied a bit harsher than I'd intended. Realizing my mistake, I let out another exasperated sigh and ran a hand through my hair. "Please, Karma-kun... I can't help you if you won't let me..."

He stared at me for a moment before he put down his manga and shifted himself closer to me on the bed, a noticeable smirk forming on his lips. "You're rather cute when you're frustrated, (L/ N)-san," he said as his mercury eyes took in the sight of me. "And I forgot to ask you yesterday, but what's with that hideous scarf that you're wearing?"

I glared at him. "This scarf was made by my grandma!"

"And it's hideous," Karma said bluntly and reached his hands out for it.

I puffed out my cheeks, feeling offended, but I didn't protest as he took the scarf off of me. "Well, it can't be helped, I had to find a way to hide the hickey that you'd given me that day. So technically, you're the one who's to blame here." I said accusingly but it didn't seem to bother him one bit.

"You've wounded me, (L/ N)-san," he forged false hurt as he placed a hand to his heart. "And it's not because of your little accusation, but because you hid my mark from the rest of the world." He said, his voice lowering into a husky tone that was able to send a slight tingle down my spine. He leaned forward, resting his chin on my shoulder and whispered, "I want everyone to know that you're mine and only mine."

I felt my cheeks burn upon hearing his words and the intimate- not to mention seductive way- that he'd said it. I cleared my throat, attempting to regain my composure. "I'm your doctor, that's all. And since you're so reluctant to give me any information about yourself, how about we try this: I'll tell you something about myself that you don't know, and in return you do the same, so it's really like a fact exchange or the sorts."

Karma took a second to consider my suggestion before replying with a smirk. "That sounds quite interesting indeed, (L/ N)-san, I'm in, but you go first."

I sighed, vaguely relieved that he'd finally agreed to cooperate. I then racked my brain for random facts about myself, even putting the effort to bring out old memories from my childhood that I thought Karma might find interesting or amusing at the least. "Okay, I'm not allowed to have pets." I stated matter-of-factly and Karma cocked an eyebrow at me, the smirk never leaving his face as he asked, "And why is that, (L/ N)-san?"

I hesitated but told him in the end. "It's because... I might've forgotten to feed my pet goldfish once... or maybe a whole month... when I was little..." I kept my head down in embarrassment as I explained but my head immediately snapped up upon hearing Karma's loud laughter fill the room.

My cheeks flushed crimson and I slapped Karma's arm. "Stop laughing at me!" I exclaimed, flustered. It took him a few seconds until his laughter had eventually died down and he was ridding himself of the last few laughs as he said, "Wow, (L/ N)-san, I didn't expect you to be such an irresponsible kid."

I crossed my arms over my chest and huffed. "I had a short-attention-span back then, and it's your turn." I reminded him then added, "Also please tell me something that would be of some use to me to figure out your diagnosis."

Karma paused for a moment to think and my arms tightened over each other as I waited anxiously for him to speak. "Alright, I've got one," he said at last and I placed my full attention on him; I didn't think I'd ever felt so nervous in my life. "I got sent to the End Class because my homeroom teacher, whom I'd trusted like no one else, betrayed me."

My eyes widened as his words sunk into my mind; betrayal, was that cause for his rumored violent behavior? I kept my gaze locked on Karma; his face impassive as he stared right back at me as though he was waiting to observe my reactions to this tragic piece of his mysterious past. "How... did he betray you exactly...?" I inquired a bit hesitantly despite the growing curiosity to know every single detail of his unknown past.

"I can't do that, (L/ N)-san," he simply gave a light shake of his head and I was about to question him when he answered, "You have to tell me something else about yourself first and then I'll explain."

My jaw clenched in chagrin but I was too tired to fight with him. "Fine," I sighed tiredly. "When I was seven, I fell down and broke my wrist while I was trying to learn how to ride a bike."

A snicker left Karma's lips which caused me to shoot a vicious glare in his direction but he just smiled at me and asked, "Which wrist was it?"

I raised an eyebrow, vaguely baffled by his abrupt inquiry, but I answered anyway. "My left one." I replied and held up my left wrist, bending it to show that it had obviously healed over the past eight years.

I expected Karma to make a witty remark, but instead, he reached out, grabbed my arm and pulled my wrist towards him. My earlier blush returned to my cheeks as I watched speechlessly as he pressed his soft lips on my wrist, giving it a gentle butterfly kiss that made my heartbeat skip in my chest. He gave me a smirk after he'd pulled away and I felt my face burn like never before.

"Karma-kun... I thought I'd told you not to flirt-"

"I'm not," he said, his mercury-hued-eyes never once leaving mine. "I'm merely just showing my concern for my doctor."

A small smile tugged at the edges of my lips and I simply rolled my eyes. "That happened eight years ago, I think you're too late to be concerning yourself about it."

"I think that would be up to me to decide, (L/ N)-san," he smirked and released my arm. "And if I remembered correctly, you wanted an explanation, right?"

I nodded, silently urging for him to continue.

Karma breathed out a sigh and started, "I had always looked up to that teacher of mine, always trusted him like the best friend that I never got to have, and he told me that he'd support me as long as I'm doing the right thing. But one day during the end of my second year, I saw a third-year beating up a kid from the E Class, I was pissed, so I went and beat him up, got him sent to the hospital. I thought what I was doing was the right thing- no, it was the right thing- and yet, that teacher told me that I was wrong, wrong to protect a poor, bullied kid from the End Class and instead injured a spoiled brat from the A Class."

"Karma-kun..." I murmured when he stopped talking and had gone quiet.

"And that's how that traitorous teacher betrayed me," he mumbled, ignoring me. "And I hated all teachers ever since, I even wanted to kill one at one point."

I furrowed my eyebrows and bit down on my bottom lip before asking, "Then does that also apply to your current teacher?"

"Koro-sensei?" a ghost of a smile crossed his face as he spoke his name. "I can't really say, he's... a different case."

"I see." I nodded in understanding; I did get it, or at least I'd tried to. What he'd gone through with his old teacher; that was something no student should ever have to go through, no matter how violent or problematic they are, a teacher should never abandon them.

"It's your turn," I heard Karma say which escaped me from my thoughts. I gave him a puzzled look and he clarified, "I told you more than I was meant to tell, so in return, you have to tell me one more thing about yourself."

I looked at him; I could see from the slight sense of melancholy in his mercury eyes that what he'd told me took a lot of effort and courage to do so, and so, I agreed. "Alright."

Karma stared at me expectantly and I cracked a small smile for his sake. "Do you remember that... kiss from the other day?" I asked him and I reflexively bit down on my bottom lip as though I could still taste his lips on mine. He nodded. "That... was actually my first kiss."

I noticed his eyes widened, just ever-so-slightly, and it made me smile. "Really?" he questioned, his tone devoid of any mock or teasing, there was only surprise. "Yes." I replied.

He became quiet for several moments but he then leaned in closer to me until our faces were only inches apart, our warm breaths mingling. "That," he began with a lopsided smile. "Makes me want to apologize to you all over again."

"You don't have to apologize for anything, Karma-kun," I said, my tone insistent. "To be honest, I actually kind of liked it..."

Karma's smile turned into a devilish smirk as he murmured huskily, "You have very lewd tastes, (L/ N)-san."

I flushed florid. "D-don't say inappropriate things like that, Karma-kun."

He chuckled and I felt my breath caught within my throat at the sweet sound. "But seriously though, I want to make it up to you."

I smirked when I caught his hint. "And does that involve you kissing me right now?"

"Maybe." He grinned, showing his canine teeth.

"Sorry, as tempting it is to fool around with you," I whispered, smiling and sat back, creating more distance between us. "I can't, I have to keep up my professionalism."

Karma rolled his beautiful mercury eyes. "Professionalism sucks."

I chuckled at his childishness. "Indeed it does, Karma-kun, indeed it does."