Project: Karma

28 | 1 Day

<Nagisa>
Since Karma arrived, it has only been 30 minutes. He sat across from me at the mini coffee table and just stared while I finished reading the pamphlet.

"Did you know about this?" I asked.

"Sort of. I was listening to that octopus brain talking to miss Shizuka about it. She flat out rejected taking me with her so Koro-Sensei sent me to you instead." He explained.

"Right." I laid my arms on the table.

"Aren't you supposed to be sleeping at this time? You looked wide awake when I arrived." Karma asked.

"Huh? Oh...well you see-"

"Late night studying?" He pinched my cheeks.
I inched back as I felt captivated by him. Wait, why does everyone pinch my cheeks?

I placed my hands on both of them and looked up. Only to see Karma laughing about.

"Did I hurt you?" He chuckled.

"No, not at all." I shook my head.

"You better go to sleep now." Karma said.

"No, I'll stay up with you." I hugged my legs.

"And how will you do that? You have bags under your eyes. I think it's time to call it a night." Karma stood up.

"No!" I rejected. Whoops...a little too loud?

Karma titled his head.
"S-sorry. I didn't mean to shout like that." My body felt this odd sensation of warmth. Was it because Karma was here? He's been at my place before? Why am I like this?

"It's just that I have 24 hours with you. You need experience in the outside world. I don't think sleep will help you at this rate." I spoke.

"So you're saying that you're doing to pull an all nighter?" He crossed his arms and sat back down. Like he couldn't believe I was suggesting that.

"In the words, yes I am." I got up and rummaged through my fridge and grabbed energy drinks and snacks to keep me fueled. At least mentally. I hope I don't gain weight by eating midnight snacking.

"Ready?" Karma asked taking a can from my arms.

"Just tell me when you give up. I'll wait." He made an expression that made me want to stay up even more. Like he was challenging me.

"Alright." I opened my first can and gulped it down.
"Ahhh." I felt suddenly relaxed and glanced over at Karma who took the time to watch me. His eyes following only me.
••••••
<Karma>
I counted the cans that she had chugged down  and ended up throwing away the bags of chips she had munched on. As I came back to her side. I knelt on the floor besides her.

"How are you holding up?" I shook her arm in which she was laying on. "Sleepy?"

Instead of words, she groaned and slightly moved. However she went back into the same position. I looked over at the clock and saw that it was 3:15am. But hey, she did surprise me. I thought she would pass out after her 2nd drink.

"Alright, time for bed." I took Nagisa by the waist and princess carried her to her bedroom.

"No, not yet..." She softly spoke.

"Will it make you feel any better if I said I would sleep next to you?" I questioned.

At first there was a silence that dominated. Until it was broken with her words.

"Yes." She spoke bluntly.

I found it funny how childlike she really was while she's exhausted. Sometimes she doesn't show this side of her, but I'm glad that she's able to show it to me.

I set her down and I could tell that she was already dozing off. I snuck into bed with her and covered her with the blankets.
For artificial humans like us, we're programmed to survive without sleep. However it's a function in which we can rely on when we want an additional recharge.

Unlike Nagisa, a human. She knows how to be comfortable. Warm and cozy. Me? I know what it is. These feelings, but it's not taken the same. How could a machine like me be able to feel physical warmth of another and know the feelings connected?

"Karma...?" Nagisa rolled slowly over and faced me. Her eyes shut but her lips moving.

"Yeah?" I asked as her face was relatively close to mine. "Need anything?"

She didn't say anything but her arms slowly inched over to grab my hand. She held it within her's and we stayed like that. I found it rather cute. Like always. She doesn't say much about things like this. However it's obvious through her actions.
I leaned in and kissed her bare forehead.

"Good night Nagisa."
••••••
<Nagisa>
...huh? Why can't I move? I felt contained and space didn't seem to have existed. I opened my eyes from my slumber to see that Karma's chest in my view. He held me in his arms like a baby cub. His arms and my arms wrapped around each other like paperclips and paper.

Little did I know, he didn't have a scent. I guess that logically...knowing that he is a robot. I took my hands and ran my fingers along his artificial face. So humanlike.
Everything about him externally, was human. And everything about him internally, was robotic. How fear and sadness clouded my brain.

Before I knew it. The sun had risen on and the birds had perched on my window ledge. The pattering of the dripping water from the faucet. The bed that he and I shared. The breath that he and I heard.

"Good morning, again. Karma."

He looked at me, like he was fully awake from the start. He scooted out of bed and hung his arm out for me.

"Good morning." He gleamed. "How shall we spend our day Nagisa?"

I hesitantly reached for his hand and held it.
"Anywhere that interests you." I allowed.

The clock stared at me, it's arms ticking. It was 7am and time had began to slip away. Even if we had tried to stop time. Time doesn't wait around. Not for us. Not for anyone.