(Your POV)
"I'm sorry I took so long," Akiro apologized rather awkwardly. "Did you have to wait for a long time?"
You blinked a few times, not giving credit of what you were seeing. Wasn't your father supposed to pick you up? Hadn't you been mentally preparing yourself for the last few minutes to face your father? So what was your brother doing here?
"(L/N)?" The nurse asked, "is everything okay? This is your brother, right?"
"Ye-Yeah," you stammered. "But, wasn't my father supposed to come pick me up?" You couldn't help but ask.
"They weren't home," she frowned. "Didn't I tell you that?"
Oh... So that was what you missed when you zoned out. Was that also the reason why Karma had asked you about your brother?
"Oh yeah," you began to slowly nod your head. "Sorry, I forgot," you chuckled nervously to hide your embarrassment.
Once you were out of school grounds, you got inside your brother's car and he began driving home.
"So..." he awkwardly cleared his throat, "you passed out..."
"Yeah..." you agreed, nodding awkwardly.
"Are you... okay?" He frowned, stealing a glance to check your face.
"I'm fine."
The both of you remained silent, not really knowing what to say. Your relationship had improved, that was for sure... but you hadn't talked since yesterday, when he told you he was moving out.
"So..." you said, chewing on the inside of your cheek, "do you know when you'll be moving out?"
"I'm not really sure... maybe a month or two..." he replied. "I have to consider quite a lot of things, you know?"
'But you aren't considering me?' You thought rather bitterly. 'Wait, no,' you scolded yourself. Now was not the time to hold a grudge.
"Did you have fun today?" You asked, although your tone was more snarky than you had anticipated.
"Uh... I guess," he frowned.
You scolded yourself once again. What was wrong with you?
After that question you had asked, the drive home was spent in silence as you listened to the radio.
Pursing your lips, you recalled your conversation with Karma. In his eyes, it wasn't right what your brother was doing and part of you couldn't help but agree with him. You were supposed to be in this together, so why was he leaving you alone with your parents? However, the other part of you disagreed. Your brother was finally getting his life back, he was finally getting to study what he wanted and you didn't want to be the one to stop him....
Once you finally arrived home, he pulled over and parked the car in the garage.
"(Y/N)," he turned off the engine, his voice unsure. "Do you... do you really think father will hate me once I leave?" He frowned, his eyes glued to the front as if he was purposely trying to avoid your gaze.
You thought about it. You weren't a hundred percent sure but as much as it hurt you to say it, it was most likely that his fear would come true. Seeing as he was giving up following your father's footsteps, you were pretty sure he would be shunned from the family.
"I... I don't know," you lied.
"I know you're lying," he sighed as he finally made eye contact with you.
His piercing, blood red eyes stared at you in silence as you couldn't help but gulp at the intensity. He could sometimes be so... intimidating. And for a moment there, you felt like it was your father staring at you.
"But... thanks for saying that..." he broke the silence, your father's image seeming to disappear into thin air as it was replaced by your brother once again. "I really needed it," he sighed, leaning against the headrest.
His shoulders drooped, exhaustion washing over him and you couldn't help but feel sad for him. Moving out and leaving behind the family's appearances wasn't as easy as you had thought and your brother was proof of that. Even after your father had controlled his whole life, your brother still found it difficult to leave, he still found it difficult to say goodbye.
But honestly, you were glad he was finally gathering the courage to live his own life. You yourself knew that you didn't have what it took to finally say goodbye. Even if you didn't like to admit it, you wouldn't have the strength to leave your mother behind. It would be easier if she was a complete monster, but she wasn't. She was human, just like everybody else.
Sure what she was doing wasn't acceptable, but every now and then, she would show you her caring and loving side, the one she used to show you when you were little. And whenever that happened, you couldn't help but wish that you could help her someway. Deep inside you, you hoped that, by following her rules, the mother from your childhood would come back.
That was why, right now, you couldn't help but admire the strength your brother was showing you. Your father had ignored you your whole life, but he hadn't ignored your brother which was why he was now having such a hard time leaving. After all, you didn't know your brother's full story.
Maybe his childhood was similar to yours, a time when your father was a loving and caring parent. Or maybe his experience was completely different. He may not have received as much love as you did from your mother but your father was there for him even if it sometimes didn't seem like it. Your father was indeed more detached from his emotions than your mother, but he did show it in his own way. You had seen it whenever they left to go camping and even in the way he looked at your brother. Not only whenever he did something good, but also when he wasn't looking.
So, after years of keeping up with the family's appearances, your brother was finally getting to live his own life and although it required a lot of courage and strength to take that step towards such an uncertain future, you were sure he would succeed.
It was then that you finally understood. Your brother wasn't being entirely selfish. Neither of you were. It was to be expected for you to not want him to leave, but it was also to be expected that he would want to move on. The only thing you could do was cheer for him and hope that he would be able to achieve his goal.
"Akiro," you called out before he had the chance to sit up. He frowned upon hearing his name, turning his head to look at you. "I know how difficult it must be," you began, "I know I wouldn't have the strength to do what you're doing," you voiced out your thoughts, "but I know it's the right thing to do," you smiled to reassure him of his decision. "You'll finally get to study what you want and enjoy your own life. I don't know if father will actually hate you, but even if he does... I-I'll be here for you," you stammered the last part, not used to showing so much raw emotion to your brother.
"I-... thank you," a small, grateful smile tugged the corners of his lips.
_________________________
You slowly opened your eyes, adjusting them to the bright rays of sunlight coming through the silk curtains of your bedroom. Your whole body ached and you blamed your mother and Mrs Shirai for it.
An ice skating competition was coming up and this time, you had little time to prepare for it. The competition would be just after final exams so you wouldn't have as much time to practice since you had to study.
You were then brought back to the present upon remembering that you had school today. Groaning, you buried your face deeper into your pillow hoping that you could sleep for at least five more minutes. You closed your eyes, your mind going back to yesterday's dinner. You smiled at the thought, your mother had prepared your favourite food and dessert. However, that memory only managed to make you hungry.
You huffed and reluctantly got out of bed. Before going downstairs, you splashed cold water on your face to wake you up. You then went over to your nightstand and checked your phone for new messages.
After talking to your brother, you had sent Kaori a message. You yourself weren't even sure if you were mentally prepared to see him so soon after that conversation but you knew you had to convince him not to tell your mother. Even if you were pretty sure that he would spill the secret, maybe not intentionally, you still had to try to keep it hidden as long as possible.
You: I think we need to talk
You: And I know this is a lot to ask but, could you keep this a secret and not tell my mother?
You sighed and read your messages in silence. He had seen it but he hadn't replied... You huffed in annoyance. Why did he always have to ignore you? Whenever you got into an argument, he was never the one to reach out... it always had to be you...
Shaking your head in disappointment, you continued with your morning routine. The morning went uneventful and you arrived at school on time.
As you were making your way to the mountain, you heard someone calling your name.
"(Y/N)-chan!" You heard the person's yelling, their footsteps coming closer to you.
Said person then threw themselves onto you, pulling you into a tight hug, the impact knocking the wind out of you. You turned your head towards them and were met with your friend's baby blue eyes.
"Oh, Nakamura," you smiled sheepishly, "you sure are excited," you sweatdropped.
"Of course I am," she exclaimed. "You have to tell me everything," she giggled. "But first, how are you feeling?"
"Huh?"
"Remember? You passed out in PE?"
"Oh, yeah," you chuckled. That seemed ages ago... had it only been a day? "It was nothing," you were quick to dismiss her worries.
"You sure?" She furrowed her brow, leaning in and analyzing your face.
"I swear I'm fine," you smiled at your friend's reaction. You still weren't used to people worrying so much about you.
"Okay I'll take your word for it," she finally said, pulling back.
All of a sudden, she swung her arm over your shoulders and pulled you closer to her so that your cheeks were touching.
"So," she giggled, horns coming out of her head, "how did it go?"
"Eh... fine I guess?" You frowned, not really knowing what she was talking about.
"Just... fine~?" She smirked, emphasizing the last word.
"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about," you admitted truthfully.
"How can you not know?!" She shouted in disbelief as she pulled apart, her loud voice catching the attention of the main campus' students.
"Come on, let's get moving," you sweatdropped at her exaggerated reaction as you grabbed her hand and tugged her towards the mountain leading to your class.
"No but seriously, how can you not know?" She frowned.
"Know what?" You pursed your lips, getting a little worried.
Did it have something to do with Kaori? Did someone post something about you online? Oh no... that couldn't be good.
"Well, I was talking about what happened after you passed out," she said. "When you were taken to the infirmary."
"Oh, did something happen to the class?" You blinked a few times.
"Dammit (Y/N)!" She facepalmed, getting frustrated at your obliviousness. "You sure are dense," she sighed dramatically. "Look, I'm gonna make it real clear for you, okay?" She grabbed your shoulders and forced you to look at her. "Yesterday you passed out, right?"
"Yeah," you frowned, still not knowing where she was going.
"And Karma took you to the infirmary," she continued recalling yesterday's events.
"Yes, I know Nakamura," you rolled your eyes.
"Hey, don't roll your eyes at me," she exclaimed, a vein popping on her forehead. "You should be thanking me that I got Sugino to back down so Karma could take you."
"...okay~" you replied in a high-pitched voice as you looked from side to side, avoiding her intense gaze. She sure was passionate about whatever she was going to tell you.
"Anyways," she shook her head, "Karma didn't show up until an hour or so later."
"Yeah, I know," you nodded, "he kept me company until my brother came to pick me up."
"But he shouldn't have," she yelled, her eyes wide opened.
You could say she looked a bit... crazy...
"Why not?" You finally said.
"Because Karasuma-sensei told him he had to come back to class as soon as you were in good hands, AKA the school nurse," she explained.
"He skipped class?!" You exclaimed once you had processed her words. "I promise I didn't know he was supposed to go back immediately," you swore. "Really, if I had, I would have told him to leave."
"That's where I'm going," she exclaimed excitedly, her eyes wider than ever. "He stayed there to keep you company... What a gentleman, huh?" She wiggled her eyebrows. "So okay, don't freak out when I tell you," she smiled, "but I've been paying attention to your interactions and I think he really, really likes you."
"Oh," you simply said, blinking a few times.
You already supposed he liked you because well... you had kissed a few times and had confessed your feelings... Was she realizing... just now? Oh right. To the public, you and Kaori were still dating... They didn't know he was no longer talking to you...
"That's it?!" She shrieked. "Dammit (Y/N)! I was expecting a bigger reaction," she huffed. "At least some excitement."
"But why-why are you telling me this?" You tilted your head to your side.
"Well," she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "I know you're dating Himura and all, but I thought I should let you know," she looked down at the ground, her voice much softer as she chewed on the inside of her cheek. "Back at Okinawa, when you told me about your crush on Karma... you seemed genuine... That's why I insisted so much back at the cafeteria... I was just shocked when I found out you were dating Himura and I couldn't believe it," she explained, her voice serious, her eyes no longer holding that glint of mischief they always had. "I still have a hard time believing it," she admitted. "I'm not saying you should dump Himura but... I think you should know that he's not the only option."
You bit your bottom lip as you stared at your friend's baby blue eyes, contemplating on whether or not to tell her. She was a very good friend who genuinely cared about you and this conversation was proof of that. She hadn't been convinced when you told her you were happy in your relationship with Kaori so she had taken her time to investigate and search for a solution that would make you happier. It really pained you keeping the truth away from her and Sugino...
"Nakamura," you mumbled, your eyes going down to the ground, "you have to keep this a secret," you said sternly as you made eye contact with her.
"Huh? What?" She furrowed her brow.
"The thing is... that Kaori and I... we weren't really dating," you explained. "It was all fake as a means to boost the movie's ratings. And right now... I honestly think we've broken up because... well, we are no longer talking to one another..."
She stared at you in silence, slowly nodding her head in understanding. She didn't seem that shocked but her eyebrows were slightly raised since she probably wasn't expecting this turn of events.
"I guess...I guess that Karma knows," she bit her bottom lip.
"...Yeah," you finally answered after pausing for a few seconds. "He's the only one that knows in the whole class..."
"And when did you tell him," her eyebrows knitted together as her blue eyes were glued to your own (E/C) ones.
"I-I wasn't planning on telling him," you explained as you averted her intense gaze. "I wasn't planning on telling anyone actually," you sighed. "You see... When I told you I had a crush on Karma, I really meant it... Just before the events with the reaper... well, he confessed his feelings for me and... I knew I had to tell him."
"And how long were you planning to keep it a secret?" She pursed her lips.
"I... don't know," you sighed. "I'm so sorry Nakamura," you looked her in the eye.
"I guess that if it was the movie's orders... it wasn't entirely your fault," she sighed sadly as she looked away.
You felt your heart break at her words since it must have taken her a lot of courage to show you her real emotions. In a way, she reminded you of Karma. They were both very mischievous and liked to hide their true feelings behind their playful personalities so seeing her like this had your chest aching in pain.
"I'm so sorry for not telling you," you lowered your head in shame.
"It honestly... hurts a little bit," she admitted, making eye contact with you. "But I forgive you," she said, her statement surprising you.
Just like that?
"Nakamura, I understand if you're mad at-"
"I forgive you (Y/N)," she shook her head, her playful tone coming back as she held her hand in the air to stop you from saying anything.
You remained silent, stunned at how quick the mood had changed in a matter of seconds.
"Just promise me one thing," she then said, her voice serious once again as her lips pressed together.
You nodded without hesitation knowing that you would do anything for her if it meant she would forgive you for keeping it a secret.
"You've always liked to keep your secrets... But from now on... if there's something troubling you, promise me you will tell me so I can help you," she said, her caring and sincere words tugging your heartstrings.
"I promise," you vigorously nodded your head.
Nakamura's lips curved into a wide smile as she pulled you into a warm embrace. It caught you a little unprepared but you were quick to relax and hug her back. You buried your head in the crook of her neck as you hugged her tightly, a big smile never leaving your lips.
"You know Nakamura," you mumbled as you slowly pulled apart, your eyes glossy at how happy you were that she had forgiven you. "I-I think it's time I tell you about my family."
_________________________
A few days had gone by and it was now the first day of the famous Kunugigaoka school festival. All classes were to prepare a stand and all the profit would be donated. Nevertheless, since the profits were ranked and posted online, the students from the class that gained the most money could then put it on their resumé to give them more appeal.
Since you were on a tight budget, your class had decided to follow Koro-sensei's advice. You were going to use the mountain's wild vegetation to your advantage and use them as ingredients for your food.
Right now, you and a few others were in charge of picking up mushrooms but your mind was in another place.
You couldn't get Kaori out of your head. You hadn't seen each other since that conversation in his car. Much to your surprise, he hadn't told your mother and had actually replied to your messages instead of ignoring you like he had done in the past. He had replied with a simple 'ok' but that was about it. You were glad that he had at least said something... But even so, he could have at least said something else. You were getting tired of always being left on read or ignored by him.
To you, Kaori was a very important person so now that he was gone, you couldn't help but feel a bit empty. It was weird not having him around, especially after having to spend so much time together when you were fake dating. And honestly, you couldn't help but worry about him. His silence was making you nervous and you really hoped he was doing okay. You sighed as you picked up another mushroom and put it inside your basket. You had to concentrate on the task at hand. The end class was determined to beat 3A in the profits and if you wanted to succeed, you had to take this mushrooms back to Muramatsu who was in charge of the cooking.
You made your way over to the kitchen and placed the basket down next to all the others where you found Nagisa placing his own basket down on the counter.
"Oh, Nagisa," you called your blue headed friend. "I forgot to ask you. How did it go with your mother?"
"Well," he grimaced, "Koro-sensei really made her mad," he sweatdropped.
Nagisa then proceeded to tell you his story and you couldn't help but chuckle at the part where Koro-sensei, dressed as Karasuma-sensei, lost his wig and claimed he was actually bald.
"Wait, your mother actually tried to burn down the school?" You exclaimed, your eyes round, your mouth agape.
"She can be a little bit... intense," he chuckled nervously. "But in the end... when that assassin attacked us... I think she finally understood," he bit his bottom lip as if he was trying to convince himself of his own words.
You remained silent, not really knowing what to say. You thought about his story and tried to put yourself in his mother's position.
"I wasn't there but... I think she did understand," you spoke honestly. "Maybe she will take some time to accept it, but, at least she now knows the real you."
"You really think so?" His head jolted upwards, his eyes wide opened as he stared at you full of hope.
"Yeah," you assured.
"(Y/N)!" Nakamura's yell interrupted your conversation. "Finally!"
"Huh? Is something wrong?" You tilted your head, a bit confused at what could possibly have your friend so agitated.
"Of course there's something wrong!" She cried as she frantically shook your shoulders. "We're falling behind class A's sales!"
"Well, it's the first day Nakamura," you chuckled, "you'll have to be a bit more patient. Plus, I don't think there's a lot of people willing to go up that treacherous mountain."
"You're right, you're right," Nakamura began to slowly nod your head, "but I have a plan," she smirked mischievously.
"Please don't tell me I'm involved," you sweatdropped, already fearing the worst.
"Of course you are," she smiled, "okay, listen closely," she grinned as you leaned in. "So, what about we use that pretty voice of yours?" She wiggled her eyebrows.
"Eh?!" You exclaimed, taking a step back.
"No, really, think about it! We can set up a stage and tell Koro-sensei to fetch you a microphone and some loudspeakers. Then, you just have to sing a few songs and the speakers would do the rest. That beautiful voice of yours will easily charm anyone who's listening and they will immediately forget about the stupid main campus' stalls and run up the mountain just to hear it up close," she grinned proudly. "A foolproof plan don't you think?"
"I don't know Nakamura," you grimaced. "I really don't want to stick out."
"Aw! Come on!" Nakamura insisted. "We can put you in a disguise!"
"But what if they recognize me? Or what if they record a video or take photos?" You wondered. "I don't want people knowing what school I go to."
"We can have a no phone rule!" She quickly said. "Come on! We have to beat those A class stuck ups! Do it for the end class!" She begged. "Do it for me!" She gave you puppy eyes.
You sighed, you couldn't just say no to her puppy eyes. Plus, she was your friend!
"Fine," you sighed in defeat as she squealed in excitement and pulled you into a bone crushing hug.
"We're so crushing class A!" She sang happily.
"Ne Nakamura-chan!" Karma appeared out of nowhere. "Are you using Miss Goody Two Shoes for commercial purposes?"
"Yup! I came up with a plan," she smirked smugly. "I call it, the siren effect," she smiled proudly as she proceeded to explain her plan.
"Heh, why don't you go tell the octopus?"
"Oh! You're right!" She nodded her head in agreement.
Nakamura didn't waste any time as she ran over to Koro-sensei who seemed to agree to the idea and quickly disappeared to get the equipment.
"It's going to be so embarrassing," you sighed.
"Huh? You don't want to?"
"Not really," you grimaced. "But Nakamura seemed so excited and she really wanted to prove herself to class A... so I couldn't really deny, could I?" You chuckled awkwardly.
"Geez you're too nice for your own good." He rolled his eyes.
"I just hope I didn't make a mistake," you huffed. "I really don't want people to recognize me..."
"Won't you be disguised?" He pointed out.
"Well yeah but there's always a possibility that someone might recognize me," you argued. "Well, I'd better hurry," you quickly made your way to the classroom.
'I'll have to ask Koro-sensei for the disguise,' you thought.
It took you about 15 minutes to get everything set. You were currently in the classroom as you tried to calm your nerves. You were wearing the wig and contact lenses from last time, the ones you had used to search for Bitch-sensei's present.
"You ready (Y/N)?" Karma opened the door without warning. "Nakamura is looking for you."
"Let's get this over with," you sighed in defeat.
"Are you sure you want to do it?" He frowned at your reaction.
"Yeah, don't worry," you quickly dismissed it. "I really don't want to disappoint her... She has done quite a lot of things for me so it's only fair," you smiled as Karma eyed you in silence.
"Well~ good luck," he suddenly said and pulled you in for a kiss.
You blinked a few times, his sudden action taking you off guard but you didn't take long to slowly close your eyes and kiss him back.
Even though your mind was yelling at you to pull back, your body actually did the opposite as you gripped his shirt and pulled him closer to you. Karma placed his hands on your waist as you deepened the kiss and you felt him smirk at your action.
Your mind was going haywire and you couldn't think properly as you allowed yourself to melt into the kiss. It honestly felt pretty good and it managed to take your mind off of your problems, as if everything else had disappeared and it was just the two of you.
'You're at school (Y/N)!' Your brain suddenly yelled.
That thought made you stop, bringing you back to reality much quicker than what you would have wanted.
"Ah! Why would you do that!" You screeched as you pulled away, your face beet-red as Karma chuckled in amusement. "Why would I do that?" You freaked out, your fingers running through your hair. "We're at school!" You hissed as you tried your best to get a hold of yourself.
"That's what makes it exciting," he smirked. "Though you'll probably need a few seconds to cool off. You look like a tomato and it's not very attractive." .
"This is your fault you freaking devil!" You huffed, a vein popping in your head.
"Well, see ya~" And just like that, he left the room.
Shaking your head, you tried to calm your nerves down but you could still feel the heat radiating from your cheeks. You walked to the bathroom and splashed some cold water on your face.
Once you were cooled down, you made your way outside. You immediately spotted the improvised stage they had set up which was located in front of all the tables, facing the mountain's vegetation. They had also placed a piano but what surprised you the most was the person sitting down on the stool.
"Karma?!" You exclaimed once you were face to face. "Wha-What are you doing?" You blinked in disbelief.
"Showing off," he deadpanned as you simply rolled your eyes. "Haha, just kidding~ I told the octopus to fetch me a piano so I can perform with you."
You blinked a few times, his statement throwing you completely off guard as you were invaded by that same warmth you had been experiencing for quite some time. He had done it all for you? But.. how? And when?
"But when did you come up with this?"
"When you were too busy blushing by the kiss."
Oh... That was why he had suddenly kissed you.
"Thanks," you couldn't help but smile at the sweet gesture. "But you really don't have to if you don't want to. I don't want to force you."
"You worry too much," he flicked your nose. "And it's no big deal."
"(Y/N)-chan are you rea-? Karma-kun!" Nagisa exclaimed.
"Since when do you play the piano?!" Nakamura asked in disbelief.
"Eh, a long time," he shrugged casually.
"You've never mentioned it," Nagisa sweatdropped as Karma shrugged.
"Well, anyways," Nakamura shook her head, "we'll be starting in a few mi-"
"They're... here?" You stammered, your face going blank as a sheet of paper.
Their heads instantly turned to where you were looking, Karma's face darkening upon realizing who they were.
"Who's here?" Nakamura asked.
"Those boys..." Nagisa mumbled.
"...from Kyoto," you said as you watched Yada take them to their table.
You stood next to your friends, your eyes landing on the one you supposed to be the leader, the one who had sniffed your hair back at Kyoto. Seeing him once again was enough to make your heart beat faster as you fearfully took a step back which caused you to bump against the person that had been standing behind you.
"Sorry," you were quick to apologize, turning your head to look at whoever you had bumped into.
Karma was staring up ahead, his head held up high, his jaw clenched, his eyebrows furrowed as he looked at the boys approaching.
"Oh!" Karma's lips quirked in a smirk, his face darkening, "they're here for a rematch?" He grinned, devil horns coming out from his head as he took a step forward so that he was standing in front of you.
"This will be fun," Nakamura grinned devilishly as she rubbed her hands together.
"I really think we shouldn't get in trouble," Nagisa sweatdropped at your friends' reaction as the four of you began going down the mountain to get closer to them.
"What are you doing here?!" You heard Sugino, who had been standing next to Yada, yell. He accusingly pointed his finger at them and stopped them from going any further.
"Heh, are you going to kidnap another one of our girls?" Karma smirked as you finally caught up to them.
"Good, you're all here," the ringleader smirked as he looked at everyone from your Kyoto assassination group. "Well, let's beg- Huh? Where's the other girl?" He looked around.
You panicked, all colour leaving your face. You hadn't realized it... but you couldn't let them recognize you. They couldn't know you were here or they could tell someone... You just hoped Koro-sensei's disguise was enough to stop them from recognizing you.
"What other girl?" Sugino faked ignorance, taking a step forward so that they would focus on him and you could go unnoticed.
"The one who's acting in that movie."
"Well, you're out of luck," Karma shrugged nonchalantly, "because she left school," he protectively hid you behind him.
"Yeah," Sugino nodded his head, "she's homeschooled now."
"Oh well, that's a pity," the male shrugged, "I was hoping to see her again," his creepy smile sent shivers down your spine.
"I told you she's not here so unless you're here for a rematch, you can piss off now," Karma frowned, his face darkening as he took another step forward.
"We're not here for that," the ringleader shook his head. "We don't want to get ourselves involved in a fight. If we do, that teacher monster of yours will show up again. But, we can ruin this for you even without using brute force," he smirked. "For example, we could scream that this food sucks and spread the word on the Internet. So now hurry and bring us the food!" He barked, a smug grin present on his face.
You didn't take long to get away from them. Now what? You could still perform but that would attract attention to yourself and they could figure out who you really were... But you also didn't want to back down now. You knew Nakamura really wanted to beat class A in the festival.
"I can still beat them up if you want," Karma quickly caughtup to you. "I have a few plans in mind."
"I hate to say this... but you really shouldn't..." you mumbled. "Just like Nagisa said, we shouldn't get in trouble... especially today. It would just give us a bad reputation and then no one will come to eat here."
"Fine," he huffed in disappointment, tucking deadly wasabi tubes back inside his pocket. "But they don't deserve your kindness," he growled, his eye twitching.
"It's not kindness," you pursed your lips, "I'm just doing what's best for the class..."
"So you're still gonna perform?" He frowned.
"Hmm... I guess... maybe... I don't know," you sulked.
"Nurufufu," Koro-sensei appeared out of nowhere, "I couldn't help but overhe-"
"What a surprise," Karma interrupted him and rolled his eyes.
"Nyua?!" He exclaimed. "What do you mean Karma-kun?" Koro-sensei began to cry dramatically.
"Whenever we're alone, you're always there," Karma rolled his eyes, "always writing things down on that dirty notebook of yours," he grinned as Koro-sensei's face went as blank as a sheet of paper.
"Dirty?!" He screeched, his face going a million shades of red.
"Sorry, sorry," Karma smiled, "did I say dirty? I meant perverted," he stuck his tongue out, watching amusingly the way Koro-sensei freaked out.
"This is a research notebook," your teacher exclaimed in outrage as he defensively crossed his tentacles across his chest. "Tell him (Y/N)-chan!"
"Well, Karma is right..." you stifled a laugh. "What you're doing is kind of... inappropriate."
"Inappropriate?!" He screeched, "I'm just writing down a blooming romance!"
"A what?!" You shrieked, your face growing hot.
"A blooming romance," he deadpanned.
"Heh? Why so embarrassed now (Y/N)-chan?" Karma teasingly poked your cheek.
"Ugh! Why did you have to come here Koro-sensei?!" You exclaimed as you tried to hide your embarrassment.
"Oh right!" He laughed. "I was going to tell you that I can get those bullies from figuring out who you are," he smiled.
"Wait, really?" You blinked a few times.
"Well, I can get them from spilling out the secret if they figure it out," he said.
"Eh? You're gonna beat them up after the show?" Karma tilted his head.
"Karma-kun!" Koro-sensei shrieked. "I do not condone violence!"
"Aww!" Karma pouted, "and here I thought you were gonna be a cool teacher."
"But I am a cool teacher!" He whined. "Tell him (Y/N)!" He hugged you, crying dramatically as you sweatdropped at his outburst. He could sometimes act like such a baby... "Anyways," he recomposed himself, "what I was planning to do was show up."
"Just that?" You frowned and tilted your head.
"Nurufufu, I heard them say-"
"Yeah yeah, we all know you were spying on us," Karma interrupted him once again as Koro-sensei sweatdropped.
"So you're going to use their fear towards you against them?" You slowly began to nod your head in understanding.
"Exactly," he smiled widely as he proudly patted your head.
"Mhm... I guess it could wo-"
"(Y/N)-chan!" Nakamura came running over to where you were. "Forget all about the plan," she caught up to you and placed her hand on your shoulder. "Seeing those boys from Kyoto... it made me realize how risky this plan actually is. I don't want people to recognize you 'cause I know how much you value your privacy," she gave you a soft smile.
"I-I could still do it-"
"No," she cut you off and shook her head. "As much as I want to beat class A, I don't want to make you do something you don't want to."
"Thank you Nakamura," you hugged her gratefully.
Once Nakamura had given up her plan, you were quick to take off your disguise and were assigned to work in the kitchens with Maehara and Muramatsu. You really didn't mind being stuck cooking with them since you got along with the whole class quite well seeing as you spent quite a lot of time together. Not only in a classroom, but also outside in the mountains, training for the assassination.
"So, are there a lot of clients outside?" Maehara asked, turning the handle to grind the acorns that had been previously soaked in water and left to dry in the sun.
"Not really," you grimaced as you held the bucket. "Just a few customers and a group of boys from Kyoto that have just arrived."
"You know them?" He asked, his tongue sticking out as he concentrated on his task.
"Well, my assassination group and I bumped into them in an alley," you explained.
"Oh right," he whistled. "They were the ones who captured you girls, weren't they?"
"Yeah," you sighed.
"We can kick them out if you want," he suggested as he made eye contact with you, stopping what he was doing.
"Don't worry about it," you shook your head, "it would just damage the profits and, as it is, we really need that money if we ever want to beat 3A."
"Are you sure?" He raised an eyebrow, not really convinced.
"Yeah, don't worry about it," you were quick to dismiss his worry. "Karma even offered to beat them up," you couldn't help but laugh, "but I told him not to. We really don't need any more problems."
"Huh, really? Can't believe he actually listened to someone," he laughed. "You know... I'm gonna be honest, but it surprised me quite a lot when you and Karma became so close."
"Oh," you blinked a few times, his statement taking you a little bit aback.
"Don't take it the wrong way though," he was quick to say. "I'm, in no way, saying you're cheating on Himura or anything."
You immediately pursed your lips upon being reminded of Kaori, the last conversation you had had playing inside your head as you couldn't help but compare him to Karma. Whilst Kaori ignored you, Karma was always there for you. To protect you, you to make you laugh, to tease you... You really were glad to have met him.
"Actually, we aren't talking to each other anymore," the words spilled out of your mouth before you even had time to bite your tongue.
"Eh?! Really?!" He exclaimed, his eyes going round.
You gulped. Oh no. The public still thought you and Kaori were in a relationship...
"Just... forget I said anything," you were quick to shake your head as you averted his gaze. "So, how are you doing Maehara-kun?" You quickly changed the topic. "Are you interested in someone?" You smiled innocently, knowing perfectly well that this would distract him and catch him off guard.
"Eh?!" He exclaimed.
"Do you like someone?"
"Oh... well.. eh," he fumbled for the right words, his face going a slight shade of pink.
You giggled internally, he was obviously not expecting the tables to turn.
"Just do it Maehara," you heard Muramatsu say, rolling his eyes at his friend's incompetence.
"Okay, here goes nothing," Maehara sighed, breathing in deeply as he gathered all his confidence. "So... uh... I was wondering if... you know..." he began.
"Yes?" You raised an eyebrow.
Honestly, it was quite funny seeing Maehara, the class' known flirt, so flustered. It wasn't something you were used to and you were sure Nakamura would have loved witnessing such a sight.
"I was wondering if..." he began to sweat, "if you know if Nakamura is interested in someone," he blurted it out in one go.
Your eyes widened in shock. You couldn't believe yourself.
'Well speaking of the devil!' You contained yourself from laughing at the irony.
"You see, I know you two are friends and all that," he averted your gaze, "and you'll probably talk about these kinds of things... or whatever you guys talk about..." he smiled awkwardly, your silence making him nervous. "So anyways, I was just wondering."
"She... well, she hasn't really said anything about anyone," you answered truthfully, your answer making his shoulders droop in disappointment. "But I wouldn't give up just yet," you were quick to add, "maybe she does have feelings for you too," you tried to smile reassuringly. "I can talk to her if you-"
"There you are!" Nakamura's yell interrupted your conversation.
You had to blink a few times, not expecting her to barge into the kitchen, especially since she was the focus of your conversation. Your eyes searched Maehara, who was in complete shock, and then Muramatsu, who was containing his laughter.
"We've been looking for you everywhere," Nakamura continued, oblivious at what had just been said.
Your blonde friend entered the room, Karma following her behind. She grabbed your hands and pulled you to your feet, giggling uncontrollably.
"When you left, Nagisa's boyfriend appeared and now they're on a date~" she said in a singsong voice, her mischievous grin going from one ear to the other.
"He probably only came here to see his beloved girlfriend in a maid outfit," Karma snickered from behind.
"Come on," Nakamura gestured you to follow her, devil horns coming out of her head.
"You've got to see this," Karma added, devilishly rubbing his hands together as horns came out of his head.
"What? Nagisa's boyfriend?" You frowned, failing to understand what was going on. "And where's your skirt?" You asked, taking notice that Nakamura was wearing Nagisa's pants.
"Come on, if we don't hurry up, he will try to bail out on his date," Nakamura ignored your question, dragging you behind her.
"O-Okay," you could only agree with her. "Bye Maehara-kun, Muramatsu-kun," you quickly turned around to wave goodbye as you were hastily dragged outside.
Karma and Nakamura lead you to a bush which was isolated from the main area. There, you saw Nagisa in Nakamura's skirt, his cheeks red as he talked with a boy. It was then you realized it was the same boy from Okinawa, the one who had invited Nagisa for a drink and you honestly couldn't help but feel pity for him.
Nakamura scribbled something in a notebook and proceeded to hold it up in the air.
"I-I would like it if you-if you tried to eat everything," Nagisa stammered, his cheeks red as he read Nakamura's sentence out loud.
Karma snickered at the boy's embarrassment and, snatching the notebook from Nakamura's hands, he wrote:
'Ask him if he's willing to pay 10,000 yen for a date.'
He then held it up in the air making Nagisa choke upon reading such a request.
"That's not how you do business," you sweatdropped.
"It's not?" Karma tilted his head in fake innocence as he sat back down.
"No," you rolled your eyes, fighting back an amused smile.
"You sure? Cause I'd be willing to pay to go on a date with you." He said bluntly, not even caring that Nakamura could hear him.
"Eh?!" You screeched but he quickly silenced you by putting his hand over your mouth. With a sly smile, he then placed his index finger on his lips as he motioned you to stay quiet.
"Shush it Juliet," Nakamura then barked as she kept spying on Nagisa.
Out of nowhere, the assassin Karasuma-sensei had hired for the Kyoto assassination attempt appeared holding a dead bird on his hand, a riffle on the other.
"Why does he have a gun?!" You heard Yuuji panic. "Maybe we should call the police," he began to take out his phone.
Your breathing hitched at his suggestion and, at the speed of light, you grabbed the notebook from Karma's hands and scribbled something for Nagisa to say.
"He's... uh, Yoshioka-san from the local hunting club," Nagisa read outloud the excuse you had just come up with.
_________________________
You looked down at your phone, your eyes glued to the screen as you read the messages.
Kaori: Ok.
You: Oh, thanks
You: But, can we talk? Face to face?
You: I have martial arts class now but I'm free tomorrow
He hadn't replied... He had seen your message, but he had left you on read. You huffed in frustration. Why was he always like that? Why did he always have to leave you on read? Ugh. Why did your relationship with him have to be so complicated?!
"(Y/N)!" Asano called your name, breaking you off from your trance.
You blinked a few times, taking in your surroundings. Oh right, martial arts class had just finished.
"Ah, yes, sorry," you sheepishly smiled, putting your phone back inside your pocket. "What were you saying?"
You saw Asano inhale deeply, trying to hide his annoyance. Throughout the whole class, you had been spacing out quite a lot and it must have finally gotten on his nerves.
"I was asking you how your class was doing at the school festival," he sighed, massaging his temples.
"Oh," you arched your eyebrows.
Was he still trying to find out the end class' secret? Or was he genuinely interested?
"It's going fine I suppose," you said, being very careful not to say too much. "How's your class doing? I heard you managed to get a sponsor. That's quite impressive," you praised him honestly.
"It was quite easy actually," he shrugged.
You continued talking with Asano for a few minutes whilst you waited for the chauffeur to arrive.
It was the longest conversation you had had since the beginning of the year which made your exchange a bit uncomfortable.
Before you were transferred to the end class, you had gotten along quite well. You weren't best friends but you did have a good time with him. However, once you were sent to class 3E, he stopped talking to you because of the class' reputation and now, whenever he talked to you, you felt like it was only to fuel his interests since he wanted to uncover the end class' secret.
Once the chauffeur arrived, you waved Asano goodbye and got inside the car. Your conversation with him had started a bit uncomfortable but it had ended up being quite pleasant. During your conversation, he didn't seem to care that much about the end class and actually asked about you and your interests so that was a big plus.
You shifted in your seat, trying to find a more comfortable position. You were quite tired. You had been on your feet the whole day. Not only did you help out collecting mushrooms but you had also aided Karma and Nakamura in their plan to spy and 'help' Nagisa on his date and now you had just finished martial arts class. Unfortunately, once you got home, you couldn't go to sleep since you would have to keep studying seeing as you weren't doing quite good in maths.
You finally arrived at your house and after thanking the chauffeur, you got out of the car. But just as you were about to insert your keys in the keyhole, the door swung open and you were met face to face with Kaori.
"(Y/N)," he breathed, his silver eyes looking around in confusion, clearly not expecting you so early.
"Kaori?" You frowned, staring at him in disbelief.
"I'm sorry," he said and gently pushed you aside since you were blocking the exit.
You watched as he disappeared into the night, your mind filling up with a million questions. What was he doing at your house? When did he even come? Oh no... Did he talk to your mother?
Your mother!
Shock quickly turned into horror, your eyes dilating, your breathing seeming to stop as you turned your head and looked at what was in front of you, or rather who was in front of you... your mother.
You expected her to yell at you or scream or something... but she didn't. She just turned around and made her way to the living room.
You slowly entered inside, wondering if the reason she hadn't said anything was because your brother was at home and she didn't want him to hear her yelling.
Slowly closing the door, you made your way to the stairs but you suddenly realized your math book was still in the living room from when you had asked your brother to help you on one of the exercises. You gulped, contemplating what to do. You had to continue studying, especially maths. It was much more complicated than you had planned and it was important that you got good grades. But then again, you would have to follow your mother to the living room.
You bit your bottom lip, not really knowing what to do. In the end, and being very careful to not be seen, you decided it would be best to get your textbook back, you couldn't afford your midterm grade to fall for final exams.
Slowly, you made your way to the door leading to the living room and using the assassination skills Karasuma-sensei had taught you, you snuck inside. You were fortunate your mother had her back turned so you took that to your advantage to grab your textbook in one swift motion.
However, just as you were about to leave, you were startled by a very unfamiliar sound coming from your mother's lips. You slowly turned around, your mouth slightly parted as you looked at her figure which was trembling slightly. Was she... crying?
It had been so long since you had last seen your mother cry, you barely even remembered what she looked like. The last time you had seen her cry was during your childhood, when you were 6 years old and she thought she had lost you at the park.
Her sniffles were enough to make your heart ache as you were transported back to the past, a time when you and your mother were happy and you could tell each other anything. So, without even thinking about the consequences, you spoke up.
"Mother are you... okay?"
Her body immediately stiffened upon hearing your voice. Even though she had her back turned, you could see how she wiped her tears and tried to even her breathing. It didn't take long before she turned around and you were quick to take notice of her puffy eyes.
"I'm fine (Y/N)," she pursed her lips, her voice harsh and cold.
Her tone of voice took you aback since you had expected to see a more vulnerable side of her seeing as she had just been crying a few seconds ago. Despite that, you were quick to recompose yourself.
"Uh, did something happen with Kaori?" You found yourself asking.
Her eyes immediately hardened, her eyebrows furrowed, her reaction making you regret even bringing it up.
"(Y/N)," she spoke your name without emotion, a chill going down your spine, "go to your room," she ordered although this time her tone was less harsh, her emotions getting the better of her.
Without saying a word, you did as you were told. Once in the solitude of your room, you placed your math book on your desk and allowed yourself to fall down on your bed, your back hitting the mattress.
What had just happened?
First of all, what was Kaori doing at your house? And why did he come in when he knew you weren't going to be there? Did he come only for your mother? You frowned your brow at the thought. You had been trying for days to get a hold of him and now he suddenly shows up at your house to see your mother? Why was he always choosing her over you?!
And last but not least, why was your mother crying? Was she upset that Kaori told her you liked Karma? But how could she be upset? You would have supposed she would be enraged or even stunned, but you had never imagined she would cry...
A sudden thought invaded your mind, your hand curling into a fist as you tightly gripped the sheets.
What if... Kaori hadn't actually told her about what had happened? Maybe they had talked about something completely unrelated...
You sighed in exasperation, the tension in your fist dissipating as you lost hold of the sheets. Not knowing was killing you. You were desperate to find out. But maybe it was for the best if you didn't. Yes. As long as you didn't bring it up, you could remain in the end class...
A:N: Quick question. Would you guys prefer it if I gave the parents names instead of writing (Y/M/N) (Your Mother's Names)? Cause I was thinking about it and it might be a little uncomfortable lol