Part 1
(3rd Person POV)
As the second day of the Uninhabited Island Exam approaches its end, everyone started to settle down. Along the coastline of G9, a group of students set up camp, each unpacking their things.
Among those students, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had just gotten back from speaking with his exam partner over the walkie-talkiee, and was now setting up his own tent beneath a tree. Alongside him were Nanase Tsubasa, Hirata Yosuke, Mori Nene, and Wang Mei-Yu (also known as Mii-chan.)
Throughout the day they had tackled different events, and it ended with Nanase accompanying Ayanokoji in his travels around the island, and both groups camping in the same location. Not wanting to feel like a burden, Nanase decided to help set up the porta potty bought by Hirata's group.
"That must've costed you a lot." Ayanokoji said to Hirata as they set up their tents.
"Well guys and girls have their own needs. We talked it out, and came to the conclusion that this was necessary." Hirata replied.
Although Hirata was initially apprehensive in buying the porta potty, since it would mean that they would have to sacrifice buying more food, he recalled the first island exam they had, and eventually gave in.
"I see." Said Ayanokoji.
After setting up their tents and porta potty, Hirata instructed everyone to gather as much fire wood as they could. After they had set up their campfires, everyone started to unpack their food. As they did that, a voice from a short distance spoke up.
"So you're cooking this time, Kiyotaka?"
Everyone turned their heads to see Class, D's residential sadist, Karma, approach them.
"I was getting things ready for you." Ayanokoji replied to his exam partner.
Nanase turned her head to him, and asked. "Does this mean Akabane-senpai does the cooking between you two?"
"Well he willingly volunteered... Also he just prefers his own cooking." Ayanokoji answered.
"Not to sound like I'm bragging-" Karma settles down near Kiyotaka. "but between you and I, I have a better chance at earning a compliment from Gordon Ramsey than you would."
The others let out a light laugh at the red head's joke.
"Hello, Akabane-kun." Hirata greeted, soon followed by Mori and Mii-chan.
"Hey." Karma returned the greeting. "Alright. Move over and let me work, T-Rex-kun." Karma says as he shoos Ayanokoji away from the fire.
The girls were confused by the nickname he gave him, meanwhile Ayanokoji and Hirata understood the meaning behind it completely. Ayanokoji was annoyed, but remained quiet, while Hirata just let out a nervous laugh.
Ayanokoji just stood up and walked towards to thicket to relieve himself, while Karma, Mii-chan, and Nanase start working. As they did so, Karma spoke up.
"So... Nanase-san, no Hosen-kun nor Amasawa-san for tonight?"
Nanase shook her head. "No. I'm afraid we'll be camping apart for some nights. Sorry senpai. I did tell Amasawa-san you said hi."
"Well that's a shame." Karma pouted.
"Are you perhaps close with her, Akabane-kun."
"Ah, well." Karma perked up. "We happened to meet by chance. Turns out we went to the same elementary school, so we had a few things to talk about."
While Karma didn't technically lie, he did decide to omit the White Room's existence entirely.
"What school did you went to, Akabane-kun?" Asked Mori.
After seeing how laid back Karma could be, and with Hirata's encouragement, both her and Mii-chan decided that if they're going to camp with him, they'd need to get along. With that, Mori decided to open a conversation, but not without apprehension.
In response to her question, Karma shot her a glare, flared his bloodlust slightly, and responded with a menacing tone. "If you knew, I'd have to kill you."
Both Mori, Mii-chan, and Nanase yelped.
"You never know what a man may be hiding." He said, flipping the knife in his hand. His smile then stretched wider, showing his teeth. "Who knows? Maybe my performance last exam wasn't all for show. I could have more than a few skeletons hidden in my closet."
Mori, and Mii-chan especially were broke into a cold sweat, meanwhile Hirata just sighed, expecting something like this to come from him after being warned in advance by Ayanokoji.
"Akabane-kun." Hirata called him out.
Karma wasn't bothered by it, however. He just shrugged, rolled his eyes and said calmly: "Geez I'm just kidding. It's not like I'd actually kill you. What do I look like, a killer?"
Internally, the girls all thought "yes", while Hirata scolded Karma for his "joke".
"It's not nice to make jokes abut killing someone, Akabane-kun. Especially when you sound like you meant it."
Karma sighed as he resumed his cooking. "Okay, look. Part of the joke was to make it sound believable. It's not like I'd actually go through with it."
Hirata sighed at Karma's explanation, and shook his head, knowing that the residential sadist wouldn't just stop. Sensing that Hirata was having a hard time reprimanding him, Nanase resolved herself, and stood up to her senpai.
"Akabane-senpai," Karma was taken aback by the sound of the kouhai's meek voice. "not everyone is gonna have the same reception to your joke. Some, like Ayanokoji-senpai may be fine with it, but others, like us would feel unease by it. Please try to at least understand that some people are more sensitive than others."
Although she was still recovering from the feeling of dread by Karma's joke, she stood her ground, and firmly voiced her thoughts.
Karma looked down at the pot in front of him, and remained quiet after listening to Nanase's words. It wasn't just a Nanase's voice that rang repeatedly in his head, but the familiar sound of being reprimanded by a certain someone. After giving it some thought, he sighed and relented.
"Fine. Whatever. You win."
"Like what Nanase-san said. I appreciate that you're willing to be open to conversation with your classmates, but not everyone can match your humor." Hirata added.
"Yeah, yeah. I get it. No more of those kind of jokes. I don't need to here the same spiel over and over again." Karma said, annoyed.
Hirata nodded, and politely said: "That's good, but isn't there something else, that you should be saying?"
Karma paused for a moment. He turned his head slightly until Nanase, Mori, and Mii-chan were in his field of view, then quickly turned back to his cooking, averting their gaze in a second.
Without looking at them, he muttered: "S-sorry, I guess..." Embarrassed, he could feel his cheeks flush a bit, so he turned his back to them, hoping that they won't notice. "There, I said it." The last thing he needs is his bad boy image being tarnished even more, he thought to himself, but knows that continuing a joke like this would dishonor the man who's helped him get this far.
Once Hirata was able to put the others at ease, Ayanokoji returned. He could sense the awkward tension between the group and Karma. Karma had his back to him, so he couldn't see his expression. He shot Hirata a look that said: "what happened?", while Hirata just returned with a weak smile, exhausted for having to keep the peace.
Part 2
Once dinner rolled around, and everyone had finished preparing their meals, they all sat together around a campfire. Mori, Mii-chan, and Hirata were chatting cheerily as they ate, having put the previous happenstance behind them, while Ayanokoji, Karma, and Nanase ate in silence.
Nanase, as she was seated near Ayanokoji, caught whiff of the smell of his food, and found it delightful.
"That smells really good, Ayanokoji-senpai." She said, finding the aroma to be delightful, despite their situation being on an island.
"Well Karma prepared it. Give your compliments to him."
Nanase looked at Karma, who had been quietly eating his portion. "Are you perhaps good at cooking, Akabane-senpai?"
Karma shrugged. "Meh. I'm alright."
"Really? But given the limited materials one could buy with their finite amount of points, this still tastes like delicious home cooking." Nanase retorted.
"Well, I suppose I've been in the game for a while." He replied, nonchalantly.
"Have you ever started cooking while you were still young?" Nanase asked.
"Mm... No. Just some time when I entered Junior High."
"Oh."
I decided to interject. "Would you like to try some?" I asked her.
"Oh, uh..." She was taken aback by my offer. "Are you sure?"
"I don't particularly mind. Karma made more than I could take anyway."
"Hey!" Karma called out, offended.
Nanase took a scoop out of Ayanokoji's plate, and brought the food to her mouth. As soon as she got a taste, she let out a hum of satisfaction. The others, who had been listening, were now curious.
After savoring the flavor in her mouth, she swallowed it, and looked like she wanted more.
"This is actually really good, Akabane-senpai." Nanase exclaimed, cheerfully.
Karma started to feel his pride swell up. "Well, I'm glad someone here appreciates my work." He said, his eyes darting to Ayanokoji by his side, who internally sighed.
"Also," He returned his attention to Nanase. "What do you mean by "actually"?" He stated, pretending to be offended.
Caught off guard, Nanase hastily defended herself. "Oh, uh... I-I meant-"
Before she could finish, Karma cut her off. "I get it. You don't need to repeat what you said earlier about limited stuff. Sheesh, it's like listening to a broken record."
"Oh."
Ayanokoji, and Nanase noticed Hirata and the others watching the scene unfold, curiously. They could smell the aroma from the other side of the campfire, but said nothing about it, however they were all thinking the same thing.
"Would you like to try some, senpais?" Asked Nanase.
"Uh..." Mori, and Mii-chan let out, hesitantly.
Hirata turned to Karma, hoping the boy would give them his consensus.
"Knock yourself out." Karma said, shrugging.
"It wouldn't really be fair though, since we'd be practically taking your food."
Mori, and Mii-chan agreed, nodding.
Karma rolled his eyes at Hirata's politeness. "Fine, how 'bout this. Since Kiyotaka said he's full, Nanase-san and Mori-san can share that one. As for you and Mii-chan, you and I can just trade as a compromise. You fine with that?"
Everyone gave it some thought, and eventually agreed with his proposal. Once the swaps were done, everyone took a bite, and were overcome with satisfaction. The more everyone enjoyed his cooking, the more Karma's pride swelled. Ayanokoji noticed this, but just sighed.
"This is really good, Akabane-kun." Hirata exclaimed.
"Mhm." Said Mii-chan.
As she shared hers with Hirata, she was overcome with a sense of embarrassment. From the corner of her eye, she could see Karma smirking at them devilishly, revealing to Mii-chan his ulterior motive, much to everyone else's ignorance.
"Akabane-kun," Hirata called out to him. "Do you usually cook for your family on weekends or something?"
Karma shook his head. "Mostly just for myself. When they're around, it's either they who do the cooking, or we just buy take out."
"Oh."
Part 3
"Right. That about does it." Says Hirata, looking over their now clean campsite. "Good work everyone."
After eating their dinner, they decided to clean up before continuing the rest of their evening around the campfire.
"Thanks, Hirata-kun." Replied, Mori, followed by Mii-chan and Nanase.
"Oh, Akabane-kun." He called out to Karma after seeing him walk over a certain spot. "Be careful with that area. I saw some sharp rocks, and shells over there."
"Oh, cool!" Replied Karma, enthusiastically. He then began surveying the surface beneath him.
"Uh, senpai... Maybe you shouldn't be over there." Said Nanase.
"I'm just picking up a few for later use. In an island like this, you never know when you might need to stab something." He said, nonchalantly.
"Uh..." The girls all said nervously.
"Or someone" He added, calmly.
Ayanokoji and Hirata just sighed, knowing they can do nothing to stop him.
"Just let it happen." Said Ayanokoji as Karma started picking up the sharp rocks and shells, like a small child unearthing hidden treasure.
"W-why would you need to stab something?" Asked Mii-chan, nervously.
"Well for one thing, there's hunting. Plenty of fish in the sea for food. Second, intruders."
"Intruders?" Asked Mori. "Do you not trust others not to-" She stopped herself before finishing, realizing the kind of school they're in, and how stupid she sounded. "Nevermind....." She finishes off, meekly.
"Yeah... no... Not trusting a bunch of strangers to just come near me." He said, as he walks back to them with his findings. "And since the actual knives we have on us are too bulky, I need to improvise with something lighter."
"But... you let me stay with you, senpai." Said Nanase.
Karma then glanced over to her. "If you think I'm not prepared for you stabbing us in the back, then as the great Batman once said, you're damn fools." He said, glancing over to Ayanokoji briefly. Silently, the brown-haired boy agrees.
"Wait, is that what you think about the rest of us?" Asked Hirata, concerned.
Karma rolls his eyes. "I'm not gonna stab you if that's what you're thinking. Sheesh."
He then pauses.
"Well, unless you stab me in the back first."
Mii-chan and Mori started to get nervous at his comment. Seeing this, Nanase asked.
"Do you not trust your classmates, Akabane-senpai? Hirata-senpai, Wang-senpai, and Mori-senpai all seem pretty nice."
Karma scoffs at her comment. "Yeah it's always the nice ones. Next thing you know they're gonna strike you in your sleep and steal your precious organs."
"But... we won't ever do that." Argued Mori, meekly.
"Senpai, you should trust your classmates more." Said Nanase.
Karma leaned forward, his tone serious.
"Last time I did, one turned out to be a psychotic, two-faced lunatic on a revenge spree, and the other nearly choked the life out of me."
The others winced, while Ayanokoji tried to recall some of what Karma told him during his time in the Assassination Classroom. The revenge spree one he could grasp, but as for the latter, nothing came to mind.
Seems you left more interesting stuff out than I had originally thought. Ayanokoji pondered.
While everyone was rationalizing what Karma said as a joke, his tone and expression said otherwise.
"Wh-what kind of people have you been seeing?" Mori asked, mortified.
Karma shrugged. "I'd rather you didn't phrase it like that, but if you must know..."
He started counting with his fingers as he describes some of the people he met.
"Some homocidal maniacs. An occultist. A poison specialist. A guy much like Sudo, though not as smart as Sudo. That idiot nearly drowned the whole class. A techy guy with a lotta baggage. He nearly killed pseudo-Sudo out of anger. It was pretty funny. Some stalkers, a womanizing scumbag, a yakuza, two shooters, a psychopath - I think-, a perverted overgrown man-child, an overworked, emotionally distressed father of 30, oh and a bitch. "
Hirata, Mii-chan, Mori, and Nanase just listened in horror as Karma dryly recounted his old classmates in graphic descriptions, while Ayanokoji merely listened with interest.
When he was finished, the others were starting to wonder if his sadism really came from a place of hurting.
"I think you may need to start choosing better people, Akabane-senpai." Said Nanase, worryingly.
Karma shrugged. "Meh. They're alright. It honestly could've been worse."
"Worse? How?" Asked Mori.
Karma hummed, straight-faced. "Well there was that one time we all nearly died on an island vacation."
"Huh?" Hirata said, visibly worried.
Ayanokoji stopped him.
"I think that's enough."
Karma crossed his arms. "Well, whatever. These guys don't have the stomach to handle all this anyway." He says, pointing to his classmates, and Nanase, who were all uncomfortable.
They just remained quite, finding it difficult to digest what he just told them.
Part 4
As the night went on, everyone chatted about various topics. They brought up Ayanokoji's and Karma's placement, and were impressed that they managed to make it in to the top 5.
"It's only the second day, but you guys are giving everyone a run for their money. Congratulations." Hirata exclaimed, the others agreeing.
Karma let out a laugh. "Well I certainly don't want to lose to that loser." He said.
Don't act so overconfident now. We've only been at this exam for two days. Who knows what's in store for us. Ayankoji thought internally.
Indeed. Although there were 3rd years who were actively trying to restrict their movements on day 1, now it seems like they were taking more of a backseat. Ayanokoji thought it over, and concluded that Nagumo may be trying to reassess the situation. With Ayanokoji and Karma now at fifth place, Nagumo may launch his counter attack soon, and no doubt the first years too would begin to mobilize. For all they know, Nanase travelling with them could be a tactical play by whoever's in charge.
"I'm sure you guys got this." Mii-chan said, encouragingly.
"Haha. Careful what you say. Especially in the presence of an outsider." Karma said that as he glanced over to Nanase, who had been listening to the whole exchange.
Nanase sunk lower in her seat, defending herself from their suspicions.
As the conversation continues, the crumbling, crescent moon shone brightly in the clear night sky. Everyone's attention was drawn to it, and the topic shifted to a grimmer tone.
"Hey, you remember that one test from yesterday?" Asked Mori.
"The history test with questions about the superbeing?" Replied Hirata.
Mori nodded. "Do you really think it's possible to blow up a sizeable chunk of the moon like that?"
"Well..." Mii-chan chimed in. "Although it's hard to believe, I guess it's not necessarily impossible."
"I s-suppose you have a point. One thing doesn't add up, though. Why teach?" Asked Mori.
"That is odd." Hirata replied. "Then again, very little has ever been made known to the public."
"Yeah. Even the identities of the students were secret." Noted Nanase.
"Still, it may have been for the best." Hirata replied. "They've been through enough that whole year. It's best that they're able to live their lives without having other people pester them about it."
"Yeah." Agreed Mii-chan, grimly.
As they were talking, Ayanokoji discretely glanced over at Karma, who was staring at the crescent moon with a somber expression, just like on the first day. He knew that, from what Karma told him, the media fabricated the news in order to hide the truth, and that the students weren't taken against their will. They all loved their octopus of a teacher dearly, and vice versa.
"How do you think they're doing right now?" Asked Nanase.
Everyone listening gave it some thought. Then, Hirata replied.
"Well, we talked about it yesterday, but maybe therapy?"
"Oh." Nanase thought. "I suppose it would make sense. Aside from wanting to go on with their lives, they also need all the help they can get."
"I hope they're well compensated." Said Mii-chan, sympathetically.
"If the government put them up to the task in killing the creature, surely they would've done something to help ease all the trauma they received." Hirata commented.
Nanase then turned her attention to the pair silently listening to the discussion. Not wanting them to be left out of the conversation, she decided to ask. "What do you think, Ayanokoji-senpai, Akabane-senpai?"
"Us?" Said Ayanokoji, while Karma just continued to stare in to the night sky.
"I'm sorry, let me reiterate. What you guys think about the whole superbeing incident?"
Ayanokoji thought over what he was going to say. Since he knows the truth from that year, he has to watch his words carefully, especially since he was technically being monitored by two of the people involved.
"Well, it was certainly an interesting turn of events. As unfortunate as it is that middle school students got involved, I have a feeling their transition back to normalcy isn't so cut and dry."
Everyone listening, apart from Karma, were surprised by his answer. Curiously, they pressed him on.
"What do you mean? That they're not completely getting the help they need?" Asked Mori, raising an eyebrow.
Ayanokoji was about to reply, but Karma responded for him, this time, not in his usual tone.
"I doubt the government would be so kind to get them help." He said, with the last word having more emphasis.
"Akabane-kun, are you saying the government is just done with them?"
Karma hummed in thought before giving a response.
"I have a feeling it's more like they're just paying them to keep a tight lip. It would just be more work for the people in charge if some sensitive information got out there."
"That seems cruel to just disregard them like that." Mii-chan mumbled.
Karma heard that, and added on. "That's what it means to be an adult. Especially those in power. Reality is a lot more cruel than you make it out to be."
"But..." Nanase said. "Shouldn't they at least get some kind of compensation?"
"I already told you didn't I? They may have been compensated with a huge chunk of cash." Karma replied.
"Is that enough though?" Mii-chan asked.
"Trust me." Karma added. "This is more for the government's benefit than the students involved. They'd rather the students don't do anything unnecessary behind their backs."
"I guess you're right." Mori rubbed the back of her neck. "If the students ever said anything bad about them, the government would be seen in an even worse light."
Karma scoffed at her statement. 'Yeah. Leave it to a bunch of middle schoolers to do your dirty work why don't ya.' He thought, bitterly.
"It's not like they have a good reputation to begin with." He said aloud. He then took a sip from his water bottle before resuming. "A lot of shady things going on behind the scenes. A lot of them are no better than the average criminal."
As much as the others wanted to respond, even they're aware that they're not being fully kept in the loop. Corruption is prevalent, and those in power tend to abuse what power they have to get their way, even at the expense of others.
Hirata then cleared his throat. "So..." He said. "The school the creature taught at... it's quite a surprise no one else other than those students, the principal, and the those working for the government caught wind beforehand, huh?"
"Well several reports did say that the principal was being backed into a corner at that time." Mii-chan said.
"Yeah, but wasn't the principal's system pretty scummy as well?" Asked Nanase.
"Are you referring to the discrimination the students from the lowest class felt for so long?" Asked Hirata.
Nanase nodded in affirmation. "In a way, it's like with this school, but maybe worse."
"Why's that?" Asked Mii-chan.
"Well, that's because-"
As Nanase was about to explain, Karma answered for her. "Because, at least here, those at the bottom are still given a fighting chance. Well, if they choose to fight, that is."
"Akabane-kun's right." Agreed, Hirata. "Unlike our school right now, the headmaster of that school actively puts the lowest ranking students under a lot of pressure, and actively does whatever it takes to keep them there, including sabotage."
The atmosphere became grimmer as Hirata explained, though all this isn't news to one particular red-head sitting among them.
Nanase clenched her fist, and gritted her teeth at the thought of the headmaster's inhumane acts. "I'm starting to think that the principal may have even been more than willing to put those students in danger."
"Why?" Mori asked. "Because he put them under harsh conditions, so what's a superbeing holding them hostage gonna do kinda thing?"
"Yeah." Nanase replied, her bloodlust starting to flare.
As the others, who were kept out of the loop were thinking it over, Ayanokoji voiced his own thoughts.
"That may not be the case."
Everyone turned to him.
"What do you mean, senpai?" Asked Nanase.
"While I understand what he did was immoral, I'm certain he must've had limits to what he could allow. I highly doubt that he'd just willingly put those students in any immediate, life-threatening danger, since he would still need them to show the rest of the student body as an example of what not to become."
The others were at a loss for words as they thought about it. From what the press released, the principal explained his philosophy, forcibly, knowing that lying won't get him out of it. Karma then chimed in.
"Kiyotaka's right. Bottom of the barrel they may be, they're still part of his educational philosophy." He lied down on the sand, his head resting on his arms before continuing. "In his own twisted image that is."
The others were saddened by this. Even without the superbeing's involvement, those who were part of that system beforehand still ended up enduring a lot of scorn, and nothing was done to help them. Even if there was, their experience as being part of the system must have scarred them for life.
"D-do you think that some of them... may have..." Asked Mii-chan weakly.
Everyone knew what she meant. To have he feeling of the whole world turn its back on you, it wasn't unthinkable that at least a few of those students went to relieve themselves of their pain permanently by cutting their time short.
Hirata didn't want to imagine it. Not just because of what happened to his friend, but because it could happen to anyone, and he'd be powerless. He'd be lying if he too hadn't thought about it himself. Nanase let he thought swirl in her mind, and it ended up bringing back an awful memory. To that, she nearly vomited, but was able to hold it in to save face.
Ayanokoji and Karma both thought back to their time in the White Room. It wasn't uncommon for children to off themselves. If the harsh environment didn't end them, they'd do it themselves.
Perhaps what kept these two going after so long were their determination to best everyone, and their shared rivalry. In a way, they ended up finding companionship in it, and because of that, they felt less lonely.
Not wanting to end the night on a grim note, Karma chimed in to ease the tension.
"Whatever you're thinking, rest assured he got what was coming to him."
"As if that did any good." Nanase said, grimly.
"Yeah." Mii-chan added. "I heard he's opening a new school too."
"Who's to say he won't model his new system with his old one?" Asked Mori, infuriated.
"Oh, I'm pretty sure he won't be doing such a thing, Mori-san." Karma replied.
The girls, and Hirata raised an eyebrow in confusion, and let out an audible "Huh?"
Ayanokoji then clarified in Karma's place. "I think he means, that the headmaster won't be able to get away with something like that, now that he's been exposed."
"W-well I suppose you have a point." Mumbled Mori.
"That, and he may have even ended up experiencing quite a few things that year to have cause quite the shift in perspective." Added Karma.
"What do you mean?" Asked Nanase.
"Well, being in close proximity to a superbeing such as that would've most definitely change a man." Karma paused before continuing.
He then smiled faintly as the memories of the repeated losses of A Class and Asano Sr. started flooding in, though no one seemed to notice.
He then continued. "Whatever he experienced must've been quite explosive that it blew him away."
"W-well I can see your point, senpai, but do you have any idea what that might've been specifically?"
Karma hummed in thought before answering. "Death?"
"Huh?"
"Facing near death can change a man drastically. Who knows? Maybe that creature got so annoyed with him, and started dropping him 100 meters in the air, only to catch him and repeat the process all over again. Or that the creature threatened to kill his family. Empty his credit card by spending it all on junk food and porn mags. Torture him by grooming his hair, eyelashes, and nails. Or maybe he even made him face a grenade right to his face. If you have powers like that, the possibilities for torture are endless." He said jokingly.
This was apparently enough to lighten the mood a bit, as everyone, save for Ayanokoji let out a little chuckle.
"You know what?" Said Mori. "I don't care if I sound like an asshole. I'm glad that guy got what was coming to him."
Nanase, and Mii-chan agreed. Even Hirata found it hard to disagree.
"Why those kinds of torture specifically?" He asked Karma.
"Well normal torture may get boring for a creature of that caliber, so I imagine he'd have to get creative." Karma replied, nonchalantly.
"Okay, but... grooming? Junk food? Porn mags?" Asked Hirata, visibly perplexed.
Karma shrugged, smiling fondly. "Well if I had powers like that, I'd steal people's wallets and go on a spending spree. Maybe even give 'em a hairdo, and make them cross dress as a maid to humiliate them. Who knows?"
"Oh."
"You know, I wish I had superspeed too." Said Mori. "I bet I could go to a lot of different places I could never to go to before."
"That sure would be a useful power." Agreed Mii-chan, enthusiastically.
"Mhm." Said Karma. "Bet you could travel to Hawaii without a visa, and watch the English previews. Or maybe even draw your face around the world using your own contrails, and make a stupid song of out it."
"O-or go sight-seeing. Like the top of Mount Everest." Replied Mii-chan.
Everyone, apart from Ayanokoji were each giving out their own ideas for what they would do if they had super speed. Successfully diverting the awkward atmosphere from earlier into a livelier one, Karma was able to get their minds of his former E Class. As fun as it was messing with people's heads for him, he didn't want to give himself away either.
Amidst all this, one individual among them noticed the oddly specific scenarios and wordings used by Karma, but chose not to press on as they didn't want any trouble.
As the night progressed, everyone became at ease once again.
Part 5
(Ayanokoji POV)
It was more or less 30 minutes away from 9 pm. We had all decided to turn in early to be fully recharged for tomorrow's endeavors. Before we could, I asked Karma to meet with me in a secluded area not too far from our campsite. I told the others we'd be back, and off we went. Once we were now out of sight and earshot, I decided to finally satiate my curiosity from earlier.
"So... What did you want to talk about?" Asked Karma.
"I want to know. Earlier, when everyone was talking about the incident regarding your class, you seemed too lax when you were sharing your some stuff. Why?"
He shrugged. "It's not like I was giving away any sensitive information."
"That's not what I mean."
"Oh?" He said, raising an eyebrow.
"Although you ommitted your involvement, what you said were all too specific. That's the worrisome part, since the two of us know he actually did all those things."
"Alright, let me ask you this." He said, crossing his arms.
"What?"
"Can you really take everything I say at face value? Who's to say I'm not just messing around?"
That is true. Throughout his time in Horikita's Class, Karma has had a habit of messing with people's heads, including myself, when conversing with them. While I myself am able to discern his facts from fiction, the tone he uses when speaking either one are mostly the same - in that it always sound like he's just joking around, or getting in your head.
"Even when I know whether what you say is the truth or not, not everyone has the same thought process as I do."
He snaps fingers and points one towards me as if saying: "congratulations."
"Precisely! As my former teacher once said, I'm a gifted improvisor!"
By maintaining his usual front, no one, aside from myself, would be able to tell that what he said earlier were actually real.
"Are you not worried about people being suspicious?" I asked him.
"Honestly, what were dong right now is pretty suspicious. Discussing in a secluded area out of sight and hearing range is pretty shady. It looks like were dealing drugs or something."
Well I suppose, that, from the perspective of an outsider, it does look like we're doing something illegal.
"I can see your point, but please just answer my question."
He sighs. "Me? Worried? Not really."
"And why's that?"
He leans his back against the tree before answering.
"Without concrete evidence, all they have to go off of are just some ideas I said, that seem outlandish."
Apart from his opinions towards the government, most would just assume that his ideas were all just the byproduct of one's own imagination.
"Still. Aren't you perhaps underestimating the people you talk to? Yosuke is pretty perceptive as well. Nanase is also an unknown." I told him.
He hummed in thought.
"Are you worried I might get found out?" He asked back to me.
I decided to be honest with my answer. "Honestly? Not really. What you do with your secret is none of my concern. I'm just curious, that's all."
I wasn't lying. Whether he did get found out or not, as long as it doesn't affect me, is none of my concern. Though, it would be interesting as to how he would handle the blow back.
He shrugs again. "Then there's nothing for me to worry about either."
"But what if they do found out?"
"Mm. We'll cross that bridge, when we get there." He replied, nonchalantly.
From his uncaring behavior, he doesn't seem to be all too concerned about keeping his secret. Otherwise, he wouldn't have told me and Koenji.
"Now, is there anything else?" He asked.
"Yes, there is. You seem to enjoy sharing some of what you experienced back there."
"And?"
"That's all."
"I thought you were leading me on to a bigger question. You can't just leave me hanging like that."
What I'm about to do is rather bold, but I want to know how he goes by this.
"I just thought I'd point out how laxed you were earlier. Almost as if you were actually enjoying yourself recounting your time that year."
He knows what I mean.
"I suppose I'm wondering if that was your own subtle way of reminiscing, without letting others know. I never really took you for the sentimental type."
He hummed at my response. Then...
"What makes you think I was being sentimental?" He asked me.
"Everything you said earlier, when describing the former head master of your school, and your old teacher says it all. You don't have your old classmates to talk to, and since I'm not from your old class, I can't relate to any of what you said, so you decided to steer the conversation in a way, that would allow you to vent, much to an outsider's ignorance."
Upon noticing how he was staring into the night sky earlier, specifically the crumbling crescent moon, I could tell there was a lot going on in his mind, and the topic of his former class was perhaps a doorway for him to let out some much needed steam. In a way, he felt lonely, and just wanted someone to vent to.
However, he didn't give me a response. Instead, he just straightened his body, and turned to our campsite.
"Let's end this conversation. We have a long day ahead of us." He said.
"You're being dismissive." I told him.
"Oh? Am I now?"
"Yes, you are."
He sighs and turns to me, his expression serious. "Look, that conversation was just it; a conversation. How I choose to handle things is none of your concern."
"Now you're being defensive." I pressed on.
"Well, maybe you shouldn't try to stoke the fire then." He argued.
He was starting to get visibly annoyed, but did his best to remain calm, which didn't amount to much.
"Aren't there things you want to talk about?" I probed.
He then turned to me, bewildered. "Huh?"
"You clearly have some things to say."
"Well, here's something: leave me be." He replied, sternly.
He was, insistent on leaving it here, but I persisted.
"That much bottled up emotions isn't good for anyone."
He clicked his tongue. "What do you know? It's not like you can feel anything anyway."
Well, I won't argue, but that wasn't the point.
"While I can see where you're getting at, this isn't about me." I told him.
"And if it's about me, then I'm entitled to my own thoughts." He argued, almost yelling.
"Karma." I paused briefly, before continuing to make my point. "You're clearly still gri-"
But before I could finish, he cut me off.
"Listen Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, I'm not letting in you in my head, just so you can satisfy your own curiosity. Go mess with someone else's."
"I'm not messing with your head."
"No, but you're clearly crossing a limit."
"Then you admit, that you're still not over it?"
"What?"
He knew what I was referring to, and I now have him backed into a corner.
"I meant about that year. About how you're not over how that year ended."
"... I have nothing to say to you." He said, looking like he's near his breaking point.
"You clearly do if you enjoyed rambling, like earlier, about some of the fun you had that year."
"I wasn't rambling. I was trying to lighten the mood and have some fun." He said, gritting his teeth.
"Then enlighten me. What was on your mind moments before, and after his deathbe-"
He finally snaps, and yelled with a fury.
"I'M NOT DISCUSSING THIS WITH YOU!"
After he yelled that, I turned to check towards the direction of our campsite to see if anyone heard us. Luckily, it didn't seem so.
Realizing what he just did, he shook his head, and tried to regain his composure.
"Look..." He started. "I may have told you some of what happened, but it doesn't mean you're entitled to know my own thoughts on it."
"Right, because they're written all over your face."
"What do you know? You haven't seen me for years. Are you seriously insinuating, that you know me better than I know myself?"
"I've known you the longest. I think I have a good grasp on the kind of person you are, outside of what you normally show others."
If I were to describe him, it would be that he's a facade. He doesn't often show his true feelings, and instead masks them with a display of aloofness, and toughness. Even in the face of true hardship, he always put on a strong front in order to hide any sign of weakness. When confronted with a trial, he jumps into action first, ever so confident in order to not make himself look weak.
In a way, just like myself, he's not showing his true self either. Not even to the ones he's closest to. There are cracks to his mask, but they are always overshadowed by his rough exterior.
"I'm done talking. I'm going to bed."
He tried to walk away from me, but I called out to him.
"You can't keep up that front forever."
He didn't turn around to face me. He just stuck a middle finger in the air and kept walking.
The way how he projected his own feelings of grief into that conversation earlier, by masking them as jokes, I've learned the impact one has on someone, even those who were once emotionally detached. To come to care for someone like that, to the point of grieving over their demise, I wonder if someone one day would be able to make me feel that.
If that ever does happen, the bigger question would be: how do I deal with it? I have seen different people deal with grief differently from others. Take Yosuke for example. He deals with his by always trying to be the one who's there for everyone, even at the cost of his own well-being. This isn't just out of his pure desire of wanting to help people. It's also his way of making up for his past mistakes.
As for Karma, he deals his by putting on a mask, not letting others see how that grief affects him. He doesn't actively find someone to confine in. Instead, he lets them come to him. How he chooses to respond when confronted by someone in regards to his problem seems to be different depending on the person.
There's varying degrees as to how one upholds others. In other words, while we won't outright admit it, we tend to make our own tier list of people, and the length of how long people know each other matters less. For example, those "friends" who belong in the B tier are those who one could laugh with, and the world sees them as the best of friends, and the people in question may even think so. Meanwhile, those in the A tier are the ones whose level of trust is insurmountable, and they get to see a side of an individual, that others never get to witness.
If I were to guess, I'd say I'm probably borderline A and B in Karma's ranking. However, because I may not be fully in A rank, there's still a gap of what he could entrust me with. Those in the A rank, are most likely comprised of people from his former E class. He could trust me with scheming, and telling me portions of the truth from that year, but not the full picture, nor his most honest feelings.
Should the day come, when I'll have to deal with feelings like grief, would I succumb to the turmoil, or would I find a way to cope with it? Would I be ready for it? No matter how much I try to study the grief of others, some things are truly better explained once I get to experience them myself.
I let these thoughts sink in as I arrived back at our camp. Everyone, Karma included have already retreated to their respective tents. I stare back up at the night sky one more time as the crumbling crescent moon shone upon us. Then, I entered my tent, zip it shut, lay down and shut my eyes, eager to start another day anew.
<Author's Note>
HELLO! Long time no update. Last time I updated was November 2 I think.
Before anything else, advance Merry Christmas everyone! I wanted to put out an update before Christmas day so that you guys will have something new to read. Our Christmas Break actually started on Dec 17th, but I decided to unwind; hang with a friend, play some games, watch some shows, etc. for 3 days.
Also, Although I'm on "break", our professors still gave us long term tasks to work on, which is why I still couldn't get to working on this story this right away. I mean seriously, wtf. Whoever said to "get excited for college" needs a good slap in the face. So yeah, don't expect future updates to come out after this any time soon. My best estimate as to when the next update would be out would be either February or March the earliest. Really sorry about that.
Now, about this chapter. This was suppose to come out like, weeks ago - early December, late November - but upon rereading my initial draft, I realized that it needed major rework, so I shafted like a good 60% of it, and put it on hold until after our exams. The original draft was actually much heavier, which wasn't my initial goal for this chapter, and it just made Karma look more like Gakushuu, which he'd probably be appalled by.
Next chapter should finally be the start of Volume 6, and the 3rd day of the island exam arc. I have stuff laid out, but I'll get to it once I can.
For those who have read this story since the first arc, thanks again for sticking around for so long, and for newer reads, thanks for picking up this story. A lot of it is cringy, since I've never actually written a story with this much plot and length like this before, but I'm glad you guys still find enjoyment out of it anyway. Though I can't update much, I'm semi active on Wattpad, and I often read your guys' comments.
Thanks for the 69k reads 😏 before Christmas btw lol.
I'll see you guys in the next update! Merry Christmas, and have a Happy New Year!