A/N: I- Wooooowww!! What's this??? Me publishing a plot-relevant chapter!?!? Impossible LOL
But WOOOHOOOOO
Sorry for the delay but, apart from my writer's block, this chapter has given me so, SOOO much trouble. I don't know why but no matter what I wrote it never managed to convince me and I ended up hating everything on this page.
I'm still not sure if I'm 100% happy with how it turned out but I knew that if I kept postponing this I would never update the story and I'd be stuck forever, which is especially annoying considering we're almost at the finish line.
So anyhow, I hope you enjoy this chapter!! It's quite long as a treat for being so inactive this past year :(
(Your POV)
You were finally free.
Those were the words your brain had been repeating to you throughout the whole journey to the main campus. You honestly still had trouble digesting that fact. You were no longer under your parents' control, no longer under their appearances.
So what better way to celebrate this milestone than graduating with the end class? The class that had opened your eyes and helped you grow in ways you would've never imagined.
Your gaze skipped from face to face. Sugino, Nakamura, Kayano, Nagisa. You were graduating with your friends and honoring Koro-sensei's memory. Your smile widened more than ever, and you even found yourself giggling giddily as you walked down the hallways. It was all just so surreal!
Eventually, your eyes landed on Karma's face, that warmth embracing you as you took your time to appreciate him.
He was always so protective of you, always there to look out for you. He was the first person to help carry the burden of your family's appearances. He was the first one to be there for you at your lowest, when you had no one to confide in and... you just loved him so, so much.
You couldn't resist yourself and grabbed his hand, giving it a light squeeze. He whipped his head at your touch and gave you a questioning look, which you replied by flashing him a toothy grin, your excitement radiating off of you in waves that he could sense loud and clear.
Finally, you arrived at the main campus and stepped inside the assembly hall. "Wow, it's been long since we last came here," Nakamura whistled.
"Is it me or do they look even more annoyed by our presence?" Sugino sweatdropped. and nervously glanced around the room.
"I think they're just curious but are too hesitant to ask." Nagisa smiled, though he seemed a bit unsure.
The class shuffled a bit awkwardly in place, quite uncomfortable with the main campus' staring. Even though there were still many people missing, like some teachers, classes C and D, and many parents, you still felt like there were hundreds of eyes set on you.
"Okay guys, why don't we just walk to our seats and show them this feud is over?" Isogai proposed, trying to dissipate the tension.
"Yes! That's what Koro-sensei would've liked!" Kurahashi agreed, fist pumping the air.
The class soon began walking, some of them even flashing small smiles at the rest of the students to show the rivalry between the end class and the main campus was all in the past. You happily skipped behind the rest of your classmates but stopped abruptly when your eyes landed on that infamous duo that had caused you so many problems.
Aoi and Nika.
All your excitement was gone in the blink of an eye and was replaced by a cold chill that went down your spine and made you shiver. They were the reason why your life turned into even more of a living hell. They were the reason your privacy got violated.
"Karma, wait." You shakily tugged his sleeve, your action making him stop walking and turn around, giving you a concerned look. He then followed your gaze and as soon as he saw the girls, he instantly understood.
"I-I think I'm ready to finally face them." You forced yourself to nod your head, Koro-sensei's words reverberating inside your head as you tried to rile yourself up for what you were about to do. "Koro-sensei was right. I shouldn't have given up so easily. It's time I take a stand. I can't let them keep thinking they got away with it." Your eyes began filling with determination the longer you thought about your teacher's words.
"Hmm and you sure you wanna do this alone?" Karma arched an eyebrow, carefully eyeing your expressions, not too keen on the idea of you going by yourself and risking another breakdown.
"Third time's the charm, right?" You tried flashing him a confident smile, but failed miserably.
Karma couldn't help but roll his eyes at this, but nevertheless granted your wish to face them on your own. "If they give you any trouble just give me the signal." He flicked your nose.
You honestly had absolutely no idea what overcame you at that moment. Perhaps everything that you had gone through in the span of two days finally really got to you. Or perhaps it was the build-up stress of what you were about to do. But you couldn't help yourself from giggling quietly at his words, your laughter soon turning into a full out snort.
"What signal?" You couldn't resist wheezing. "Pfft- Have you been reading too much Sonic Ninja or something?"
He first gave you a quizzical look, quite taken aback by this sudden, and honestly, quite weird reaction. Nonetheless, he was quick to go back to his senses, and the corners of his mouth even curved into a smirk.
"And here I was tryna be a nice boyfriend." He playfully rolled his eyes. He then came closer and flicked your forehead. "Just make a gesture with your hand or something if you need me."
"And what? You'll appear in a sudden burst of flames and take their souls away?" You couldn't resist another snort, your reaction making his mercury eyes glint at the challenge.
"Ne (Y/N)-chan, why are you calling me a devil again?" He leaned over so you were now at the same height, faces mere millimeters apart. "You know? You keep repeating that word. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you actually have a thing for that. Do you?" His low voice and that smirk of his quickly made your laughter die down.
"Wh-What?!" You managed to stammer, your expression now contorting into one of complete mortification. "I-I don't- I don't-"
"Pfft-" He burst out laughing. "Why so embarrassed all of a sudden?" He teased and straightened up. "What? Can't finish what you started?" He annoyingly began poking your cheek, that smug smirk of his never leaving his lips.
"I-I didn't start anything." You tried puffing out your cheeks and defending yourself.
"Sure~" He smirked. "But don't worry princess. It was cute seeing you try. You've actually come a long way from that goody-goody I first met. So c'mon then. Now that you've finally loosened up," he grinned, "go and face those witches. Make them regret ever being born." Devil horns came out of his head.
You were a bit stunned for the first few seconds, but eventually you found yourself smiling softly at what he had done. Karma sure had strange methods to help de-stress you, but you couldn't deny they were effective, and very like him.
So, thanks to that weird burst of confidence that had invaded you, and Karma's weird pep talk, you gathered enough courage to finally walk up to the two girls and put an end to this whole ordeal.
"Aoi, Nika." You approached, body involuntarily stiffening a little bit, all that playfulness from just seconds ago dissipating into thin air.
"Oh, hi (Y/N)." Aoi smirked, her grin less than welcoming.
"I know it was you two who leaked the photo." You decided to go straight to the point, wanting to finally get this over with.
"You mean the photo from that magazine article?" She innocently arched an eyebrow. "Sorry but I have no idea what you're talking about. That was the first time I was seeing it." She pouted nearly mockingly.
"Oh~ why don't you ask Maiya? I remember she said something about seeing you and Akabane somewhere." Nika piped in, her mouth curving into a knowing smirk.
Your face hardened. Were they really going to keep up the facade?
"There's no point in lying." You said sharply, not wanting to hear any of the excuses they were about to come up with this time. "Maiya and Hiroko confessed, and I'll be taking you to the principal."
And with that, you motioned to turn around, not wanting to spend any more time near those girls that had made this past month a living hell. But the words that came out of Aoi's mouth stopped you from continuing.
"You know, (Y/N)? You were always so passive back in class A, I'm surprised to see you actually taking a stance for once."
"I found it necessary this time." You replied, not at all liking those snide remarks of hers. "It was time you two suffered the consequences, and realize just how much damage you've caused. But..." you paused, "I still can't figure out just why you did it." Your gaze lowered down to the ground, genuinely trying to understand what their motivation had been all along. "I never did anything to you, so why have you been so keen on antagonizing me?"
Sure you already knew they didn't like you that much, they had made it pretty clear on those few conversations you had shared. But it was still weird to think about it, because you didn't even remember exchanging a word with them before you were transferred to the end class. So why had they taken such a strong hatred towards you? It's not like you did anything to them...
Aoi chuckled. "You think we did all this just to antagonize you?" She glanced at Nika in amusement, as if you had just uttered the most nonsensical words she had ever heard. "Please (Y/N), don't think so highly of yourself, we only did what any other person would've done."
"Exactly. There was nothing wrong with what we did." Nika was quick to back up her friend. "You were the one to cheat on Himura with that lowlife. You were the reason that delinquent and Asano-kun fought, and got hurt."
Their accusations made you pause, and you even had to blink a few times to process their words. Was that really what they thought?
"You didn't even know how my relationship with Kaori ended, yet you assumed right away I had been cheating on him with Karma?" You couldn't stop the words from coming out of your mouth, your tone filled with utter disbelief. "Himura and I weren't even dating at the time the photo was taken. You could've just talked to me first and I would have explained everything. In fact you could've-" You abruptly stopped yourself, realization dawning upon you. "But you two don't care about that," you whispered. "You're just using that as an excuse to justify your actions, aren't you?" Your gaze hardened when they didn't say anything, confirming your suspicions and making you realize you had in fact hit the nail in the head.
"But why?" You couldn't help yourself from asking yet again.
You still had trouble understanding why someone would be so wretched just for the fun of it. Even your parents had a motivation for acting the way they did. So why? Why had Aoi and Nika suddenly taken such a huge dislike towards you this past year? Why had they been trying so hard to make your life miserable?
"It's not like I ever did anything to you, did I?" You had to ask.
"Ugh, again with 'never doing anything'." Aoi finally spoke, face scrunching in irritation, as if she had just had it with your rambling. "That's the problem (Y/N). You never do anything."
"What?" Your brow raised, her words taking you completely unprepared. Just what was she talking about now?
"You always refused to talk to anyone in class because you believed you were above us. And yet Asano-kun keeps going after you and wants to be your friend?" She scoffed in disdain.
"You also had one of the highest grades, when the only thing you did was daydream," Nika picked up on her friend's mood change and was quick to back her up. "I guess coming from the (L/N) family gives you certain privileges."
"See?" Aoi seethed venomously. "You never do anything, yet here you are, being handed everything on a silver platter. How is that fair?"
You remained there in place, without saying anything, as you processed everything they had just told you. So this was where all their resentment came from? This whole time, the source of Aoi and Nika's disdain came down to how perfect your life seemed from the outside? They hated you for coming from the (L/N) family, for getting that role in the movie, for having Asano as a friend...
"I'm sorry if I ever made you feel inferior, that was never my intention," you finally said, which made Aoi roll her eyes. "And you're right. I did tend to get lost in my own thoughts during class and never really showed much interest in socializing. So I apologize if I ever acted cold towards you," you spoke honestly, head lowering with regret.
You couldn't deny it. Being so ignorant to end class struggles and showing so little interest in class A truly was your fault. You had already realized it when Maiya came to visit you at the old campus. But it seemed your attitude towards class A had affected more people than you had realized.
"But my life hasn't been as easy as you think, and I wasn't handed everything on a silver platter," you continued. "My grades weren't perfect either, and I was kicked out of class A which caused many problems with my parents." Now that you knew where they were coming from, you hoped nothing more but to be able to make peace with them, and move on. "What I'm trying to say is that there's more to it than you realize. Appearances can be deceiving, so I guess it wasn't really your fault to have believed my life was perf-"
Aoi scoffed. "More to it than we realize? Please, don't make me laugh."
Your jaw tightened, not at all liking her mocking tone, especially since the only thing you had been doing for the past ten minutes was try to hear them out and understand their frustrations. Despite that, you tried to ignore Aoi's condescension and remain level-headed, hoping you would be able to follow Koro-sensei's advice.
"I'm not looking for a fight." You tried to say as calmly as possible, not wanting this conversation to escalate the same way it had done with your parents. "I just came here to let you both know that Maiya and Hiroko confessed. I know it was you and Nika who leaked the photo to the magazine, and I'll be telling principal Asano." You spoke clearly, wanting to let them know you weren't going to let them step all over you again.
Just like Koro-sensei had said, it was time you finally set your boundaries and stood up for yourself. So with that last statement, you tried to put an end to the conversation and turn away, but once again, you were stopped by the words that followed next.
"You know (Y/N)? Maybe you should stop blaming us for your little and inconsequential shortcomings, and start focusing more on being less of a privileged, spoiled brat." Aoi glared. "Stop posing as the victim. There was nothing wrong with what we did. In fact, we did what had to be done. You were the one who messed up. You were the reason people got hurt. So go complain somewhere else."
Your hands curled into tight fists. You had tried being nice but this was the last straw. Even after what they had done to you, you had still found it in yourself to listen to their frustrations and apologize. But it seemed respect was not a two way street with them.
"Did it ever cross your mind that there might've been a reason why I was always so wrapped up in my own thoughts?" You glared. "I was barely even in class. I barely ever got a break, always running around from school, to the studio and back. But I guess you didn't take that into account."
"Th-There was no need in your case," Nika interrupted you, quickly going to her friend's aid who had fallen silent at your words. "Your whole life is already put up for display."
"Do you really think that we don't know your mom's a producer?" Aoi didn't take long to go back to her senses. "That she basically got you that role without you even having to lift a finger? And that your daddy's a famous doctor who spoils you rotten?" She looked at you with her chin up. "Please (Y/N), you were born with a silver spoon so stop playing the victim."
Your whole demeanor changed at the mention of your parents. It was as if the life in your eyes slowly faded the longer her words rang inside your head. Instead, they turned into stone. Cold and unforgiving.
"You have no idea what my home life has been like." Your voice was dangerously low. "And you know what Aoi? Nika?" Your eyes skipped from face to face. "Your behavior is only proving just how selfish and narrow-minded you are to even consider there might be more to a person than what meets the eye," you snarled.
You had wanted to honor Koro-sensei's memory, to follow his last piece of advice, but they clearly weren't worth it. They were just as rotten on the inside as they were on the outside.
"My life has been far from perfect. But at least I never went as far as to antagonize someone I barely even knew, based on some loose facts that weren't even true. So what gives you the right?"
Aoi didn't say anything, jaw clenching tightly as she could only glare at you. Nika had fallen silent too, brow furrowing in confusion as she eyed Aoi, as if she didn't know how to proceed.
"And I do have proof that you sent that photo." You didn't stop there. "You may see the end class as nothing but a bunch of 'lowlives', but they're the most talented people I've ever met and not one, but two of them can easily uncover your lies and find out just what I need to get you expelled from this school."
And at last, you turned around and walked away, finally putting an end to the scandal that had been eating you away for the past month. It was time you moved on. It was time you started focusing on the present, and what really mattered.
As you walked away from the baffled pair, you took notice of just how much your muscles were aching, probably from being tensed for so long. But as you continued your pace, you realized you really didn't mind and actually relished the feeling, because it meant the weight had finally been lifted off your shoulders.
You grinned, not being able to stop that smile of happiness from forming at your lips, that feeling of unadulterated joy overcoming you. Fina-
"(Y/N)." A voice startled you, their sudden presence bursting you out of that trance and making you come to an abrupt stop.
"Huh?" You blinked a few times, black eyes being the first thing you saw.
Hiroko.
"What do you want?" Your tone came out much more hostile than you had expected.
The girl didn't sound too surprised by your attitude, probably expecting this treatment after the way your last encounters went.
"I heard what you told Aoi and Nika." Her face was as stern as you remembered, but her voice lacked her usual tone of superiority. "If you take them to Principal Asano, they'll show the picture they took of Maiya with the photo before it was leaked."
"That won't be a problem." You dismissively shook your head. "I know they're guilty and I'll prove it."
Hiroko nodded her head in understanding, and an uncomfortable silence soon followed. So, you took that as your cue to leave.
"I didn't know your mother got mad at you for ending up in that class." Your pace halted. "She was always a very loving person, and you seemed to have a very close relationship with her."
"Well, she's a very different mother at home," you stated with no other explanation, letting her know you didn't want to talk about it.
After a brief pause, Hiroko spoke again. "I never really liked you, (Y/N). The way you always showed so little interest in the school's hierarchy-..." She pursed her lips. "You were in class A. You had everything. Yet you never appreciated it." Her brow furrowed. "You simply dismissed all the effort that it took to get into such a class, and preferred to live in your daydreams."
You pursed your lips. Had she really come all the way here just to criticize you?
"But now I can see that this whole time," she bit her bottom lip, eyes glancing to the side. "I was missing the bigger picture... I still don't think we'll ever become friends like our parents wanted us to, but I respect you for what you did. Saving the Earth, standing up to Aoi and Nika, and protecting Maiya from being framed-..." She stopped. "I apologize for how I treated you these past two years. I was told my behaviour has been bossy and unforgiving, and there might have been some truth in that." She finished her speech by lowering her gaze in what appeared to be shame and regret.
At first you didn't say anything, preferring to remain mute because, honestly, you really had no idea what to say, not at all expecting such sincerity coming from Hiroko. Much less hearing her apologize to you for her past behaviour, and the way she treated you.
"It's good to have regrets from time to time, because it means you're learning." Koro-sensei's words suddenly rang inside your head.
Without realizing it, a small, relieved smile found itself forming at your lips. And the longer you stared at the girl in front of you, the wider it got. It really did seem like something inside her had changed, and the growth that she was displaying right now gave you... hope.
People could change.
Perhaps Koro-sensei's advice wasn't meant for Aoi and Nika. Those two didn't deserve a second chance because they didn't want to better themselves. But Hiroko-... Well, it seemed like she did. She did want to change. She did want to be better.
"Thanks Hiroko." You smiled. "And I'll make sure Aoi and Nika don't try to blame Maiya. So," you nervously chewed on the inside of your cheek. "What do you say," you timidly extended your hand, "truce?"
At first she gave you a weird look, not really sure what to do with it. But slowly, she reached for your hand and shook it, the faintest smile flickering over her lips.
"Truce."
_________________________
"Isogai Yuma," the principal's voice was heard loud and clear through the loudspeakers.
You happily cheered along with the rest of your friends as you watched your class president stand up and walk to the platform to collect his diploma.
"Wait so that Hiroko girl actually apologized?" Karma, who was seated in front of you, leaned backwards and whispered in your direction.
After your talk with Hiroko, you had quickly gotten back to Karma, who had been watching the whole exchange, mercury eyes narrowing every time he sensed any animosity coming from the other party. You had quickly told him everything that had happened, wanting to reassure him it was all okay and the situation had finally been resolved. But the principal's commanding voice telling the students to take a seat had left you mid-conversation, much to Karma's displeasure.
"I know right? I honestly still have trouble processing it." You agreed. "Now focus on the graduation, you're distracting the rest." You chastised playfully.
"Yeah, you heard her. Just because you got your diploma and the principal announced you as the number one ranker doesn't mean you can talk, you psycho." Terasaka grumbled from beside you.
"Eh? Don't tell me this animal's jealous of my ranking?" Karma's devious grin went from ear to ear as he turned around to give his full attention to the boy. "And what's with that attitude? Subordinates shouldn't be talking to their bosses like that."
"What the-? Quit calling yourself my boss!" A vein popped in Terasaka's head. "And shut that damn mouth! You're gonna distract everyone!"
You sweatdropped as you watched how they began 'silently' attacking each other. Kicking the other's chair, slapping their hand away, purposefully leaning back and bumping the other. Their fighting even began attracting some attention as some students started turning around, eyebrows furrowed as they searched for the source of the noise.
Unfortunately for you, with all the mayhem, a pair of purple eyes eventually ended up making contact with your own (E/C) ones.
You could feel that lump in your throat forming. The last time you had spoken, Asano still believed he had done nothing wrong. He even went as far as to call you out on your 'irrational' behavior. Which is why you made sure to quickly look away, and focus your attention back on Karma and Terasaka's weird fight. Thankfully, you didn't have to sit in the crossfire for too long since Karasuma-sensei's murderous glare successfully managed to quiet them down.
Graduation continued and your name was finally called.
"Try not to fall going up the stairs," Karma teased.
You playfully rolled your eyes and skipped over to the platform. You then searched for that familiar face, which you easily spotted in the front row of the parents' area. A soft giggle left your lips upon seeing your brother sticking out like a sore thumb. You even felt a little bit of pity for how uncomfortable he must've felt sitting beside so many adults, most of whom doubled him in age.
Akiro's eyes soon met yours, and you were quick to flash him a wide smile, which he returned with a rather awkward wave.
You finally reached the podium and approached the principal.
"Congratulations for an extraordinary academic year, (Y/N)."
You bowed in respect as he handed you the diploma, which you gratefully took with two hands. "Thank you Principal Asano."
"It will be a pleasure to continue having you here at Kunugigaoka." The barest smile tugged at his lips.
You shifted a bit awkwardly. Now that the principal had brought it up, you weren't even sure if you would get to stay...
It was a very expensive school and it's not like you and your brother had had a chance to talk about this new sudden change. After what happened with your parents, it was clear you weren't going back to that house. But at the same time you also had no idea what Akiro would decide to do from here on, because the only way for him to be able to afford such a school would be by giving up his dream of studying architecture, and get a job at the hospital.
Since you didn't want to overcomplicate things with the principal, because that would mean explaining your new living arrangement, you eventually decided to simply give Asano-san a nod of acknowledgement.
"Oh, before you go." He suddenly stopped you and reached for something in his pocket. "Your mother came by my house this morning and asked me to give you this." He extended his hand.
A lump formed in your throat at the mention of your mother, your eyes darting to the objects he was presenting you. It was a phone and a white envelope.
"(Y/N)?" The principal's voice urged you to take it.
You went as stiff as a post as your mind kept telling you not to take it. But, for some reason, your body actually did the opposite.
After a quick and rather clumsy bow, you hastily scattered away, millions of thoughts rushing through your mind. You took your seat once again, your grip on the paper tightening to the point where you were even crumbling it a little bit. So you quickly stashed the envelope and the phone in your pocket, not wanting to think about it.
Graduation continued, though you couldn't concentrate. Your face white as a sheet of paper. Unbeknownst to you, both Karma and Akiro had watched your whole interaction with the principal, and their eyes were now glued to your figure, brow furrowing slightly as they wondered what he could've said to make you so agitated.
The graduation ceremony eventually came to an end. The claps and cheers were louder than ever and you forced yourself to push those negative feelings aside and happily clap along. This was your day, and you wouldn't allow your mother to ruin it.
"Can't believe we graduated!" Nakamura squealed and came running towards you. She forcefully crashed against you, pulling you into a bone-crushing hug. "Take that principal Asano!" She laughed and fist bumped the air.
"Nakamura he's gonna hear you." Sugino sweatdropped and reached the two of you.
"Bah, who cares? It's not like we're gonna see him again." She dismissed and you couldn't help but giggle, her excitement rubbing off on you and helping you take your mind off of your mother. "Well, except for you and Karma." She now let go so she could see you better. "Can't believe you two are the only ones who'll be staying here. Along with the Student Council President of course. Now good luck with that," she snickered.
"It'll be tough dealing with the two of them in the same room," you chuckled rather awkwardly, once again, still not sure if you could even stay for college.
"Eh? Is that what you think (Y/N)-chan?" Karma suddenly appeared from behind, and swung his arm over your shoulders. "Just so you know, that square and I will be playing fair this time. So you got nothing to worry about~" He grinned deviously.
"Yes, thank you Karma. That sure eases my worries," you deadpanned. "Will you behave as well as you did with Terasaka?"
"I mean, that egghead had it coming." He shrugged without a care in the world.
"Oh are you talking about those yells we heard during the ceremony?" Kayano giggled softly as she and Nagisa approached the group. "I was wondering who was causing such a ruckus."
"Thought I heard your voice, Karma," Nagisa flashed a closed-eyed smile and chuckled sheepishly.
The six of you continued talking and headed to the doors leading to the main reception hall where the adults would be waiting. Nagisa's parents were just by the doors so he was the first one to separate from the group. Soon enough, one by one, your friends left to meet their parents.
"Congratulations on graduating." Akiro approached the two of you.
It was just one simple sentence, nothing really major, but you felt your heart skipping beat. So, without even thinking about it, you pulled him in for a warm embrace, tightly wrapping your arms around him and nuzzling his chest as today's events finally sunk in.
You had just graduated. You had faced your bullies and honored Koro-sensei's memory. And now, you could finally sit back and relax because you had Kaori, the end class, your brother, and Karma by your side.
Right now, you couldn't care less about your mother's letter burning holes in your pocket. You couldn't care less that your father hadn't even tried to contact you, not that you would have liked either way. You just didn't care because after everything that you had gone through all those years, you had finally done it. You had escaped that toxic household and gained an ally in your brother.
"Oh, and good job on getting first place, Karma." Akiro turned to the redhead, breaking you off from your trance.
"Uh, thanks." Karma blinked.
You couldn't stop yourself from giggling at the exchange, finding your boyfriend's dumbfounded reaction extremely endearing. So, without even letting him time to react, you swiftly grabbed his hand and pulled him into the hug, wanting nothing more but to be surrounded by the two most important people in your life.
Karma's mercury eyes were slightly widened in surprise as he glanced at you with a questioning look, probably not expecting you to pull him into the hug. Meanwhile, Akiro seemed to be fighting back a small, yet amused smile, as if he were finding this whole situation entertainingly surreal. You, on the other hand, simply shrugged your shoulders and closed your eyes, wanting to savor this moment for as long as you could.
But your wish was quickly interrupted by the sound of millions of footsteps stomping towards you. Reporters!
"The ceremony's over!" They yelled.
"It's interview time!"
"E class, a word!?" They came running towards you with crazy-like expressions and microphones in hand.
"This place is off-limits!" Karasuma-sensei bellowed as he and the rest of the military quickly got in between.
"Tell us about the monster!" The reporters insisted as the government agents tried their best to fight them off and keep them at bay.
"How do you feel right now?!"
"Did you really kill him!?"
"You vultures! Spare a thought for the students' feelings for once!" Karasuma-sensei growled.
"Look! That's (Y/N)!" A reporter suddenly shouted, completely ignoring your PE teacher.
"Quick! Take a picture!" A woman ordered.
"She's with that redheaded boy again!" That same bald reporter pointed at Karma, who had a devious grin already plastered all over his face as he prepared for round two.
"But who's that other young man beside her!?" The woman pointed at your brother. And just as she said that, they somehow managed to barrel through the government agents.
"Outside! Everyone! Quickly!" Karasuma-sensei ordered. "There's a bus standing by, outside the main gate!"
"You should go," Akiro grabbed your shoulders and gently pushed you away, urging you to flee.
Karma grabbed your wrist, ready to tug you away and protect you from those vultures. But before either of you could move, main campus students appeared out of nowhere and lifted the school banner over your heads, protecting you from the media's eyes.
Your eyes skipped from face to face, mouth agape as you couldn't give credit to what you were seeing. You quickly identified a familiar pair of forest green eyes. Maiya smiled sweetly at you and then made a gesture with her head, signaling you to look behind you. Your jaw nearly dropped upon seeing Hiroko just a few meters away from you, helping lift the banner and protect you from the press.
"Quit meddling with our coverage!" That same man that had argued with Karma roared.
The Big Five protectively stood in front of your class, Asano at the head. The strawberry blond simply dismissed the reporters with a quick wave of his hand, and then motioned the rest of the students to follow him. You threw Karma a perplexed look, but he simply shrugged his shoulders quite nonchalantly and followed along. You followed his lead, and took notice of the amused smirk that played along his lips, which made you understand he was having a field trip with this. To think the acclaimed Big Five were helping the end class! It was as if the stars had aligned!
"After a little editing I might just release this online," Teppei chuckled as he pointed his own camera at them.
Koyama adjusted his glasses and smiled darkly. "We know what you look like."
"Now let us escort you to the front gate." You heard Ren say as he tried to flirt with Kanzaki, all whilst Sugino did his best to keep the boy's hands away from her.
"Our ties and our relationships end today, for the most part," Asano proclaimed, back turned as he led the way outside. "But we are still students who studied at the same school. To abandon you now-" he turned his head just slightly, purple eyes making contact with yours- "would bring shame upon your ruler... me."
Once you reached the bus, the main campus students formed a barrier to prevent the reporters from getting any closer.
Karma and you were the last ones in line, so the two of you silently watched your classmates get inside one by one. Your eyes lingered on Asano, who was standing right by the bus door, counting each student and making sure no one would be left behind.
"Why do you think he had such a change of heart?" You mumbled, eyes still glued to the strawberry blond.
"Maybe the Earth being on the brink of destruction, was just what he needed to become a decent human being." Karma shrugged.
You playfully rolled your eyes. "But still. It's weird that he's finally appreciating the end class. Though it's probably because he wants to know more of our secret."
"Yeah, most likely," he agreed.
There was a brief silence as you watched Nakamura exchange some words with Asano before getting inside.
"Remember that day he came to see you?" Karma suddenly spoke.
"Huh?" You turned to face him.
"You know? When you went to the main campus to talk to the principal." He reminded you.
"Oh right. When you apologized for the fight."
"Tch, don't remind me about that." He rolled his eyes in slight irritation, making you chuckle at how dramatic he could be whenever the student council was involved. "But yeah, he came to see you. Must've been pretty important if he was willing to spend his break with me."
"Mmm... He was probably just going to berate me for 'being rude to him'." You airquoted.
"He can be such a dickhead, right?" Your boyfriend smirked. "But you know what the worst part of this is?" He tucked his hands inside the pockets in his pants, and lazily glanced at you. "That he's too much of a coward to admit he actually cares about that weird friendship you two have."
"Really?" You were quite taken aback by this as your eyes quickly darted to where Asano was.
"Yeah. He told me after our fight, when you and your parents were talking to the principal."
"I-... Really?" You had to ask yet again, still not believing your ears.
This whole time, you had believed Asano was completely indifferent to you. Considering he had tried to blackmail you, and had shown no remorse after you confronted him about it, it was to be expected for you to have thought like that.
"So this whole time, he cared about me?" You frowned, still having trouble believing it. After all, those words you had told him that day you poured out your feelings about your friendship, and mutual understanding of the other's homelife, seemed to have had little impact on him.
"Dunno with this guy. You already know how much of a pain in the ass he can be, especially if it has something to do with the end class's secret." Karma spoke. "But I guess he seemed genuine. So at least he has that going for him."
After a few more minutes, it was finally Karma's turn to get on the bus.
"Akabane," Asano called before he could get inside. "When all this commotion finally dies down, I'll hunt you down and make you confess. You'll tell me about this Koro-sensei guy who actually managed to get you all this far."
Karma gave you a look that said 'told you so' before directing his attention towards Asano.
"Sure, I don't mind," he said quite casually, "but you're such a square you might struggle to understand it all."
Asano smirked at the challenge, purple eyes following the redhead until he disappeared inside. However, as soon as you came into his view his smile fell.
"(Y/N)."
"Asano."
There was an awkward pause where neither of you really knew what to say,
"Uh... my mother gave this to the principal." You reached into your pocket to take out the device. "Karma told me you gave up your phone so I could still communicate with him. So... thanks."
"You're welcome." He simply took it.
Another uncomfortable silence.
"Well, I guess we'll see each other someday?" You didn't really know what else to say.
"Yes. We'll see each other in college."
You didn't even bother telling him you might not even stay at Kunugigaoka. Instead, you gave him a silent nod and motioned to go up the stairs.
"(Y/N)," he suddenly stopped you. You turned around and tilted your head to the side. "I'll be looking forward to studying with you again."
Your eyebrows knitted together, confusion written all over your face. "Why? I thought you and Karma agreed he would be the one to tell you about Koro-sensei."
Asano shook his head. "You misunderstand me. This time, I'm not saying it to find out about your teacher's secret. What I actually look forward to-... is being back in the same class with you and becoming-" He hesitated.
"Friends?" You arched an eyebrow.
"Yes. I suppose." He shuffled a bit uncomfortably, not used to being outside his comfort zone. "Perhaps you weren't entirely wrong in what you said that day. You've always shown yourself to be understanding of my relationship with my father, whereas my support towards you was... lacking."
You had to blink a few times, trying to process his words. He actually remembered what you had said that day? And wait. If you didn't know any better, you would say he was actually trying to apologize.
"Th-Thank you, Asano." You blinked. "And I hope the criticism your father is getting from the media won't worsen your relationship."
"Don't worry about that." He shook his head dismissively. "I doubt he'll be fazed by it. You already know how he is."
A small smile tugged at your lips. "True."
"You should get going." He eyed the bus. "You're bringing up the rear, and I think your boyfriend's glaring at me through the window."
"Huh?" You glanced at the bus where you saw Karma's mercury eyes glued to the back of Asano's head. "Oh~ Is the Student Council President afraid of Karma?" You couldn't help yourself from teasing him.
"I would never be afraid of that sadistic redhead," he stated flatly, clearly not amused by your joke. "Now get inside, (Y/N)."
With one quick wave, and another thank you, you walked inside the bus and searched for that red hair.
"What did he say?" Was the first thing that came out of his mouth.
You couldn't stop yourself from chuckling. "Please Karma, don't tell me you're jealous of Asano."
"Tch, I would never be jealous of that boring square."
You rolled your eyes. Like two peas in a pod.
"So? What did he want?" Karma insisted.
"He just wanted to apologize." The engine started and the bus began to move so you took the seat next to him. "And you know?" You couldn't restrain yourself from giggling. "It's funny how you two are always complaining about each other, when you're actually really similar."
Just like Asano, Karma didn't seem too amused by your joke. "For your sake princess, I'm gonna pretend you didn't just say that."
"But you're just proving my point." You pouted.
With a groan, he rolled his eyes and changed the topic. "So~ Did the square actually apologize? Did you film it?"
You sweatdropped. "No, Karma. I did not film it. And yes, he did apologize. In his own way, though." You grimaced at this last part.
"And what was that? Did he grovel?"
"What? No!" You laughed. Gosh he sure was adamant. "He only said he was looking forward to college so we could get to know each other, and become real friends this time."
"Wow. Can't believe he actually had the guts to say it." He smirked. "And gee princess," he whistled. "You're on a hot streak today. Making another enemy apologize for being a jerk."
"I never said he was my enemy." You playfully slapped his arm. "Don't throw your rivalry on me. I'm a neutral party."
"Neutral party?" He mischievously arched an eyebrow. "Then why do you always pick a side?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Didn't you join me in insulting the square at the nurse's office? Or when he caught us walking together back at the main campus hallway, weren't you the one who convinced him there was nothing going on between us?" Devil horns came out of his head as your eye twitched with annoyance. "Dunno about you princess, but that sure seems like picking sides to me~"
"I swear Karma, if you continue like this, I'll team up with Asano." You playfully slapped his arm.
"Don't even joke about that, (Y/N)." His face went completely serious, the change in attitude making you sweatdrop. "Haha just kidding~" He laughed. "Though seriously, don't do it."
"Geez-" You cringed. "Now I feel sorry for Asano. It really is a miracle he's been able to put up with you this whole time," you teased. "No wonder he gave his phone away. You probably bullied him into it."
"Oh right! Totally forgot about his pervy phone." He smirked. "Do your parents still have it?"
"My mother gave it to the principal this morning."
"Eh!? Is that what he gave you during the ceremony?"
"Yeah." You unconsciously reached for your pocket, your good mood gone in the blink of an eye as the weight of your mother's letter felt heavier. "He also gave me something else." You slowly took the white envelope out.
It was a bit crinkled, but your name was still easy to read, and brought a cold with it that sent chills down your spine.
"You haven't read it yet?" Karma glanced at you, brow furrowing a little bit.
You shook your head. "I don't want to think about it, especially on graduation day."
Without warning, Karma stood up and opened the top, side window of the bus. You frowned, a bit confused by his actions.
"Well~ You know where this has to go then, princess." He motioned to throw the letter.
You screeched and bolted up from your seat. "You devil! Don't litter!"
Snatching the envelope from his hand was a bit more difficult than you had anticipated since he made sure to put his arm up in the air where you couldn't reach. You had to stand on your tiptoes as you cursed his tall height under your breath.
"Heh, this brings back memories." He smirked.
"Karma!" You only whined, hoping it would make him feel bad. However, the only thing it did was fuel his amusement. That sadist...
"You gotta sit down first, princess." He plopped back down on his seat. You huffed and followed his example. "Besides," he continued grinning deviously, "I wasn't gonna throw it away. I just like reminding you of how short you are."
You scoffed in outrage. "I'm not short. You're just a giant!"
Karma simply snickered in response and gave you back your letter, which you were quick to tuck back inside your pocket, just in case.
The two of you then spent the rest of the ride joking around. As always, it was mostly him messing with you, but you had long learned it was all part of his charm so you didn't mind.
In fact, throughout the whole ride you couldn't help but smile gratefully at him as you listened to his teasing and allowed yourself to get lost in those mercury eyes that had managed to captivate you in such a way you never knew was possible.
And much to his surprise, you slowly found yourself leaning in and pulling him in for a sweet kiss. A kiss that somehow managed to convey just how grateful you were to have him in your life, because Karma-... Karma was like home. A home you had unknowingly been looking for your whole life.
A/N: Don't worry guys, this is not the end. There are still a few chapters left lol
Ohhh and let me know your theories on how the story's gonna end!! Your comments always give me so much motivation to continue, and I'd also love to read your thoughts!! ^_^