Karma's P.O.V.
It had been two days since Asano had gotten back, and while things seemed to be dying down at the house, the school was a different matter entirely.
The expansion was still underway, and with no one permitted inside the construction zone, everyone was left whispering and speculating about what it could be.
"It's just more classrooms, I don't see what the big deal is." Asano rolled his eyes as we walked down the hallway together.
"There's fun in mystery, Shuu." I winked at him. "Not everything is all facts and logic."
"Well it should be," he mumbled. "Then we could understand what's going on."
I nudged him with my elbow playfully. "Then where would the fun be?"
He shot me a look that clearly said none of this past month had been fun.
He was about to retort something but stopped himself before he could. He was staring at something at the end of the hall, and I followed his gaze.
I was surprised as well.
Two people were leaning against the lockers giggling and flirting with each other.
Ren and Kiri.
I glanced at Shuu. "Just because we have to walk past them to get to class doesn't mean we have to talk to them, or even acknowledge them. We have time, we could double back and go the long way around, past the chemistry labs."
"No." He straightened himself and tossed his head back, his orange hair falling perfectly in place. "I won't give them the satisfaction."
I smiled proudly as he walked ahead, his stride confident and purposeful. Despite everything that happened, Asano was still as Asano-y as ever.
I hurried to catch up to him. I neglected to tell him that we were getting more than our own fair share of stares as well, but I was sure he had noticed and didn't say anything.
Ren saw us coming first and while he quickly looked away, Kiri jumped in our path, forcing us to stop and look at her.
"Well, hello, Asano." Kiri smirked, purposely not using a polite honorific like she always used to do.
"Kiri." Asano said.
"I sure hope you don't give us a demerit for making out in the hallways," she practically sang. "That would be so petty, Asano. You, giving your ex girlfriend a demerit for kissing her new boyfriend."
"From what I saw, neither of you was making out." His voice betrayed no emotion. "And we never dated, my father just set us up to go to the Valentines Day dance together because it would look good."
Her eye twitched, and I had to hold back my laugh, as well as a few words of my own that I wanted to say. I knew Shuu wanted to handle this on his own.
"Well we did look good, until you ruined it!" She shouted, causing more people to stop and stare.
"I apologize if I made you think I did anything of the sort." He said.
"You did do something of the sort! You kissed him!" She shrieked, her cool façade gone. She was pointing an accusing finger at me.
"We didn't kiss." Asano said, his voice slightly louder, and I could tell he was getting worked up.
I quickly stepped between them. "As fun and as public as this is, we all should get to class before the bell rings, which is very soon." I said, hinting to the small crowd we had gathered as well.
"Why didn't you just tell me you were gay?" She ignored me, glaring over my shoulder.
"I-I'm not gay." Asano was looking everywhere but at her now.
"Well, you sure never made a move on me, like, ever! Even when I made it super obvious! How can you not be attracted to this?!" She gestured to her body, which I 'll admit was perfect. "Whenever I came over to your house to study and it got late, you would never let me sleepover! Even if it was one in the morning! And you wouldn't let me use your shower when your stupid maid spilled that tray of snacks on me! Were you too scared you were going to see me naked? Huh? Is that it?"
Her eyes narrowed and she leaned in closer. "Or, are you just a virgin?"
"Hey, that's enough." I snapped, rounding on her. "You have no right to ask such personal questions like that, especially in front of all these people."
"You're either gay or a virgin, or both." Kiri told Asano.
"I'm neither!" He shouted, and more than a few people took a step back from his outburst.
"You'll do well to remember that," he growled, "And if you ever try to embarrass me in public like this again, I'll make sure you regret it, understand?"
Kiri looked torn between being scared and angry, which caused a pretty unique facial expression, until she whirled around and ran down the hall.
"Kiri, wait!" Ren called and chased after her.
"As for the rest of you loiterers," Asano glare at all of them. "Get to class before I tell my father you were all planning to ditch."
They practically trampled each other trying to disappear into the nearest classrooms.
I faced Shuu. "Damn, you gotta teach me that trick. I can only clear a room by threatening to kill them with a weapon but all you needed was your voice."
He started walking. "Sorry, you need a level 99 powerful asshole father who is also the principal to use that trick."
"Ah, then pass."
We reached the door to our first hour and I grabbed the handle to open it but he placed his hand on my wrist and stopped me.
"Wait, Aka...Karma," he mumbled.
I removed my hand. "Yeah?"
"I...There's something you have to know right now." His voice was barely above a whisper and when I looked at him, his face was red.
"Like, right now right now?" I asked.
"Yes."
"It's super important?"
"Y...Yes."
"Then spit it out already, baka." I gave him a comforting smile, but he wouldn't lift his gaze up from the floor.
Just as I was about to tease him further, he suddenly grabbed my shoulders and pushed, pinning me against the wall.
He hovered over me, his violet eyes burning into mine.
"Kiri is a liar," He snapped. "I am not a virgin."
I blinked, and he released me.
"I suppose this is the part where you give a snarky comment about being surprised by that fact, and then I win our little bet." He said, adjusting his tie.
I laughed and pushed myself off the wall. "Hardly. I knew you weren't a virgin, Shuu."
He stopped, dumbfounded. "How could you possibly know that?" He narrowed his eyes. "Akabane, are you some kind of sick, perverted voyeur?"
I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. "Oh yes, I climbed to your super high window every night since I met you and watched you sleep for hours on end, just in case I got the off chance that you would be having sex. Get real, Orange."
"Then...h-"
"There's fun in mystery, Shuu," I winked, walking back towards the door.
I grabbed the handle again, but before I opened it, I leaned back and smirked at him.
"The real question is, am I?"
-
Asano's P.O.V.
Ren kept sending me notes all during class, which I ignored. Karma didn't even look his way either.
But class could only go on for so long, and then it was over and everyone was getting out of their seats.
I took extra time in making sure everything was neat and straight inside my backpack as I waited for everyone but Karma to file out.
Ren didn't take the hint, however, and soon it was us three alone in the room.
"Gakushuu, I need to talk to you." He said, putting his hand on my shoulder.
I stiffened and knocked his hand off aggressively. "What have I told you about touching me?" I snapped.
He stumbled back like he had been shot.
Karma lazily walked up beside me and draped his arm across my shoulders. "Come on bro, what has he told you about touching him?"
"You're not helping." I glared at him. "In fact, why don't you wait for me in the parking lot?"
Surprised, he withdrew his arm.
"Why there?" He questioned. "We still have second hour-"
"Because I want to make sure you don't spy." I narrowed my eyes at him.
He grinned, and I knew that was exactly what he was planning on doing.
"I'm serious, go." I ordered.
"Bossy today." He muttered, but grabbed his bag and left.
The door closed behind him and it was quiet.
Ren faced me and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry about what happened this morning, it wasn't my idea, really! She came onto me out of nowhere! I knew you guys had a thing and I was trying to be respectful of that, but she was like an anaconda, dude! So I figured if I gave her what she wanted she would be satisfied and leave me alone. You believe me, don't you?"
I stared at him. "You seriously think I care? Does nobody realize we never actually dated? And, really? Appeasement? That didn't even work on Hitler, you idiot."
"So we're good right?" He said, as if I hadn't even said anything.
"We were never 'bad.'" I rolled my eyes and grabbed my bag again. "If you're done wasting my time with stupid excuses-"
Suddenly his body was against mine, forcing me to lean backwards until I fell and hit the desks, laying across them.
My eyes shot wide open and I gasped in surprise. "Ren! What the hell are you-"
"I don't even like Kiri," Ren said, climbing on top of me, despite my struggling. He had always been bigger than me, taller, stronger, heavier, and now he was using that to his advantage to keep me pinned down. His hands grabbed my wrists as I tried to push him off and he easily used gravity to push them down, above my head. "Did you know I'm bisexual?"
"Get. Off." I gritted my teeth. Words could not explain how angry I was at him right now. I would make sure he was expelled for this little act. How dare he embarrass me like this! And he knew damn well I wasn't going to scream out, because then people would see me being overpowered by him, and after what happened this morning, that was the last thing I wanted anyone to see.
Now I regretted sending Karma away. If he was here, Ren would be knocked out against the far wall, blood running down his face.
What, did I only view Karma as my bodyguard now? He seemed to think he was, but I knew how to take care of myself. I squirmed under Ren's weight, trying to free just one hand so I could slap him off, but he was a lot stronger than he looked. Well...99% of the time I could take care of myself. This was just a fluke.
"I've always liked you, Asano." He continued, leaning closer and closer. "I don't even like literature, but I studied for eight hours every night after school for two years to make sure I would be selected for the Big Five group. I knew it was my only chance to be close to you, and while I've immensely enjoyed our friendship and time hanging out together, it's simply not enough for me anymore."
"Get the hell off me!" I said loudly, not wanting to shout just yet. If it came down to it, I would, but I wanted to avoid that for as long as I could.
"Nobody knows I like boys too," He said. "Well, except for you now. But I'll keep your secret as well. We'll be like a secret club! Not even Karma can join! Finally I'll have something with you that he never will!"
"God damnit, does nobody hear me when I say those three words?" I growled. "I'm not gay!"
"Have you ever kissed a boy before, Shuu?" He asked.
"Don't call me that." I spat. I tried to twist myself out of his grip but that just made him tighten his hold.
"Have you ever been kissed by a boy before?" He smiled, lowering himself closer. Our chests touched and he was an inch away from my face.
I turned my head to the side. "Stop it, Ren. This is insane, you know what I'll do if you do this. Just get off me now, and maybe I won't make your life as miserable to the full extent of the law, only half."
He chuckled, seeing through my bluff. "Asano, we both know you're never going to tell anyone about this. Your precious and ego and reputation would never allow that. I don't know why I never thought about doing this earlier."
My heart started to pound, because he was right and we both knew it. If anything, I might tell Karma, but what would that serve to do? Sure, Ren would get beaten up, but he would tell everyone it was Karma and everyone would believe him, and Karma would be shipped back to E Class at light speed.
"I've always had this fantasy of being your first," he continued, gripping my hair and forcing me to look at him.
I winced. "Stop, please, Ren, don't do this."
"In my fantasy, this is exactly how it happens. You, beneath me, begging and pleading. Of course I ignore you, because this is too good to pass up." He laughs. "It's funny, you're so controlling and in charge in real life, but when it comes to love, you're the complete opposite. Who knew the infamous Gakushuu Asano was a fucking bottom bitch?"
"This isn't love," I snarled, struggling again. "This is you being fucking insane! Let me go!"
He tightened his hold on my hair, making me gasp with pain.
"I'm glad my fantasy turned out to be right," he whispered, closing the space between us. "Because now it's a reality."
And then he was kissing me.
I wanted to scream.
I raised my free hand to punch him, but he yanked down hard on my hair, causing me to freeze in place at the pain. I wasn't aware one could control another just by pulling their hair at certain angles, but apparently Ren had studied this art in depth.
He deepened the kiss, and I squeezed my eyes shut, wishing I could kick him off me somehow, but I couldn't reach.
Jesus fucking Christ, this is too perfect for him, had he been planning this?!
His hands released me, and I felt a surge of joy that this was finally over, but then they reappeared again on me, much lower, and I panicked.
I bit down on his tongue as hard as I could, and he let out a shriek, falling off me and landing on the floor with a thud.
I sat up quickly, wiping my mouth with one hand and breathing heavily. I glared at him with a fury I had never felt before.
"Jeez, what the fuck was that?" He complained, slowly picking himself up. He dabbed at his mouth with his shirt. It came away red.
"What is your fucking problem?" I shouted at him, not caring if someone overheard now. "How could you do that?"
He picked himself up, examining the blood stains closely. "Don't make me repeat it, my tongue hurts."
I slid off the desks and backed away quickly, not caring I was leaving my bag behind. "When my father hears about this-"
"Hears about what?" He smirked. "You have no proof of anything. You sent Karma away, the only person who would believe you, and even if you did tell him and he punished me, how bad would it look for him to send away someone from the Big Five? His precious reputation would be called into question, and with everything else that's happened recently, he'll want to avoid any scandal at any cost."
He walked calmly towards me. "Face it, Asano, you're my bitch now."
He raised a hand and patted my hair. "But don't worry, I won't tell anyone you're gay. We're a secret, got it?"
My hand moved on its own. One second, it was at my side, the next, it was in a fist and was bleeding. Ren suddenly wasn't in front of me anymore, but in a pile of desks that he had crashed into as he flew backwards. One of them had even cracked in half.
My heart pounded and all I could hear was the blood rushing in my veins.
Ren groaned, then slumped over.
Terrified, I ran out.
-
I paced in the parking lot, holding my phone to my ear with a shaky hand.
"Pick up, Akabane, come on..." I muttered to myself.
It went to voicemail again, the fifth time in a row.
"Damn it!" I shouted, kicking a rock.
It went flying, and I didn't hear it land.
I dialed Karma's number again.
"Where the hell did you go?" I wondered out loud. "Skipping? No, you would have texted me if you were..."
I checked my messages again, but he hadn't sent me any new ones today.
The call continued, and my anger began to evaporate into worry.
"Please pick up." I pleaded, biting my nail.
It was then that I heard it.
Faintly, there was a tinny voice coming from behind the shrubs that lined the side of the school.
Frowning, I pulled my phone away so I could listen better, and headed to the sound of the noise.
I dug through the bushes, and my hand brushed against something small and sleek.
I pulled it up and froze.
Karma's phone. Cracked and abandoned.
No, not abandoned.
Dropped.
Six missed calls. The fractured screen read.
"No..." I whispered to myself. It couldn't be...
"Karma..."
I whipped my head around, expecting to see him jump out from a hiding pace and laugh at me. "Pranked you, Shuu!"
But the breeze blew the empty tree branches, revealing no devilish redhead hiding among them.
"KARMA!" I cried, leaning against the school so I wouldn't collapse onto the ground.
I glanced at the bushes again, and this time noticed something red splattered against the green leaves.
Blood.