p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"Though two weeks had passed since he had given her that first note, they hadn't had much interaction. Sure, he sent her notes every morning, filled with cheesy pick-up lines and positive messages, but they never talked besides an "oh, hey" or a "sorry, I didn't see you there."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"Karma didn't go to class. Koro-Sensei had told them ahead of time that they were going to spend the day doing a lab experiment that would include a piece of aluminum foil and some blue liquid. They had done this experiment last year, and the year before that, and honestly, it was getting tiring./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"So he didn't go./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"He instead spent the day outside. The sun was finally out and shining, and the sky was a clear blue he had not seen in a long time. Laying on his back, he felt the sun warm his face gently, giving him the sense of warmth and security he rarely felt around others./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"He wasn't much of an open person. Even Nagisa, his best friend, didn't know a lot about him. Karma never really told anyone anything if he didn't have to. /p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"But right then, all he wanted to do was to give in and spill every little detail about himself to someone, so that they might comfort him and give him a hug. His parents were not big on affection, and as a result, neither was he. /p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emHow could he tell someone everything about himself?/em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emIt would label him as weak./em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emAkabane Karma was not weak. /em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Hey, Akabane-kun, you're here too?" a sudden voice jarred him out of his thoughts and he sat up, looking around./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"Y/N was perched on the lowest branch of the tree closest to him, staring at him with an undefinable gaze. How she found him, he didn't know. Karma thought that he was the only one who knew about the clearing in the middle of the forest. /p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Uh… yeah, I am," Karma replied awkwardly. "How'd you get here?"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emWas the rest of the class looking for him?/em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"She gave him a one-shoulder shrug. "I don't know. I skipped class and decided to wander around, and then I got lost and saw you."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emOh./em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emSo she wasn't with the rest of the class./em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emGood./em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emHe didn't want to deal with them just yet./em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Aren't you going to go back to class?" Karma asked. "I mean, you're going to get marked absent, and I don't think you want your first absence in E Class. You might not get to go back into A Class ever again."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""No. I don't want to go. I kinda like this class more."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"He nodded and laid back down on the grass, staring up at the sky. A cloud or two had slightly blocked the sun, so he could gaze at the sky without blinding his eyes. /p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"Y/N broke the brief silence./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""I… just wanted to tell you thanks."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"He turned his head towards her and saw that she was now sitting on the grass beside him, tilting her head up to the sky as well./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emPretty./em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""What for?"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""You know." she shrugged. "The notes you keep on giving me. We barely even know each other, yet… you're still looking out for me. Thanks for that. I don't think anyone has ever done that for me before."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""It's nothing," he reassured. "That's just what I do sometimes, for friends. If you ask Nagisa-kun, he'll tell you about all the times I've comforted him with nice notes."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""I did ask him once, actually." A small chuckle escaped her lips and Karma found himself smiling because of it. Her laugh wasn't melodious, as most people would describe, but rather it was genuine and grew in volume. emHe liked it more than music/em, he discovered. "He said that the only time you gave him a note was when he was scared of failing a test, and the only thing it said was 'you better do good or I'm kicking you out of the house'."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"Karma smirked. "He's just hiding the real message. Besides, it got him the 100 he wanted, so in the end, who wins anyway?"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"Y/N laid down beside him and raised a hand to the sky. "You're very easy to talk to, you know?"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emWas he?/em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emHe didn't notice./em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Am I?" he asked. "Maybe it's because of my charm. Everyone loves the brooding charisma I exude."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""No, that's not it, Akabane-kun," Y/N said. He heard humour in her voice. "You don't ask questions and you listen well. I like that. Maybe that's why Shiota-kun and Kayano-chan come to you when they need help."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Maybe."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"They laid side-by-side in silence for some time, just looking up at the sky. Karma glanced at the girl by his side every so often, smiling every time he saw the sunlight shine across her eyes or warmed her skin to display her melanin. A few times he caught her looking over at him, but never did they keep eye contact for long. She always glanced away before he could fully meet her eyes./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"It was only fifteen minutes later that Y/N fell asleep. Karma wouldn't have even noticed that she had fallen asleep if he hadn't nudged her to show her a small bird flying across the sky. When he realized she wasn't just dozing off but actually sleeping, he sat up. Her head was turned to one side, and her hands were carelessly thrown over her stomach./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"Karma slid his phone out of his pocket and checked the time./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"em3:49pm./em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"School would end soon, and the two of them needed to leave before the others would find them./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Hey, Y/L/N-san, wake up," he muttered. "We can go home now."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"Poking her cheek, he repeated his lines six or seven more times before she groaned and pushed his hand away. "Go away, mom," she mumbled. "I want to sleep."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""No, you have to wake up. It's time to go home."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Stop…" Y/N's eyes had closed once again. "You said I could sleep as much as I wanted after his death!"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emDeath?/em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"His hand retreated from her face as he processed her words. /p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emWhose death?/em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emHer father's?/em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emHer sibling's?/em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emA relative's?/em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emA close friend's?/em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emJust what had she gone through before coming to E Class?/em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"Swallowing lightly, he cleared his thoughts. Then, he nudged her with more force, almost rolling her onto her other side. "Come on, Y/L/N-san! Let's go home!"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"When she finally woke up, she pouted at him. "You don't wake me up like that."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""We have to go home. School's over and I don't want Koro-sensei coming after us and yelling about why we didn't come to class. I'll save that for tomorrow."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"Y/N nodded and got up, brushing the grass from her back. "I'll see you tomorrow."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Yeah. See you tomorrow."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"Karma watched her leave, and the thoughts began to swirl around him once more, about the mystery surrounding someone's death./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emHe had to find out who./em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"In the midst of those horrid thoughts, he remembered just one thing that happened that wasn't negative. Despite what he had learned from her sleepy mumbling, a small soft beam glittered across his face./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emY/N had finally called him using his name./em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"Karma didn't go to class. Koro-Sensei had told them ahead of time that they were going to spend the day doing a lab experiment that would include a piece of aluminum foil and some blue liquid. They had done this experiment last year, and the year before that, and honestly, it was getting tiring./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"So he didn't go./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"He instead spent the day outside. The sun was finally out and shining, and the sky was a clear blue he had not seen in a long time. Laying on his back, he felt the sun warm his face gently, giving him the sense of warmth and security he rarely felt around others./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"He wasn't much of an open person. Even Nagisa, his best friend, didn't know a lot about him. Karma never really told anyone anything if he didn't have to. /p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"But right then, all he wanted to do was to give in and spill every little detail about himself to someone, so that they might comfort him and give him a hug. His parents were not big on affection, and as a result, neither was he. /p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emHow could he tell someone everything about himself?/em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emIt would label him as weak./em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emAkabane Karma was not weak. /em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Hey, Akabane-kun, you're here too?" a sudden voice jarred him out of his thoughts and he sat up, looking around./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"Y/N was perched on the lowest branch of the tree closest to him, staring at him with an undefinable gaze. How she found him, he didn't know. Karma thought that he was the only one who knew about the clearing in the middle of the forest. /p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Uh… yeah, I am," Karma replied awkwardly. "How'd you get here?"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emWas the rest of the class looking for him?/em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"She gave him a one-shoulder shrug. "I don't know. I skipped class and decided to wander around, and then I got lost and saw you."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emOh./em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emSo she wasn't with the rest of the class./em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emGood./em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emHe didn't want to deal with them just yet./em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Aren't you going to go back to class?" Karma asked. "I mean, you're going to get marked absent, and I don't think you want your first absence in E Class. You might not get to go back into A Class ever again."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""No. I don't want to go. I kinda like this class more."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"He nodded and laid back down on the grass, staring up at the sky. A cloud or two had slightly blocked the sun, so he could gaze at the sky without blinding his eyes. /p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"Y/N broke the brief silence./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""I… just wanted to tell you thanks."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"He turned his head towards her and saw that she was now sitting on the grass beside him, tilting her head up to the sky as well./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emPretty./em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""What for?"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""You know." she shrugged. "The notes you keep on giving me. We barely even know each other, yet… you're still looking out for me. Thanks for that. I don't think anyone has ever done that for me before."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""It's nothing," he reassured. "That's just what I do sometimes, for friends. If you ask Nagisa-kun, he'll tell you about all the times I've comforted him with nice notes."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""I did ask him once, actually." A small chuckle escaped her lips and Karma found himself smiling because of it. Her laugh wasn't melodious, as most people would describe, but rather it was genuine and grew in volume. emHe liked it more than music/em, he discovered. "He said that the only time you gave him a note was when he was scared of failing a test, and the only thing it said was 'you better do good or I'm kicking you out of the house'."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"Karma smirked. "He's just hiding the real message. Besides, it got him the 100 he wanted, so in the end, who wins anyway?"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"Y/N laid down beside him and raised a hand to the sky. "You're very easy to talk to, you know?"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emWas he?/em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emHe didn't notice./em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Am I?" he asked. "Maybe it's because of my charm. Everyone loves the brooding charisma I exude."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""No, that's not it, Akabane-kun," Y/N said. He heard humour in her voice. "You don't ask questions and you listen well. I like that. Maybe that's why Shiota-kun and Kayano-chan come to you when they need help."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Maybe."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"They laid side-by-side in silence for some time, just looking up at the sky. Karma glanced at the girl by his side every so often, smiling every time he saw the sunlight shine across her eyes or warmed her skin to display her melanin. A few times he caught her looking over at him, but never did they keep eye contact for long. She always glanced away before he could fully meet her eyes./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"It was only fifteen minutes later that Y/N fell asleep. Karma wouldn't have even noticed that she had fallen asleep if he hadn't nudged her to show her a small bird flying across the sky. When he realized she wasn't just dozing off but actually sleeping, he sat up. Her head was turned to one side, and her hands were carelessly thrown over her stomach./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"Karma slid his phone out of his pocket and checked the time./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"em3:49pm./em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"School would end soon, and the two of them needed to leave before the others would find them./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Hey, Y/L/N-san, wake up," he muttered. "We can go home now."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"Poking her cheek, he repeated his lines six or seven more times before she groaned and pushed his hand away. "Go away, mom," she mumbled. "I want to sleep."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""No, you have to wake up. It's time to go home."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Stop…" Y/N's eyes had closed once again. "You said I could sleep as much as I wanted after his death!"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emDeath?/em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"His hand retreated from her face as he processed her words. /p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emWhose death?/em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emHer father's?/em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emHer sibling's?/em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emA relative's?/em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emA close friend's?/em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emJust what had she gone through before coming to E Class?/em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"Swallowing lightly, he cleared his thoughts. Then, he nudged her with more force, almost rolling her onto her other side. "Come on, Y/L/N-san! Let's go home!"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"When she finally woke up, she pouted at him. "You don't wake me up like that."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""We have to go home. School's over and I don't want Koro-sensei coming after us and yelling about why we didn't come to class. I'll save that for tomorrow."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"Y/N nodded and got up, brushing the grass from her back. "I'll see you tomorrow."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Yeah. See you tomorrow."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"Karma watched her leave, and the thoughts began to swirl around him once more, about the mystery surrounding someone's death./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emHe had to find out who./em/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"In the midst of those horrid thoughts, he remembered just one thing that happened that wasn't negative. Despite what he had learned from her sleepy mumbling, a small soft beam glittered across his face./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emY/N had finally called him using his name./em/p