I gently putted down the clipboard I was holding and examined my pinky finger.
I rubbed my eyes to make sure that what I'm seeing right now, actually exist.
"Uh..." I trailed of. I don't know what to say.
I then saw Takebayashi entering the lab.
"Takebayashi! Do you know what's tied around my finger?" I asked. I cant pinpoint it so how about I ask someone else.
"Which one?"
"The pinky finger in my right hand."
"Okuda...Are you playing around? I don't see a thing tied around it."
His comment confused me. I can see something tied around it but why can't Takebayashi-kun?
"A-are you sure? Please look intently." I pleaded as I moved my hand closer to his face.
He squinted his eyes as he looked intently at my pinky finger.
"I don't really see a thing at all Okuda. Here, have some coffee. Maybe you're just sleepy."
He handed me a cup of coffee as he walked away to get another one.
I slept well last night so why would I be sleepy?
I sipped the coffee from the cup as I continued examining the thing tied around my finger.
"This thing is not scientifically explained." I mumbled out as I got back to work.
"Karma...Karma...Karma!"
I was taken aback from the sudden raising of voice in my surroundings.
"Gomen Nagisa. What were you saying?" I asked him as I averted my gaze from my hand.
"You seemed preoccupied since I saw you. So what is it?" This assassin teacher knows to pinpoint things.
I sighed as I lift my right hand.
"Tell me Nagisa. Do you see something tied around my pinky finger?" I stated.
"Is this some kind of prank?" He asked nonchalantly.
I sighed once again as I rested my forehead on my palm.
"As I thought..." I mumbled just for me to hear.
Nagisa just gave me a questioning look. I continued on examining the thing tied around my finger.
This thing is creeping me out. I cant untie it, nobody else than me can see it, and heck, it passes through anything.
"I guess I'm just tired from work that's why I'm technically daydreaming." I said as I sipped the strawberry milkshake I ordered. Hmmm...its been seven years yet I still love this stuff. Funny.
Nagisa tilted his head like an innocent dog would as he said 'HUH?' to me.
My eyes were half-lidded as I lazily lift my right hand once more. "Can you really not see it?" I asked once again.
"I'm telling you. Whatever it is you're seeing I don't see it at all." He lazily replied as he took a sip in his black coffee. Probably the reason why he doesn't get tall.
"Why are you still here? I thought you're having your vacation?" Asked a beautiful woman to a certain god of love.
"Psyche. I'm really tired right now. This freaking last pair doesn't just care about love, they wont even meet!" Cupid complained as he slammed his hands in his desk.
Psyche tried to calm him down by massaging his temple as she sung him a song.
"Normal mortals should have met each other and fell in love. But these two are just-Gaah! They're getting in my nerves!"
Psyche chuckled at Cupid while she looked at the papers in his desk.
"Hmmm...they seem to match each other. And it is said that they were acquainted back in middle school. So why cant you just make them meet? Like a reunion." Psyche suggested as she read the papers.
Cupid sighed once again. "I already did. And they contradicted it by being busy with their jobs! They just wont meet!"
Psyche rose a brow as she looked back at Cupid who's shoulder were shaking.
Not long after she heard an evil laugh coming out from his mouth.
"That's why...I gave them the opportunity to see their strings... There's no way that they wont get curious. They'll follow it and BOOM! I'll have my awaited vacation! Mwuahahahaha!"
Psyche just sweatdrop at the god of love's idea.
"What a troublesome destined mortals...Karma and Manami..."she said to herself as she putted down the papers.
"What are you reading?"
I heard a male's voice beside me said. And because I was surprised I closed my laptop so hard, I nearly broke it.
"T-t-takebayashi! U-um nothing in particular!" I mentally facepalmed. Its obvious that I was hiding something.
He gave me a stern look as if I'm the culprit of a murder case.
He then removed his gaze on me and started to walk to his designated place.
Once Takebayashi was out of sight, I sighed in relief as I re-open my laptop.
I leaned back on my swivel chair as I continued reading the information about the thing tied around my finger.
A Red String leads you to your other half ( someone you'll come to love.) It doesn't specifically says that your partner is someone you already knew. It can be a stranger. But whatever or whoever that person is, you are fated to be together no matter what.
"Love huh?"
I slowly closed my laptop as I rested my my elbow on my desk as it supported my palm from holding my face.
My eyes began to be half-lidded as I raised my right hand up to my face. I sighed once more.
"Who can possibly be my other half?"
I asked myself as I got back to work.
"There's no doubt about it. Based on your description... It has got to be your Red String of Fate! Karma-kun!" A girl inside my laptop said beaming me a smile.
In case you're confused. . .
"Ritsu-san. I don't quite remember asking you for help. Actually I don't need any." I wore a deadpanned expression in front of the screen of my laptop.
Of course, the only person we knew that will fit a screen of a laptop is none other than Autonomously Thinking Fixed Artillery also known as Ritsu.
Ritsu covered her mouth and gave me a shocked expression.
Otaku's may find it cute but not for me.
"Oh my, But I felt how distressed you were by how hard you were typing on the keyboard! And here I offered help."
I clicked my tongue and rolled my eyes. I didn't want anyone see me reading an article about the Red String of Fate, because it's not my thing and it's embarrassing. But luck wasn't on my side, an AI found me out.
Great.
"Now, now, don't make such an irritated face Karma-kun~ But I was really wondering why Karma-kun would search for such an obvious belief. And here I thought you're smart~" Ritsu snickered.
Not wanting to listen to Ritsu's teasing I slammed my laptop shut as if I'm destroying it. I'd rather have Nagisa teasing me about this.
"I'm not a love person. Tsk." I blurted out as I stared at my room's ceiling.
There was silence that filled my room. Though not long after I felt my phone vibrated from inside my pocket.
It was a video call from some stranger.
It's not really good to answer a call from someone you don't know. Though it wouldn't hurt to answer it as well.
But after seeing the face of the caller I regretted answering it in the first place.
"What's that? Karma-kun admitting he's not the love person type? Awww. How cute."
And that was it. I threw my phone out of irritation, though for my disbelief it landed on my sofa.
I stood up from my seat and headed to the bathroom to take a quick shower.
(On the other hand, Ritsu giggled at her former classmate's behaviour.
"What a coincidence. Okuda-san was searching for the same thing." Is what she said.)
My face is so red right now.
This is embarrassing!
After the long goose chase. Takebayashi found out the thing that have been occupying me for days.
"Look. I know that you like Science and all but, maybe you can spare some time for love." He commented while tapping me by my shoulder.
I sighed as I lowered my gaze to the ground.
"How can you believe such superstitious story?" I blushed remembering the moment I told him everything.
Telling him I can see my Red String of Fate...is really embarrassing.
I mean, who would believe such a thing?!
"Well, if you're the one to tell... I know you wouldn't lie about this kind of things." Takebayashi looked at me straight into the eye, reassuring me that its fine.
I looked back at him. But seconds later I covered my flustered face.
"BUT IT'S EMBARRASSING!"
"Eh? You can see your what now?"
I glared at Nagisa once more as I averted my gaze on him dew to embarrassment I'm feeling.
"Red String...of...Fate..." I mumbled.
I looked back at Nagisa who is covering his mouth. Probably refraining himself from laughing so hard.
But he couldn't hold it in.
"Ahahahahahahahahahaha! This is so hilarious!" He laughed so hard that tears started to form in the side of his eye.
Because of his sudden outburst the people in the cafe looked at us as if we're lunatics.
I sweatdrop, at the same time got irritated because he started making fun of me.
"The sadist Karma following his Red String of Fate?! Is the world going to end?! Ahahaha!"
He held his stomach this time while wiping his tears.
Damn this shorty.
I irritatedly sip on my strawberry milkshake while continued on glaring at this blue haired guy I'm sharing my lunch with.
Once he got out of his pit of laughter he gave his full attention to me.
"Then why don't you just follow it? It wouldn't hurt." He gave me a small smile as he took a bite from his Parfait.
"Wait, you believe me?" I asked unsure.
"Not really. Just half."
'Of course...'
"He did say take a day off. But what am I supposed to do?" Asked a bespectacled researcher.
It was sudden, she thought.
She remembers how he said that give a spare time for love but, she wasn't expecting it to be the day after. Due for being sudden and she didn't knew that she'll have her day off that fast...she entered the building of the lab she was working for.
And being the persistent friend Takebayashi is. He scooted Manami away from the building.
She wore a white blouse which was tucked in by her black pencil skirt and was hugged by her white lab coat.
She wandered around the busy streets in Tokyo with her single braided hair that bounced in her left shoulder with every step she took.
She took a glance of the red string that was tied around her finger.
Unbeknownst to herself, she followed it not looking straight ahead.
At the same time Karma was running late for work. Still, he always took a glance at his string.
Like a scene in a clichéd manga love story they bumped unto each other.
Manami sitting on the sidewalk while Karma standing and feeling the pain that struck him.
"Ouch..." Manami whimpered as she rubbed her head.
Karma has his eyes shut but when he heard a sweet familiar voice he opened his eyes seeing a drop-dead gorgeous researcher sitting on the ground.
"O-okuda-san? Uh sorry 'bout that...Here let me help you." He was surprised to meet her in such a day. Karma apologized and offered his right hand for her to reach.
Once Manami recognized the voice in front of her, she looked up only to see her long time crush offering his hand.
"U-uhm... Thanks Karma-kun." She stuttered as she reached for his hand.
She used her right hand to hold his but the moment her gaze landed on his right hand she immediately blushed and froze, mentally.
And when he did the same thing, his eyes widen but he didn't made it that obvious.
"Hey.. Uh... Okuda-san. Are you free right now? If so, wanna grab some coffee?" He asked not wanting the opportunity to slip from his hands.
The latter shyly nodded. As the color of red was visible on her face.
Because both parties are too shy to admit...
That they themselves are fated to be together...
"So how was the KaruMana pair?" Asked a women walking inside his office.
"Apparently they weren't the last pair..." He replied as if he's about to die...which is utterly impossible.
"Let me guess. You got punished because you disobeyed the first rule?"
"Yeah. Something about...'Mortals are not allowed to see their Red String of Fate.' I hate that rule." Cupid said as he slammed another batch of papers which holds about all the information for his last pair.
"So...who are you going to pair this time?"
"A dense Assassin Teacher and a Hopeless Actress."
