Assassination Classroom - The Red String of Fate

Pairing: Okuda Manami x Akabane Karma

The red string of fate. An old myth originated from a Chinese legend, and was also used in Japanese legends'. Supposedly a "god" would tie a red string around the destined pairs ankles, in the Chinese legend. The red string would be tied around the smallest finger, or pinky finger, in the Japanese one. Sometimes known as the "Red String of Marriage", many people had no faith in the small belief anymore. It might was a myth, and a myth was a myth.

Okuda Manami didn't believe in myths and hence forth - didn't necessarily believe in the red string of fate. Science proved most of them wrong anyway, and science was always true. But holding a book in her hands, featuring the red string of fate, she was entranced by the story. A story of a young boy, meeting an elderly man; the elderly man telling the young boy, that his future wife was connected to him by a red string of fate, and going as far as the show him who his future bride would be. But the boy, being young and not caring, had thrown a rock at the girl, creating a sense of pity from Okuda to the girl.

She continued to read absentmindedly, holding the book in front of her face and walking precariously on the sidewalk. Her book was suddenly tugged away from her grasp, alarming the girl as she turned around to confront the person whom done so.

"Hey, Okuda-san."

"K-Karma-kun!?" she exclaimed, her voice laced with confusion and surprise.

Akabane Karma grinned widely as he held the petite girls' book in his right hand, closing it as to read the cover.

"The Legend of the Red String of Fate… Hm, never took as you a myth believer before, Okuda-san." the redhead stated, tilting his head innocently at the bespeculated girl.

"U-ummm…" bashfully, Okuda bowed her head and fiddled with her thumbs nervously, "W-well, i-it was i-interesting…. And w-well, I d-don't really m-mind myths…."

"Oh, really?" he teased, flicking the girls' forehead lightly as to make her look up.

Involuntarily looking up, and placing a hand on her forehead, Okuda speculated Karma with furrowed eyebrows. Opening her mouth as to say something, the twin braided girl was suddenly interrupted by Karma, the redhead wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Awkwardly, Okuda began to walk beside him, her face heating up at the gazes being cast toward them.

"Aw, what a cute couple!"

"I wish my boyfriend was like that to me…"

"She looks so cute with him!"

Okuda could her everyone's remarks around her, about her and Karma, her face flushing into a darker red than boys' hair. Karma gazed down at the petite girl underneath his arms, giving an amused chortle at the girls' beet red face. In his right hand, he still clutched onto the book that Okuda had been reading just moments ago, his mind wondering about the myth itself now.

'If it weren't a myth…' he began to think uncharacteristically, 'I wonder who'd be my soulmate…'

"Karma-kun!"

"Huh?" snapping out of his stumper, the redheaded teen tilted his head down at Okuda's flushed face, her glasses slightly askew. Prodding her glasses upward as to fix them, Karma listened as Okuda began to talk.

"T-thank you, b-but can I have m-my book b-back, now? P-please?" she questioned politely, indicating to the book he was holding onto.

"Hm, sure."

Handing her book back, Karma slipped his arm off of the chemists' small shoulders, leaning his head back on both hands as he stared at the cloudless sky.

"Okuda-san, do you believe in the red string of fate?"

"W-well, no…." she hesitated, "B-but… I-I d-don't believe it…"

Karma tilted his head questioningly, side glancing Okuda to see her staring at the book, her eyebrows tightly knitted together at having a hard time explaining what she meant.

"Well, w-what I mean is that… I-It isn't bad to b-believe in it… A-and I-I l-like the i-idea of having a s-soulmate….." she muttered the last part to herself, her face burning up. She felt the tips of her ears also begin to burn, as she heard a soft snicker from Karma.

"Your so cute, Okuda-san."

The science lover felt the blood rush to her cheeks once again, bowing her head as to hide her face from the person who caused this reaction. What she had tried to explain to him was that, she didn't believe in the red string of fate, but that the idea behind the myth, was what had intrigued her. A red string connecting you to your soulmate? How wild was that? But no matter how wild it was, Okuda had thought it to be cute.

A simple red string, tied around the pinky finger, no matter how much it would stretch, or tangle, it wold still be there - connecting the two lovers together.

Taking in a calming breath, Okuda lifted her head up, violet meeting mercury as a smile spread it's way to her lips, "Umm… T-thank you…."

Karma felt the heat creep up his neck, pooling in his cheeks. He turned away and coughed awkwardly, "Erm… No problem…."

A/N: Two updates in one day. I feel rather accomplished! Enjoy you guys!