Typing furiously on the laptop she was holding, toothbrush hanging loosely from her mouth, Haven walked into the kitchen where Nagisa was already making breakfast.

He waved with a friendly smile. "Good morning, Haven."

"Morning," Haven mumbled as she continued to walk and type. She sat at the table, nearly missing the chair, and continued typing as she placed the laptop on the table. Nagisa came over with his breakfast and sat across from her.

"Ghn…" Fia shuffled into the kitchen behind Haven with a drowsy look still plastered onto her face. She plopped down in the chair next to Nagisa and yawned before rubbing her eyes, attempting to smoothing down her impossible bedhead, and giving up to put her head on the table. Nagisa opened his mouth to greet her but only got light snoring in response.

"Tsu-chan, wake up," Haven elbowed her head lightly, still immersed in her typing.

She moaned and lifted her head up. She attempted a sentence or two but her words were sleepily slurred together.

"You're not awake yet, Ms. Tsundere?" called Karma as he entered the room.

Fia's head snapped up and she stood suddenly, knocking over the chair. "YOU-!"

"Yes?" He grinned cheekily.

She stammered an incoherent response and resolved herself to sit down on the floor where her chair used to be. "Bleh." After a pause, she added "it's 'Fia' to you… Jerk."

"Could you two be a bit quieter, I'm trying to hack into the U.S. gov," Haven added, toothbrush still hanging out of her mouth.

"You're joking, right?" Nagisa asked.

Haven mumbled something incoherent in response and Nagisa smiled and gave Fia a hand up. His housemates might have been a little quirky, but they were all nice in their own way. Fia smiled in thanks and made her way to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Nagisa, by contrast, sat back down and looked to Haven. "Aren't you going to eat?"

"I'm a little busy at the moment."

"Busy eating your toothbrush?" Karma replied from the kitchen. He spun a knife expertly in his hand and began chopping fruits at lightning speed. Next to him at the counter, Fia watched in absolute disbelief. Popping a strawberry in his mouth, Karma turned to his kitchen neighbor. "Want some fruit for your cereal? Cut too much."

"R-really? Thanks!" In return, Fia handed Karma a spoon and the two took the last seats at the table. "So… Where are you guys from?" Fia inquired politely.

"Oh. Karma and I are from Japan. We're here as international students." The bluenette smiled. "It's actually our first time here in the United States."

"Cool!" Fia propped her chin up on her hands and grinned. "Maybe Haven and I can give you a tour of the town today! Maybe even of the campus if you're feeling up to it."

"That would be great," Nagisa responded. "You're coming, right, Karma?"

"I think I'd rather just stay in and sleep," he responded flatly.

"Then I guess you could do all the unpacking by yourself-"

"Alright, alright. I'll go." The redhead leaned back in his chair and balanced his spoon precariously on his nose. "Well, only if you can get strawberry cheeks there to stop looking at me like I'm gonna blow up the town or something."

Fia's cheeks exploded with a burst of color. "It's not like you made the best first impression!" she protested. "Or second, or even fourth for that matter!"

"Why did I even try to work here?" Haven grumbles from her side of the table as she closes her laptop and carries it back to her room.

"So, where'd the fun one from last night go?" Karma asked after the girls' door closed.

Fia shrugged. "She… hasn't had a lot of sugar yet today. Yesterday our friends from freshman year all got together to eat cake and celebrate moving out of the dorms. She'll be more approachable within the hour. Anyway, I'm going to get ready. See you in half an hour or so?"

Toothbrush gone, Haven walked back into the kitchen wearing jeans, a black button-down shirt, and a bubblegum pink tie. Her white, shoulder-length hair neatly parted and combed. She walked over to the kitchen, popped a bagel into the toaster, and leaned against the counter while waiting for the others to finish getting ready.

Fia quickly washed up and attempted to smooth down her wavy auburn hair with a brush. She blew her bangs away from her olive green eyes and moved to throw on a tank top and jeans. Fia closed the clasp of her favorite "tree of life" necklace securely around her neck and pulled on a green sleeveless hoodie as she exited her room.

The males stood side by side in the bathroom. Karma pulled on a blood-red collared shirt over a black long-sleeved shirt while Nagisa zipped up his short-sleeved hoodie and fixed his pigtails. They exited and Nagisa smiled at them in greeting. "Ready to go?"


"So that's the news station-you can tell by all of the huge televisions fixed to the outside of the building. The street next to it leads into downtown; that's mostly the large shopping district, the convention center, museums, restaurants, clubs, etc. You know, the busiest public spaces. The quieter places are on the other side of town. You can find smaller cafes and big parks where you'll find mostly families and couples. Here in the heart of town is where our college town is and the sports center." Fia laughed awkwardly. "Sorry, did you get all of that?"

Nagisa smiled and nodded. "I think so. Thank you for showing us around."

"It's no problem, really," Haven said. Smiling at the others, she asked, "Anywhere else you want to go?"

Karma locked his hands behind his head indifferently and Nagisa grabbed his chin in thought. "Could we maybe go somewhere with a lot of books? I'd like to learn more about this country, if that's okay."

The girls looked at each other and simultaneously answered, "There's the school library."

Karma sighed. "Isn't that a little dull for our first day here, Nagisa?"

"Well, there's the bookstore at the mall. There's a movie theater there and a lot of shops - even a small arcade - if you want options." Fia shrugged. "Does that work, Angel?"

"Yep," Haven smiled.

"Sounds good to me!" Nagisa agreed.

"Yeah, that works," Karma added with a smile. "I might try to catch that new movie adaption of 'Sonic Ninja.'"

"Let's go!" the four shouted. With that, they were off. A hop, skip, and a bus ride later they were standing inside the entrance of a several-story-high mall complex. Four pairs of eyes roamed the inside with wonder and admiration.

Haven looked to her group. "Should we stick together or split up and meet back here later?"

Fia bit her lip in a fluster and fixed her gaze on something in the far distance. "I… have something I want to check out. Can I meet you guys back at the wishing fountain by the food court in, like, an hour or so?"

"Sure, no problem!" Haven replied. "I can show you where the bookstore is, Gisa. Karma, do you want me to show you where the arcade is?"

Karma tilted his head back in thought for a moment. "Nah, I have something I want to check out too." He turned on his heel and disappeared into a crowd of people."

"So, what exactly do you want to learn about the United States?" Haven asked as she led the way to the bookstore.

"Nothing in particular. I just like researching," Nagisa replied.

"Do you plan to be a STEM major?"

"No, an English major, actually."

There was an awkward pause.

"Sorry, I'm no good at conversation," Haven blushed lightly, "I've always been better with inanimate objects, especially computers."

"I had a teacher who said, 'Conversation is a challenge for the best of us and that's okay. Don't think in terms of finding the right words, let them find you, just let the conversation flow.'" Nagisa reminisced.

"Thanks for the advice," Haven said with a smile, "Well, here we are." The two walked into the bookstore.


Honestly, it took longer than Karma expected to find Fia. She did give off the "ordinary wallflower" feel, but he had checked everywhere he thought she could be. That's when he bumped into her, literally. He looked from the startled girl to the sign hanging from the store window.

"Charlotte Russe?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"U-Uh, I'm not here to look at anything! I w-was just here to check out this thingy for my friend-person-thing who wanted me to look at-at a thingy-thing for it-I mean her-because she couldn't come see it herself because of, um, the thingamabobber that came up-" Fia gasped for air and began to cough loudly.

Karma sweatdropped and took note of the girl's irrationally red ears. "Calm down, Fia." Her response was more or less that of an exasperated sigh. "You're really terrible at this lying thing, you know that?" She again responded with some sort sigh as she tried to catch her breath. Karma looked through the store window, trying to follow what he imagined could have been her direct line of vision. He noticed a mannequin wearing a floral dress. "Were you looking at that?" he asked, pointing to it.

She bit her lip and nodded, avoiding his gaze. "What does it matter to you…? Are you going to make fun of me?"

"Maybe a little bit now that you mention it-"

"HEY!"

"Kidding~"

"Hn."

"Seriously, though," Karma asked, "what's wrong with you looking at a dress? Why don't you just go into the store and get it?"

"Well, I…" She paused in thought. "It isn't really my 'style.' It wouldn't really suit me."

"You don't know until you try, right? C'mon-" Karma grabbed Fia's wrist but she immediately dropped to her knees and became an anchor of stubbornness as he tried to pull her in.

"N-no!" she protested.

"Why not? It won't kill you," he argued.

"It will! I just…" Fia's gaze fell. "I wouldn't be brave enough to wear it anyway so could we please just drop it already? Besides, Nagisa and Angel might be waiting for us at the fountain already…"

Karma sighed and pulled the girl onto her feet. "Alright, Tsu-chan, but-"

"But what?" she pouted.

"For the record, I think you'd look cute in it." Karma smiled at her for a brief moment before turning to walk towards the food court. Fia only had a second to wonder whether or not it was genuine before realizing that she had to chase after him.

"Hey! Wait up!" she called. "There's a thing called the 'buddy system'!"

"Says the girl who needed to 'check something out' on her own?" he smirked.

"YOU!" Fia yelled. Still, despite her burning cheeks, she felt a contented smile spread across her lips.


Fia and Karma saw Haven's backside first. Then they heard a voice that made Fia cringe and could make milk curdle, babies cry, and snakes eat themselves inside out.

"Haven, are you checking me out again? You're pretty for a guy, but I'm not interested in dudes," the voice said loudly. Its owner was a guy a bit taller, and much bulkier than Haven.

"I wasn't checking you out and I'm not a boy," Haven replied in a strained voice.

"You can't possibly be a girl. You don't look," the boy smirked as he pulled on her tie, "like one. Hell, you don't even act like one. You're obsession with computers and don't care at all about your looks."

"Haven, what's going on?" Nagisa asked as he approached the pair, carrying a bag of books.

"Stay out of it, Nagisa," Haven muttered quietly before biting her lip.

"And why else would you have a girlfriend? I guess homosexuality is possible, but I doubt that. Are you cheating on Fia with her?" he asked and let go of the tie. "I mean I understand completely. This one is very cute. Maybe I'll steal her from you. Would you man up then?"

Fia clenched her fists and bit her lip as she angrily glared at the boy harassing her friend. "It's that asshole…"

Karma looked to the girl questioningly. "Who?"

"His name is Dick and he is one!" Fia spat.

"You're kidding me, right? Who names their kid that?" Karma asked. "What's his problem anyway?"

"He-He always comes to bother Haven. She's known him since they were little and they've never really gotten along. I would love to tell him off but I'm…" she muttered, but Karma was already heading towards him.

"Shit. Karma!" Fia chased after her redheaded companion.

"Hey there," Karma put his hand on Dick's shoulder. "Did you lose something? Because you're asking to lose your hand if you keep messing with this girl like that."

"Karma, stay out of it!" Haven gritted her teeth.

"Yeah, back off!" Dick shrugged Karma's hand off of his shoulder just as Fia caught up to them.

"Oh, I'm nobody important, but you see that girl there?" he asked, flicking a knife out of his sleeve and pointing it at Nagisa. "She's someone you should be really scared of. I live with her and I have to triple-bolt all of my locks at night because she's so terrifying. You might just wet your stupid ripped jeans if you knew." Karma began to circle Dick with a predatory look in his eyes. Fia took an involuntary step back. It was as if she was seeing a shark circle a guppy… an ugly guppy. "You see, Dick, this girl is a full-blown assassin. She's probably taken down the highest profile of guys all across Asia."

"Karma! Are you kidding me?" Nagisa shouted in dismay before mouthing something to him.

"Seriously, Stop it now!" Haven seethed, she was ignored by all.

Karma smiled, a Cheshire grin parting his lips. "Aw, c'mon, Nagisa. We might as well~."

Nagisa face-palmed. "AND I'M A MALE!"

Laughing, the redhead stepped aside and casually twirled his knife between his fingers. "I never knew that, Nagisa." He feigned innocence. "You really should have told me before we started rooming together." Karma paused. "And I wouldn't want to leave a bad 'first impression,' would I, Nagisa?"

"Fine, have it your way." Nagisa sighed and turned to face Dick.

Dick scoffed. "You expect me to believe that this cute little doll-face can hurt me?"

Nagisa began to walk over, as if he were enjoying the breeze at a botanical garden, to where the pest was. Fia couldn't help but take a step back and look at Karma questioningly. He winked and put his finger to his lip in a "just wait" gesture. Dick didn't have the leisure of receiving a warning; before he knew it, Nagisa was in his face. The bluenette paused for a brief second to smile before gently blowing in Dick's face. Startled, the boy yelled and fell over, causing Karma to burst out in a fit of laughter.

Nagisa sweatdropped and extended his hand to Dick. "I'm sorry about that-I didn't mean to scare you like that. Karma was kidding-"

"FUCK OFF, YOU PRISSY-LOOKING BASTARD! I wasn't scared!" Dick slapped away Nagisa's hand in a fluster. "I was NOT scared!" he insisted again as he scrambled to his feet.

"But of course you were," Karma laughed. "Your knees are knocking together so loudly that I could hear them from the other end of the mall."

"Karma, that's a little much, don't you think?" Fia hesitantly moved to grab Karma's sleeve.

"Not only that, but you look like you could piss yourself at any second!" he continued anyway.

"Hey! Listen, cherry-pop, the only one who will be pissing themselves is you if you-" Dick began.

"I'm sorry, but could you quiet down?" Nagisa asked coldly. "You're causing a commotion."

"Why don't you shut up instead?!" Dick yelled.

"Poor, Dick. He has to run his mouth to let out all the air in his big, square head," Karma laughed. "The pressure might crush his brain if he doesn't! Wait, what brain? Silly me~."

Dick growled and charged at the redhead in a fury. Karma dodged with ease, but Fia was left standing there with Dick about to hit her instead. She had a brief flashback of all the horrors she experienced in P.E. and squeaked as she shut her eyes and instinctively pushed Dick away.

"SCREW THE LINEBACKER!" she cried. Fia didn't open her eyes until she heard a loud splash and a long silence. She opened her eyes and turned to see Dick had fallen into the wishing fountain.

"Now you've really gone and wet yourself," Karma chastised. He turned and shot a smirk over his shoulder at Fia. "Touchdown?"

Her cheeks flushed red. "Sh-shut up!" She looked to Dick in dismay, unsure whether or not to feel proud or extremely guilty.

"Fuck you all!" Dick yelled at the four, shooting Haven an especially dirty look as he left the scene.

"I told you guys not to interfere!" Haven yelled, red-faced. She stomped away from the group and into the dispersing crowd. Fia was about to follow when someone tapped her shoulder.

"Excuse me, ma'am, you'll have to come with us," a mall security guard informed her.

Fia's face flushed first, then paled. She watched her friend disappear and looked over to see the boys being detained as well. Karma stuck his tongue out as if he didn't even care. She sighed then nodded meekly, deciding that cooperation would be the best course of action in this situation… She was still a little miffed that she wouldn't be able to throw a penny in the fountain, but, oh well. Fia guessed she had to be satisfied with throwing a boy in instead.

Three hours later, Fia and the boys returned to their apartment. She checked her phone once again to see if Haven had tried to contact her, but had no luck. Fia had dinner with the boys at the kitchen table before tiredly waving goodnight and retiring to her room. When she entered the bedroom and turned on the lights, the first thing she noticed was Haven typing on her computer.

"Hiya, Tsu-chan! I was wondering when you'd get back," Haven smiled brightly. Fia couldn't help but notice the mountains of candy wrappers scattered all around her friend.

"Angel, how much sugar did you eat while we were gone?" Fia asked cautiously.

"I'm not sure. I lost track after the carton of ice cream," Haven replied. Sure enough, there was an empty carton of Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia hidden behind her computer.

"When did you get the ice cream?"

"On the way back from the mall."

Fia sighed, knowing it would be futile to try to have a serious conversation with her friend at the moment. She reluctantly gave Haven a pat on the head. "Just try not to eat anymore. Okay, Angel?" she pleaded as she went to turn off the light.


Haven: Karma was being a sweetheart, Karma was being a sweetheart! YAY!

Fia: I guess you're not always a jerk, Karma. Still, it wasn't nice of you to antagonize that guy like that… Even if he is a dick.

Karma: Would you rather have let him keep being one? I might have my moments here and there, but you, Tsu-chan, you're always a tsundere~

Fia: YOU! SHUT UP!

Nagisa: (reading by himself in the background)

Karma: Haven, if you're that happy about me being nice, I can always take it upon myself to mess with you tomorrow. I have no problems with that. (cheeky smile)

Haven: I dare you to!

Fia: Can my best friend and somewhat-friend not fight? Help me out here, Nagisa.

Nagisa: (continues to be absorbed in his book)

Fia: (o^ o") Maybe we should just get onto the next chapter preview… Narrator?

Narrator: I don't want to… yet.

Fia: (sighs) Well, why were you nice to me today, Karma?

Karma: Sure, I like to mess with you, but that doesn't mean I want to kick you when you're down. Have a little faith.

Fia: … Can I trust you to take the next chapter preview seriously then?

Karma: (laughing) Nope! This next chapter we get to see the blossoming of a romance between a toaster and Haven's computer-

Haven: WHAT!? WHY!? MY COMPUTER!

Karma: Hey, if it'll get the narrator to do the job. We don't pay for nothing-

Narrator: I DON'T GET PAID! I WROTE YOU INTO EXISTENCE.

Nagisa: (continuing to read his book) Actually, Yūsei Matsui did. He's the creator of 'Assassination Classroom" …

Narrator: I meant in this fanfiction, Nagisa. (clears throat) Anyway, in the next chapter, you can look forward to Nagisa looking up from his book, Fia's chemical finesse, meeting a familiar blonde, and a five player game of Call Of Duty?

Haven: My computer had better be perfectly fine at the end of the next chapter!