Note: This chapter contains some descriptions of violence/death and alludes to child abuse that could bother some readers. There's some really obvious build up to that happening, so I won't specifically earmark a place, but people affected by that kind of thing should read at their own discretion.

So Kayano would probably yell at him for this.

Fortunately, she's not here. And Nagisa's already on season two.

Why is he binge watching one of her love dramas again?

Nagisa's not sure if this is some kind of pathetic attempt to hype himself up, in all honesty. It seems almost ironic, how well he understands sex now, but the lovey dovey fluffy feeling stuff is alien to him. Is it a little weird that he's watching one of his best friends fake fall in love with some idol who's trying to break out into the serious acting market? Perhaps. It's probably less educational and more of a coping mechanism. Pride and Prejudice had started to get a bit too depressing for him.

There's something entertaining in this at least. Again, it's a little weird watching love scenes acted by one of his closest friends, but this is research. Plus… it's kind of cute. Kayano's a good actress, after all, so he can suspend his disbelief to forget who she is. So what if the bakery scene is getting to him just a little?

Nagisa just… this is all really backwards? But he doesn't understand romance somehow. It's weird, because he always thought if something like this every happened, that would be the part that came easiest to him. But no, because if he mentally puts himself and Karma in those positions, he kind of dies internally.

Hence slamming his laptop screen down, and curling up into a ball. What can he even say? I like you Karma but if you take me to buy pastries I might burst into flames? Judging from Karma's personality, that's exactly what he'd try to do. And Nagisa's no masochist. Well, sometimes, apparently, but that doesn't extend to emotional torment!

Which brings him back to what he actually wants from this. That's like a big dark cloud dancing around above his head. But no, he clenches his fist, that can't even matter. He needs to just come clean with everything, to get it out there finally no matter what happens. He's even had to talk himself out of just writing a text message several times.

Eventually, though, he does have to remove himself from his bed. His job as an educator comes first, after all. Besides, exams are next week, so he really has to be there for his students, if only to reassure them. Given their age, they've only taken a few serious exams, and last time appeared to be a shock to the system. He doesn't want tests to be something they learn to fear.

It's a lot easier to focus on that, anyway, than Karma related things. He's not even opening the message he sent this morning! In fact, he tucks his phone away completely once the train journey Is over. More pressing issues. Like work! Nagisa loves work. Even though he's aware he's not exactly acting like it.

At least a kind of calm washes over him when he actually makes it into the school building. He's not sure why, but it's something about this kind of place. The chatter of his students when he walks in also helps fill his mind. Is there a part of him that's still a little bitter they don't respect him enough to fall quiet when he enters? Maybe. But he knows where to cut his losses.

The morning register goes off without a hitch, but he finds himself frowning at the empty seat in the room. It's not like he's never had a student absence or anything, but there'll usually be some kind of explanation. He can't explain it, but the lack of Watanabe fills him with a certain kind of dread. Perhaps he's just being a little dramatic, but he worries about her enough already…

Nagisa does have an entire class of other young minds, though, so he can't dwell on it for much longer. There's nothing wrong with the lessons, but it turns out to be one of those days that just drags, and he's exhausted by lunch break. For once, he actually kind of wishes they'd throw some sort of projectiles at him just to shake things up a little.

"Hey, Sensei," one of his more energetic students, Kishida Ken, approaches his desk, "we brought you some tea."

Nagisa blinks, looking at the transport mug. "What's in it?"

Arino Yuki, the girl accompanying him, flips her hair casually. "We can't even bring you a present? Quit being so suspicious."

The ever so slight hint of almond scent suggests otherwise, though. "Cyanide?"

"Aw come on," Kishida complains, "I got my mum to buy me cherries and everything."

He locks eyes with the boy, taking a small sip before setting it down again. "I'm afraid the cherry stone thing is more of a myth. It's highly unlikely you'd be able to extract enough poison for a lethal dose from this. Cyanide is far more effective in its gas form anyway, though," he thinks for a moment, "I suppose that would be a lot harder to get hold of… I'd suggest ricin next time."

"N-noted."

Nagisa respects the solid attempt at least. It shows he at least did a bit of research into this. Maybe Kishida would continue his interest in science, it's usually his highest grade. He does confiscate the cyanide laced water, though, sending them on their way for lunch. It's far from a lethal dose, but he probably shouldn't just let them handle the poison.

So at least his day's at least a little interesting.

It's not like it happens all the time, but Nagisa himself ends up going to the lunch hall. Ever since the day with the pudding, he's been a little less hesitant to go in the space. It also helps to prevent him from overthinking, at least a little bit… At least, he feels a little better when Inoue waves him over to where a few of his other co-workers are sitting.

"Ah, hey, running late after class?"

Nagisa shifts, feeling eyes set on him. "They had a chemistry question."

One of the second year teachers snorts. "Your students actually ask you things?"

He tries to brush that one off. "Sometimes. It's not exactly always about class, though."

"It's all in the same," he says.

Inoue takes a bite of his salad. "I hope you didn't wear them out too much for me."

One of the other teachers looks up on him. "Ah, you're harsh on your students?"

Nagisa laughs awkwardly. "I hope not too harsh."

"They're the best behaved bunch," Inoue claims, and Nagisa tries not to feel too proud about that. "I don't know what he does, but…"

Well, it's the opposite of what anyone probably expects. He's far from strict with them. There's obviously a limit, but they always seem to do better when he doesn't try and cage them in too much. That's how Korosensei used to teach him, anyway. Nagisa can't just let them run wild on a mountain, but he can let them have their own opinions at a minimum. Maybe some extra motivation also helps…

"Maybe I just got lucky," he shrugs.

"Hey, Shiota kun," the second year teacher, Sumida, leans forward. "You'll be coming to the end of year party, right?"

Somehow he'd been hoping nobody would bring that up. "Yes, hopefully."

"This year feels like such a blur," he sighs.

The conversation picks up after that, thankfully not really involving Nagisa so much, so he can mostly just concentrate on eating. It's not like he's had a problem with any of them, but making friends has been the last thing on his mind. Well, maybe Inoue's his friend? Nagisa's not sure about that, but he's definitely the closest thing.

It's not like it's painful or anything. He chimes in every now and then. It's easy enough to zone out though, especially with the general chattering surrounding them. He doesn't regret coming, at least. It's a decent distraction from whatever else would have been overrunning in his mind otherwise. Before he even knows it, the period is over just like that.

Of course, that does actually lead him to an hour of his own company, since his class does actually have PE. It's not so bad though, since he actually has some grading to do. It's the last homework he gave them this year, since exams are so soon and he wants to let them relax a little bit after that. Even from this, though, he can tell they've come far.

Reality catches up with him when the day ends, and he has to go home. That just leads to even more nervousness. He's already made his decision though, hasn't he? No matter what happens. Even if it's the last time he sees Karma ever. The idea of that makes him feel like crumbling, but maybe that's better than whatever this is.

Nothing stops Nagisa pacing when he actually does get home, though. He's near uncontrollable. None of this bodes well.

Somehow, all of the freaking out manages to take him up to the point he has to leave. Even that causes a panic, since he practically has to shred his work clothes off to change into something more casual, and he didn't even get to plan what he's going to say properly. It's not like Nagisa needs a mental rehearsal, but it would make things easier.

He feels like he needs a bail out or something.

Unfortunately, he finds himself standing outside Karma's apartment in no time at all. Can he really go through with this? No matter how stupid he knows he's being… There's a part of him that still wants to run away as fast as his legs will carry him. This isn't like him. Shouldn't be like him. And yet?

Karma opens the door. "Why do you look like you're on the run from the law?"

He laughs awkwardly, staring at his shoes as he takes them off to avoid his eyes. "Why would you say that?"

"You just look like you're expecting something to pop out at you," he shrugs.

His own heart maybe.

"I'm fine," he specifies, "really."

"If you're sure," Karma looks suspicious.

Thankfully, he doesn't actually push it, and Nagisa sets himself down determinedly on the sofa. That already makes this feel far more formal than it needs to be. A part of him has just given up at this point, though. It's probably always going to feel this uncomfortable, with something so intense on his mind.

"You'll never guess what," Karma slings himself down, and if he feels on edge he's doing an amazing job of hiding it.

Nagisa humours him. "What?"

"There was drama at work again," he almost sounds proud.

It seems counter intuitive, but letting Karma just talk does wonders for Nagisa's nerves. He's not exactly listening to it, but that's neither here nor there. He's sure whatever's going on in his co-worker's lives is immensely fascinating. Karma's voice is nice though, and it's much easier to just think about that.

"Nagisa?"

He's been caught, then? Nagisa's heart starts to thud against his ribs at that moment, before turning in his panic to kiss him. It's also much easier than talking, and Karma does nothing to stop him. It's one of the few moments Nagisa wishes Karma could just straight up read his mind. What he wants to say is too complicated to demonstrate just like this.

At least if Karma decides he never wants to speak to him again, he still has this.

Frankly, Nagisa's not fully sure how he ends up on Karma's lap, only that he clearly turned at some point. There's nothing abnormal about this anyway, it's been a whole week. And of course, Nagisa gasps and shifts at his precise touches. That's just how it is with Karma. All Nagisa can do is clutch at the back of his head and dig in deeper.

It's about this moment, though, where it occurs to Nagisa he's falling right back into the cycle.

"I wanted to talk to you," he reminds himself.

"Oh," Karma leans back. "Me too, actually."

That catches Nagisa off guard. Is it important? As important as what he's about to say? Is it information that could change his opinion? Nagisa's not sure what would at this point. Maybe if he admits to murdering a puppy or something? Though… he considers this isn't the right moment for this. People don't really confess things whilst straddled.

Karma looks really serious, though, like he's trying to gauge him for a reaction. That just makes Nagisa swallow, averting his own eyes. Karma can't possibly… have the same thing to say, right? That would be crazy. He can't let himself even think about it. But… it latches onto him anyway, especially when Karma opens his mouth.

Is this really it?!

"I think you should try being on top sometime."

…

…?

Huh?

For a moment Nagisa legitimately thinks he hears brakes screeching.

"What?"

"What?"

Don't look so casual! "I-I-"

Karma tilts his head. "You don't want to?"

"Don't just- out of nowhere-"

And because of course Karma takes any opportunity to make things worse, he just laughs. "What, did you want me to write you a formal letter?"

"Maybe an email." Nagisa averts his eyes.

Karma chooses to ignore him. "It makes sense, doesn't it?"

"You…" Nagisa takes a deep breath and tries again. "You really want that?"

He looks at him blankly. "Why wouldn't I?"

Nagisa just stares at him, at a loss for words.

"Hey," Karma strokes his arm in a potential attempt to comfort him or something. "It's fine if you're not into it."

"I didn't say that," he hisses.

In truth, Nagisa's in a slight state of shock. Here he is, finally ready to talk to Karma about his feelings, and Karma chooses now to offer up his ass?! And okay, it's a nice ass, objectively speaking. Nagisa has no problems with the ass. It's his feelings. Though… it's not like he's actually said anything yet.

So maybe Nagisa needs to re-examine the situation at hand here. Even outside of their current circumstances freaking him out… the actual question freaks him out too. Nagisa just got used to how sex usually works between them. That's his only point of reference. It's not like he's been missing something he hasn't experienced… and he supposes he just hasn't had much of a reason to think about it. Distantly… maybe it makes sense. If he's meant to be trying everything… Though Nagisa has no idea how to…

Karma clears his throat. "I don't know if you're having a debate with yourself or what, but it's been like five minutes."

He physically shakes his head, like that'll snap him out of it. "S-sorry."

Somehow he just looks amused now. "Careful there, you'll make me feel unwanted."

Nagisa scoffs. "Your ego's too big for that."

"Well now I'm wounded."

He cracks a smile, at least. "I can live without it," he finally declares. "Don't worry about teaching me thoroughly or anything."

Karma rolls his eyes. "Did you leave your critical thinking skills at home or something?"

Now he's really lost. "What do you mean?"

He shifts to sit up more properly, so they're making direct eye contact. "You like the way it feels, don't you?"

"T-that's…"

Karma's hand strokes against his waist in a way that feels particularly calculated. "I know you're height deficient, but our basic anatomy matches up, hm?"

"What do you mean, 'height deficient'-"

He ignores him though. "So then, you can put two and two together, and realise it's probably not so bad for me either."

It finally feels time to get off his lap. Nagisa manages to squirm free, twisting to sit on the sofa properly, though his head is hung in a kind of shame. His stomach is twisting itself apart in jealousy. Karma's not actually just being theoretical. He knows this from experience. It shouldn't bother him, but the thought makes him burn up inside.

"You're just as experienced with that, aren't you?"

"Probably," he says cheerfully enough, before he stiffens a little. "Something wrong with that?"

"No," he tries to press clearly. "I just… wouldn't know what to do."

"Sure you do," Karma says, "you've observed."

"I was a little busy. It's still unbalanced."

They come to an uncomfortable pause at that. Nagisa doesn't care about Karma's past. He doesn't. He just doesn't know about it. There's so much he's clearly missing. It's not like he could judge him or anything, but now it's biting away at him. Nagisa can't help himself now, the damage has already been done and his mind won't stop.

"I don't know anything, though," Nagisa says. "You literally never spoke about it with me."

It's clear he understands what he means.

"I don't know? It's hardly the kind of thing you just bring up in a conversation."

"Most guys do."

"You've never been just a guy friend-" He trails off at that, pausing to catch his breath. "I thought you found that kind of thing stupid anyway."

Unfortunately, Nagisa knows he is right. He's acting like a bit of a hypocrite right now. And yeah okay, he doesn't have too much to be upset about here. Not that he had one, but he supposes even back then it wouldn't have felt natural to just start talking about his sex life with people. And aside from overhearing things every now and then, he can't remember a time where he discussed that kind of thing with anyone else either. He's choosing not to count Nakamura, because she's a whole other case.

What does he mean by 'just a guy friend'?

"…Is it really important for you to know?" Now he just looks subdued.

Nagisa feels like being torn apart. "You don't have to tell me anything."

But he presses. "You want me to, though."

"I don't know," he wants to curl in on himself.

"You can ask," Karma says, but he doesn't actually seem so sure. Too bad Pandora's box is wide open at this point.

"…How many?"

Nagisa regrets it as soon as it leaves his lips.

"I don't know," he answers.

"How can you not-"

"I don't exactly keep a spreadsheet."

That comment feels like it's meant to lighten the mood, but there's a certain bitterness to his tone that makes him uncomfortable. It's at least more than ten, then. Probably more than twenty. In fact, considering how good Karma is at maths, it has to be a pretty high number for him to lose track of it? It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. But… If Karma lost his virginity when they were still in high school, then he can just think about the four years in university. If he slept with someone once a week, then that's… Nagisa thinks, since mental maths isn't his strong suit. It's over 200, isn't it? That makes him feel faint. That doesn't even account for the years following their graduation. But maybe there could have been some spots of regularity?

"And you've never dated anyone?"

Karma sighs. "No."

A kind of frustration washes over him. "Outside of whatever you consider a relationship, you've never had a regular thing with someone before?"

"Well yeah," he says, "but that's not dating."

"I remember," Nagisa just about breathes, "you said you don't do relationships. But why? It feels like something must have happened to reach that conclusion."

"What, I can't just not like the idea? It doesn't have to be the default, you know?"

Nagisa does know, but it doesn't feel like that's it. "I know you're holding something back."

"Why do you want to drag it up so bad?!"

With the raise of his voice, Nagisa naturally flinches. In his bout of frustration, Karma pulls himself to his feet, turning sharply away from him. Nagisa definitely pushed too hard. He hasn't been trying to upset him or cause anything like this. But he can tell how much Karma's even holding it in like this, evident from his heavy breathing.

"I'm sorry," he says quietly.

Karma visibly tenses.

"I didn't care about dating," he finally says. "Or anything like that. And neither did anyone else I hooked up with. I don't exactly radiate wholesome energy, so it's not like anyone asked me. Sometimes we'd hang out more than once, but I can't say I liked them enough to put in the effort of being their 'secret' for long."

There's an uncomfortable twisting in Nagisa's stomach. "Why would you be someone's secret?"

He doesn't turn back. "Lots of reasons. I wouldn't get along with their friends, they weren't comfortable with the whole gay thing, married, once-"

"Karma."

He finally looks at him. "What? I was stressed."

That doesn't feel like a good excuse. "Okay," Nagisa says, trying to process it himself. "I remember you mentioned something else a while ago, though. A guy you were hanging out with for a while."

"Why does that matter?"

Nagisa's already pushed hard enough. "It doesn't. But… it seems like it's on your chest."

"He was just an exchange student."

He's already said that.

"Just?"

Karma sighs. "It was nothing. They always put on mixers for incoming students. And everyone knows they're kind of boring, so there's always the after mixer as well."

He shifts uncomfortably. "The after mixer?"

"I don't know what you want me to say. It was just a hook up. He was hot, and he came onto me, so. I just didn't expect he'd be in one of my classes. It's not like it was a small university," Karma rubs the back of his neck. "We mostly just argued about politics anyway."

A bitter taste begins to grow in Nagisa's mouth. Is that what he wants? Nagisa almost scolds himself, because he knows how ridiculous he's being, but… He wasn't smart enough to go to a university like Karma's. He wouldn't be able to debate something like politics, not more than surface level anyway. Wouldn't Karma end up being bored with him?

"Anyway," he continues finally, "it just happened. I'm not lying about it not being a relationship, it never was."

"But did you want it to be?"

Karma remains silent.

Nagisa remembers how much it seemed like they were dating. Or, well, he didn't know. He's not oblivious to the abnormality of the way Karma was acting back then. It wasn't like he said anything that automatically meant they were more than friends. But Karma being that level of interested in a new person? Whatever the case, Nagisa's not going to get anywhere with these kinds of questions.

"…Was it exclusive?" He tries.

Karma exhales. "I didn't have time for anything else."

"On both sides?"

He just shrugs.

Nagisa feels a weird determination to get this out of him now. "The other people you hooked up with… did they ever mean something to you?"

Unfortunately, that just makes Karma look annoyed again. "What's that even supposed to mean?"

"Well-"

"Yeah," he cuts him off, "I didn't care about everyone. So what? People just have sex sometimes. It's not like it always has to be some huge romantic drama. "

Nagisa finds himself on his feet. "You don't think I know that?"

He stiffens immediately. "I do," he laughs humorously, "trust me."

"You cared about some people, then," Nagisa decides to ignore whatever he meant by that comment, "so. Uhm," he thinks, "I know this went on with, uh, Sergei? For a while. I know something happened."

Karma scoffs. "He went back to Russia, I already told you that."

"And that didn't bother you at all?"

For a moment, Karma just stares blankly at him, and it's like the air in the room is growing toxic. It's almost… blood lust? No, something different, but it still makes Nagisa's blood turn cold. He's really done it now… Why couldn't he just keep his mouth shut? Though, there's a part of him that never would have been settled, without knowing.

"Nagisa."

He sits back down in a slope. "I just want to know what's wrong. Whatever happened. I know you don't have to tell me, but…"

"You won't stop obsessing until I do?"

"I'm not obsessing-"

"You don't always have to fix everyone."

"When was I trying to fix you?"

Karma rubs his head with his hands, but he looks a little less angry. "He was an asshole, okay? We were in the same class, but he acted like I didn't exist. And I get it, it wasn't the first time something like that happened. It's not like I was running over to chat to him either. But then a group of people wanted to hang out after class, and I guess we were both close enough to end up invited. He spent the entire time hitting on me, though, and one thing led to another… I think that's when he actually asked me for my name," he wrinkles his nose. "Some things happened after that, like I showed him around a little, and helped with some class stuff since his Japanese kind of sucked."

There's a lot of things in that Nagisa needs to translate. If he works out the events in his head. So, things started out normal, but somehow, by chance, they ended up crossing paths again. It leaves a bitter taste, though. What exactly was Karma getting out of this? Aside from… gratification. Nagisa doesn't want to think about that though.

"We kept hanging out," Karma shrugs again. "And yeah, it crossed the line a few times. But Sergei had his… friends, and I had mine… He didn't want to date, he made that clear, but sometimes it was like he expected those things. He used to get so jealous," he scoffs. "And then mad if I made fun of him. I just pushed him too far one time." Karma moves to stare at the floor. "We argued about it for a while. He said I was dumb for thinking it could have ever been a thing, and I felt dumb. Anyway, I didn't really speak to him after that, and then he left."

It's like a chasm opening beneath Nagisa's feet. There's still a lot missing, that he knows, but… There's a lot that also makes sense. To Nagisa at least, it sounds like a lot of confusion. Like a relationship in all but name? And then to end so suddenly… Karma doesn't let people get close to him often, so it was probably a really big betrayal.

"Well? Are you happy now?"

Is he? 'Happy' sounds far from the right word. If anything, Nagisa's still frustratingly aware that Karma's still skipping over a lot, and this is probably the most he's ever going to get out of him. But he understands him better now. Or, at least, why he doesn't want to talk about it. He's still carrying around a lot of hurt. Karma. He's just scared of getting hurt again.

He's sure it's a bad decision, but he finds himself wrapping his arms around him. Nagisa has no idea what to say in words anymore, but this… feels like it.

"What are you doing?"

Nagisa squeezes him. "Has anyone ever just hugged you?"

He's still stiff as he stands there. "Were they meant to?"

"I don't know," Nagisa admits. "It's not like anyone's hugged me like this either."

Karma's arms slowly wrap around him too, and it's one of the most peaceful things he's ever felt. Even with the nagging feeling threatening him… He does everything to drown it out. It feels like the tighter he holds Karma, the better that feels. It's only the nagging guilt that creeps in… and the question of what he should actually do next.

Nagisa's phone starts to buzz from his pocket.

"It's probably not important," he says. Definitely not when Karma clearly needs him more.

But then it buzzes again.

"It's okay," Karma lets him go, but he doesn't sound so sure.

Unknown caller?

"H-hello?" Nagisa answers it cautiously.

There's a bout of heavy breathing. "…Nagisa Sensei?"

For a moment, that takes him aback. Who? The voice is young and feminine for sure… And then he remembers that he gave his number to Watanabe to use in emergencies. Watanabe who was the only student absent from class today. Judging from her personality, she wouldn't misuse his number. That had to mean that something was genuinely wrong.

He attempts to keep his voice firm but calm. "Are you alright? Did something happen?"

More heavy breathing. "I-I did something…"

"What?"

"I… Look, does it matter!? I don't know what to do. B-but I had your number! And you always know what to do!"

Nagisa forces himself to breathe. "Are you in any danger right now?"

There's a pause. "No, not at the moment."

He doesn't like the sound of that. "Where are you?"

"I don't know exactly," she says far too steadily. "The drive felt long… There's a bunch of these creepy old buildings."

"How long?"

"More than ten minutes? I don't know! I wasn't counting!"

So not too far? Nagisa still doesn't know exactly what happened, only that she's clearly in some sort of trouble and doesn't seem like she's going to give him any details like this. There's only one option that sticks out to him. He's probably going to have to go and find her himself.

"Try your best to stay calm," he says. "You promise me you're safe?"

"I promise…"

"Okay," he swallows. "I'll come get you."

She seems to recognise something in that. "P-please hurry…"

Nagisa hangs up the phone, adrenaline pumping through his body, but his mind completely clear. There's not much time, but this is a situation he has to be able to deal with.

Karma looks serious. "What happened?"

"One of my students," he's moving immediately, right over to his shoes. "She's in some sort of trouble."

Karma just nods. "Do you know where?"

"I can find out-"

"I'll drive," he says.

Nagisa pauses. "You don't have a car?"

"No," he says, "but I know who does."

He's not going to reject his help. Nagisa knows better than something as small as pride right now, and he and Karma have always worked well together. It's only seconds before they're swinging open the door, and he feels everything. The winter wind screaming at them, the flickering of the lights in the apartment complex… it's like his senses know.

He's surprised, though, when Karma only walks a couple of paces and knocks on his neighbour's door.

Hisaishi san looks confused at the sight of them both. "Is something the matter?"

Karma smiles falsely. "Say, do you remember when I helped carry your bags last week, and you said 'I'll pay you back for all this someday'? I was hoping I could get an advance on that."

Her eyes narrow. "You better not have killed someone."

"Why would you think so low of me?"

Hisaishi san folds her arms. "I've heard some odd things in my lifetime. What do you need?"

"Your car keys," he flashes another clearly fake smile. "C'mon, we both know you never drive that thing anymore."

She remains still. "If you're about to do something illegal and it gets traced back to me…"

"I promise-"

Sharply, she reaches for some keys behind the door, before looking directly at Nagisa. "He won't, right?"

"W-we really do need it," Nagisa says. "We won't damage it."

"Not a scratch," Karma beams.

She hands over the keys. "Be careful, whatever you're doing!"

Nagisa barely has time to bow in his gratitude, before Karma grabs his wrist, pulling him off. Nagisa didn't even know this building had a garage. Though, when they come to it, it seems pretty obvious. Karma only looks for a moment, before racing off again. Unfortunately, they seem to be approaching the loudest looking car of the collection.

"Karma…" Nagisa squints. "This is a sport's car."

He nods. "It's a Porsche 911, to be exact."

"It's hot pink."

"Lady has weird tastes," he unlocks it. "Aren't you coming?"

Nagisa doesn't have much of a choice, so climbs into the other side. "It's just… we might be going somewhere dangerous. Won't it… stand out?"

"Are you really complaining right now?"

That's his cue to shut up. Besides, there's a slightly more pressing issue than the getaway car. Well… the 'go-to' car? Nagisa still has to figure out where that is, anyway. And they don't have the luxury of much planning time. For that, he unlocks his phone screen.

"Ritsu," Nagisa addresses, "I need a bit of help."

Her avatar appears on his screen immediately. "Nagisa! Long time no see!"

He wishes he could join in her joyous mood. "Do you think you can track the phone call I just had?"

Ritsu rubs her virtual hands together, before a map shows up on his screen. "This is the closest cellular tower," she narrates. "The phone is around six hundred meters in this direction," a red dot glows on the map. "There's some interference, but it should be in this dot."

Karma looks over at it. "Chiba?"

"Looks like the boarder…" Nagisa thinks. "I don't know, it's not in a dense area. This could be anywhere."

He squints. "I know where it is."

"How?"

"There used to be a factory there," he steps down on the ignition, and suddenly they're off. "It was abandoned about a decade ago. I had to write a report on suggested demolitions last year," he grits his teeth. "I guess it was just busy work, if it's still standing."

Trust him… Nagisa really isn't going to complain, though. If it's helpful informa- "That was a red light!"

Karma rolls his eyes. "I'm sorry, I thought this was urgent?"

"Well yeah, but-"

"I'll pay her fines," he says casually.

Nagisa can't help but think Karma's been searching for an excuse to pull something like this. Knowing him, he's probably having a great time on some level. Nagisa can't pretend that Karma doesn't care, though. That much is clear. He's never even met Watanabe, but he seems to be right here with him. He can't help but be at least a little bit thankful for that.

Their speed never feels unsafe, but Nagisa suspects more than a few laws have been broken. He decides not to try and make conversation for that reason, he doesn't want to distract him or anything. Soon enough, they're out of crammed streets of Tokyo proper, and heading in the direction of that small dot.

"This is creepy," Karma comments, as they approach a small turn in the road. He pointedly turns the headlights down.

Nagisa looks down at his phone. "It looks like we're in the right place."

"Yeah," he says, "just ahead."

When he looks up, it is admittedly pretty obvious, even in the darkness. It mostly just looks like a collection of warehouses, but he can already tell they're long abandoned and broken down. In other words, it's absolutely not the place for a child. Nagisa's worry increases tenfold, which Karma seems to sense, reaching over for his shaking hand.

"We'll find her," he says.

Nagisa just nods, and gets out of the car. He should try and think more clearly, about everything. They can't just run into the big creepy abandoned building guns blazing. Watanabe said she was safe, didn't she? And there's something… some feeling inside him that tells him she wasn't being forced to make that phone call. But there's no way this isn't bad.

Speaking of guns, they don't even have weapons…

"You have your hands," Karma suggests.

Was he speaking all of that aloud? Nagisa shifts in his place, knowing Karma's not suggesting a fist fight. It's been a long time, since he's had to use his stun clap. Nagisa's not even wholly confident he knows how to anymore. He's never forgotten anything he was taught back in 3E, but some strong willed kids are completely different to a genuinely dangerous situation.

He's at least thankful Karma doesn't suggest splitting up.

They flow naturally together as they approach the building, and Nagisa knows they're probably having the same thoughts. There's no real sign of activity. That's either a positive, or a sign that they're smart and well prepared for intruders. Nagisa hopes it's not that. As they approach the door, though, taking a good look at their surroundings, it quickly becomes clear that it's basically impossible to see anything.

"Hey, Ritsu," Karma says quietly, "feel like using my phone's infrared?"

Nagisa looks at him. "What are you-"

But then Karma shows him, waving his own hand underneath his camera lens. Sure enough, it becomes visible, though only in weird colours and a bit glitched out. But when he holds it up to the room… it's not perfect night vision or anything, but it's a lot better than his own eyes. He's not even going to question how it works. Unfortunately, Nagisa doesn't have much time to be impressed by that. At least they know the place isn't crawling with criminals or something.

"Let's check the next warehouse," he says.

It turns out to be completely empty, aided by the camera. At least they're not far apart. In the next one, however… it takes a second, because they're far, but… yes. He can definitely see a person's shape. Though, rather worryingly, there's also the shape of what appears to be someone lying down. Nagisa's stomach knots itself in two before he pulls his own phone and turns on the light, rushing over.

"N-Nagisa Sensei?"

Relief washes over him immediately as he finds her, looking physically unharmed. "What happened?"

"I…" she points somewhere behind him.

"Nagisa," Karma's voice comes from that exact direction, like a warning.

He looks at his student, her face barely visible. "Watanabe, you need to tell me exactly what happened."

She shudders. "The knife… I think he might be dead?"

If she's telling him she killed a person…

"Okay," Nagisa tries his best to appear calm in this situation. "Karma?"

There's a pause. "I don't think there's a pulse."

Watanabe looks like she's about to throw up. Nagisa automatically whips off his coat, wrapping it over her shoulders, as though that'll make some kind of difference.

"What do you mean, you don't think?"

"It's kind of hard to tell."

It's about then that Nagisa notices the blood covering Watanabe's hands. Surely not. He knows she got into trouble for punching one of her classmates, but… she's no killer. And from what Nagisa glanced on his way over to her, it seemed to be an adult man. Nagisa knows all too well how even someone small can take on someone so much bigger, though…

"It's cold," Karma reasons, "maybe…"

Nagisa hears a thump, and manages to put the dots together. CPR. Will that really work? Even if she called him right after whatever happened… it took them a while to get here. Probably longer than an average ambulance, counting for the extra distance. Ambulance. Right. He turns his phone over and dials 119.

"What's your emergency?" A voice asks immediately.

He doesn't even know where to begin. "I'm in an abandoned factory with someone who's been severely wounded," he tries, before attempting to recite the address from his memory. "M-maybe you should ask for police too."

"How has he been wounded-"

Even without the light, Nagisa senses panic all over Watanabe. "No!" She tries to make a grab for the phone. "Not the police. Please, I-"

In the commotion, Nagisa seems to have hung up. Well… the most important part is done? If anything, they'll probably speed the response up a bit. "I have to call the ambulance."

"I could have done that," she says. "You shouldn't have-"

"Hey," Karma turns over his shoulder for a moment, "I know you're having a crisis here kid, but it's really important you tell me how long he's been like this."

Watanabe blinks. "Uhm… I don't know. I-I called when he stopped talking."

"Right," Karma says. "You know how long it takes someone to die when they stop breathing?"

"Uhm-"

"Fifteen minutes? Maybe thirty if you're really lucky."

Nagisa starts to feel anxious. Even if she's being irrational here, she's still a child. "Karma-"

He ignores him though. "So unless you want this guy to go from 'maybe dead' to 'definitely dead', I suggest you stop worrying about the police."

Watanabe promptly bursts into tears.

All Nagisa feels like he can do is hold her in that moment. No matter what… she decided to trust him in this moment, and he's not going to go back on that. Even though it definitely came across like he'd murdered someone to that poor call handler. Well, she has to have heard worse, right? That's most definitely a problem for later, though.

"Try and count to eight," he says. "Hold in your breaths, and then let them go."

That just seems to annoy her, but he does feel her trying, with the way her rib cage alters in size. That's good. The last thing he needs is for her to start truly panicking. Unfortunately, though, he's not sure what else he can do in this situation. And potential murder, as far as he knows, isn't really something Korosensei ever had to deal with. There's not much he can imagine him saying either.

"I tried to stop the bleeding," she finally whispers. "I-I tied his shirt around it! He told me to just go but I froze here. I let Mum down, and now him… I'm useless. He'll be dead and it's all my fault."

Nagisa cringes at a cracking sound, which may well be Karma breaking one of his ribs. "This is your Dad?"

She nods slowly.

It feels like a heavy weight crashing into him, like far too much. But he has to ask. "Did he try to hurt you?"

Watanabe jolts, but violently shakes her head, which sets some cool relief through him. "Not in the way you think."

"In what way?"

"He's not a bad person," she insists with determination. Though, it's hard to take that seriously when her face is now streaked with the blood.

Karma, panting slightly now, decides to interject. "His chest is covered in tattoos."

Suddenly Nagisa begins to put the pieces together. Most likely Yakuza. Just having a few tattoos isn't enough to incriminate someone in this day and age, of course, but given the rest of the situation… There's a lot that becomes chillingly clear. Especially why Watanabe might have been so hesitant to call the police. If it's what Nagisa thinks… then she's probably had it drilled into her for a long time that she should never do that.

"You didn't do this?"

"No!" She looks horrified. "W-why-"

"Okay," he tries to soothe her. "I believe you. I just need to know what really happened here." He tries his best to think about everything he knows. "What happened with your Mum?"

Watanabe stares down at the ground. "Prison."

Nagisa's not sure whether to be relieved that she didn't kill someone, or even more concerned with the extra bit of information. This aside, shouldn't he have heard about that? It seems like something pretty vital. The poor girl… she must have been trying so hard to not show all of this was happening, it's no wonder she was withdrawn a lot of the time. He just wishes he'd paid closer attention to it.

"Do you know who did this?" He tries.

Her eyes are still glued on the ground. "A co-worker."

"You're sure they won't come back?"

She nods. "No reason to. They didn't know I was here. My Dad… he thought it would be better if we left here. The others… I think they agreed, but only without him."

Nagisa's not sure how anyone could justify taking their child to a place like this. No matter if they're affiliated with the criminal underworld… Nobody at her age should have to see trauma like this. But whilst she's definitely in a kind of shock, she's being weirdly communicative. It makes him wonder how used to this she is, how much she might have seen…

"The main thing is you're safe," he says.

"Not for long," Watanabe's eyes flash. "They'll find out about this! A-and me. They'll know what I saw and they'll know it's too much!"

There it is. A sense Nagisa never wanted to pick up from a student of his. She truly thinks she's about to die. In a weird irony, though, it gives him the opportunity he needs. Quicker than she's able to pick it up, he finds his way into her consciousness, jabbing her hard under her jaw. It's enough to make her dazed and unaware, a step short of paralysis.

"Do you need me to take over?" Nagisa asks, noticing now how much he can hear the exertion in Karma's breathing. How long has he even been doing this for?

Karma doesn't even respond, apparently deep in concentration. To be honest, at this point, there's not much Nagisa could probably do to help in the situation. He just hopes it's enough, that they somehow made it in time. Even if the man ends up in prison, at least Watanabe won't have to live with the burden of witnessing his death. It's not a lot, but it's something.

Despite the very real possibility that he ends up being arrested, Nagisa can't say he's not relieved at the sound of sirens. He feels weak, even though keeping Watanabe upright isn't the hardest job, but he waves his phone torch around to try and get their attention. It might help them look at least a tiny bit less guilty too.

Everything happens very quickly. First the torch light, and the first time Nagisa really gets a look at the situation. Including the man's horrific injuries, and the blood all over Karma's hands, his own clothes, and Watanabe in general. At the paramedic's word, Karma moves back, giving them the space to set up some kind of defibrillator. That's not so important, though, what he needs to focus on is Watanabe, who currently looks horrified.

"Stay back," an officer shouts.

Nagisa holds his hands up, but looks at Watanabe. "It's okay."

She looks even more shocked than before. "He didn't do anything!"

"I'm her teacher," he tries to explain. "She called me and I found her here, so I called for an ambulance."

The officer glances between them both, before nodding. "Can someone get a blanket over here?" He looks back at them. "I'm still going to have to ask you some questions."

One of the paramedics, a young looking smiley woman, approaches them. "Hi there, can I get you warmed up?"

Watanabe looks over at him nervously.

"It's okay," Nagisa says again. "Let her take care of you. I'll be fine here."

It's like the adrenaline is draining from his body all at once, and he might just slump on the ground. Of course, though, he wants to help the police as much as he can. Knowing the situation, it probably won't happen, but if there's any chance of the person who did this getting caught… He's going to try his best.

"Are you injured in any way?" He says, looking pointedly at the blood.

"No," Nagisa brings himself to his feet. "This is from comforting her."

He looks like he's sizing him up. "And who are you, exactly?"

"Shiota Nagisa," he swallows. "Twenty Four. Originally from Kunugigaoka."

"You must be aware you're at the scene of a crime," he says. "Even if you're not a suspect yet, I have to inform you that anything you say could harm your defence in court and you have the right to remain silent."

Formalities.

"We have a pulse!" One of the paramedics shouts.

The officer seems to forget about him. And Nagisa's more than okay with that. Relief spreads over him. At least someone didn't die here today. No doubt because of Karma… Nagisa finds himself whipping his head around, trying to find him. It takes him a second, hard to make out even with the slight light now, but Karma's tall enough to stick out.

He falls to his side, of course. "You really did it."

Karma catches him. "Don't sound so surprised."

"Don't," Nagisa shoves at him, "don't joke around at a time like this."

"Hey!" The police officer stalks over to them again. "You didn't finish with the questions. And who's this?"

Karma looks at him blankly. "The guy who just spent the last age doing CPR. Akabane Karma," he lowers his head with a hint of sarcasm. "I work for the government."

That's one way to put it…

"And you're her teacher?" The officer raises an eyebrow.

Nagisa gulps. "That's right."

"Well…" he scribbles something down. "How exactly did you find her?"

A fake laugh suddenly sounds out from Karma's mouth, as he slaps the officer so hard on the back he splutters. "Don't you think that's enough questions? We saved a person's life here," he squeezes hard on his shoulder. "I mean, we practically did your job, in a sense." He laughs again, obnoxiously. "What a crazy story, huh? I don't know how I'm going to stop myself from telling all my co-workers. Though, maybe my boss would just be concerned, and I wouldn't want you to face any budget cuts."

Sweat trails from the man's forehead. "R-right, of course. You'll have to come back to the station though."

"Have a nice evening!" Karma beams as he scuttles off.

Nagisa looks up at him curiously. "You have the power to do that?"

He shrugs. "Don't think so. But he doesn't know that."

"I'm not condoning it."

"Didn't ask you to~" Karma clears his throat, though. "I was worried for a minute there, if I'm honest. Is the girl okay?"

"I'll go find her."

Nagisa's a little surprised he's not immediately handcuffed for trying to leave. Even though he's not going far… There's still a lot of commotion going on. It seems like only one ambulance was brought, by the way it seems to be speeding off. Well, getting him to the hospital is most definitely important. He finds Watanabe sat sideways in the police car, the doors open as a different officer crouches next to her. She looks really small there, with a metallic heat blanket wrapped around her, but at least someone washed the blood off.

"It sounds like she was really brave," the officer comments when he notices him. "You don't know about any suitable guardians, do you?"

"Apparently both her parents are unavailable," he states. "I can't remember any other contact information."

"Well," he says, "taking an interview isn't the top of our priorities now. You'll have to of course. I'm assuming you're happy to stay until a guardian is contacted?"

"Of course," he says. It's not a hard choice.

The officer nods. "I'll go talk to my colleague. There'll be a lot more police arriving shortly, but there's no reason for us to stay here."

That leaves him alone with Watanabe. Her eyes are planted on the mud underneath her. She's been through so much. Nagisa doesn't even know what to say. It reminds him a little of the way Kayano had been savagely killed, on Korosensei's last night. The horror at seeing that amount of gore, the hopelessness, desperation to just do something. And barely any time to process anything. At the very least, nobody died tonight, but he can't help but feel like it won't make too much of a difference.

"Why are we leaving?" Watanabe finally asks.

Nagisa squats down next to her. "Criminal investigations can get pretty complicated. They're probably about to start forensics, since they don't know who did it. You can't think of a name, can you?"

She shakes her head. "I don't like, know them."

He worries his lip for a moment. "Did he involve you in this kind of thing often?"

"They tried not to," she says. "But I guess that's kind of hard when your parents are both…" she thinks for a moment. "It's not like they were raising me in the lifestyle or anything."

"The officer asked an important question," he thinks. "Do you have anyone you could stay with?"

Her eyes seem to glass over. "My Dad doesn't have any family, and Mum always said she's not welcome in hers. But… I think she had a sister? I don't want to go away though!"

Nagisa winces, because there's a high chance that's exactly what's going to happen. "The most important thing is that you're safe. Without your parents here, that's the only thing they can do."

"…What happens now?"

"Well," he decides that it's best to just be honest. "Your Dad's in hospital now, but assuming he lives, there's a good chance they'll arrest him. The police will take us to the station, and probably need to talk to me and Karma about everything. You're younger than fourteen, so they couldn't really punish you. If you're clearly willing, though, they might want to ask you some questions too. After that… they've probably already contacted social services. They'll work on tracing your family first, but… they might put you in a temporary home if that fails."

"A home?!"

He winces. "Let's just hope for the best. There's a lot of things that can happen now, but it's better to deal with them when they come."

She blinks for a moment. "Is Karma the other guy who came?"

A smile grows on Nagisa's face. "Yeah. Sorry he yelled at you."

"…He saved Dad's life."

"Quite possibly," Nagisa says. "He's a pretty good person to have around, in times like these."

She clenches a fist. "I tried to stop the bleeding… But I didn't know how, and he kept shouting at me… I tried."

"Hey," he says, "this isn't something you should have to know yet. You were really brave, to do everything you could. The important thing is that everyone got here in time, right?"

She nods, as though she's trying to make herself believe it.

"So it looks like the other guys are about to arrive," Karma's voice comes from behind him, causing Nagisa to turn.

Watanabe looks up at him. "You saved my Dad."

"Don't worry about it," he brushes her off smoothly. "It's no biggie."

"Akabane Karma," Nagisa explains.

She lowers her head, which makes the trembling all the more clear. "T-thank you, Akabane san."

"Eh, like I said," he shrugs, "no biggie."

Watanabe starts glancing between them, then, before a worrying smile grows on her face. Even at a time like this. "I think I get it now."

Unfortunately, Nagisa catches on. "Wait, that's not-"

She just smiles. "Let's make a deal, Sensei. Your secret for my secret? For real, it'll be super lame if anyone finds out about this at school."

They both seem to understand she's not coming back to school, though. But he plays along. "I guess you have a deal."

"Can you go find out how long they're going to take? I'm getting cold here."

So now they've been exiled, huh?

"So," Karma says when they're far enough away, "she's okay?"

"Looks like it," he replies. "As okay as anyone can be, at a time like this."

He nods. "She's lucky to have a teacher like you."

"Hm?"

"I don't know why you gave her your number," he says, "but you felt the need for some reason. And that lead to at least two lives being saved tonight. Even if you can't fly halfway across the world at mach 20, that was never why we loved Korosensei so much, was it? I'm just saying, I might have turned out a lot better, if I had more teachers like you."

Nagisa pauses in his step to look at him. "I'd say you turned out okay."

"Oh really?"

"You saved someone's life today too, after all."

They have a task at hand here, but this conversation feels pretty heavy. He's not sure how to take Karma's words… it's probably one of the most sincere things he's heard him say. Nagisa's not even sure if he's deserving of it, if he could even call himself close to a match for Korosensei. It does mean a lot, though, coming from Karma. He finds himself leaning closer to him naturally, like finding something that makes sense.

"You two."

Of all people, Nagisa had not been expecting to see Kimura Justice. It's hardly surprising, of course, since he is also a police officer. But they're not exactly in a small place. The chances of him being specifically deployed to this case… Well, it looks bad, doesn't it? At least he probably can't talk about much of this off duty?

"Yo," Karma says, "long time no see."

He stalks over. "I was wondering how long it would take till I ended up arresting him," he points at Karma. "But you, Nagisa kun?"

"It's… a long story."

His eyes flick between them both, and Nagisa realises the pose he must have found them in. Ah. Unless Karma's been gossiping about it (unlikely), the only person who knows about their thing is Sugino. It's hardly the principal thing Nagisa's worried about in this situation, but… they weren't exactly standing like normal friends would.

"Do you know what time we're being taken away?" Nagisa asks. "My student wanted me to find out."

He stares between them again. "Right now, actually."

Karma meets his eyes. "Say, Kimura, can you do me a favour?"

"If it involves breaking the law-"

He holds his hands up. "Make sure they look after the car! That's all I was going to say!"

"That's yours?"

"Looks like duty calls~" Karma turns on his heel.

A lot of things happen in quick succession after that, so much so that Nagisa barely even registers it all. At least this is the first time he's been in the back of a police car? It's hectic when they're brought into the station, though, and he's simply handed a bunch of paperwork. The most 'exciting' part is probably getting their fingerprints taken, which makes sense considering they're probably all over the crime scene. At least they're not in handcuffs? They are given new clothes, though, since their old ones are technically evidence.

The interviews don't take too long, either. Nagisa omits the Ritsu part of it all, but he decides it's better to just be straight forward about the night's events. When Watanabe decides she wants to help, though only if he's allowed to sit next to her, he's at least a little proud that she's straight forward too.

That pretty much leads them to dawn, crammed together in the waiting room. Karma yawns intermittently, but doesn't say much. It's not like he has to be here, but Nagisa can't help but feel glad he is. Watanabe looks like she's fighting sleep at every moment. And Nagisa… his eyes just feel incredibly sore.

"Watanabe Meiko?"

A woman in a stiff looking suit looks around the room, and appears to spot them immediately. She seems like the type of person who can smell fear. Though… he can't read any ill intent from her.

"Meiko chan," she sits across from them. "I've been acting as your social worker so far. We managed to contact your aunt, and she's just arrived. The police are happy to let you go with her now. You should get some rest."

Nagisa immediately finds concern. "Will she be taking her far?"

The social worker forces a neutral smile. "I've been told she's found a nice hotel to stay in whilst she makes arrangements. But yes, the idea is that you'll stay with her, at least until the Family Court make a decision on custody. That process can take a long time, though," she refocuses her attention, "so just worry about settling in."

He looks at Watanabe. "I'll come with you until that point, okay?"

"Okay…"

"He's a pretty good judge of character, you know," Karma says. "You'll see him freak out if she has bad vibes."

"Karma."

It makes Watanabe smile, though, and that's the main thing. She nods, sliding out of the seat, and he and Karma follow close behind. If Nagisa's feeling anxious, he can only imagine what it must be like for Watanabe. Even if this is probably what's best for her, it's a massive upheaval… plus, he can't help but feel a little sad this could be the last time he sees her.

What they find is a relatively happy looking woman, around thirty years old if he had to make a guess. She's dressed well, though looks understandably exhausted. If she lives far away, then she probably travelled through the night… That's a good sign, isn't it? Nagisa's practically scrutinising her… but there's nothing right away.

"Meiko!" She says with excitement. "I'm sorry it had to be like this, but I'm happy to finally meet you!"

Watanabe looks scared, looking up at Nagisa anxiously.

He crouches a little to her level. "I think you'll be okay from here."

The smallest smile creeps onto her face, before she throws her arms around him briefly. "Thank you," she says, and then bows in Karma's direction. "Thank you."

Nagisa smiles properly. "Don't keep her waiting, hm?"

She approaches her aunt. "H-hello."

The aunt puts her hand lightly on Watanabe's shoulder, drawing her just close enough. "I think we have a lot to talk about, but we'll get you something to eat and some rest first." Her eyes meet Nagisa's, before she bows fully in half. "I apologise for the inconvenience my family caused."

"It's no inconvenience," Nagisa reassures. "I was just doing my job."

She nods. "Thank you anyway. I don't want to keep you any longer."

"Goodbye for now," Nagisa says, "Watanabe san."

"Goodbye," she returns, and like that she's led off.

Nagisa looks up at Karma. "She's going to be okay, right?"

"I think so," he says. "She's kind of badass if you ask me."

There's no reason for them to be there after that, not when they're free to go. Even though there's a brief moment of joy when Karma discovers the car was actually taken to the station, and yes he is allowed to take the keys back, the drive back into the city is mostly silent. It could be from the exhaustion, but there's not much that truly needs to be said in words. Before he knows it, Karma's pulling into a temporary parking spot next to Nagisa's apartment.

He can't help but be a little glad that he automatically gets out to walk him to his door, honestly.

"You're okay, right?" Karma finally asks.

"I should be the one asking you that," Nagisa averts his eyes. "You did all the hard work."

Karma rolls his eyes. "Quit that. We both know we make a great team."

"I think that's true," Nagisa looks at him.

He looks at him, and it's almost too much. There was too much that got cut short, too, by everything that happened. It puts things into perspective, though. There they were, going on and on about the specifics of something so not important. It doesn't mean there's not things they really need to talk about, though. Right now, though, he can just appreciate that he had Karma there. Has him here.

Nagisa finds himself grabbing him by the strings of the dumb grey police hoodie and kissing him, leaning up on his tiptoes. It conveys more than he can actually say, at least. It's an apology, and a thank you, mixed in with a lot of other emotions he can't quite put words to. Karma seems to understand, though, equally treasuring the raw feeling of their lips pressing and pushing.

Karma doesn't make fun of him, doesn't make a teasing comment, doesn't do anything. Nagisa's not sure if he wants him to, though. It's like they already said everything they needed to, including goodbye. His eyes openly slowly, before his arms unwind, and just like he was a ghost, Nagisa's alone in the morning light.