Akari

"All those eggs are going to waste. What a pity," Sugino remarks as we watch the news broadcast in a café. It is currently after school and Kaede implored us to have lunch here.

I enjoy the scrumptious pasta Bolognese with my mouth currently full. It is the last bite but I am still itching for more.

Desserts.

I need desserts.

Spontaneously, Karma furtively pushes his bowl of ice cream to me while Sugino, Nagisa and Kaede fixate on the news. Under the table, his hand squeezes mine for a second. I instantly become a happy kid.

"Can't the government do something about the fresh produce?" I say after swallowing the contents in my mouth. "I mean, can't they just deliver it to Africa or something instead of disposal?"

"I doubt the eggs would be edible when they get there," replies Sugino. He stares at me, catching me scooping the ice cream into my mouth. I freeze, hoping he doesn't realize that it's Karma's ice cream. Luckily, he returns his focus to the news without uttering a word.

My heart rate probably escalated to 130 bpm. Boy, this 'Romeo-and-Juliet' love is vexing. I have to make sure no one discovers our little secret.

I turn to Kaede, who remains unusually silent for the time being. I nudge her and she looks up, eyes glittering with joy. Taken aback by her contradictory reaction to the serious news, I almost shake her shoulders to summon back her sanity.

"Kaede?" I call.

"I just have a brilliant idea!" She screeches while trying to contain her joy.

The other three boys pivot into her direction, confusion drawn on their faces. Nagisa stares at me, demanding for an explanation but I shrug.

Chuckling, she winks at us. "I'll tell you tomorrow when I have the idea with details planned."

Keeping us from the secret that you jumped with so much excitement is not cool, Kaede.

I point at Nagisa and says the obvious. "What about Nagisa? Aren't you telling him because of NagiKae?"

Simultaneously, Kaede chokes while Nagisa almost spews the water he is drinking. "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" They shout unanimously.

Sugino chuckles. "Poor Nagisa..."

Karma snickers like a devil he is - cute devil, might I add. "Aww NagiKae."

Kaede slams her hand to the table furiously. Her emotions change from joyful mode to furious mode in a second. "Say that again I'll kick your ass. Focus on Akarma!"

"But you'll hurt Nagisa-kun's feelings...."

Kaede clenches her teeth together. Nagisa sighs in exasperation. Sugino refrains from laughing.

"Akarma!"

"NagiKae~"

"AKARMA!"

"NagiKae~"

*****

"Why did you have to tease Kaede?" I ask Karma as we stroll back home. He insists to watch me enter my apartment before going back to his house.

He taps his chin. "Hmm...... because it's fun?"

I slap my forehead.

He chuckles. "It's also a plan to make sure their focus is not always on Akarma or how are we supposed to keep this love a secret?"

I rub my temples. He has a point, no matter how twisted his logic is.

"Do you like the ice cream?" He asks abruptly.

I reminisce the rich chocolate taste of the confectionery. It did wonders to my taste buds. "Yup."

"Is it because my saliva's there?"

"That just corrupted my perfect memory of the ice cream. Wonderful, Akabane."

He laughs and wraps his arms around my waist as we stop before my apartment. "Aww too bad..."

"Narcissist."

"But I am your boyfriend." Karma leans in and pecks my lips. "Admit it. You want me to kiss you."

I stay silent to ponder on the perfect answer. "Umm... maybe?" I squeak.

Without uttering a word, he seals my lips with a kiss and pulls back. Then, as if realizing it is not enough, he dives in again, this time more fervently. The moisture of his lips, its warmth elates me. I comb my fingers through his red hair - which I find extremely soft and smooth - and kiss him back. I press my lips against his aggressively. Taken aback, he freezes but immediately defrosts. His tongue licks my lips, pleading for permission. I am tempted to let him but decide to tease him by pulling away and breaking the kiss.

Shock, or maybe feigned hurt, plays across Karma's face. He makes a tiny pout, which I assume he is dissatisfied with that brief kiss.

Yeah, I know, I want you as bad as you want me. But I like teasing you so...

I yawn, stretching my limbs. "I'm tired. I'm gonna get a nap then do Korosensei's homework." I reach out for the doorknob but he catches my wrist. I turn to look at him but he has this weird emotion over his face - something new.

Karma seems slightly elated, gleeful, mixed with sorrow, yearning and... bashfulness? I did not see the last one coming. He zips his lips, opens it to say something but closes before the words come out. The motion is repeated for a few times and I find this bashful side of him kind of... cute.

Akabane Karma is so cute. I giggle.

His grip on my hand lingers while he tries to string words together to form a sentence. I peel his hand off and then intertwines our fingers together. I give him a reassuring smile. "What is it?" I ask, tilting my head to meet his averting eyes.

He inhales deeply and finally speaks. "That... umm... that day it was all the adrenaline that took over my mind and prompted me to say those words. But I... I felt awkward to umm... say it... right now since we are official... but that doesn't mean I don't like you but this isn't like the usual teases or flirts or... I don't know."

I roll my eyes, unable to comprehend his lengthy speech. I want him to be straight with it but stuttering Karma is too cute to interrupt. Who knew the confident, smart, egoistic Karma is dull in romantic affairs?

Karma raises his free hand to bite off his fingernails as he usually does when he fidgets but I grab that hand and hold it tight. "Go on," I hum gently.

With his oral fixation disrupted, he resorts to gritting his teeth. A pale blush starts to dye his cheeks. "I... I..." He gulps.

Like spewing some words to me is a difficult task to complete. Like I'm some monster that would gobble him up if he speaks. I sigh. "Karma, what are you-"

"I love you."

The next few words stuck to my throat, refusing to come out as I register what he has said into my mind. Loud and clear.

"It was easier to say it before but now we are a couple..." Relief washes over his face. "I've realized I've never said it before and it's... quite hard to say it for the first time again... and I... screw it. I just want to tell you I love you. That's all."

My brain screams malfunction. I don't know how to response. But a giddy, warm elation begins to spread across my chest, numbing my senses. My face heats up, as I realize, to a degree that it burns and I refuse to let him see. Clamping my cheeks to cover the evidence of redness, I quickly open my door to let myself in and close it before he can react. Then I open it again, say goodbye to the frozen Karma statue standing there and close it back.

Not that I want to be rude. But I just cannot react too rashly...... and fangirl in front of him.

He said it.

He said the freaking three magical words.

I've heard it before. Before we became a couple. It should not have caused such panic in me.

But this time, it feels new, weird, blissful, warm, giddy...... words cannot describe how I feel right now.

Then, I scream.

It is purely a scream of joy, of recognition, of wonder.

He loves me.

He loves me.

What more can I ask for?

I continue shrieking in a muffled voice. The blood rushes up to my cheeks, turning my face into a huge ripen tomato. I can barely contain my joy right now. My mind tells me that this is real. Our relationship is real. Karma is real. His love is real.

Everything is real.

Staying in fangirling state is tiring. I inhale deeply several times to calm my nerves.

Ok. He loves me. I love him too. I have to tell him. I-

Shock hits me like a tsunami as I immediately recalls something important.

I just left Karma hanging after he said the words. And I left him without saying anything.

Oh shit.

I can imagine his face of dejection and hurt. I can imagine his slumped shoulders. I can imagine his mind crumbling into dust as I never gave him the response he wanted - or any response at all.

I just set myself a death wish.

This is a catastrophe. The end of the world. My actions will made him think I do not feel the same towards him. That I do not love him.

What have I done?!

Oh the horror.

I immediately open the door and find no one there. Karma has left - left with utter disappointment and sorrow because of what I did.

That is the moment when I begin to run.

*****

By the time I reach the bottom, there are no signs of the ginger I missed. I begin to contemplate on the most possible place he would be going.

Then it hit me - like a Shinkansen.

I do not know where he would go. I do not know where is his comfort place - the place where he can do whatever he wants freely: cry, laugh, vent frustrations. My comfort place is the 40th floor of the neighbouring building. But I do not know his.

In fact, I do not know much of the ginger I claim as my boyfriend.

All I ever know about him is the surface - the masks he wears every day. His devilish, prankish, smart, lazy, self-contented character is all I know. I never got the chance - or even tried to unearth deeper into his inner self - his vulnerability, his thoughts, his feelings.

Trepidation. Fear. Like warnings, these thoughts that flit through my mind are alerting me that despite being his girlfriend, I know nothing of him.

I'm a bad girlfriend.

Am I being paranoid? For thinking too much right now when all I did was not tell him 'I love you' when he did?

I slap my forehead. Calm down, Okumura. Your focus is on Karma now. You can repent later.

But... where is he?

My phone suddenly vibrates in my pocket. Immediately an idea pops up in my mind: Ritsu. I quickly ask for her help and she responds within a minute.

I know where he is now.

*****

His house is near. But I felt the urge to run as fast as I can, breaking my limits as if a second late could be disastrous.

And all of the sudden, I miss a stone on the road. I trip, and fall, face flat on the ground. As I try to lift myself up, I realize my right knee is numb. I look down and find a trail of blood flowing down my calf in a steady rate. I've scraped my knee. Wonderful. Of all times you fell, this is the first time you hurt yourself. Congrats.

Ignoring the throbbing pain, I wipe the blood off my knee but it only end up smearing a huge blood splotch on my skin. I slap my forehead for my idiocy and realize the blood has transferred from my hand to my forehead.

Great.

Klutz.

I run, but end up limping because the pain begins to take over my entire right leg, numbing it. Luckily, Karma's house is just ahead. I open the gate, limp through the front yard and knock on his door. Once. Twice. Thrice. Patience wearing thin, a series of knocks is initiated. When the door opens, Karma is there, drying his hair with a towel. His eyes widen with surprise at his guest who appeared without notice.

"Aka...ri?" Karma blinks, staring at me like I'm some weirdo. "What are you..."

"Karma..." I pant, the exhaustion from the previous dash finally overwhelms me. "I... You... You said you lo-"

"Is that blood?!" He suddenly shouts as he notices the smear of red on my forehead. He grabs my wrist and gently pulls me forward, inspecting the suspicious splotch of blood on my skin. Using his towel, he wipes it off, realizes my skin is flawless, and lets out a sigh of relief.

"My forehead's not bleeding. It's my right knee," I say as I look down. The bleeding has dyed my sock red. I look at it as if it is something common.

"What the-" Karma cusses, leaving the last word in silence. He bends down to my knee and dabs the blood stains with his towel. "What did you do? Let me guess. You tripped."

"I guess so..."

Swearing under his breath - probably like 'why is my girlfriend such a stupid klutz' - he inspects my wound meticulously. "Does it hurt?"

"A little. I limped halfway here."

"What the..." Karma sighs and rolls his eyes. "Why are you in such a hurry? Why you even here in the first place?"

The reason is quite embarrassing, considering I only made him worry me more. "Umm... well..."

"Can you walk? I'll get the first-aid kit. Go sit by the dining table." Karma turns and walks into the interior of the house, but stops after two steps. "On second thought, never mind." He comes back to me, pulls me into his embrace and lifts me into his arms, while carefully making sure my wound is not affected. I almost shriek in surprise at the sudden gesture.

He sets me down on a chair by the dining table and digs out a worn-out first-aid kit under the kitchen counter. Then he takes out a piece of cotton, dabbing it on my wound to absorb the excess blood. By now, a red scab has formed and the bleeding stops.

"Your wound is not as bad as it looks. But I need to apply some antiseptic. It'll hurt a little. Maybe like searing," he says as he takes out a bottle of liquid antiseptic.

As far as I know, antiseptics burn wounds. Like fire seared on skin. "No." I shake my head violently. "I refuse to suffer that pain."

"I don't care. Either you suffer that pain for a minute or let the doctors amputate your infected leg. Your choice."

I glare at him. "I am not-YEAAAAOOOOOOUUUUUCH!"

"It's not that painful, you know," Karma says as he dabs the antiseptic-stained cotton onto my wound. When he removes the cotton, I inhale sharply.

"Meanie."

"It's for your own good." He continues his succession of work by peeling off the wrapper of a huge bandage and presses it on my wound, covering it completely. When he is done, he pulls a chair and sits face to face with me. I feel his heated glare on me with my eyes averted. "Talk."

"Huh?" I feign innocence.

"Tell me what the f..." He silences the last word. "Don't make me cuss again. What happened?"

I bite my bottom lip nervously as his eyes are trained on me. "I tripped and fell."

He raises his eyebrows curiously. "Why?" He presses on. I can tell he is not pleased with that short answer.

"Because I want to come here."

"Why?"

"Because you live here."

"Do not answer the obvious. I want to know exactly why you are in such a hurry to come here and got yourself hurt. That reason. Don't make me stuff you wasabi."

"You wouldn't," I dare him. It is a stupid mistake.

He leaves his seat to the kitchen and slams a huge tube of wasabi onto the table. Honesty sounds so much safer now.

"My idiotic girlfriend needs to be taught a lesson so here it is. Now spill," warns Karma venomously.

I fidget, fiddling with my fingers nervously.

"Akari."

I risk a peek at him. Aside from the rage, his eyes are also filled with concern. I made him worry about me. God. What did I do?

I steel my guts. "I came here because umm... because... because you told me you love me!"

He blinks, listening to me silently.

"I regretted not telling you how I felt instantly because I was in such a panic... more like an overjoyed giddiness that I forgot to tell you the same! And I thought you would be hurt and I was scared so I ran and fell and scraped my knee-oh my god it's going to become a scar right?"

"Akari."

"And then I thought of where would you go but then I realize I don't know where would you really go when you're hurt. It's like I don't know much about you at all and I'm so depressed. I... I..."

"Akari," he repeats once more and holds my hand firmly.

Tears brim in my eyes without me realizing it. I try to blink them away, as if the tears make me vulnerable. "I'm a bad girlfriend, am I?"

With a soft expression and a gentle smile, he touches my cheek, making me to look into his eyes. "No. You're not. You're just an idiot. A cute idiot. My cute idiot."

I try to smile but I find no strength to do so. Even with his reassurance, I still feel guilty for not fulfilling the role of being his girlfriend.

He senses my dilemma by watching the emotions of guilt and depression sprawl over my face. "You are my girlfriend, but you're not a stalker like me so I don't blame you for not knowing everything about me. From now, I promise I'll share everything about me with you. My thoughts, my feelings, my secrets, anything."

I stare at him, redundant tears have fallen from my eyes.

With a thumb he smears my cheek with the stream of tears. "We've only begun. Let's take a longer time to know each other better, okay?"

I nod with a smile on my face. I entwine our fingers together, to reassure myself that this is not a dream. It's real.

But that soft smile of his evolves into his evil signature smirk. "You know... the reason you came running here is... quite cute."

I blush furiously, finding no words to retort him. "W-what?" I stutter. "You... you... I... You were stuttering with those three words and I didn't reply you and I was worried that you would be so sad to commit suicide or... something..." my sentence fades into the distance. Something pops up in my mind. "Did you just mention something about stalking?"

His grin melts into a scowl. "That... is not romantic. You just ruined the moment."

"You were stalking me?!"

"Well... because I'm your boyfriend?"

I roll my eyes. "I should break up with you because you're a stalker."

He laughs as if I have said a joke. "No kidding. As if I'll let you do so."

I glare at him. He peers back with snicker. Suddenly I remember my purpose coming here. My bravery from before vanishes in thin air and I find it hard to say those three words out of my throat. Oh god. Why is it so hard? It's just three words.

Just say it.

I clamp Karma's head firmly in place. His cheeks are squished up and his lips pout ridiculously. Staring at me with surprise, he utters. "Akari?"

I inhale sharply and exhale... and inhale... and exhale... to give myself courage. As long as I can overcome this somewhat awkward barrier, I'll become a better girlfriend.

It must be a long, excruciating moment for Karma to have his flawless face marred by my hands. "Akari, I'm not going to look good if you keep on pressing my face like this."

I purse my lips together and stare into his mercuric golden eyes. They are marvellous jewels, precious, priceless and of unparalleled beauty. "I... I love you too, Karma."

That's it. I said it.

Karma just stares at me silently, even after I released his face. I expect an outcome from him, but he only sits there, silently as if in contemplation. This is beyond of my expectations. He did say it before, right? I wasn't paranoid, right? Then why isn't he -

"Shit," is his only word before he pulls me closer and presses his lips on mine.

The familiar warmth of his lips melts all my senses away. They are my paradise. I want more. I want more of him.

I sift through his soft hair while he caresses mine. As if the chairs are too much of a barrier, he gently lifts me up into his lap. I press firmly to his lips, not wanting to let him go for anything in the world. He bites my bottom lip, making me yelp.

Karma does not stop there. He breaks away from the kiss, panting slightly and trails wet kisses down my neck. I cringe under the contact as it is my first time experiencing such weird... yet wondrous feeling. Then, I want more. I want him to show me more affection than ever.

And then I lean in to nibble his ear.

A jolt of surprise spreads over his face as he paralyzes. Did I hurt him? Does he not like it?

All my negative thoughts are thrown out of the window the moment he presses his lips on my collarbone, kissing it fervently. Then he trails kisses up my neck to reach my lips. Our eyes meet in parallel to each other.

I fearfully voice out the question in my mind, as if all the heated kisses are not as powerful as his verbal confirmation. "Do you... umm... not like me?"

He lets out a hearty chuckle to disapprove my thoughts. "You have no idea how damn much I love you, Okumura Akari."

"Then... why did you look like you were shocked?"

"Of course I would. The girl I love just told me she loves me. Who wouldn't? Didn't the same thing happened to you just now?"

I pout, realizing all my stupid thoughts are just... too stupid.

Take a mental note. Remind myself. Register it into my insufferable brain.

He loves me. I love him.

Just that simple.

"I love you so much, Karma," I say, this time more firmly as my clouded thoughts disappear with a wave of his magic wand.

He smiles against the nape of my neck. "I love you just as much. Or even more." A kiss on my skin tingles. "Should we proceed?"

I blush as I realize we are making out in his kitchen. "Someone might-"

"My parents will only be back tomorrow."

That gives solid reason to continue. In his perspective, of course.

Karma grazes my skin with his lips, attempting to cover every inch of my skin. I cringe, but slowly familiarize my body with his actions. When he realizes I did not bother to stop him, he continues, this time more aggressively. I jolt in surprise when he bites the nape of my neck, then proceed sucking and kissing it.

"Karma!" I hiss. "Did you just gave me a hickey?"

"Hmm... maybe."

I stare down at the red mark on the nape of my neck, completely obvious under exposure. I cannot show up at school with such a conspicuous mark tomorrow. Glaring daggers at him, I growl. "You little devil."

"Well... you can give me one so that we are eve- owwwwwwww!"

The end of his sentence transforms into a shriek of pain because I bite his exposed wrist.

He rubs his wrist preciously. A red, fresh bite mark rests upon his fair skin. I have no remorse about it. Karma glares at me, which slowly transforms into a sad, pitiful pout. "This is not a hickey... and it hurts..."

"Yeah. And you're not a masochist." I point out the smirk forming on his face, clearly indicating that he somehow enjoys his girlfriend's domestic abuse.

"I can become a masochist if my girlfriend find abusing me is amusing." He taps his chin and hesitates. "Oh wait. Doesn't that make you a sadist as well? Aww we're such a perfect couple. Two sadists."

I cut him off before he can go any further with his ridiculous imagination. "First, this is not romantic. Two, I'm not a sadist. Three, you're a psychopath, not a sadist."

Cackling, his arms snake across my waist. "But you still love me."

We are rudely interjected by a loud growling of a nearby creature. I snap my head left and right to find that mysterious creature, wondering if it is some monster or just some pet cat gone astray from its home. Another growl, this time louder and clearer, making me feel ashamed. The 'monster' is none other than my rebellious, eternally insatiable stomach.

My face blushes a deep shade of red when Karma chuckles. "Aww my babe is hungry."

His emphasis on the word 'babe' makes me blush even worse. I feel tingly on the inside. It is solid recognition that I am precious to him - I am his babe.

"I want a sumptuous dinner," I demand. "Delicious and sumptuous dinner."

"But you just had some large portion of food just now. I even gave you mine," he snickers. "Cute chubby Akari-chan sounds nice too."

"Karma!" I hiss. "Never call a girl chubby!"

"But I like you in any way, chubby or skinny." He pecks my cheek. "I'll get you something delicious to eat. Then you'll be begging to stay here with me forever."

Your imagination and evil plans never cease to amuse me. "In your dreams."

*****

Even after the internal conflict of me being not a very good girlfriend has melted away like snow in summer - effortlessly thanks to Karma - I still consider of making up for Karma. I know, I know, I'm just being too troublesome but I'm a girl. I'm a freaking girl who cares too much of her boyfriend. And have internal conflicts. And dilemmas. And overthink things.

I sigh. I am very handful.

I look down at the bandage on my knee and yelps when I try to move my right knee. It stings a lot, unfortunately. Karma has changed the dressing before leaving me back at my apartment. He said it will still sting for the night and if it hurt too much I should - correction, he emphasized that I need to call him. Not that I would trouble him for this anyway. I told him I'll be fine walking to school alone tomorrow but he insisted that he'll be walking with me. I don't want to trouble him but I do not want to risk infuriating him. He looked very serious... and very handsome when he said it.

Dang. Karma just looks good in whatever he does.

To make up for my silly internal conflict, I plan to make him a special dessert.

Hmm... but where can I find a specialist in desserts?

The ringing on my phone disrupts my train of thoughts. I pick it up, surprised at hearing the caller's voice from the other end of the phone.

"Akari?"

"Kae...de?"

"Hey. Sorry to bother you. But I was wondering... could you help me out with something? You like desserts, right?"

"Err yeah."

"I have this super plan in assassinating Korosensei and I need your help!"

This sounds fun. But stringing desserts and assassination together, seems to be more exciting. "Ok. Count me in. What's the plan?"

She shrieks in joy in the phone. I can imagine her galloping around happily. "We'll make a huge pudding! A very, very huge pudding!"

Then, the plan seems to go haywire from that point. I find it hard to believe that incredulity. "H-huge p-p-pudding?"

"Yeah!"

Since I already promised to work it with her, I cannot backpedal now. "Ok then. Should I umm... meet you at your place?" As if I have said something horrible, I am replied by a long pause of silence. Unusual. "Umm... Kaede?"

She coughs slightly. Her tone is hesitant. "Umm... err... well..."

"Is it a bad time?"

Another pause, this time significantly shorter. I hear her chirpy voice once more. "Ok then! No problem! You can come along! I'll send you the location!"

A sense of foreboding tells me that Kaede is either hiding a huge secret at her home.

......Or maybe it's just Nagisa she's trying to hide in her closet. Haha.

Yeah. Nagisa sounds much more plausible.

*****

Kaede lives in an apartment a few train stations from mine. When I first step into her place, I am greeted by white floors and white walls, light bouncing off of them that glared at me. By instinct, I inconspicuously look around, trying not to get caught by Kaede because I am looking for any shreds of evidence of Nagisa's presence.

Ok. Maybe my imagination is a little bit farfetched? But seriously, who doesn't associate these two cute friends together?

Basically, the arrangement of her apartment is similar to mine. The kitchen is next to the entrance, looking messy with piles and piles of dessert cookbooks and baking ingredients sprawled over the counter. The TV is extraordinarily huge - much bigger than mine - and I assume she must be rich to afford it. There are no sofas, only a huge green beanbag with a matching green coffee table which also serves as her dining table, with evidence of dining still left on it. Near the balcony is a bed with her study desk that has more desserts cookbooks than textbooks in proportion.

"Welcome to my premises," says Kaede as she greets me with a warm smile. She glances at the kitchen and winces. "Sorry. The kitchen's... messy."

I cock an eyebrow as I peer at her. "So... any secrets hiding around?"

Secrets as in 'Nagisa'.

Her face pales instantly. I catch a flash of fear, tinted with some ire. I almost cringe, not expecting to spot ire in her eyes. But she quickly dismisses my question with a wave of her hand. Her cheerful smile returns to her face. "Of course not! Sheesh!"

The joy in her makes me reconsider of the so-called ire I have spotted. Did I overthink things? Was it purely my imagination?

"So, what's the big plan of yours?" I ask, changing the subject abruptly.

Kaede wears a proud grin on her face as she begins. "You see, Korosensei likes desserts, right? Especially puddings. He told me he is super fond of puddings. And with the recent news of the mass disposal of eggs... we can use them. For free. And create a huge pudding for Korosensei. But it's just a bait. We'll install a bomb at the bottom with Takebayashi's skills and when he digs in to reach the bottom, the bomb will go BOOM! And Korosensei dies! Then Earth is spared!"

Sounds like a horrifically, sweet and tantalizing plan. "Hmm...... I'm in!" I holler.

"Yes!" She gives me a high-five. "So I'll call Karasuma-sensei to hold those eggs for us!"

"Do we have equipment large enough to create the pudding? And the flavour. And also we will need huge manpower! And we can't let Korosensei find out!" I voice out the problems I have in mind.

"No worries. We'll untangle the problems bit by bit." She takes out a notebook. "So tell me, what flavour you'd like? It's the most important issue we have now."

I blink.

She stutters. "W-what? If I'm making a pudding, I want everything about it to be perfect! The texture, the flavour..."

"But you do realize it's going to be used to kill Korosensei, right?"

She sighs. "I know..." She lowers her head, her morale seemingly decreases with that straight-to-the-point fact.

Seeing her depression, I sigh and decide to play along with her. "I like mango."

Her eyes immediately sparkle as she springs back to life. Her gloominess vanishes. "What about we do it mix fruits flavour? We can do mangoes, oranges, apples... strawberries! Blueberries! Matcha!"

Matcha is not even a fruit. I watch with amusement as she continues her rants. Kaede looks so cute when she talks about her favourite stuff.

*****

Ok. This is literally not a cliffhanger. It is because I'm undergoing the dreadful disease called 'writer's block'. Yeah. That. I'm not cured yet.

If I continue on this chapter, I would have no idea what I'm writing and it will be messy. The quality will like drop sky high and I don't want that. So that's it for this chapter. STOP.

And.......... This is the first chapter since my uni life!!! Gonna be a month now~ I am homesick now~

Thank you for the patience for this chapter. I hope I didn't disappoint you guys!!!

Next chapter due date is unknown so you guys have to wait a bit.

Hmmm replies to reviews? I'm a little bit too lazy for that now. Have to get back to studying~

Much love to all of you! Reviews are love~~

And yeah..... the cover is newt and minho.  You guys can fangirl now.