Akari

A few minutes after Karma and I kissed, the invader appears out of thin air as if he is prophetic.

"NUUUUUUUUUUUUYAAAAAAAAAA!"

The exaggerated screams always know when and where to interrupt us.

"Korosensei!" I shout, unlatching myself from Karma. "Can't you respect our privacy a little?"

"Nurufufufufufu, how can I resist? This juicy gossip! It's finally re—NUYA!" Clad in a Santa Claus outfit, Korosensei dodges the knife Karma throws at him.

I roll my eyes at their antics. "Korosensei, how can you be a teacher when you have no sense of what 'respecting privacy' means?" I feign crying, covering my face to stifle my laughter.

"NUYA! Don't cry! I'm sorry, Akari-san!"

Karma reels in laughter. "Anyway, what brings you here, Korosensei?"

"Oh yes!" Korosensei takes out two presents wrapped in festive colours. "Here are your Christmas presents, Akari-san and Karma-kun."

My eyes sparkle with joy and gratitude. "Thank you, sensei!"

"Gee, thanks." Karma flashes a smile.

The three of us look at each other silently. I'm eager to unwrap my presents but Korosensei is just staring at me and Karma. He looks like he is anticipating for something.

"Err... Korosensei, you can leave now," Karma says.

"Nuya! But... but..."

Oh I get it now. "What are you waiting for? We are not kissing in front of you."

"THAT'S NOT IT!" The large octopus flails his tentacles as he flusters. "I'm... I'm—"

"If you're waiting for your presents, you can forget about it. We don't have any," I interject coldly.

"NUUUYYAAAAA?! But... BUT!"

"Sensei, this year's Christmas is about giving, not receiving," Karma snidely chides.

Korosensei's permanent smile makes it hard for him to frown. His face turns blue and tears flow from his beady eyes. "Ok... I understand..."

I stifle my laughter but to no avail. "I'm just kidding with you, sensei."

Looking surprised, Korosensei gasps. "R-really?"

I go into my bedroom and take out a box wrapped with octopus-themed wrapping paper. "Here you go, Korosensei."

"Akari-san! Thank you!" Korosensei gladly accepts the present. He unwraps the present under a second. "A muffler! Did you make it yourself, Akari-san?"

I nod. Korosensei wraps the pink muffler over his neck. "You like it?"

"Nurufufufufu, of course I like it!"

"Sensei, have you been going on giving presents to everyone?" asks Karma.

"Of course. I always wanted to be like Santa Claus. I just left the presents by their doorsteps. I didn't think now is the good time to see my students face to face yet, after that day. But..." His face turns into green and yellow stripes. "Look what I've got here when I arrive Akari's apartment... nurufufufufu..."

This perverted chicken octopus disguised as a teacher...

"Nurufufufufufu... luckily I came here and—"

Karma throws another knife in Korosensei's face. "Time for you to go, sensei. You probably still have a lot of presents left... and it's about to be midnight."

"NUYA! I almost forgot! I need to go now!" Korosensei looks at the clock hanging on my wall. "Oh and... happy birthday, Karma-kun. I left you a cake in your fridge."

"You... what?" Karma gasps and chuckles. "Ahh never mind. Thanks."

"Goodbye! And don't forget to use protection! Nurufufufufu!" A yellow light flashes off into the night sky.

What the damn hell Korosensei!

Karma chuckles in a very scary way that goosebumps formed on my arms.

"Well, it's late, you should go home no— YEAOOUUWWW!" I shriek as he hugs my waist from behind and kisses the back of my neck.

"I'm not done with you yet," Karma whispers in my ear—seductively.

God no. I am NOT ready for this.

"Karma...please stop..." I instinctively moans as he trails kisses around my neck.

"Ah ha." He smirks. "Did I just hear you enjoying my kisses?"

Snap out of it!

"Karma, please don't or I'll—BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Suddenly, Karma attacks me with tickling. "AHAHAHAHAHA STOP KARMA!" I beg with mercy. The tickling is killing me.

After a while, he finally stops and erupts into laughter. "You're just so adorable, Akari-chan~"

You little...

"Time for bed," I say. Karma suddenly grins evilly. "Alone."

He chuckles. "Ahh... too bad."

I look at the clock. A few minutes left till the end of December 25th.

"Karma."

"Hmm?" He hums as he looks at me with a gentle look instead of a mischievous one.

I caress his cheek. "Happy birthday, idiot~"

Karma chuckles happily. "Thank you, love."

We kiss one last time before the day ends.

***

On the first day of the new semester, Nagisa has called the entire class to the back hills for some serious discussion. I knew what he wants to talk about the moment I saw him in the morning. I glance at Karma, whose face has turned into a frown.

"Let's find a way to save Korosensei," Nagisa proposes. "I don't want to kill him. I know most of you don't, too."

"I agree too!" Kurahashi agrees in a chirpy voice. "I don't want to kill him. He helped me with a lot of insects!"

Megu raises her hand. "Korosensei has did too much for us. It's not fair to kill him. I want to save him." She nudges me and I nod silently. I sneak glances at Karma, who has been eerily silent, like the calm before the storm.

As a few of the others agrees with Nagisa, Rio suddenly objects. "I'm sorry, but I'm against the idea." Her usual playful façade is hidden away under her rare seriousness.

"Rio..." Megu mutters. I watch the blonde silently, anticipating her next words.

"Our bond with Korosensei is of assassin and target. I really treasured this bond for the past year. So...... I think we have to kill him," says the blonde.

"You say you have a way to save him..." questions Terasaka. "But what way is that? Do we even have time to do so? What if we ran out of time?"

He does have a point.

"B-but that doesn't mean we can't consider—" Nagisa tries to explain but Karma finally interrupts after observing us.

Here it comes. I could sense anger and dissatisfaction brewing within the redhead. It is completely different than the times he was angry at me. It is more violent and merciless, like a raging sea.

"It's always the talented ones, thinking that everything will go their way," says Karma calmly and sarcastically. "Hey, Nagisa, don't you think you're getting full of yourself?"

Nagisa looks at him, bewildered by Karma's sarcasm.

"You're the most gifted assassin in the class, yet you suggest us to give up on the assassination?" Karma adds on.

Ah... now I know why Karma doesn't like Nagisa... he doesn't like the talent Nagisa has. The talent to kill.

"What about the talentless students who have been doing their best for this assassination?" Karma walks towards Nagisa; hostility emanating from his presence.

"Karma," I hiss. "Don't."

The redhead completely ignores me as cold rage slowly takes over him.

"...Do you hate Korosensei, Karma? After all the fun things we did together!" Nagisa retorts. "Have you forgot about that?"

"Didn't you realise... that octopus put everything he had into making a fun classroom that wouldn't exclude lazy losers like you! This classroom couldn't exist if our bloodlust is blunted! Can't you even see that with your little-kid's brain?" Karma shouts back furiously.

Nagisa looks at Karma with eyes of determination. He is not stepping down.

This aggravates Karma. With hostility seeping from his figure, the redhead's eyes turn venomous.

"A tiny mouse like you defying humans? You must have guts," Karma spits venomously. "How about you say it after you win me in a fight?" He pushes Nagisa violently. "Come on!"

"Karma!" I shout. "Stop!"

Karma continues to ignore me as he grabs Nagisa's tie. In a flash, Nagisa's legs wrap around Karma's neck and they fall to the ground. Neither of them is letting go.

"Isn't that a flying triangle choke? Since when he can do that?" Someone gasps.

Anger and resentment are apparent on Karma's face. This idiot is going to beat the crap out of Nagisa...

Although Nagisa has caught Karma off guard, he is still no match against him in combat. Slowly, Karma stands up with Nagisa still choking his neck. His free arm is ready to launch a strong punch at Nagisa.

"Stop you idiots!" I shout and launch myself at Karma. My fist connects with his face. In that second, Karma releases Nagisa while Yuuma and Maehara hold him back. Nagisa is pulled away by his best friend, Sugino.

I want to slap Karma and wake him up.

"STAY AWAY FROM THIS, AKARI!" Karma abruptly growls as he struggles against the two boys.

"A junior-high fight! How interesting! Don't you think you should settle with these instead of a fist fight?" says Korosensei as he brandishes two guns. The yellow octopus finally appears from who knows where.

...

...

...

The hell, Korosensei?! That took you long enough to show up!

Korosensei places two boxes of guns and two colours of paint by his feet. "Now... choose red if you wish to kill me. Choose blue if you wish to save me. Pick wisely and state your position clearly. The battle will take place here, in the hills. Losers will follow the winners' opinion. Let the battle begin, shall we?"

***

I wonder if Korosensei picked the two colours red and blue because of Karma and Nagisa. Knowing how intelligent he can be, the octopus probably anticipated a discord like this to happen.

"5 minutes to battle!" Karasuma-sensei informs us. "Get ready!"

It has always been in my mind to save Korosensei so I picked blue instead of red. Karma respected my decision and did not force me into red. After the blue team discussed our strategy, we spread out to our designated positions. I glance at Karma, who is also finished with his team's discussion.

"Karma," I call. He turns to look at me. "Sorry I punched you... just now. No hard feelings?"

He touches his right cheek. "It still stings, but no hard feelings. Sorry I yelled at you."

"It's okay... you're just... angry..." Honestly, I have never seen him that angry before but I'm not telling him that. "No hard feelings if we win?"

He scoffs. "Hmm. Maybe." He rests his head on the nape of my neck.

I caress his hair. "Karma."

"No hard feelings if we win," Karma echoes my words. "I'll try hard not to kill you."

"Haha," I scoff. "We'll see."

***

The moment the whistle is blown, Megu and Takebayashi has been shot dead.

"The hell..." I mutter as I watch them die before my eyes. "This ain't fair, Hayachi!"

"I know right!" Kaede agrees with me. "How mean, Hayachi!"

I bet Rinka and Chiba are sneezing as we talk behind their backs.

"I'm off," I tell her.

"Good luck on your mission."

I tread carefully as I conceal myself in the bushes. Occasionally, gunshots are fired off indiscriminately around me. It takes me some time to arrive at my destination—a bush full of juicy red berries.

"Good," I snicker evilly as I take a handful of the berries and crush them.

***

Something shuffles in the bushes behind me.

"Don't shoot!" I yell with my arms raised high in the air. "I'm dead."

Sugaya pops out from the bushes. "Ahh Akari. You're dead already?"

I nod. "See?" I point out the red stains on my face. "Damn Rinka and her sniping skills. Well, I gotta go."

"Ok. Bye." Sugaya turns around. His vulnerable back faces me.

And I aim my gun at his unsuspecting figure.

The nozzle of my gun touches the back of Sugaya's head. "Hands up and throw away your weapon or I'll kill you right away."

"W-what the? Akari—" Sugaya tries to move but I press the nozzle harder into his skull.

"At this distance, even though it's just harmless paintballs, the impact would still hurt your skull bad. Like, very bad. And for a talented artist like you, getting a mild concussion to your head might affect your brilliant artistic skills. Just one tiny concussion and you might not be the next Da Vinci. If you don't want to get hurt, just do as I say."

Sugaya sighs. "You are just as evil as your boyfriend, plus more lethal verbal threats..."

I smirk. "So?"

Sugaya does what I say and throws away his gun and his knife into a nearby bush. "I thought you were dead. With that red paint all over your face."

I touch the red 'paint' on my face and lick it. "It's just cranberries juice. I lied."

"Hell."

"Now turn around and face me."

Sugaya turns around with the nozzle pointing at his forehead.

"Now, use your intercom and call Karma."

"What?" He gasps.

"Tell him, I got hit badly in the face directly by a gun in my face."

He hesitates. "No way... you're going to lure him here?"

"Do it."

He sighs. "You're so evil." He turns on the intercom. "Karma. You there?"

"Yeah. What up, Sugaya?"

"Akari's got hit in the face. She's bleeding and all."

"What? Is this real?"

Fall for it, Karma. I'm so sorry I have to use you like this, but this is for Korosensei's sake.

"Yeah. She needs you."

"..."

Come on, fall for it.

"I'll come right away."

YES!

When Sugaya is done, I tear the intercom away from his collar. "Goodbye, Sugaya."

"Ah crap," is the only thing he says before the barrage of paintballs rains on his clothes.

***

I am hiding in the bushes until I hear some footsteps approaching. The forests and the camouflage could never conceal Karma's fiery red crown.

"Akari? Akari! There you are! What the hell is wrong with your face? Is that blood?" Karma gasps as he sees me limping out from the bush.

"Karma... I got hit by... I don't even know who... I couldn't... my head hurts..." I mutter weakly.

"Is it that head injury again? We should get you to Korosensei," he says as he approaches me.

Time to go in for the kill.

My legs give away and I almost tumble to the ground. He quickly catches me into his arms. "Akari, can you stand?"

I feebly shake my head.

"Come on," he says softly.

I'm so sorry for this, Karma. I love you.

Using the proximity to my advantage, I grab onto Karma's shoulder and proceed to throw him onto the ground. Of course, Karma with his sharp reflexes and all, manages to grab my collar and pulls me down with him. Immediately, he turns the table around by pinning me to the ground.

"Ah... Akari-chan~ feisty, are we?" Karma's face inches closer to mine. He reaches for my pockets and fishes out my knives.

"You knew," I hiss.

He snickers. "I need to be careful right now you know. And besides, using my love and sympathy for you? That's just mean~"

"You'd do the same," I retort.

"Hahaha! Not really. I love you too much to trick you like this. But I'd probably do it for fun just to play with you." He licks the red berry juice on my face. "Hmm. Cranberry. You probably used this to trick poor Sugaya, didn't you?"

Smart kid.

"You probably thought of assassinating me when I arrive, too." He smirks proudly.

"Yeah... that was one of my options. But then I thought, nah... there's no way I could beat the mighty Akabane Karma in combat. He's just too strong and too smart. So I thought, might as well buy some time to distract the enemy's mastermind." I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him closer to me. I could feel his hot breath on my face. "I missed you, Karma~"

"Aww... I missed you too. We should just continue this in your bedroom. Too bad I'll have to kill you now," Karma replies. "Any last words?"

I replicate his evil smirk. "My dear Karma, I never said I was alone."

High on top of a nearby tree, concealed by the forage, Yuuma shoots two bullets of blue paintballs at Karma's unguarded back. However, Karma swiftly dodges away, unharmed.

Damn it!

"That's such a desperate plan up your sleeve, love," says Karma as he dodges another barrage of bullets. He shoots at Yuuma's location and then shoots me dead. "Too bad, you're dead now."

"Ahh..." I whine, feeling disappointed. "I almost had you."

Karma's laughter echoes in the air as he disappears into the forest.

***

Soon, Karma and Nagisa starts fighting with their bare fists. Karma gains the upper hand because he excels in combat, but Nagisa doesn't falter. If he has the chance, he could easily assassinate Karma with his talents.

The fist fight turns more violent as time passes by. Karma relentlessly strikes Nagisa down, while Nagisa manages to take in all the blows. Their faces bruised and bloodied; their limbs ached. However, they don't stop until one victor is decided.

My heart keeps on racing with adrenaline as I watch them fight. I badly want Nagisa to win, but I also root for my boyfriend. It's such a dilemma for me.

"Both of them better be alright after this..." I pray silently in my heart.

In the end, even though Karma managed to pick up his knife, he didn't kill Nagisa. Karma surrendered as Nagisa choked him with all his strength. With that, blue team wins. Karma and Nagisa's sour past dissolved after the fist fight and they returned to be the best of friends.

After the long battle, everyone returns to the classroom, battered and tired. Korosensei distributes ice packs around for anyone who needs it.

"Here." I take one ice pack and sit beside Karma, who is completely bruised from head to toe. "Let me help."

Karma sharply inhales as I press the ice pack on his cheek. "Be gentle, will you?"

I don't say a word and continue to press the ice pack on his cheek.

"......Are you mad?" He asks sheepishly.

I blink. "Err no? Why did you think so?"

"I thought..."

I smile at him. "I'm just glad you and Nagisa managed to become good friends again. No more hard feelings, huh?"

He nods. "You understand me well, love. Ouch! Be gentle, okay? It really hurts."

I scoff as he continues to yelp in pain.