Chapter 19

The second term midterm was a disaster. Everyone dropped down from their ranks.

With mid-terms two weeks away and only five months before Korosensei's deadline, some of the Class E students decided to study and train at the same time. But when their recklessness caused them to injure an old man, the class was prohibited to study and help out at the nursery, the old man was running. Clearly it affected their grades. Not to mention, the toppers from A class didn't leave their opportunity to insult the E class students.

The only person to actually able to do better was Karma. He came second in rank.

Y/N along with a few other students were entering the main school campus on the day of their results announced, and got stopped by the A class toppers - all of them standing smug in front of them.

"What a total let down! Oh well, guess that first time was just a fluke huh?" One of them said, "What? Cat's got your tongue?"

"The bottom rankers have no right to say anything to those who are in the top," another said.

While Nagisa and the others were looking at them furiously, Y/N sighed and started walking away, "I don't have time to deal with this bullshit. Keep yapping."

As she started walking away, she heard Karma's voice.

"Then by that logic you've got nothing to say to me," he said, "Don't you people get it? I'm the only one who gave it their all this time around. Everyone else was pulling their punches to give you idiots a fair shot. See they were being nice cause we knew losing would be worse for you than for us."

His eyes moved to Y/N who was standing and listening to him from the distance. But her eyes...weren't on him. It moved towards Gakushu and she gave him a nod with a tiny smile on her face. Then walked away.

Her smile. And those lips. It reminded him strongly of what happened a few days back. He tried his best to talk to her, but she was adamant on her decision to ignore his existence as a whole. Ofcourse, it was a shock that someone like Karma was finding it difficult to approach her. Sure, she was an expert on emotions but all of this was not because of what she did.

Karma was experiencing all of these emotions while she's away and not even interacting with him. He was slowly coming to realize, but wasn't there yet. He was still confused.

All he was sure about is he wanted her to stay away from Gakushu. Clearly, hanging out a lot with that guy affected her grades. Even in psychology.

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The girls changed into their PE uniform and ran towards the training area.

"I'll fill up my bottle and join you!" Y/N yelled and ran towards the water dispenser with a bottle in hand. The rest of the girls walked away to the ground.

"What kind of a teacher was he?" Karma smirked, "Your grades dropped instead."

"None of your business," Y/N said and continued walking.

"Clearly he was teaching something else," he said in an accusatory tone which made her stop by her tracks and look behind at him, "wasn't he, cherry?"

"Don't call me that," she replied.

"Why?" he walked closer to her, "Only he's allowed to call you that now?"

"Why are you so interested? Even if my grades dropped, it's none of your business."

"So you're defending him now? Defending the son of the principal who has been making plans to fail class E?" Karma scoffed, holding her arm and turning her around, "You know he was right there with his friends mocking you along with the others just this morning. What's wrong with you? Did his kiss brainwash you completely?"

"You know what? For someone who's as smart as you, you are awfully dumb when it comes to friendship. In case you didn't notice, he didn't say anything. We are friends and don't butt in between us."

"Really? Friends who fucking kiss? How stupid do you think I am?"

Y/N snatched away her arm and said, "What's with you and our kiss?! It's all you're talking about? Yes we kissed! What's it to you?!"

"If friends are allowed to kiss like that maybe we should kiss too, according to your logic right?"

"We are friends who comfort each other Karma, get it in your head. He comforted me in a way and you as a third person don't get to comment on it," she looked down and then up at his face again.

Third person.

Karma kept quiet for some time. Her words were like sharp knives. It hurt to hear them, but he still wanted her away from him, didn't he?

"Y/N you need to stay away from him. Even your psychology grades dropped. It's what you're best at. He distracted you so much-"

"Shut up," she frowned, "He wasn't my distraction Karma, you were."

He had no other arguments for that. Y/N started walking away and then stopped.

"I don't call my friends a distraction. If my grades dropped, and I was infact distracted then it was no one's but my own fault," her voice quivered, "So don't tell me who should I be friends with when Gakushu comforted me while you were the one having fun fucking teasing me and making me miserable."

A realization hit him like a bus. Her words seemed to make Karma perceive the fact that whatever he did, out of spite and anger was misplaced. It really made him realize how different he thought than Y/N. When he dropped down the ranks, instead of owning up to the disaster his own lack of sincerity caused, he chose the easier route and immediately slammed the accusation on her.

It was easier to accuse someone rather than owning up the mistakes and hurting his ego.

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"So you told him about our kiss?" Y/N said, "He...came to talk today."

"Yeah, we just lost pole toppling and he was up my ass for no reason. So I just pissed him off," Gakushu said, "Sorry, was it supposed to be a secret?"

"No..it's okay. I mean there's nothing to hide to be honest. He wants me to stay away from you."

"And you told him to fuck off, didn't you?" Gakushu laughed.

"How do you know?"

"I mean, you are sitting here with me. Playing games like nothing happened."

"Well I'm not gonna break a friendship based on what someone else said. He thought...there's something more between us."

"He's in denial. But you've seen how much he followed you right? Yeah, he stopped but...he clearly misses you. And by the way he talked to us today, his attitude has changed right?"

"I don't know. Why does he care who I talk with now? He made it pretty clear how I am a total embarrassment even in section E."

"You're in denial too. You know why he's doing this. You would scold me after hearing this but," Gukashu looked at her fiddling fingers and said, "He likes you."

"Really? He likes me? Today he mocked me for my dropping grades."

"That's cause he wants you to stay away from me. He started this the moment I talked about us. Why are you in denial?"

"Because..." Y/N sighed, "Being in denial is better than believing in something that's probably never gonna happen. I...just can't trust him. I did and look what it led to. It's better this way."

"I'm not gonna tell you what to do but...everyone deserves a second chance."

"What good is a second chance if I still have my doubts and can't trust him completely?" she sighed and looked up at him, "Anyways, you didn't tell me what happened that day after the sports festival. I mean, only if you are ready."

"Oh...you remember," Gakushu chuckled, "It's my father. He's a...monster. How are you still not fed up when I continue complaining about him everyday?"

"I can ask you the same about Karma," Y/N laughed lightly, "It's a part of friendship. I'm here to celebrate your first rank but I'm also here to listen about your complaints."

Gakushu looked at her and smiled. He brushed some of her hair to the back of her ears and said, "Karma messed up huh? I get it why he's so desperate now."

Y/N smiled and looked back up at him. "I'll think about what you said, about second chance," she told, "but getting back on the topic. Why is your father a monster?"

"You know why. Your class has first hand experience," Gakushu scoffed, "That day he took down four buffy men alone. There was blood everywhere...and his eyes..." He furrowed his eyebrows and looked at her seriously, "My father is way more serious in going against your class than you can imagine. He will...do anything for it."

"He won't be able to hurt us....that bad I'm sure. He's a teacher too...right?"

"You don't get it. It's bad enough that your class dropped down the ranks. He's been brainwashing the whole school like this and you guys just gave him exactly what he wanted," he gritted his teeth and tightened his fist, "This time he'll make sure to completely destroy you all."