"So are we going to the mall or the shops first?" Nagisa asks, turned around in his chair facing me.
"I'm thinking the mall. Better selection and all." I shrug in response, noncommittal.
He laughs. "Well, you're not wrong."
"Hey, Nagisa?" Kanzaki walks up and it takes everything in me to keep cool.
"What's up?" Nagisa looks up at her.
I attempt to continue facing forward because out of the corner of my eye, she's paying me no attention whatsoever.
Aww, man...
Flustered, I keep my hands in my lap and focus on Nagisa's arm resting on the back of his chair.
"You by chance know what system Karma has?" She asks.
"Oh, um..." He thoughtfully puts a finger on his chin. "I think he has all of them."
"What? Seriously?" Kanzaki and I shout at the same time. I couldn't help it.
All of them?
Kanzaki and I look at each other, gazes locked. I swallow the dryness in my throat and stare into those sweet light brown eyes of hers.
"Yeah." Nagisa unknowingly ends our private moment and Kanzaki goes back to paying attention to him instead. "Think he said it was a bribe from his parents, but I think he prefers his switch." Nagisa explains. "He used to bring that thing with him everywhere, but not lately." He averts his gaze, a little down.
"Why do you think that is?" She asks.
"I'm not actually sure." He glances in the direction of Karma's desk.
I check to see if he's back from lunch yet, but he isn't.
"Poor guy." I mutter out loud, turning back towards the conversation. "Do his parents just not care or something?"
"I'm sure it's not that." Kanzaki responds, lowering her head.
"Oh, uh, I'm sorry." I scratch the back of my head, nervously chuckling. "I didn't mean to just badmouth them like that."
She raises her head and smiles. "I know. You were being sympathetic towards Karma."
I blush, the compliment surprising me.
"But the thing is, when you have a family that has a reputation to uphold, they tend to show love in more unorthodox ways thinking it's normal." She gazes over towards Karma's seat. "Maybe their 'bribes' are the only way they can do that."
Enamored, I can't seem to turn away. Her soft smile and gentle eyes are so much heavier than they first appear. I have a feeling she knows exactly how he feels somehow.
"Hey, um, can I get you a present this year?" I blurt out, instantly wishing I had done it more tactfully.
"Hm?" She turns me, considers it, then laughs. "Of course you can, silly!" She gently pats my shoulder once. "Thanks for making me laugh. You're such a good friend to me."
She walks away gracefully, oblivious to how much she hurt me with that last statement. I slowly face Nagisa who's giving me a sympathetic look. If even he sees it, Kanzaki's on a whole other level of naivete and while making it more hopeless that we'll date someday, it only makes her more desirable at the same time. I slam my head down on the desk and sulk.
I have to break out of the friend zone somehow.
"Hey, Nagisa." Maehara whispers. I hear him sit down at his desk and Nagisa spin around in his chair. "Think he'll be interested in any of these?"
YOU ARE READING
Kristmas Karma
Fanfiction** Compete** Nagisa was just venting about his parents when he learned that Karma was going to be alone for Christmas. Even though he hasn't ditched in a while, he leaves early and Nagisa takes this opportunity to convince everyone in 3-E to turn th...
