E Is For Enemy

Chapter Thirteen

Karma's P.O.V.

I paced in front of Shuu's door in the hospital, biting my nail nervously in thought.

Although he had passed out from pain and blood loss on the way over here, the nurses assured me that was normal and he was still going to be fine. The stab wounds weren't as deep as we had thought, and he didn't even need surgery. Just a few stitches and lots of rest.

However, I couldn't be happy at hearing that news. I couldn't forgive myself for letting this happen. I should have known Nagisa was up to something. I knew he was unstable after he blackmailed me that day on the pier. I had a feeling something was up when I couldn't find any of my classmates at the dance for a good half hour.

I had been too caught up in my own emotions to realize something sinister was going on. And the reason I was distracted by my own damn emotions? Because of that stupid stunt I pulled on the dance floor.

I knew I was pushing the boundaries. I knew Nagisa was watching that. I knew it could only have disastrous consequences, yet I did it anyways.

Why?

Because I was too stupidly arrogant for my own good. That was my biggest fear- not being afraid. Being so overconfident in myself that I didn't stop to think of the risks. And that irrational fear proved to be more rational than I thought.

I was just lucky things hadn't turned out worse. That the rest of E class had come to their senses in time.

That I figured out it wasn't a coincidence Shuu was missing from giving his speech and that Nagisa was nowhere to be found either.

I knew they would be at the old campus, it was the closest, most secluded spot they could get to that was still close to the school.

Seeing Shuu tied up and bleeding like that...so helpless...it triggered something in me I didn't even know was there.

It was in that moment, I knew.

I knew I would die to protect him.

"Karma Akabane, right?"

I looked up to see the one person I never would have expected to start a conversation with me walking over. He was also the last person I wanted to see.

Gakuho Asano.

He stopped a few feet away, like getting too close to me would taint his reputation. The thing he cared about even more than his own son. His one and only son, who could have died tonight.

"It's King Akabane to you." I quipped, a small smirk playing at the edges of my mouth.

"For tonight, I'll accept that." He nodded.

The air left my lungs at the same time all thoughts left my brain.

He gestured to a bench at the end of the white hallway. "May we have a talk?"

Surprised, I didn't give an answer, but I also followed him to the bench.

We both sat down, and he crossed his legs, resting his hands on them as he faced me.

"I heard my son had quite the little adventure tonight." He said.

"Whoa, they better hook you up to a bunch of machines as well. You must be really sick if you just called Shuu your son." I raised my eyebrows.

He looked surprised at my nickname for Asano, but then he was back to business.

"I also heard about the part you played in it."

I was about to defend myself, not sure what he had heard, but he held up a hand to stop me before I could even get a word out.

"My son may have died tonight, if it weren't for you. Things could have turned out to be a lot worse. He had tried to tell me about a monster in the woods by the school but I didn't listen to him. In fact, I yelled at him and ruined what could have been a crucial father-son bonding moment. And to hear he was attacked and assaulted by a student who also knew something about monsters...it made me realize this could all have been avoided if I had just listened to him."