Fates Intertwined (Karmagisa)

29

Aka career time

Strength is a commonplace word. It was a word that Nagisa'd like to associate the main campus students with, but not anymore. Nagisa had found himself a good enough vantage point to recognize the difference between fear and power. Like the word 'kill', strength is a word often misunderstood by many. One speaks but can't apply. One says they have it, but they don't.

Was what the students had strength? Pummeling the weaker ones to the ground as if they weren't rubbed out by their lives already to feel like they were stronger. Better. More in power. Wasn't that just a pathetic excuse to use the esteem they tore off as staircase to their own pride and success? Such was the system of Kunugigaoko and such a horrible one it was.

Maybe the temptation of strength outweighed their 'worthless' lives, if they were so willing to crush the weak to only parse the strong.

Nagisa was ashamed to admit it but maybe he'd gotten a little more power drunk than he thought he'd be. Since forever they'd been spat upon so to feel the taste of power was like getting high on the most addictive drug- he didn't feel like he was weak anymore, but somewhere in the middle he lost his concern for the weak. Koro-sensei brought him back from that high and he'd never felt more guilty.

What he had wasn't strength anymore when concern left his mind, it turned into power, and god did they differ from one another. Power was reckless and untamed- strength wasn't. When power was properly channeled into something more helpful, something more protective in nature than harmful, it was then that power became strength. Strength was the power to protect, defend and save. Strength was being soft with the ability to gain edges.

"The exams were hell." Sugino breathed out and Nagisa couldn't do anything but agree. "I mean how did that guy expect us to do good without studying?"

Karma shrugged, "The same way I do," and immediately faced a pointed glare from Sugino.

"You got second place without studying, dude, how do you do that?"

Nagisa offered a sympathetic smile, "I'm not sure if Karma-kun did really listen to Koro-sensei."

The mention of exams brought back some unpleasant memories that he'd like very much to wipe out of existence. He'd scored so low and with his new routine of visiting Young Leaf Park to tutor Sakura, he really didn't want to risk it. At least his mom hadn't hit him, but the disappointment in her voice when she went on again about how a girl child would've been much better really got to him. They barely exchanged a few words and when they did, it was either about his grades or her disappointment at having a male child.

"Are you serious? That's even more painful." Sugino groaned, and as he took in his surroundings he jolted on his feet. "Ah! This is where we part, bye you two!"

"See you!" Nagisa shouted back with a wave.

Karma stood there idly with one of his hands in his pocket and the other by his side, probably taken out of his pocket to wave at Sugino. With all that had happened, Nagisa thought himself a great observer. It had built from a habit to avoid conflict but it had worked and there was no place better than this class to sharpen the peculiar skill of his. Though, no matter how hard he tried, Karma was someone whose mind he could never read without permission.

Still he could quietly note how coming to the E class changed Karma for good. It wasn't a complete change- Karma was still the same as before- but something had definitely changed. The Karma of the past was all about power and the Karma of now has the strength to protect. Something about Karma had matured a lot in the span of these few months.

"Huh, we really are approaching the deadline." Karma noted as the wind carried a few golden and crimson leaves nearby.

"We better assassinate him before that." Nagisa agreed, and they ambled through the pavement.