Chapter 44

Karma had heard about Kevin before. Football star and everything.

But he hadn't been expecting to see him and another person with Gakushuu right before school started. He was sure he had seen the other person around the school before but Kevin was definitely a new arrival.

"Hey, Shuu," he walked up to them, assessing the two acting far too familiar with his boyfriend.

Gakushuu interrupted his conversation to look at Karma with a smile. Kevin raised an eyebrow, sensing a slightly odd atmosphere. All of them ignored the look.

"Akabane Karma, allow me to introduce you to Alejandro, a transfer to class B, moving to class A after his previous marks were reassessed, and Kevin, a belated transfer and friend," Gakushuu pointed to the sly looking guy first and then the blonde bulky guy who didn't even look like a middle school student.

Kevin offered Karma a hand that he shook and Alejandro just gave him an eye smile that didn't move any more facial muscles than necessary.

Pretty odd guy.

"This is Akabane Karma, a student from class E," he introduced Karma with a fond smile.

"Class E. It's the one going against class A for the pole toppling, right?" Alejandro said in Japanese with a thick accent.

"That's right," Gakushuu replied, the edge of his lips ticking up.

"I thought you…hated each other?" Kevin asked, his Japanese was accented but better than Alejandro's. Gakushuh huffed a laugh.

" We have a friendly relationship with each other. The school system tries to maintain a competitive environment but we aren't particularly antagonistic towards other classes, " Gakushuu switched to a smooth English and Karma's eyes flickered to Gakushuu's lips then away.

Karma wrapped an arm around Gakushuu's neck and dropped his head on his shoulder, his chest against Gakushuu's back. Then he blinked up at the two with an almost challenging smirk.

" Yeah, we're pretty close, you could say ," Karma delighted at the startled expressions on the two. He was less pleased to see the slightly disappointed expression on Kevin's face though.

Gakushuu rolled his eyes at Karma's antics, but didn't shove him away. Alejandro eyed Karma with a slow smirk.

Karma was starting to get the feeling that Gakushuu had a type of people he tended to be friends with.

Hmm. Now how could he use this information?

"Ah, slow do-" Gakushuu's words got cut off when he swallowed his tongue trying to hold back a moan.

"Ka-Karma," he gasped.

Karma stopped nibbling behind his ear, dragging his teeth slowly to his ear, tugging at the lobe.

"You sounded really hot, Shuu," Karma whispered into his ear. Gakushuu's hands tightened around Karma's shoulders.

"Yeah?" He asked breathlessly. His face flushed lightly at the compliment.

Karma pulled away, laying a soft kiss on Gakushuu's lips.

"My boyfriend is so sought after," he tightened his grip in Gakushuu's hair, tilting his head. Karma bit Gakushuu's lip, chewing at it almost petulantly. "You make me jealous."

Gakushuu smiled. He laid a hand on Karma's cheek, gently stroking his cheekbone. He looked at Karma in his golden hued eyes. It had darkened to a simmering deeper colour that was almost reminiscent of a cheetah.

He was jealous, Gakushuu realized.

"Hey Karma," he said, a smile still tugging at his lips, "you know I like you right?"

"I like you too, Shuu" Karma said, looking at Gakushuu with a slight pout.

"I like you a lot," Gakushuu told him. "I like you loads. In fact, I liked you for a long time."

Karma looked at him, silently urging him to continue. Gakushuu smiled and took his time.

"You were always such a pain to everyone around you. It's like you would deliberately chose the path that would inconvenience almost everyone around you at any possible moment. And even worse, you're rarely there to deal with any fall out," Gakushuu laughed to himself and Karma raised a brow.

"Basically, you're a pain in the ass," he said bluntly, crudely. "But I liked everything about you," Gakushuu laid a soft kiss on Karma's cheek. "You were cute," he laid another kiss on his nose, "and a hellhound," he laid another on his other cheek, "and you made me jealous," he laid another kiss on his forehead, "but you were the best thing to happen to me," he kissed Karma's lips.

"I'm not sure if that's supposed to flatter me or bother me more," Karma laughed, he laid his head on Gakushuu's shoulder. Gakushuu stroked his hair.

"Well, it's supposed to tell you how I feel," Gakushuu said instead. Karma let out an amused breath against his neck.

It tickled.

Then after a while, Karma non-sneakily asked him, "So, were these two your plan to beat us for the pole toppling?"

Gakushuu booped his nose, like he did to Mirai and Yuki when he was scolding them.

"Ow," Karma deadpanned.

"Naughty kitty," he teased.

Karma snapped his teeth at Gakushuu.

"This naughty kitty has sharp teeth," Karma grinned, baring his sharp canines. It made him look cute, like a young devil intent on charming Gakushuu to hell.

Well, if it was Karma beckoning him, Gakushuu might even consider it.

Gakushuu tapped Karma's nose again.

"Hush, pet. Your master is busy," Gakushuu gave him a satisfied expression, when Karma briefly rubbed at his nose.

Karma met his eyes and smirked.

"Oh?" He crawled over Gakushuu. "Is that how you like it? Master~" he purred the word in Gakushuu's ear and watched as his ears turned red even as Gakushuu looked at him blankly.

"Was that supposed to impress me?" He asked, his voice wavered only slightly. Karma glanced at his still-red ears and grinned.

"It did what it was supposed to," he leaned back, smugly. Gakushuu held his gaze for two seconds, then ten, before he turned away and covered his face with his hands and groaned loudly.

Karma laughed, at the red peaking out between his fingers.

Karma was going about his day, doing nothing unusual for a middle school student for once, when a pest popped up to bother him.

"Hmm? Ah, look who it is! It's the boyfriend! What a coincidence." Alejandro gave him a closed eye smile.

"Coincidence?" Karma gave him a pitying look. "You were following me for the past ten minutes. And very unsubtly, might I add."

Alejandro looked unbothered.

"It was a coincidence ten minutes prior then," he shrugged.

"You looked up my address," Karma deadpanned. Alejandro smiled blandly. He rolled his eyes.

"So? What's your plan? Drop hints about knowing Shuu better than me? Try to make me jealous? Pretend like he's giving you 'special' attention because he's been busy with the sports festival?" Karma put his hands in his pocket and continued walking with a bored expression.

Alejandro's face twitched, but he followed.

"Nothing of the sort," he reassured. "I was just curious about you."

Karma hummed amusedly.

"Sure, I'll believe it. But maybe you should make sure your fists are somewhere out of sight before you lie so blatantly next time," he cocked his head, shooting the other boy a smug look.

Alejandro startled, then he sighed. He huffed out a laugh.

"Suddenly I get why everyone aside from Asano is so intent on punching your face in," he shook his head.

"It's a gorgeous face, no?" Karma asked, a mischievous grin on his face. "Shuu definitely likes it," he added.

Alejandro rolled his eyes.

"I'm not into boys," he said, "or girls, really."

Karma hummed uncaringly.

"Really," Alejandro rolled his eyes upward.

"Everyone wants a piece of Shuu, you don't need to be romantically interested in him for it," Karma shrugged, "though that does make someone a far more irritating sight."

"Kevin's harmless," Alejandro told him, amused. "He's a chick lumbering out into the international community after getting praised as a rising star. But he's a stupid, but good guy."

He slowed down to a stop with Karma.

"So why are you following me around like this? I thought you planned to be Gakushuu's contact," Karma asked him seriously.

Alejandro's eyes sparkled. He leaned in close, staring Karma in the eyes.

"Hmm. Maybe the one I want…is you?" He said mock-jokingly. Karma stared him down.

Alejandro pulled back with a satisfied look.

"You are the one I want," Alejandro repeated, more assuredly. "Gakushuu is good. He's going to do amazing things. But, he does it to help people."

Alejandro's lips ticked up into a grin as his eyes bore into Karma's.

"You, what are you going to do?" He asked. Karma paused, then tilted his head.

"Bureaucracy," Karma answered shortly. Alejandro blinked. Then he snorted.

When he realised Karma was serious, he burst into loud laughter.

"You? You're going into bureaucracy?" He asked, tears in his eyes. Karma stared him down uncaringly.

"Perfect. Oh, this is perfect!" Alejandro grinned wildly. It was like the mask of slyness was removed from his face into a wild sort of dangerous expression.

Karma had a premonition then. This boy was going to be more trouble than he expected.

"My father is a politician in the French government," he said, under his breath. He stared Karma in the eye. "Help me bring some people down in the Japanese government," he asked. "With an Asano beside you, there are very few things you can't do!" Alejandro grinned a delighted, wild grin.

Karma raised a brow at the breakdown happening in front of him, tempted to walk away from this mess of a person. He raised a hand in front of Alejandro's face.

"I won't be taking any help from Gakushuu. I won't be helping you do whatever you want if it hinges on Gakushuu at all. If you're so incompetent as to always lean on Gakushuu for things you want, then you can fuck right off to wherever you came from, because I'll tell you now," Karma pulled Alejandro by his collar, staring him down with the full force of his protective anger, "you drag him down, and I'll make sure they won't even find a body, comprende? "

Alejandro shivered.

"I asked if you understood," Karma let go of his collar, looking down at the other boy.

"Y-yes," he stuttered through, staring at Karma with wide, admiring eyes.

He didn't understand shit, Karma thought. Then he sighed.

Whatever. As long as he didn't run to Gakushuu while he was on fire, Karma couldn't care less. Though, it was an interesting proposal.

He might even be able to work something out from it.

He looked at Alejandro who was still staring at Karma, with an oddly fanatical look in his eyes, and he wondered how much of a pain this was about to be.

"Come here," he cocked a finger. Alejandro hesitated then obediently came to Karma. Maybe after a little more training to make sure he wouldn't pull moves like that on people far too superior.

Though, he was quite sharp. For someone with no training, he could track Karma efficiently through crowded streets. He was also someone with a similar aptitude for mischief like him.

It was an interesting combination.

Plus he was good enough at lying to trick Gakushuu.

He could make use of someone like that. And he wasn't particularly wrong.

Karma would need a certain level of backing to even take a step through the front door of the true powers. After that, he would be able to get his claws in the people, as he wanted.

It was always good to have a few hidden blades. More so in the world of politics.

Karma laughed to himself.

Koro-sensei would be proud of the steps he was taking, but tell him to be ready for everything nonetheless. Already, his voice was echoing in his ears.

No, wait.

Koro-sensei sobbed quietly from a rooftop.

Karma shot him a glare.

Koro-sensei yelped, fell, then waved at Karma with a white handkerchief.

Karma sighed, a smile curling up the edges of his lips.