In less than a year, the world could be doomed. When Karasuma brings his daughter Kit to stay with him, he has no idea that this decision will turn not only her world but his own completely upside down. While Kit settles into her new surroundings fa...
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As Karma inserted his key into the front door that afternoon, he immediately sensed something was off. Had he forgotten to lock up, or had someone been here? Feeling uneasy, he cracked the door open, saw nothing unusual, and finally stepped inside, staying alert and ready to defend himself. "Is that you, Karmachan?" In a flash, he was in the kitchen, and there she stood: his mother. "You startled me, sweetheart," she scolded gently, then hugged him tightly. "How have you been?" "Is Dad here too?" he asked, sidestepping her question. "He's putting boxes in the basement. We brought some lovely new things back, but we can talk about that later. How's school going?" Does it really have to start like this? Karma thought, feeling resigned. He hadn't even been home for five minutes, hadn't seen his parents in months, and already they were asking about his grades. Secretly, he'd hoped they'd stay away just long enough for him to patch up his recent slip-ups, but clearly, that hadn't panned out. "Everything's as usual," he replied, trying to sound as disinterested as possible. Maybe she'd just drop it. But no such luck. "How did your end-of-term exams go?" "Good." It wasn't a lie—at least he hadn't plummeted to the bottom of the rankings. "How about we eat first?" Karma tried to change the subject. "I'm starving." "We brought something, but let's wait for your father. Ah, here he comes," she said, turning to a large bag filled with fragrant treats. "Karma!" his father called in greeting. "How's school going?" Great, Karma thought grimly. He had no choice but to capitulate and face the storm brewing dangerously above his head. After dinner, Karma needed some fresh air. He wasn't sure how he'd managed it, but he had - without any major lies - avoided telling his parents about his failures. Of course, he knew this wasn't the end of it, but he didn't plan on coming back home until later tonight and would figure it out then. Normally, he didn't act so shortsightedly, but he'd felt cornered and hadn't found a better escape. Lost in thought, he strolled through the streets. Hopefully, he wouldn't run into anyone he knew. Or maybe it would actually be a good thing? It'd take his mind off things. He considered calling Nagisa but then thought better of it, remembering how friends tend to interfere in each other's problems. Maybe he could call Kit instead. After all, she had made it quite clear they were friends, and unlike Nagisa, she had already seen him at his worst. It couldn't get any more embarrassing. Plus, Kit was a girl. He wasn't sure why, but that felt different somehow. Was he less worried about showing off in front of a girl than a guy? Did that even make sense? Slowly, he pulled out his phone from his pocket, found Kit's number, then hesitated. Once he called her, he'd have to go through with it. She wouldn't let it go, he knew that. Indecisive, he looked up. Through the café window, he saw people sitting together, chatting about little nothings, laughing. Just as he was about to press the call button, he froze. Was that... Kit behind the glass? And who was she sitting with? Suddenly, it felt as if someone had driven a knife into his back. He couldn't breathe, had to collect himself, maybe find something to hold onto. This couldn't be happening! Karma looked again to be sure, but he wasn't mistaken: there was Kit, sitting cozily in a café with the arch-enemy of all Class E students - his personal nemesis - Asano. In his anger, Karma didn't know where to go, but he couldn't stay here. The risk of them spotting him was too great. He felt betrayed. Betrayed by Kit, and betrayed by his parents. They had been gone for months, and the only thing they cared about was his damn grades. As if nothing else mattered. As if he was just a brain and nothing more. Maybe life would be easier if he were dumb or just average. But hey, hadn't he just proven with his recent exam results that his intellect was no longer anything special? He was just average now, and that's exactly what he'd tell his parents.
