Love in the Times of the Crescent Moon

Chapter 17

"All values are stable. He'll make it."
When the doctor said those words, Kit felt a massive weight lift from her shoulders. Her heart still raced with tension, but she could breathe freely again, and with each breath, her body relaxed a little more. He was going to make it. He was going to live.
Kit barely registered the following conversation. She was so lost in her own thoughts that all she heard was Irina expressing her thanks before the doctor, in his white coat, stepped back out into the hallway.
"You should take her home," Irina said, glancing at Karma.
"I'm not leaving," Kit immediately interjected, but Irina shook her head.
"There's nothing for you to do here right now. You need to save your strength. I promise, if anything changes, I'll call you immediately. Get some rest."
She meant it, and if Kit hadn't been so exhausted, she might have appreciated Irina's thoughtfulness more. Instead, she stood there, uncertain, in that sterile, neon-lit room, wrestling with herself. She felt responsible for her father. She was supposed to wait here, but on the other hand, maybe Irina was right, and she would need her strength later. Perhaps she should get a bit of rest or something to eat.
Suddenly, she felt a gentle pressure on her shoulder. When she turned, Karma had his arm around her shoulders and was gently guiding her forward.
"Just don't tell her father I sent you home with his daughter," Irina whispered, ensuring the other people in the waiting room wouldn't take notice. "And you'd better not take advantage of this situation! Drop her off at home and leave right away!"
"Of course." Karma flashed his most charming grin, one that seemed about as trustworthy as an adult handing out candy at a playground.
"I'm serious!"
"Don't worry, we're on the same team."
With that, Karma led Kit out of the waiting room, down the corridors, and finally out the back exit.
"Thank you," Kit said once they had left the last door of the hospital behind them. "I don't think I could have forced myself to leave."
The cool autumn wind felt like freedom on her skin. She had nothing against hospitals - on the contrary, she wanted to become a doctor herself - but when you were worrying about someone you loved, those white walls could feel suffocating. Outside, though, it was fresh, the autumn leaves rustling on the sidewalks, and Karma's arm around her shoulders was warm and comforting. Relieved by the prospect that everything would be alright, she leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Want to grab something to eat on the way?" he asked with a smile, and Kit found it almost surreal. Hard to believe they hadn't spoken a word to each other for weeks.
"This way," she said before he could pass the next turn. "Up there is the best ramen place for miles."
"Then why don't I know it?"
"Because it's not a real shop. A friend from dance class set it up as a side gig. Twice a week, he cooks for the in-the-know crowd, and you wouldn't believe how many customers he's gained just by word of mouth. Soon, he'll be able to live off his ramen alone."
They grabbed their food, strolled through the streets, and only shortly before they reached Kit's house did she notice her exhaustion creeping back. Her stomach growled, even though it was still early. Karma's arm had remained protectively around her shoulders the whole time, but as he released her now so she could unlock the door, a sharp pang hit her in the pit of her stomach.
She didn't want him to go. Alone at home, she would only worry. With Karma, she had someone to talk to, who cheered her up and distracted her. And if he left now, a small voice in her head whispered, things would go back to how they were before. No.
"Will you stay for dinner?"
"Our teacher wouldn't approve," he remarked, though he didn't step away.
"Is that a yes?"
He laughed. "Is that really what you think of me?"
She nodded seriously, coaxing a mischievous grin from him.
"And besides, I just don't want to eat alone. There's nothing wrong with that. After all, we used to eat together at school. I don't want to sit around worrying all the time."
Kit pulled out her house key from her jacket pocket and opened the door. Then she went inside and waited to see if he would follow her.
He did.
"Good, I'm starving," Karma said, putting his sneakers in a niche by the front door. He followed her past the sofa into the kitchen. "Let's see if your friend's ramen is as good as you say. I'm pretty picky."
"You won't be disappointed."
They ate together, talking and laughing as if things had never been any different. Kit decided to savor the moment, enjoying the feeling of Karma and her chatting about trivial matters, disconnected from the events of the past few weeks. They didn't rush, even slowing down with each bite, but eventually, the noodles were gone, leaving a silence neither of them could fill. They both knew it was time to say goodbye, and Kit hoped deep down it was as hard for him as it was for her.
Nevertheless, she got up, politely escorted him to the door, and thanked him again for his support. Kit realized how formal she sounded but couldn't help it. Maybe she was trying to distance herself - emotionally and physically - as she took a few steps back and finally sank onto the sofa.
"I don't want things to go back to how they were," she suddenly heard herself say, hugging her knees, looking up to stop the tears from falling. "I don't know what happened, and I don't care, but I miss you."
Kit couldn't look at him, but she heard him slipping out of his shoes again. They landed carelessly in a corner before he sat next to her on the sofa. He kept a respectful distance, resting his head thoughtfully on his arms. Neither of them spoke, and Kit felt tears running down her cheeks once again.
"I said something unforgivable," Karma began, his voice calm and serious, "and that's why I never even asked for your forgiveness." He looked up at the ceiling, as if it might understand why he'd acted the way he did. "It wasn't even about you. My parents had visited and wanted to talk about the exams. I knew they'd be angry. And disappointed. I went for a walk, thinking about what I could do, and instead of doing something stupid, I wanted to do something good. I wanted to call someone who understands me - you. But just at that moment, I saw you sitting in a restaurant with Asano. I jumped to conclusions and took out all my anger on you. A good friend would have just talked it through with you. Maybe I'm not cut out to be a good friend. I've been thinking about it for a while."
"Hm." Kit let his words sink in for a long time. Then she made a decision.
"So, will you do it now?"
"What?"
"Ask for my forgiveness," she prompted.
He turned his head to her, waiting until she met his gaze. "Please forgive me."
Kit felt her heart melt. Even though she'd wanted to make him wait a little longer, she couldn't help but smile. When he looked at her expectantly, she gave him the words he needed to hear.
"I forgive you."
With a satisfied grin, he let his head fall onto her lap. This was new territory for both of them, and Kit immediately felt her body respond to this unexpected closeness with a rush of adrenaline that made coherent thoughts impossible. Everything in her was pulsing, while Karma seemed entirely at ease, as if nothing were out of the ordinary and especially as if they hadn't just ended a disagreement that had kept them from speaking for weeks. Moments ago, Kit had been sure she'd lost him as a friend, and now all the distance between them had vanished. How had that even happened?

She looked down at Karma, who lay on her legs with his eyes closed, facing her, his face so close to her body that it blurred the lines of friendship. Kit watched him, listened to his breathing, and tried to calm her racing heart. He looked so peaceful.
Without thinking, she ran her fingertips through his hair, brushing a red strand gently away from his face. He opened one eye briefly but closed it again immediately. The corner of his mouth twitched mischievously. Kit thought he looked incredibly handsome. She'd always considered him attractive, sharing the opinion of her female classmates, but until now, it had only been a word, an empty label. Now, knowing him better, having argued and reconciled, laughed and cried, confided and forgiven, that word suddenly held deeper meaning. Karma wasn't just the good-looking, intelligent boy with questionable manners - he was so much more.
"By the way," he interrupted her thoughts without opening his eyes, "I may have been wrong about something else, too. It wouldn't be typical of Asano to build such an elaborate relationship just to spin intrigues. He has other, far more effective ways to achieve his goals. So, the only conclusion left is that he actually likes you. Am I ruining the mood right now?"
Kit's lips curved into a knowing smile. "A bit. Aren't we friends? Then why don't you just ask me what you want to know?"
Now Karma did open his eyes, looking up at her, yet he said nothing. Finally, she shook her head and gave in.
"Okay. We went out a few times, and he's much nicer than you'd think. In some ways, you're not all that different. But it's not what you're probably assuming, and I didn't accept his invitation just to annoy you. I was simply curious, wondering, like all of you, what's behind his persistence. And, as it turns out, Asanokun also seems to be looking for someone he can talk to."
"Are you going to tell me his dirty secrets?" Karma asked.
"Even if I knew them, I definitely wouldn't tell you," she replied and continued. "There's really nothing else to tell. Does that satisfy you?"
"Will you keep seeing each other?" he countered.
"You're an idiot."
"Why?"
"Can we please change the subject now?"
Kit felt ridiculous. Karma lay on her lap with a smug expression, knowing he'd maneuvered her into an uncomfortable position. They both knew there would be no more meetups. She just didn't want to give him the satisfaction of saying it out loud, and he wouldn't stop until she did.
"Why are you putting me on the spot like this?"
"Because I'm a gambler," he replied, obviously enjoying her baffled expression. "I think I've made the right bet, but now I want to know if I've really won."
"Is that how it is?"
He nodded, tilting his head to get a better look at her.
"Well?"
Kit wondered what to do next, but then the decision was unexpectedly taken from her. Her phone vibrated with a new message. She opened it, read it, and held it up to Karma's face.

"I know everything I needed to know now. No more meetups necessary. —A"

Karma looked at Kit in surprise.
"Well, there's your answer," she said, still unsure what had just happened.