Love Is Hard - Karma X Reader

Chapter 20.1

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(Y/N's POV)

Thanks to that horrible nightmare-and that creepy woman-it was already hard enough to sleep.

But now I also had to figure out how to get *them* to believe me.

This was bad.

I shuddered, borrowing myself deeper under the blanket, scanning the brightly lit room for the hundredth time.

I had turned every light in the apartment on in a feeble attempt of seeking some semblance of comfort but no matter what I did, my nerves wouldn't settle.

So I didn't sleep at all.

I couldn't.

I tried-God knows I tried-but every time I closed my eyes, my brain threw me into another nightmarish scenario. Each one worse than the last.

Karma and the others laughing in my face.
Nagisa's expression twisting in disappointment.
Rio shaking her head, calling me delusional.

Or worse-*them believing me.*

And realizing I don't belong here. That I'm not one of them.

I tossed and turned until my body ached, my mind stuck in an endless loop of *what-ifs*. By the time my alarm rang, my limbs felt like lead, but my brain was painfully alert. Too wired to rest. Too drained to function.

But I had no choice.

If I wanted them to listen, I needed proof - that's what I needed. Something to make me sound less insane than I felt.

That's why I was going back.

Back to the mountain hill where this entire fiasco started.

---

**5:00 AM**

I moved on autopilot, going through my morning routine with forced normalcy.

Brushed my teeth.
Threw on a hoodie.
Stuffed my bag with things I needed-and things I *didn't*, just in case someone was watching.

My heart pounded hard against my ribs as I zipped up my bag.

*This has to work.*

I *can't* risk getting followed. Not after last night.

The receptionist. The needle mark on my neck. The way she *stood over me*, her smile too polite, too perfect-too *wrong*.

A cold chill settled in my bones.

I clenched my jaw and shook it off, grabbing my phone and shoving it into my pocket. *Just act normal.*

If she's watching, she'll assume I'm heading to class.

I needed to leave before anyone else saw me. Running into *any* of the guys on the streets wasn't an option.

---

The lobby was quiet, almost deserted....like usual.
I wonder why that was?

Only the soft hum of the air conditioning and the distant murmur of a morning news broadcast filled the space.

I kept my pace steady. Not too fast, not too slow-just another student heading out for the day.

That's right. Nothing to see here.

But before I even spotted her, I *felt* her.

That prickling sensation at the back of my neck.

The receptionist sat at her desk, nails tapping lazily against the polished wood, staring fixedly at something on the computer screen. The second her eyes landed on me, her lips stretched into a bright, *too-pleasant* smile.

"Good morning!"

It sounded exactly like yesterday. Warm. Harmless.

If last night hadn't happened, I wouldn't have thought twice about it.

I forced out a polite smile, keeping my voice steady. "Good morning."

Don't stop.
Don't hesitate.
Just keep walking.

I stepped outside, barely resisting the urge to bolt. The second my feet hit the pavement, a slow, strangled breath left my lips, wiping at my forehead with the back of my hand.

*That was too much.*

I inhaled deeply, pressing a hand to my chest to slow my heart rate.

Even if she *was* a threat, she wouldn't suspect a thing.

I was *being careful*. I was absolutely acting normal.

...Right?

Of course I was. I was just being paranoid. That's all.

I mean-who *wouldn't* be, after everything I'd been through?

I stole a quick glance over my shoulder at the glass door of the reception area. It didn't seem like she was watching me.

Still. I couldn't afford to let my guard down. I couldn't risk it.

I squared my shoulders, stuffing my hands into my hoodie pockets.

And then I lifted my gaze.

Beyond the rooftops and the morning mist, there it was.

The mountain hill.

A small peak, just barely visible beyond the cityscape. The place where everything started-and promptly went *downhill*.

I huffed out a short laugh. *Guess I can still make jokes, huh?*

Maybe I wasn't as shaken as I thought.

Either way-

"Here we go," I murmured under my breath as I marched forward into the cool and mostly empty early morning street.

I can do it!

~~~~~to be continued~~~~~