[AssClass] - Karma's Kismet

Prologue

"Say, [Name]! Have you heard about that, hmm, what was his name again? Just kidding. Of course everybody would know him-- Karma Akabane. Not nearly as handsome as my Tomoya, but... you know him, don't you?"

Currently speaking to you was your 'best friend', Kaho Tsuchiya. She was the person who stuck by you the longest, since the first day of school. Her demeanor was definitely something, though the very fact that Kaho remained friends with you for two years made you feel at ease, alleviated from loneliness.

During your first two years of attending Kunugigaoka Junior High, the qualifiers placed you in C Class. It was to be expected, however. You knew well that your grades weren't over the top to belong in A Class, alongside the popular Five Virtuosos-- you'd accepted that long ago, as an average student.

Speaking of the Top Five, you perceived from Kaho directly that she began dating Tomoya Seo, the Student Assembly Chairman. It came as a surprise to you that she wasn't squawking about her boyfriend for once, a fresh subject arising.

Karma Akabane. You heard many rumors about him in the past, about being a rebellious boy hated by the staff. Rather, most, if not all of your information came from Kaho herself, though it seemed that she had forgotten about lecturing you.

"Yes..." you softly murmur, awkwardly smiling at your buddy. You figured that Kaho was simply gossiping, as she usually ranted to you about her life.

"Thought so! You would have to be living under a rock not to." she cackled, covering her mouth as she puffed up her chest. "Listen, listen. They say that he's committed a crime against one of the seniors! Injured him real bad, isn't that a shame?"

Despite his known title as a dreadful individual, this still struck you as baffling. Your eyes widened slightly, leaning closer to hear more.

Kaho simpered at your reaction, adding on to her statements while taking pride of her vast knowledge. "And get this! He might even be suspended. Serves that stupid jerk right. You gotta be careful, [Name]. People like him are absolutely crazy."

As Kaho rambled on with her warnings about him, perhaps over-exaggerating, you nodded your head and thanked her for the advice. Still, you appeared to be a bit of a wallflower, unnoticed in the crowd, so it was unlikely that someone of his caliber would ever be involved. You planned to avoid him nonetheless, with the desire of living a normal life in mind. You hoped for a bright future.

The school-bell sounded, and congregations of intellectual students sharply ascended from their positions, steps and taps impacting the glossy floor. A breeze of wind swept into the classroom, the sun shining outside painting a perfect picture for the rest of the afternoon to come.

"Looks like school's officially over now. See ya later, [Name]." Kaho shot you a peace sign with her fingers, winking as she strutted with her head held high as she swung her bag over her shoulder.

Barrages of teenagers flooded out into the hallways of the main building from their respective classrooms, marching their way to the front gates to transport home. Shades of gray dominated the territory, representing the colors of Kunugigaoka's school uniform.

You didn't have any extra clubs nor activities to participate in, and so you filed out of the locality after the lines became thinner, and there was more space to prevent claustrophobia. You planned to study for upcoming tests and quizzes, with the goal of maintaining your average grades and status in mind.

Your [length] [color] hair shuffled to and fro with the wind outside, currents of air gently brushing against your cheeks. It was a relatively relaxing way back to your apartment, the rays of sun pecking soft, warm kisses on your skin.

Thoughts of Karma Akabane returned after your recent conversation with your egotistical pal, rewinding to the previous stories she shared about him. You weren't focusing on the sidewalk very well, but when you did snap out of it, a splash of bright red stood by the corner of your [color] eyes for a split second, textures almost like strands of hair. To your knowledge, there was only one person at Kunugigaoka with red hair.

"You gotta be careful, [Name]. People like him are absolutely crazy."

You never discovered if it was the haze simply playing tricks, or the scandalous student truly loitering in the vicinity.

In a sudden panic from all the terrible things you discerned about him, you excruciatingly turned around, and ran an alternative route home.

---

Thinking back, you figured that you must have been a paranoid idiot, for not behaving rationally.