Project: Karma

03 | Records

<Nagisa>
The police that assisted us told us there had been recent burglaries in town and they haven't caught the culprit yet. When my mother checked for herself in the state of panic when the police were still around, the wedding ring she never wore was stolen and most of her jewelry, along with some money.

Even though no one was hurt, the damage had already been done once the police left. They said that they would notify us if any other clues of these culprits have been found.
•••••
Throughout the whole day, everyone had steered their attentions towards me and once again, they asked about what it was this time.

"Nagisa! Y-your face! Your arms!" Kaede inspected me and pulled me into an embrace. "It looks painful. Are you okay?"

She stared at the bruises and the cut on the side of my lips.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I really am." I slightly pushed her away from my face. "It's not as bad as you think." I assured.

Rio grabbed my arm and clicked her tongue, "I don't like that mom of yours. That damn judge, making you live with your mother instead of your father."

"Shhhh." Kaede pulled Rio back.

"Nagisa..."
We turned our heads.

Behind Rio and Kaede, Sugino was behind both of them. Until they both moved to the side, Sugino walked towards me with a concerned expression.

"Not you too..." I sighed.

"Come with me." He grabbed my hand and began to drag me out of the class.

"Tomohito! Where are you taking her?!" Rio exclaimed.

"Infirmary!" He shouted back.

"I'm really okay." I tried to free my hand.

"You didn't even treat your injuries." He spoke, "or are you trying to show them off? So that everyone's looking at only you?"

"T-that's not it!" I rejected. "I don't have the medicine at home to treat it and-"

"And what?"

"She wouldn't allow me to leave my room." I confessed, I shameful of who I was.

"Well, that's what I'm for." Sugino opened the door to the infirmary and the nurse greeted us walking in.

"We need to borrow the first aid, please." Sugino asked. The nurse looked at me and nodded her head, as this wasn't the first visit.

"Go right ahead." She said, "do you need to the rubbing alcohol?"

Sugino looked at me again and nodded his head, "yeah, that would be great."

"I'll be right back." The nurse rose from her wheeled chair and into the restricted closet of bottled remedies.

"Go sit down first." Sugino instructed as he went away to grab the first aid.

"I'm really fine." I spoke as he walked farther and farther. No one listens to what I have to say...
Once Sugino came back with both the bottle and the first aid, he rolled up my sleeve and tended my arms first and then my face.
Even he didn't have boundaries on personal space. I could feel him breathing on me softly.

I️ pulled my arm back a little,

"I don't want to bother you each time-"

"Oh don't worry you have bothered me enough." Sugino spoke monotoned jokingly and smiled at me. "This is all I️ can do...I️ want to be of some help."

Sugino looked down in some ways, saddened by my wavering soul. I poked his cheek,

"I can take care of myself you know."

"Nagisa, I think it's best that you-"

"Sugino, I can't leave my mom. I can't."

Even though everyday I wish to leave that hell house, guarded by such a demon.
Sugino is known to be a worry wort, ever since my dad relied on the Tomohito's for my safety on most occasions, he has grown too attach.

Sugino suddenly reached forward and touched my hair. His hand running down until there was no hair left to hold.
"Such beautiful hair..."
I inched back a little, to me, he has always taken care of me like his little sister.
•••••••
I took the train and skipped the usual route home, due to the fact that I have somewhere to go to after school.
The same guard from before greeted with such screaming expressions. I could see that sternness reminiscing off him. Yet he looked friendly.

When I entered the facility, Koro-sensei waved at me and disappeared beyond the corner. From there, I knew I was on my own. I wasn't terribly nervous for my first official day.

There was a set on my desk, a black journal with my name inscribed on the leather cover. Even the red fountain pen caught me off guard, as it sat the desk calendar with meetings and events to attend for the following days.
So cleanly organized that it was practically waiting to be ruined out of order.

I grabbed the journal and dated the top and the time, the room temperature and the settings on the outside box of all these colorful buttons.
For me, everything must be accounted for, anything can contribute to the affects.

I watched Karma sitting on the white bed and the chains that connected him to the locks. I stood closely to the glass wall and made it an effort to make the observations detailed as possible. But at this rate, it was impossible.

For a moment, I thought that the circuits in my head was wiring tricks for my eyes. For the reasons maybe unknown, but Karma's head faced me and then his body moved in my direction.
If I could remember, Koro-Sensei said that he never makes it this close to the separating glass. However, this time it's different. Was I supposed to be gasping in amazement?

He stood across from me, so close that we could touch if the glass hadn't walled us apart.

"Karma." I spoke his name without meaning to. He looked so...lonely. Though why did I feel sympathy for him? He's just another experiment subject. He's not real.
•••••••
I recorded everything I needed to and once I made it back to my desk, he made it back to his bed and laid upon it. His yes wide awake as he stared at the ceiling.

"Huh? Are you new?" A women with long golden locks walked into the lab as the doors slid open.
I stood up and bowed my head respectfully.

"Yes I am, my name is Shiota Nagisa." I introduced myself.

"Shiota? Alright, just call me Irina." She took the journal from my hands and skimmed the lines. "Next time, just bullets please." As she saw my paragraphs were long and obnoxious.

"Hmm, that's odd. Usually Karma doesn't move that far from his bed." Irina noticed.

"Would it be considered that surprising?" I asked her, because it didn't make me flail my arms in wonders.

She folded her arms and looked at Karma, "it just means that the more he develops, the more we can work on him."

"I see."

"Well? You're done aren't you? I'm here to pick you up for the meeting." She placed the journal back on my desk and pointed at the calendar.

"We'll walk by other departments on the way. Want to see our other subjects?"

She lured me in knowing how much of a science nerd I was. I agreed and followed along after her. As I made it to the sliding door, I glanced back at Karma and saw him staring at me.