Project: Karma

25 | Depths of Love

<Nagisa>
I must be an idiot to have not pieced the puzzle together. I've thought about it before but I didn't think it would be like this. My sweet Kaede loves the man who loves me.
Argh?! Why is this so complicated?

"Nagisa?"

Sugino snuck from behind and placed his hand on my shoulder.

"W-what?" I flinched. "Yeah?"

"I-." He was lost for words. "The thing is still on right?" He brought up.

"It is." I nodded my head. Why does it seem like he just ignored everything? Like the confession never even happened?

Wait. Nagisa! You're such a brainless human! A hypocrite at that! You're doing the same thing to Sugino! You don't have the right to criticize him.

"Nagisa? You okay there?"

"Y-yeah." I recollected myself and sighed. "I'll see you at the mall in two hours?"

"That's fine for me." Sugino pinched my cheek and grinned.

I took a step back from his hand. While he kept doing those kind of things. It felt like I was betraying Kaede. I want her to be rest assured.

"If you're hesitant because of what Kaede said-"

"You know that I can't like you the way you like me." I blurted. I need to save myself and Kaede. "But Kaede can return those feelings."

"Nagisa, that's nonsense. Kaede may like me. However my love is only for you."

I'm sorry Sugino. You love me. I love Karma. For my heart to chose someone as artificial as him. My love isn't normal. You should save yourself the trouble. I'm not worth it.

Sugino tried to grab my hand to hold, but I swung my hand away and hid them behind my back. With that, he retreated his own hands. Like he had given up trying to reach for them.

"I'll see you in two hours then." He waved and dug his hands in his pockets. He started walking off and I saw the lonely back of his. I've seen it countless of times. Even Kaede's as well.
••••••
Back at home. I was living the essence of stress. I wasn't sure myself but, even the small matters had clumped up with the whole situation. Kaede leaving. Confessing to Sugino. Sugino in love with me and not Kaede. And me. I'm just a walking bomb. Ready to destroy all kinds of humanity.

Nagisa. Calm down. You need to breathe. Everything will work out. As long as you keep your distance from Sugino. Kaede will be able to come back and pick things up from where she had left them. You have to make it up to her. This is your atonement.
•••••••••••
<Sugino>
Part of me thought that Nagisa wouldn't come to this occasion. It's not surprising after all that had happened. However, Nagisa is still the same girl from before. That in which scares me because she never goes back on her words. She has shown up.

"So where do we start?" She asked as if all that had happened had passed. All behind us.

"Suspecting that with a woman's intuition, you would possibly know what to get for this person."

"Just because I'm a girl, doesn't mean I know what girls want." She pouted. "People have different tastes after all."

"Could I even do any better?" I chuckled.

"Probably not." She giggled.