A Liar's Truth [UNDER FINAL REVISION]

Ch 45: Terasaka's plan

Third person's point of view

Lunch period arrived with its usual chaos—desks scraping together, bentos opening, voices overlapping until the classroom felt smaller than it really was.

Korosensei was already a mess.

"What is it?" Irina asked flatly, glancing over her shoulder. "You're crying for no reason."

Translucent fluid streamed down his face in exaggerated rivulets. He dabbed uselessly at himself with a handkerchief that surrendered almost immediately. "I'm not crying! This is my nose. I'm all snotty."

"Who could tell the difference?!"

He squinted at his reflection in the window. "I haven't felt right since yesterday. Perhaps I've caught a summer cold?"

Karma didn't bother looking. His attention had drifted sideways.

Ginka sat slumped at her desk, chin hovering dangerously close to her bento, eyelids fluttering like they were fighting gravity and losing. Her posture screamed exhaustion—the kind that sleep didn't fix.

"Told you," Karma muttered under his breath, "you should've just camped in the nurse's office."

She didn't respond. Barely even stirred.

He clicked his tongue, annoyed, then sighed anyway and shifted just enough for her to tip sideways. Her head landed against his shoulder, light, warm. She relaxed instantly, like she'd been waiting for permission.

Idiot, he thought—though it wasn't clear who it was aimed at.

Nagisa sighed, "You really shouldn't make that a habit."

Karma grinned without looking back, a familiar devil-may-care curl to his lips. "What? I'm just being kind." Tiny imaginary horns practically popped up. "Plus, I enjoy doing things that make her little brother lose his mind."

Nagisa narrowed his eyes at him, ".. He's not even here."

"Can you really deny that you don't feel anything for her at this point?" Sugino deadpanned.

Before Karma could even process that information, the sliding door slammed open mid-bite of lunch.

It was Terasaka.

Korosensei reacted instantly, blurring across the room and gripping his shoulders like a worried parent. "Ooh, Terasaka-kun! I was concerned that you might not come in today!" His voice cracked, tears—maybe mucus—flowing harder. "You were so angry yesterday, but don't worry! Everyone's already gotten over it, right? Right?"

Collective sweat drop.

Kayano leaned away. "Y-Yeah.. I'm more worried you're going to completely cover his face at this rate."