Floccinaucinihilipilification | karma a. [𑁍]

22

"karma! you're here!" your auntie cheers as she gestures for karma to make his way to the living room with her. "i thought that you should be here when my brother sent souvenirs from our hometown! i wanted to give you some!"

"you didn't really have to, auntie.." karma takes a step inside the living room, his gaze falling two medium size boxes. one was already open snd inside are a bunch of chocolates that are packed in plastics. he must've guessed it's for you since he recalled the time where you were willing to bite someone's head off just for sweets.

"oh, please! bring some home with you! my brother always gives us too much. there's only three of us here, we can't eat all of these on our own." said your auntie, smiling widely as karma kneeled down beside her to take a peek on the things your father had sent.

"..where's [ surname ]?" karma tilts his head, pulling out a jar of chili sauce from the second box.

"i asked her to run some errands for me. she doesn't like looking through the stuff my brother sends." your auntie says, the smile on her lips dropping. she then rummaged her hand inside the box. "she only likes the sweets, but the rest..she doesn't touch."

"is it bad if i ask why?"

your auntie shrugs. "you're practically family now, so why not?" she chuckles. "her dad has always been absent, only showing up on unexpected moments, and in those moments [ name ] was never around. i'm guessing that she lacked the fatherly affection my brother should've been giving her. her mom has a new family and her dad's a workaholic. poor kid was all alone. i had to step in, y'know?"

now this, this was the story karma has been waiting for.

"she confronted her dad about it and they had a big fight. she said that all she wanted was his time, attention, love and maybe an apology. not materialistic things. and then my brother called her a materialistic monster, telling her that's what she's always been, asking her what changed." your auntie proceeds. her brows furrows as she tightly gripped on the towels inside the box her hand is in. "my brother was such a dick. good thing i had the option to bring [ name ] with me here."

karma sort of gets it. the absence of your own parents. he gets it; with him always left alone in his big, cold, empty house, with nothing to play with but materialistic things. but in his case, he's already satisfied with materialistic things.

"you usually talk shit with me about my shitty family members. why so quiet now?" your auntie raises a brow. she points at the jar of chili sauce in karma's hand, giving a brief, "you can have that."

"talking about the guy who someday i'll be eating on the same table with is kinda..off the list for me." karma said, a smile stitching up his lips. receiving no response from your auntie made him look up and turn to her, only to see her with a shock expression and a wide smile.

"are you?!-"

karma shakes his head sideways. "no..not yet." he said. "she said she's still confuse and i get that. i told her that i'll wait."

your auntie playfully smacks karma's shoulder, giggling. "ha! youth! i want to mingle like you two, but i unfortunately have a husband. sometimes, i wonder if i could just divorce him for a month or two so i can go walk around freely with men following me around like dogs." she sighs. her expression brightens up as she points at the box filled with chocolates. "and also, can you do me a sweet favor and bring two packs of chocolates in [ name ]'s room? tell her that you bought them when she gets backs."

"why can't i just tell her that it's from her dad?"

"she'll limit the sweets that she'll eat if she finds out. and i want her to have all the sweets she wants." your auntie responds, shooing karma away with her free hand.

with two chocolate bags on his arms, karma made his way to your room that's only a few steps away form the living room. sliding the door open, his eyes shifted to the hand made paper cranes hanging on the ceiling. on every corner of your too, he'll spot a paper crane.

setting the pack of chocolates down on your unmade bed, he walk out, glancing at the paper cranes one last time.

"what's with the..um..paper cranes?" karma asks, making his way back to where your auntie is.

"ah..have you heard the japanese tradition that if you successfully fold one thousand paper cranes, you will have the chance to make a special wish." your auntie explains, standing up from the floor, she rests a hand on her waist. "actually, i think that what she's doing is just a waste of time. but it seems like she's really into it, so, who am i to stop her? who knows what her wish might be..besides, it looks pretty."

a wish?

if making one thousand paper cranes and wasting his time means having him the rights to call you his, then, he'd gladly start folding now.

"i'm back, what bullshit are you telling karma now, huh, auntie?" you scoff, entrering the living room with two bags of groceries on your hand. "akabane, come here, help me carry these."

approaching you, karma took a bag from your hand, following you towards the kitchen. "how many many have you folded?" he suddenly questions.

"fold what?" you raise a brow, setting down your set of grocery down on the table.

"those paper cranes. how many have you folded?"

narrowing your eyes at the red head, the edge of your upper lip raises. "you went into my room? gross.." you said, earning a smack from karma on the head.

"i bought you chocolates and left it there. tell me," he raises a brow. "how can i not miss the paper cranes when it's spread all over your room? in your messy room."

quite offended by the fact that he called your room messy, you gasp. although it's entirely true. "whatever. i'm..like half away from finishing." you said. "i doubt i'll finish before graduation."

"so..how many?"

"five hundred ninety-seven."

_________

07/08/21