Karmanami: Intertwined.....

Chapter VIII

The holidays were almost over and Manami had somehow managed to finish her other subjects homework with the help of Asano and Karma, but something had changed with Karma. He didn't like seeing Manami with Asano and he'd be the one helping her with homework more than Asano. He just didn't like seeing her with someone else.

That image of Asano hugging Manami had not left his thinking yet. He and Manami had never hugged that way then why did Manami hug Asano like that? These were some of the thoughts that wouldn't leave his mind and so he decided to clear his doubts as soon as possible.

He stood outside Manami's door and thinks about what he's going to say to Manami. How's he going to ask her about that hug. The hug that's bothering him a lot. He was about to knock when the door opens and Asano stood face to face with Karma.

"Asano?" Karma twitches his eyebrows in annoyance.

Asano silently stares at an annoyed Karma, he turns back and bids farewell to Manami before leaving her apartment. Karma quickly steps inside and locks the door, surprising and startling Manami a little.

"Karma kun? Why are you locking the door?" Asks Manami.

"Okuda san, why was Asano here?" Asks a curios Karma.

Manami had never seen Karma this curious before.

"Heh?" Manami was genuinely surprised.

"Why did he come here?" He asks again.

"He came to give me some of his English notes." Answers Manami.

"Is that all?"

"Yes. But why do you ask?" Asks a surprised and little scared Manami.

"Nothing, I-I- I'm sorry." Karma apologizes seeing the startled and scared Manami.

He simply walks out of the apartment leaving Manami even more confused. She stares at the empty door for a while before brushing her mind off and beginning her work again.

"How stupid of me. Anyone would get scared if I'd approach them like that." He grunts in anger.

His plan to ask Manami had failed miserably, he just couldn't bring himself to ask her but he had something to do something about his uneasy feelings, so he decided that this time he'd confront the other person.

He knocks on Asano's door and waits for him to open it. Asano opens the door and was quite surprised to see Karma.

"Akabane? What is it?" Asks Asano.

"I need to talk to you."

"What is it?"

"Can we talk inside?"

A hesitant Asano invites Karma inside.

"So, what is it?" Asks Asano who didn't look very pleased at all.

"Do you- umm... Do you like Okuda san?" Asks Karma while stammering a little.

Asano looked confused with his question and gives Karma a very confused look.

"Huh?"

Karma looked flustered, he tried his best to bring out his uneasy feeling.

"I mean I saw you and Okuda san hugging that day and I was just thinking if you two-"

Asano understood everything, he stares at Karma before laughing his heart out, Karma couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

"So that's what you wanted to ask?" Asano couldn't stop laughing.

Asano laughs for a little bit more before regaining his composure again.

"Yes I like Okuda." Says Asano.

Karma was horrified hearing the words, they were the words he did not want to hear.

"Just not in the way you think." Adds Asano.

"What do you mean?" Asks a surprised and confused Karma.

"I'm very grateful to Okuda. She helped in getting more comfortable with the school, she helped me in getting back my parents back together and I really owe her a lot for that. I like her, as a friend."

Karma was relieved to hear Asano. He finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"Well it seems like you're the one who like Okuda, more than a friend." Says Asano.

Karma couldn't hide it.

"Yes. I like Okuda san, more than a friend. Maybe I've felt this way for her for a very long time. I just never seemed to realize it until now." Karma pours his heart out.

"Anyways I already knew about your feelings for Okuda." Adds Asano.

"Huh? How did you know that?" Asks an amused Karma.

"Isn't it obvious? The way you look at her, the way you talk to her, the way you don't like me or other guys to be near her. I thought you had already confessed to her."

"Am I that obvious? Tch." Grunts Karma.

"But you better tell her your feelings before someone else takes her away."

"Is there another guy?" Karma steps forward and steps close to Asano, almost stepping over him and looking more concerned than curious.

"Relax, there's nothing like that. I'm just telling you to do it as soon as possible before something happens. Geez you're such a kid in these situations."

An embarrassed Karma steps back and leaves the apartment but not before properly bowing and thanking Asano, surprising Asano as well.

Karma walks back to his apartment looking happy and determined to confess to Manami.

To be continued.....