A/N: HEY GUYS!!! Today's the 4th year anniversary of this fic and I thought I'd celebrate it by publishing a story-related chapter 😅
Sorry again for not updating!! I've just been feeling so unmotivated to write these last chapters cause I've been finding them quite difficult! I want a certain tone for the ending but no matter how much I rewrote it I didn't seem to capture it so I just ended up giving up and postponing it. It's so frustrating honestly because there are really only 3 or 4 chapters left (I swear this time it's true cause I have an ✨outline✨).
So yeah, here's the long-awaited, long delayed chapter 74. It's not perfect but I'm happy to have finally pumped it out. Sometimes you just gotta move on or you won't go anywhere 🥲
Though this time I won't make any promises on when I'll update next because I don't know if I'll be able to keep to my word so it's best if I just shut up lmaoo 😭
And now, a small game to make up for my unofficial hiatus 😂
You just got arrested and only have one call. Who are you calling out of these three: Akiro, Hanami, Leo
Results: Did you leave the cell?
Akiro -> You got a big scolding in front of all the police officers and cellmates who snickered behind your back. But ultimately, he bailed you out (though you were given the cold shoulder on the way home lol).
Hanami -> Bailed you out with 100% efficiency. You only had to wait there for like, 5 minutes before she arrived with all her lawyers. BUT, once you're out of earshot and there are no appearances to keep up, your life becomes a living hell for tarnishing her reputation.
Leo -> He doesn't pick up cause it turns out he's in the cell beside yours 😭 (he got arrested for trying to smuggle an animal from the zoo cause he, and I quote, "looked lonely").
So now that you got your results, on to the story!!!
(Karma's POV)
"Wait, wait!" Nakamura laughed maniacally. "Please repeat what Asano told you I just-" She wheezed. "I can't-"
Himura chuckled at the blonde's reaction, and proceeded to retell the day he met Asano.
"Damn I knew our President was a stick in the mud but to go that far." She continued laughing. "I swear if it had been me he would've received a-" she grinned wickedly, "let's say a light warning."
"Yeah, it took me a bit off guard too," Himura grimaced amusingly. "That's probably why we never really ended up clicking. I really didn't need another person in my life questioning my career choices." He joked.
"Well, if it makes you feel better, you're not the only one that had to deal with the jerk's remarks. Karma has had his fair share of experiences with that guy too." Nakamura winked at me.
"That square just doesn't know when to shut up." I shrugged nonchalantly.
"They've been 'enemies' since middle school." Nakamura explained, stifling a laugh at the word.
I rolled my eyes at her reaction. "I wouldn't really call him my 'enemy' cause that sounds pretty lame. He's just a guy that happens to be insufferable to talk to."
"He says that but he still wants to stay at Kunugigaoka." Nakamura whispered with a knowing smirk.
"Not gonna fight you on that one." I leaned back against the couch and made myself comfortable. "He makes for an interesting competition, and Kunugigaoka is the only school in the world where I can find challenges like that."
"Wait, hold on. You're academic rivals?" Himura frowned.
"Well if that's what you wanna call it, yeah." I shrugged. "Why? You thought we only fought with our fists?"
"Actually, yeah." He admitted as I simply raised my eyebrows.
Nakamura let out a bit of an awkward chuckle at this. "C'mon Karma, of course he's gonna think that after all the stories we told him."
"I know, and he's not wrong." I wasn't afraid to admit it. "But we actually called a truce."
"Really?" Himura's eyebrows arched in surprise. "You're not at each other's throats anymore?"
"I mean, we have played dirty in the past, but I told him I wanted our college years to be fair play. No foul play, no petty fights, you know?"
"Eh? Really? When did that happen?" Nakamura now blinked in perplexity. "Wait. Don't tell me that's why you teamed up!"
"No, it happened a few weeks after our fight. You know? When we were trying to find who had leaked the photo?"
"Ah yes, yes! When (Y/N) confronted Aoi and Nika."
"Nope, that was Hiroko she faced."
"Oh okay, oka-" Nakamura paused upon taking notice of Himura's confused face. "Right, sorry, I guess you're not caught up to speed."
"It's a bit embarrassing, but yeah." He grimaced.
Nakamura then proceeded to quickly explain it from the beginning. She started with Asano's blackmail and the mysterious text. She then moved on to our growing suspicions of Aoi, Nika, and Hiroko, only to find out the last girl wasn't even involved, and was actually Maiya who had taken the photo without realizing how much damage it would cause. She finally concluded the story with (Y/N) confronting the two girls at the graduation ceremony, and making peace with Hiroko.
"Wow, I-... I sure had a lot to catch up on..." Himura's silver eyes darted down to the coffee table.
"Don't worry, I also missed some things." Nakamura awkwardly tried to lighten the situation. "I think apart from (Y/N), only Karma was caught up to speed. Geez, at one point he even knew more than (Y/N)." She glanced at me with a teasing smile. "I still remember when he was texting me about Asano not being the culprit. I swear I was super confused cause one minute we were hating him, and the next one Karma was actually working with him."
"Huh?" Himura frowned at this last part. "But weren't you just fighting five minutes ago?"
"Yeah." I shrugged matter-of-factly, not seeing the problem.
Himura's brow furrowed even further, having trouble understanding this last part.
"He showed me proof that he wasn't the one who leaked the photo," I explained, a bit amused by how confused he looked throughout the whole explanation.
"Yeah, so Karma actually put his pride aside and teamed up with his most hated person, just to help his precious, little princess." Nakamura grinned mischievously as she exaggeratedly batted her eyelashes.
"Now, now, Nakamura. I'm not Sugino who you can tease endlessly about his love." I smiled darkly.
"Oh~ So you do admit it's 'love'~" Nakamura's smile resembled that of the Cheschire cat. "I thought you were too prideful to admit to those mushy feelings." Devil horns came out of her head.
"Well, at least I wasn't the one who hid her Valentine's chocolates cause she was too embarrassed to reveal who they were for." Matching horns came out of mine as she only chuckled darkly in response.
"Ah! Sorry for taking so long!" (Y/N) suddenly walked into the living room, a sheepish smile taking over her features as she placed the tray with the glasses on the coffee table.
"Where did you go to get the water? The Alps?" I returned back to normal and reached for a glass.
"Y-Yeah, something like that." She smiled awkwardly.
"Huh? Where's Akiro?" Nakamura now asked as she glanced at the door.
"He, uh... he forgot something in the car." (Y/N) nervously played with her bracelets. "So, what were you talking about?" She was quick to change the topic.
I didn't hear what was said next as I was too focused watching her.
My mercury eyes lingered on her face, silently taking in the way her smooth (S/C) skin complimented her red dress, and how that (H/C) hair of hers would gracefully follow her movements. I observed as her lips curved into a smile, one of those smiles that somehow always brought me a peace of mind. But this one was different. It didn't reach her eyes and brought with it a wave of sadness.
I frowned slightly. Did something happen?
My eyes then glanced down at her hands, where I saw her nervously playing with the silver bracelet I gave her on Christmas.
Yeah, something had definitely happened.
After a few minutes, Akiro soon appeared. He apologized for having disappeared and then took a seat on one of the chairs. Both siblings engaged in the conversation, and acted as if nothing had happened. They even happily interacted with one another, not once letting that facade show. It was a somewhat unsettling situation if I were to be honest. Though at the same time, it really shouldn't have surprised me since this was probably what they must've done so many times back at that house.
The spell, however, would break from time to time, as I would sometimes see (Y/N) momentarily glancing at Akiro. A pained look would wash over her features, but it only lasted a mere millisecond, before she forced herself to look away. Akiro, on the other hand, only looked once at her direction, and it was so brief, I barely managed to catch it. He was also pretty good at hiding what he was thinking, so I wasn't really sure if I saw correctly. But something was telling me he felt conflicted and... hurt maybe?
The conversation continued, and about an hour later, it was time to go home.
I boredly leaned against the wall, as I watched from a distance Nakamura and (Y/N) chat. 'Girl talk' Nakamura had called it.
My eyes then glanced at Kaori, who was also watching the two girls talk, back pressed against the wall too. It was just the two of us now, since Akiro was out on the terrace, talking on the phone.
I found myself smirking at the irony of the situation. We were alone once again. Guess the day had come full circle.
"You were right." Himura's voice suddenly broke the silence.
"About what?" I simply arched my eyebrows, eyes still glued up ahead.
"What you said about me trying to get as far away from (Y/N) as possible."
His words instantly grabbed my attention as I tore my gaze from the girls, and focused my attention on the silver-eyed boy.
I smirked. "Heh, who would've thought you'd actually admit it?"
He rolled his eyes. "I can see why (Y/N) fell for you."
"Huh?" That was the last thing I expected to hear, especially since there didn't seem to be any ill-intentions in his tone.
"Your straight-forwardness," he answered. "I think that's one of the things she likes about you."
"Are you tryna suck up to me or something?" I couldn't help but snort amusingly.
Himura didn't respond to my snark and simply shook his head. "No." His tone sounded rather dejected. "I was actually thinking..." He chewed on the inside of his cheek. "You know, Akabane? Now that I know about her family's appearances, I keep going back to our interactions, and... I see everything with different eyes."
"What do you mean?" My playfulness was instantly forgotten at the mention of (Y/N)'s family.
"Hanami..." he seemed to hesitate upon saying her name, "I've just now realized how her words have always carried a double meaning. She could be speaking to the both of us, but be saying completely different things."
I frowned slightly. "In what way?"
He pressed his head against the wall and looked up at the ceiling. "Mhm... I remember back when we were casted for the show, she told us, 'I knew you would do it'. It was reassuring for me. But for (Y/N)..." He now lowered his gaze. "It was Hanami's way of establishing her power, and reminding her she was the one calling the shots." He paused, closed his eyes, and sighed deeply. "Even that year that I lived with them is filled with those double meanings. Things like 'I'll be there for you every step of the way', or 'if you really want it, you just have to work harder'."
I didn't say anything in response and simply glanced at (Y/N) and Nakamura from a distance. Although (Y/N) had never shied away from talking about her relationship with Himura, I actually didn't know that much about the early stages of their friendship. Nor did I know much about that year Himura spent at the (L/N)'s.
"I think that's why (Y/N) really appreciates your straight-forwardness." Himura now opened his eyes and met my gaze. "You tell things as they are. You don't give her false hope, and... I guess that's what I should've done instead of jumping on a plane, and trying to get away from my problems." He couldn't help but let out a humourless chuckle.
I remained silent, quite stunned by the honesty he was showing me. From what (Y/N) had told me, and the things I had seen as an outsider, Himura had always beaten around the bush, and never faced the challenges head on. He never told (Y/N) how he felt until it was too late, he never came forward after ignoring her the whole summer, he didn't tell her about his plan to keep her in the end class, nor about his departure until the very last minute. But now... he had actually admitted to messing up.
"So you've finally decided to come forward, huh?" I finally said.
Just like last time, Himura had a confused look on his face, as he once again tried to figure out if I was being genuine or just simply mocking him.
"You know, Himura?" I decided to copy his sentence starter. "I too have something to confess."
"You do?" He couldn't look more confused if he tried.
"Uh-huh. I never really liked you." I shrugged.
"Well, that much is clear." He was about to roll his eyes, but eventually seemed to decide against it.
"Yeah, but believe it or not, it's not because of what you think." I pushed myself away from the wall and straightened up. "Sure I wasn't your fan before I even met (Y/N), and sure I sometimes disliked hearing her talk about you so much, but that's not why I didn't like you. I'm actually all for competition, take my 'rivalry' with that square as an example." I shrugged matter of factly. "But you see, what really pissed me off was the sudden one-eighty you did back in April."
"You do know (Y/N) wasn't fond of that act you put at the beginning, right?" I asked, though it was more of a rhetorical question. "So when you were nice again, she desperately clung onto the hope that you were in fact going back to that friend she knew. That's why she kept forgiving everything you did. She didn't want to lose you again for some reason." I tucked my hands inside my pockets. "It wasn't until she told me about her family, that I realized just where this need of having you so close came from." My voice suddenly lost all its playfulness. "Himura, you were the only real friend she had in that home."
The silver-eyed boy was completely silent as he averted my gaze.
"Of course it pissed me off having to see her always dragging herself for you," I continued. "The way you kept flipping from being her best friend, to simply ignoring her- Basically repeating that sudden change you did in April-" I scrunched up my nose in disgust. "It made me hate you even more. So yeah, you were right too. Those weren't just simple observations. I was actually trying to piss you off so I could see what you were made of."
Himura slowly nodded his head, eyebrows knitting in understanding as he processed my words.
"I get it," he said after a brief pause. "I already knew I had acted like a jerk back then, but... now I can see just how much damage I did that year." He pursed his lips.
"Yeah, that much is right." I shrugged in agreement. "But if there's one thing that octopus told me, is that sometimes, you just gotta lower your head, and admit you messed up. That's what you're doing now, aren't ya? Finally admitting to your mistakes, huh Kaori?" I teased mischievously and stuck out my tongue as he simply shook his head in disbelief.
Himura had been a cowardly friend to (Y/N), but it looked like he was finally manning up, and trying to fix his mistakes.
(Your POV)
"... and thanks for inviting me (Y/N)!" Nakamura squeezed you harder. "Really, you made my day."
You smiled sweetly, and hugged her tighter. "I should be the one thanking you for keeping the peace between those two." You joked.
Nakamura laughed. "It actually wasn't that difficult. Karma was pretty civil... Well, for a devil." She playfully stuck her tongue out.
You laughed with her. "So there really was no tension?"
"Oh, no, no, there definitely was." She shook her head. "Remember when we arrived? Geez, I did not envy Akiro at that moment." She shuddered comically.
"That's a shame, they looked like they were getting along." You pouted.
"It's all in the passive-aggressiveness, my dear (Y/N). But don't worry, I think they eventually found some common ground." She gave you a playful wink.
"I hope so, because they're talking right now." You pointed at the boys.
"Pfft- C'mon let's break them up before a fight ensues." Nakamura said just Karma suddenly stuck his tongue out to Kaori.
You sweatdropped comically. Ah geez! Just what could they have talked about?
"All done!" Nakamura loudly announced as the two of you approached the boys. "She's all yours now, Prince Charming." She sent Karma a teasing smirk, who responded by rolling his eyes.
"Well, if that's it then... Goodnight, princess." Karma now turned to you.
"Goodnight, Karma." You smiled softly.
"What? No kiss?" Your blonde friend grinned like a madman.
"Nakamura." You hissed as Karma simply laughed unbothered.
Kaori smiled fondly at Nakamura. "You know, you remind me of a friend."
"Heh, really?" Nakamura turned to the silver-eyed boy.
"So~" Karma now turned to you, since the other two were too busy talking now. "You want a goodnight kiss or is the princess too embarrassed?" He flashed you a teasing smile.
"R-Right now?" You blinked.
"No, in a few years if you'd like." He deadpanned.
"I mean-" You could feel the warmth starting to radiate from your cheeks. "I wouldn't mind, but everyone's watching and-"
Your rambling was cut short when you felt Karma's lips on your right cheek. But you weren't given any time to react since just as quickly as he had leaned in, he had now pulled away.
“No one saw us, don’t worry.” He winked as you blushed even harder. That tease!
"Oh, are you guys leaving now?" Akiro stepped out of the terrace, and approached the group.
"Yeah, thanks for the dinner and everything." Nakamura smiled. "I gotta go now, though. Don't wanna miss the bus." She looked down at her watch.
"I could drive you home if you want," your brother suddenly offered.
"Really?" Her eyebrows rose in surprise.
"I can take the three of you." He shrugged.
"Oh, don't worry about me." Kaori was quick to intervene. "I'm staying with a friend and he said he was on his way to pick me up."
"Okay then, uh, (Y/N) can keep you company and-" He motioned at Nakamura and Karma – "shall we?"
Akiro soon led the way and the other two followed behind.
"Bye!" Nakamura waved as she and Karma left the apartment.
You waved back, eyes lingering on their retreating figure as you watched them disappear into the elevator. Once they were out of sight, Kaori and you took a seat on the dining chairs as you waited for his friend to arrive.
It was a bit awkward being all alone with him. It had been over a month since you had seen each other face to face, and so much had happened since then. You didn't even feel the same (Y/N) from when he left, and you were sure something similar had happened to him.
"Hey, uhm... sorry again for having taken so long to come back." Kaori broke the silence as he nervously shuffled in his seat.
"Oh, It's okay, we already talked about it." You made sure to give him a reassuring smile. "I'm... also sorry for not keeping you up to date with this whole thing with my family. I can't imagine how weirded out you must've been when I told you I wanted to emancipate myself, only to abandon the idea just a few weeks later." You grimaced.
He chuckled a bit awkwardly. "Weirding me out should've been the least of your concerns, (Y/N). I can't imagine what you must've gone through in that house, especially after Akiro left."
The two of you stayed silent for a few seconds, not really knowing what else to say.
"So," you decided to break the ice, "who are you staying with?"
"Reo." He pursed his lips. "He's one of the boys you met at the party."
"I remember him." You slowly nodded your head. "He's very nice."
"Yeah, he is..." He awkwardly drummed his fingers against the table. "You know? He was actually the one to offer me to stay with him for a few weeks." He smiled fondly at his friend.
"A few weeks?" You frowned, a bit taken aback by the news. "Is something wrong with your house?" You now tilted your head to the side, as you tried to remember if he had ever mentioned something happening.
"No no, it's just that-..." He paused for a few seconds and seemed to think about it. As if he wasn't sure if he should tell you. "Uh, you see... I don't wanna go back to an empty house..."
"Oh..." You didn't know what else to say.
You remembered you used to envy Kaori for emancipating himself and being able to live on his own. But now that you had run away from your parents and were living with your brother, you couldn't imagine yourself doing what he had done. He must've felt so alone in such a big house...
'No wonder he used to drop by so often...' Your gaze lowered as you remembered all those times you had walked home, only to find him in the living room chatting with your mother.
"I'm sorry she wasn't who you thought she was." Your voice was barely a whisper.
"It's okay..."
Kaori and you had shared similar experiences. You had both been showered by your mother's love, you had both believed in her encouraging words and you had both felt the betrayal of realizing she was never coming back.
In a way, you were more like siblings than Akiro and you had ever been growing up. When you were sad, it was Kaori who consoled you. When there was a storm outside, it was you Kaori searched for. And when you longed for that parental love, it was your mother you both turned to.
"Do you miss her?" You couldn't help but ask.
Your question took the silver-eyed boy aback, and had him going quiet for a full minute, which gave you time to ask yourself if the question was actually meant for him... or yourself.
"Is it bad if I say I do?" He finally said as the corners of his lips twitched, and his eyes slowly glanced up at you. "She was just the first person to believe in my dream and... she was the only real parental figure I had in my life." He spoke softly. "I know, it's ironic after what she's done, but Hanami," his brows furrowed, "she really did make it easier to move on from my father, so I guess it makes it difficult to fully hate her." He sighed.
You didn't say anything, but it wasn't out of shock or outrage. But rather... understanding.
"I know that feeling..." You ended up whispering.
You already knew you had always missed the mother from your childhood. You missed that warmth that she used to embrace you with. Those encouraging words that she would say every time you failed at doing something. You missed those loving kisses on your cheek from when she would wish you goodnight after reading you a bedtime story.
And it seemed Kaori missed that mother too...
"You know... she wrote a letter a few weeks ago." You began to nervously fiddle with your bracelet. "That's actually why I brought it up."
"Oh, I see." He hummed. "It must've been hard reading it."
"Yeah, it just- It made me see her in a different light, and I guess I'm a bit confused now..."
"What did it say?"
Your gaze lowered and you could feel a lump forming in your throat. "Just some things about her past and...why she did the things she did..."
Kaori slowly nodded his head in understanding, but he didn't say anything. You couldn't blame him though. The news of your mother reaching out brought a lot of conflicting feelings.
"I get it." He finally whispered. "It's not easy having parents like that coming back into your life... "
His words were followed by a cold silence that had the two of you looking away, your minds invaded by the torments of your respective parents.
"Yeah, it's not easy..." You finally said with a tired sigh as you slumped in your chair. "I take it your father's still bothering you with his calls."
Kaori pursed his lips, and nervously glanced down at the ground. "Well, I-... I don't actually think of it as 'bothering' anymore."
Your brow furrowed at this. "Did something happen?"
He remained quiet for a few seconds, eyes downcast as he chewed on the inside of his cheek, clearly nervous to talk about it.
"You remember that night I reached out?" He finally sighed.
"Yeah, I couldn't sleep so it was nice having someone to talk to." You found yourself smiling softly.
Kaori returned the smile, though it soon fell as his brow now furrowed. "And do you remember how it was nearing the five year anniversary since we met?"
"I do remember you mentioning it..." You looked at him a bit weirdly, unsure of where he was going with this.
"Look, after you hung up..." He awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. "It got me thinking about the first time we met. We-... We were both stuck in a bad situation. I was trying to get away from my father, and you were trying to keep up with your family's appearances."
You remained silent this time, not really knowing what to say, or where he was going with this.
"And I guess it wasn't until that night I reached out, that I finally realized just how much you had grown and how little I had matured." He averted your gaze and looked down at his hands. "(Y/N), I've done nothing but run my whole life. From my father, your mother... from you..." He said this last part in a whisper, and for a brief second, you believed you saw that insecure boy you met five years ago.
"But you, you've faced all your problems. You didn't back away from the challenges, and even when you failed, you tried time and time again." He met your gaze. "In a way, you inspired me and-... and I guess that's why I ended up picking up my father's calls."
"Wh-What!?" Your eyes had gone wide open at this confession, mouth parting slightly as you stared right at him, trying to figure out if he was kidding or not.
"Yeah, and it wasn't all that bad."
"But Kaori, you shouldn't have picked up," you managed to stammer, heartbeat increasing. "I-I never intended for you to face him."
"I know, but I felt it was time I finally did something about it."
"A-and what did he say? What did you do?" You began to panic.
This hadn't been the first time Kaori had answered his father's calls. You remembered three years ago, he had received those same calls. After a lot of mulling it over, he ended up picking it up, but instantly regretted it. They barely even talked but he had freaked out so much that he had then had to call your mother to calm him down.
His eyes now darted down to the table. "It wasn't like his other calls. He-... He wasn't asking for anything."
"Really?"
"Yeah, he was only calling to let me know that-" he paused, and took a deep breath, "well, he had gotten his life on track."
"Y-Your father?" You couldn't help yourself from stuttering, this being the last thing you expected.
"I couldn't believe it either," he admitted. "I never expected someone like him to actually seek help and recover. But you see, he-.... Well, three years ago, he hit rock bottom. He got fired and was even kicked out of the apartment. So he had to take some odd jobs here and there to make it through. He was pretty transparent, you know? He even admitted he resented me since I stopped picking up his calls and helping him."
Kaori then paused, and stayed silent for a few seconds.
"But then last year, he was walking down the streets late at night, and he stumbled upon an electronic store that was broadcasting an interview I did." He nervously shuffled on his seat. "He said that realizing everything I had accomplished, and then seeing himself in that lonely street-... Well, it finally opened his eyes. So for the first time," Kaori paused to take a deep breath, "for the first time in his life he sought help."
"Kaori that's-" You were at a loss for words. "I had no idea."
"Me either. Imagine my surprise when I found out." He let out an awkward chuckle in hopes of relieving the tension. "He even admitted it was the most difficult year of his life. That more than once he had considered quitting. But he managed to pull through and slowly started recovering."
Kaori spoke softly, eyes sometimes meeting yours as he narrated what had happened with his father.
He looked very different to those other times he had mentioned him. There was no resentment in his voice, no fear nor anger. But he wasn't speaking fondly either. His tone was just... accepting of what had happened.
"He was being genuine and very honest throughout the whole conversation. He even confessed that back then, he wasn't ready to be a father. Him and my mom had me when they were way too young and it took a toll on their relationship, which led to her leaving us. So he apologized for how unstable he had been when I was growing up, and told me that he wouldn't bother me any more and would let me finally move on. He just wanted to say goodbye," he concluded with a shrug that was trying to look unbothered.
You didn't say anything at first, still trying to process everything that was happening today. You just had so many things in your mind. First your brother going back to your father, and now Kaori picking up his father's calls. Plus the fact that he even seemed glad to have done so. Just what was happening?
"Kaori I-... I honestly don't know what to say," you said truthfully. "I know it must've been difficult finding out the truth about my mother, and I can understand if that's what made you yearn for a relationship with your father. But when I said it was normal to want a family, I never intended to push you into facing him..." You gulped.
"Don't feel guilty about it." He shook his head. "You didn't force me into doing anything. I actually listened to your advice, and what you told me about being mindful and not letting myself get distracted by my wish for a family-... It really helped in keeping my mind clear."
"Really?" You meekly looked up.
"Yeah, (Y/N), it was my decision, and yeah, it was a stupid one. If he hadn't recovered and was just like the father I left five years ago, I do believe that right now, I would definitely be regretting picking up." He grimaced. "But in the end-" He sighed. "In a way, I guess I was fortunate that he changed, and I was able to finally get closure. I know not everyone is lucky enough to close that chapter."
You remained silent at his confession. You were glad that in the end you hadn't pushed him into doing something he didn't want. But you were still trying to wrap your head around everything he had just told you.
"And you know?" He interrupted your train of thought. "I know it's no use trying to change what already happened, but I really regret having fled every time things got complicated. I'm not talking about my father anymore," he nervously rubbed the back of his neck, "but about ignoring you all those times you only wanted to talk things through."
Your gaze went down to your own hands as you realized you had absent-mindedly been playing with your silver bracelet this whole time. Your lips pursed into a straight line, as your eyes lingered on the crescent moon charm.
"But believe it or not, (Y/N)-chan, it's good to have regrets from time to time, because it means you're learning."
You closed your eyes as you allowed Koro-sensei's words to echo inside your head. That was one of the many life-long lessons he had taught you and you carried it very close to your heart. It was the lesson that had finally allowed you to feel regrets with no remorse. It had allowed you to stop beating yourself up for your mistakes, and to start focusing on bettering your future.
You smiled fondly at his memory and opened your eyes to stare into Kaori's silver ones. "It's okay Kaori. You don't have to keep bringing this up. I know you're sorry."
The boy exhaled softly, as that huge weight was finally lifted off him. The corners of Kaori's lips slowly started to curve into a smile, that smile of his that you had not seen in so long. It was his real smile, not the one he used for the cameras, and it brought a nostalgic feeling with it as it reminded you of all those times you had spent together before he became famous.
You couldn't help but be affected by his contagious smile and soon found yourself doing the same thing, as you savoured this moment that had taken you so long and so many tears to reach. You were content with how things had turned out. You no longer wanted things to go back to how they used to be before the fame. You no longer longed for a past you knew would be impossible to go back to. Instead, you had learnt to accept that fame had changed the two of you, for better and for worse. So now, the only thing left was to look forward to a future that shone brightly ahead of you.
As if on cue, the downstairs doorbell rang, putting an end to the conversation. The two of you slowly got up from the dining table as you walked him to the entrance. Just as Kaori was about to walk through the door, he came to an abrupt stop, and turned around.
"Oh, and I get why you like him now."
"Huh?" You blinked.
"Karma, I mean." He laughed slightly. "He's a bit strange with his methods and doesn't bother to sugar-coat things, but he's very honest and seems to care a lot about you."
You were at a loss for words, mouth slightly parted, as you stared right into his silver eyes. What?
"Well, thanks for having me." Kaori opened the door and waved you goodbye.
A/N: Hey guys! As a final note I just wanted you to know that either tomorrow or the next day I'll be publishing a special chapter. But I won't be doing it in this book cause it's getting a bit too crowded lol.
I've actually published a new book called "Appearances one-shots" (it's on my profile already). I'll be publishing AUs, one-shots, outline ideas (like the format of the 'Monster AU') and some unofficial-official chapters. These last ones being moments of the story that happened but weren't shown on-page. Think of it as filler. It will help understand characters and further relationships but it won't change the story's outcome. You're just taking the scenic route XD
The reason I'm doing this book is because I was thinking about what I'll do once the story's finished. I'm not sure if I'm ready to commit to another long project like this one since I'd rather take a break and have fun writing whatever (things that aren't heavily plot-related, you know?).
So I realized what I would most like is to continue to play with these characters but in AUs and scenarios and stuff like that. I have a lot of rough drafts on ideas I never ended up finishing but would like to revisit.
E.g.:
(Plot related ones)
- Leo's backstory and his POV during Akiro's study abroad
- Reader and Akiro's sibling bond (ahem ahem competition) as children
- Hanami and Rui when they were pregnant with Akiro and somewhat happy
- Karma finding out about Reader dating Kaori (during the fake dating arc)
(And then for the AUs and scenarios that I mentioned a long time ago)
- Commoner!Hanami x Prince!Rui
- Reader x Karma Soulmate AU. Whatever you write on your skin shows up on your soulmate's skin too.
- Angel!Reader x Devil!Karma. Where each human is assigned a devil and an angel to guide them in their life. Karma and Reader find themselves being paired up to help their human, Nagisa, who unfortunately has to hear them bicker and flirt with each other 24/7
Oh, and I'll also include the special chapters that are already in this book.
So let me know if you'd be interested in reading this new book cause I'm really excited to add to it!
Oh and make sure to add it to your libraries so you'll be notified when I update the special celebratory 4 year anniversary chapter lol!!