Prologue
I’m Karman Lowell. I’m seventeen years old and my birthday is June 7th. I used to attend a public school in America but have been sent here to Japan to study at Ashford Academy against my will. Sort of like a reform school. Really I think my parents just can’t stand the sight of me so they sent me here while they stay in America far, far away from me.
It’s fucked up like everything else about my life. Now that I go an all boys private school and live on my own on the money that my parents send me and paying for schooling. Rich assholes cut me out. I get no mail or letters saying that they miss me, I only get the checks they send in the mail monthly. No phone calls, though I never bother to call them or write anyway. As far as I can tell I could care less. I can get by on my own, I don’t need them.
Chapter one: Breaking down walls
“Did you hear about the new American student?” a boy gossiped to his friends. They nodded. One smirked.
“Yeah, heard he doesn’t know much Japanese either!” he scoffed. The other boys chuckled.
“How the hell did he even get into this school? His grades aren’t there!” another said scornfully.
“Didn’t you hear you twat! He’s the only son of the Lowell family” he sneered.
“Figures! Money talks!” the group of boys suddenly shut there mouths when the source of there gossip walked into the classroom a distasteful look burdening his face. Said boy was slender with fair skin. He wore a dark brown Long sleeve shirt with three small white buttons on the collar which were left unbuttoned. He then wore snug light gray skinny jeans with and black boots. Both of his ears were pierced several times, his unruly hair was a light reddish brown that fell around his handsome face and azure eyes. The student stood in the doorway holding his bag over his left shoulder with his one finger, his eyes glanced around the room before landing on the gaggle of male students that stared at him.
The red head have then a scornful look like he had just eaten something distasteful. He had been here for almost a month and still he could tell he was the talk of school. Of coarse with his record he probably would be for a time to come.
The group of boys sneered at him causing Karman to glare at them before taking a step towards the students.
“If..” he began getting there attention. They looked at him still smirking. The red head smirked in return a fierce look in his azure iris’s. “You got something to say I suggest you say it to my face, or do you plan to continue to whisper among yourselves like a couple of girls?” he sneered. The group of boys glared at him both scared and anger like what did he say? One of the boys a second year quickly stood up in his seat the chair tipping backwards and hitting the floor with a loud crash.
“What! You want to pick a fight!” the second year snapped at him. Karman smirked something almost insane like he had found this extremely amusing.
“Sure, Got nothing better to do, I could use some light exercise” he explained causing the boys to growl at him. Unfazed he continued pointing light at the boys the same feral look on his face. “But I don’t have that much free time on my hands so why don’t you all come at me at once”
“You fucking asshole!” another student snapped standing up.
“Must you idiots fight over the stupidest things?” a calm voice asked. Karman looked over his shoulder seeing another slightly shorter student then himself standing behind him. Said boy had fair skin and brown eyes. His unruly hair was a light gray. The boy wore a snug brown t-shirt with white decaled beast on the front, forest green cargo pants and a lopped belt.
“Mr. president” the group swallowed. Karman glared at him over his shoulder. The student council president folded his arm over his chest an indifferent look on his face.
“Fighting on school campus is against school policy” he muttered. Karman smirked in return.
“Hmmm? Is that so?” with no warning he swung his arm around his fist clenched tight, the attack was caught in a firm grip by his wrist.
“Yeah that is so” The small boy perked. Karman’s eyes widened. “I’m guessing that you must be the student from America, Karman Lowell” Karman glared at him in return his wrist still being held tightly by the boy. With no warning a fist was thrown catching Karman in the side of his mouth his wrist in return was released so he could fall backwards into the desks. The students who once gathered there had no better then to stay and backed up a while ago. Karman laid on table connected desks before sitting up whipping the blood from the corner of his mouth.
“Thought you were against fighting on campus?” The red head sneered, the student council president raised his fist his knuckles were red from hitting him before.
“Let that be a lesson to you” he answered before turning and waking away and leaving the classroom. Karman frowned and sat up glancing over at the gaggle of boys across from him.
“Hey Jerk off” he began. “Who as that?” he finished rudely.
“That was Mr. president. Head of the student council Ya Shura Nora” the one boy spat. “He’s the only son of the prestigious Ya Shura family, the top of our school” Karman let a depressed look burden his handsome face. He was the same as him, a family that expected so much from him. He had the same problem when he lived with his father, nothing he ever did was good enough. That was why he was here instead of at home.
* * *
It was late at night sometime around twelve at night. Karman walked around the empty park around his apartment building. He never could really sleep very well at night. He could only fall asleep if he was dead tired and walking for hours around this park did the trick. It was chilly out tonight so he had put on a dark red hooded sweater the same clothes he had worn in school hidden underneath his sweater. He walked around with his translator in his hand studying his Japanese to pass the time.
“Hey! Get back here!” he heard some one yell. Karman looked up indifferently.
“Huh?..a fight maybe” he thought aloud. The red head stopped by a large hedge on the side of the path listening to the voices yelling from the other side. That was when a boy fell through the hedge tackling him by mistake. Karman fell backwards with the boy on top of him hitting his head hard on the stone walk way. “Ouch!” he whined his eyes easing open painfully to see the boyish face of Nora Ya Shura. “Nora?” he questioned. Said boy glared at him.
“Don’t call me by my first name like you know me!” he snapped. There was suddenly a rustling in the bushes from behind them causing Nora to whip around to see the rustling of the bushes in the darkness. “Run!” he yelled grabbing Karman by his collar and dragging him to his feet as he stumbled into a running pace.
“Hey!” Karman yelped as he was drug along leaping into another hedge by the path ducking down to hide. The two hid in the bushes quietly peering through the small gaps in the leaves. They saw two men’s legs run in front of the bushes not facing the hedge but each other instead.
“Where’d he go!” one man snapped.
“He must have gone that way hurry up!” the two men then suddenly took off leaving them alone. The two teens then stopped holding there breathe and waited a while until the coast was clear. Karman fell out of the bushes dragging himself out covering in tiny cuts and scratches on his face from the branches.
“Ow damn” he swore feeling the burning scrape on his face, looking at his finger tips he saw a thin stream of blood. Nora fallowed brushing himself off as well after more calmly exiting the hedge. He to was covered in cuts on his arms and face, though one mark on his right check bone looked fresh and wider then the other on his arms. Karman sat on the ground glaring up at Nora. The gray haired boy looked down at him.
“What?” he questioned. Karman stood up getting in his face clearly angry.
“Oh nothing It’s just I still owe you a punch in the face and another for dragging me around and throwing me in a bush is all” he growled. Nora had a stoic look on his face.
“Really? Then hit me tuff guy” he said in English this time. Karman was taken back by his smooth answer in his own mother tongue.
“You know English?” he questioned. The gray haired teen sighed putting his hands in his pockets.
“Of coarse I do, don’t insult me” he muttered. The red head snorted and back up away from him looking around to make sure those guys didn’t come back.
“Who were those guys chasing you anyway?” he asked slightly curious. Nora made a face at him before smirking.
“Curious?” he pressed. Karman’s eyes narrowed on him.
“Not to much. Just a question” he answered truthfully. Nora then smirked again.
“Oh! Then you were trying to start a conversation with me then?”
“No!” Karman defended. “Don’t misjudge me but I’m not good with awkward silences I hate the quite air” he muttered. The gray haired boy smiled slightly. The blood from his cut cheek ran down his face in a slightly think flow. Karman looked at it just as the smaller boy moved his hand up to rub the blood away. The red head caught his wrist before he could do such a thing. “Don’t rub it!” he ordered. Nora’s eyes widened at his reaction. Karman noticed the surprised look and quickly let go looking awkwardly away from him. “I mean…it’ll get infected” he mumbled. Nora let his hand fall to his side letting the blood slide freely.
“Your right I guess I forgot” he admitted. Karman stood dealing with the awkward silence for a while pursing his lips before broke the calm air.
“You never did answer my question?” he pointed out. Nora sighed in reaction.
“It has nothing to do with you” he muttered. Karman looked back to him now seeing that Nora was staring at the ground his milky brown eyes avoiding his own. The unabashed look of longing on his face. Karman would never understand this kid, but in a way he did. Cause in a way there were alike. “Well I guess I’ll be going” Nora mumbled as he turned to walk away. Though before he could get very far he felt a hand on his shoulder he looked up at Karman with a confused look.
“Those guys are still after you right…it’s not safe for you to be running around at night” he mumbled.
“What’s your point?” Nora questioned. Karman sighed.
“Stay over night at my place till morning” he answered now finally looking at him. Nora’s eyes widened slightly.
“But..I have school tomorrow and so do you” he mentioned.
“If that’s all your worried about then I don’t see why not” Karman pointed out. “You can barrow clothes from me” he added. Nora nodded and was lead home by Karman.
* * *
Karman and Nora entered the apartment, it was very small with only a living room, a bathroom. And a small kitchen. Karman closed the door behind him and walked into the living room shedding his sweater and tossing it aside. Nora stood there looking around the darkness of the apartment. “Where’s the bed room?” he asked curiously.
“Don’t have one” Karman informed him. Nora made a face.
“Then where do you sleep?” Karman took off his shirt tossing it aside as well he pointed over at the couch.
“It folds into a bed” he mused. Nora nodded watching as Karman reached under the couch pulling out a large comforter and two pillows setting them on the coffee table. “Move that will ya” he asked motioning to the coffee table. Nora nodded and walked over grabbing the table and pushing it up against the far wall away from the couch. The red head then pulled a suitcase out from under the bed opening it and drawing out a pair of sweat pants and shoving the case back under the bed. He then finished changing taking off his pants and putting on the sweat pants then turning to the couch shirtless. Karman then began yanking the couch apart tossing the cushions aside and grabbing the metal frame of the couch and easily pulling it up.
Nora watched his muscles flex in the light of the moon the creped through the crakes in the window blinds as he pulled up the frame of the couch to turn it into a bed. Karman pulled out the legs before setting it down having the couch now a bed. It seemed like a lot of work just to go to bed. But he looked used to it. The red head then grabbed the pillows and the single comforter of the coffee table and throwing them in place on the bed.
Karman then walked towards another door disappearing behind it and returning with what looked like a first aid kit. He sat Nora down on the coffee table and sat next to him and began patching up the cuts and cleaning his wounds. He then closed the kit and tossed it aside again, he then looked over his shoulder at Nora. “Well are you just going to stand there or get undressed?” he questioned. Nora nodded quietly and kicked off his shoes then removing his brown t-shirt leaving his cargo pants in place. Karman watched him in return as he stood half naked in the light before him. The red head then shook his head and crawled under the covers resting his head on a pillow patting the pillow next to him.
“You want me to sleep in the same bed as you?” he questioned. Karman sighed.
“It’s either you share a bed with me or you can sleep on the floor your choice” he muttered yawning. In reaction he felt the bed droop and creak as Nora crawled into bed next to him pulling the cover over his body. The two laid in bed on there sides facing away from each other. This was unexpected to see the Karman lived alone in a rundown apartment building, even with his families name he would have never expected him to live like this. Nora inhaled the scent of the bed and pillow then he laid on, it had a musky smell to it. It smelled like Karman. He felt an thankfully unseen blush creep up on his face. He was sleeping in Karman’s bed with said boy laying next to him. And for some reason it felt comfortable.
* * *
It was early morning the birds were chirping loudly outside the window, the light from the sun pierced through the blonds landing upon the two figures of the boys in the bed. The two teens lay tangled in the covers now both of them facing each other there fore heads close to each other. Karman’s face twitched before he opened his eyes lazily. He sat up in the bed yawning and scratching his head. The red head then glanced around the room before looking down at the place next to him on the bed. There Nora slept still curled up with the covers. Karman couldn’t help but smile slightly before laying back down on his side shaking Nora gently. “Hey. Get up” he mumbled. Nora’s eyes cracked open slightly before he looked up at Karman. He grumbled something inaudible before pushing himself up on the bed rubbing his eyes.
“Wha-time is it?” he mumbled. Karman climbed out of bed throwing the covers over Nora’s head.
“Time for you to get up” Karman answered. In response Nora threw the blanket off himself and crawled out of bed. Karman reached back under the bed pulling out the suitcase of clothes he yanked out some clothes for him and Nora tossing him some clothes. “Put these on” he ordered. Nora caught the clothes and nodded to begin changing in the living room along with Karman. Both standing at opposite sides of the bed there backs to each other. Karman changed into a pair of darker blue skinny jeans and shoes with a plain black t-shirt. He glanced over his shoulder watching as the unknowing Nora changed out of his pants putting on the darker gray skinny jeans with black flower decals on the right pant leg. He then slide the snug black long sleeve shirt on over his frame. The two boys then brushed there teeth and fixed them sleeves in the bathroom. Karman then pulled on a dark green jacket leaving it unzipped grabbing keys off the table and heading for the door waiting for Nora. The gray haired teen fixed his hair before pulling on his shoes and walking with him out the door leaving the bed and covers laced with there scent to burn in the suns rays.
The two walked down the stairs exiting the apartment building into the morning air. Karman lead the way to the parking lot walking up to a dark blue Suzuki sitting in the lot. Nora stopped there as Karman mounted the bike and prepared to start it up. “So this is what you get around in?” Nora questioned. Karman smiled at him.
“Sure. Why you scared of bikes?” he asked chuckling. Nora scowled at him walking over towards the bike to get on the back.
“Idiot” he mumbled. Karman started the bike and it roared to life trembling beneath them. Nora coiled his arms around Karman’s waist as the red head put on a pair of sunglasses before grasping the handles of the bike.
“Hang on tight!” he yelled over his shoulder. Nora nodded against his back. The bike then stormed out of the lot screaming down the road towards the school. Nora buried his face in the red heads back his eyes widen open watching the scenery fly past them and smear together. But as if only riding for a few minutes they had already reached the lot of the school. The curious looks of onlookers and students stopped and stared as they pulled into parking space near the school entrance. Karman took off his glasses and stuck them in his coat pocket before dismounting his bike. The red head then turned helping Nora off the bike as well.
“You seem to attract a lot of attention” Nora pointed out. Karman chuckled.
“And you say it like it’s a bad thing” he mused taking the keys and jingling them in Nora’s face before stowing them in his pockets and walking away. Nora fallowed him picking up the pace to fallow beside him.
“You know that neither of us brought our things” Nora asked. Karman nodded smiling.
“I knew I had forgotten something!” he beamed. Nora shook his head and fallowed him. He then stopped and looked at the floor with a conceded look on his face. Karman looked over his shoulder at him a stoic expression. “Hey how about I give you ride on the bike later?” he asked. Nora looked up at him with a confused expression.
“What?” Karman rolled his eyes.
“yes or no it’s not that hard” Nora nodded smiling a genuine smile.
“Thank you I’d like that very much” Karman felt lighter for a second at his unbiased expression of happiness. And for a moment he felt greedy and wanted to be the only one who could make him smile like that. But he knew that that would in any likely hood would never happen there would always be someone who could make him smile like that. And Karman knew he looked better smiling like that, he felt his heart flutter for a moment and in a sense he had fallen for Nora Ya Shura.
“How about after school?” he asked hopeful that he would say yes. Nora smiled brighter nodding at him the pure and charismatic look of happiness on his face.
“Yeah after school” he answered before he was suddenly crowded by other members of the student council. Karman smiled to himself as he left the hallway feeling lighter then usual. Like a huge load had been lifted no longer keeping him pinned to the floor allowing him to stand up tall. He must have had a very different expression his face because he noticed some teachers and students look at him with a surprised expression. He must have looked happy. And the word happy was strange for him, let alone the feeling but there was nothing wrong with it and he now longed to always feel like he was walking on air. And Nora just might have been the key.
* * *
Karman stood leaning against his bike waiting for Nora and for some reason he didn’t show up. He felt his heart sink with every passing moment. He felt betrayed by Nora, he was angry for a moment but then felt more sad then pissed. He sighed and was ready to leave after waiting a while when he noticed Nora walking with two other men in black suits leading him off the school grounds towards a black limo parked in front of the school. They walked right by him and Nora glanced at him his face becoming confused like he was surprised that Karman had waited that long for him.
One of the men opened a door to the limo for Nora to climb in. Karman glared stepped behind them on the path. “Nora!” he snapped. The men stopped and turned to him along with Nora. The red haired boy walked up to Nora looking a bit angry. “Whose then men in bla-” the men stepped in front of Nora blocking the path between the two. Karman glared at them.
“Get out of my way” he growled.
“Karman” Nora mumbled. The men glared down at him, one of them reaching into the inside of his coat for something. Karman ignored the men.
“Please back away boy” one of them warned. Karman glared at them.
“Fuck you. I’m not hear to talk to you” he snapped at them. Just as he did he watched one of the men pulled a stun gun, clicking a button. “Eh?” he questioned as the man jabbed it at him, he dodged it, the stun gun grazing his side but it still hurt like hell. He held his side painfully crouching on the ground.
“Last warning kid back off”
“Karman I’ll be fine these men work for my father” he mumbled. Karman glared at the men before forcing himself up.
“Shut up before I kick your ass. Get out of my way” he growled once more. “Move now before I get angry okay” the guards snarled and the one man jabbed the stun gun at him again. He swiftly knocked it away with his left arm, the one man gasped as it fell clattering to the floor. Karman quickly scoped it up tossing it cockily in his hand. “Told you so..” he jeered confidently. The two men glared at him. Nora’s eyes widened. Karman just might be able to win here. The men came at him and Karman used the stun gun on the one mans stomach holding it there and hitting the button holding it in. When the other man came at him from behind he smirked looking over his shoulder and putting the stun gun under his armpit pointing it at the man, the mans eyes widened as he to was hit with the stun gun. Nora stood flabbergasted as the two men fell leaving Karman alone with that damned smirk on his face and the stun gun in his hand. Nimbly he tossed the gun around in his hand.
“What? I promised you a ride didn’t I?” he mused. Nora smiled warmly at him that same perfect look of satisfaction.
“Yeah you did” he mused, Karman extended his free hand to him and hesitantly it was taken by Nora.
“I’m hungry lets go get something to eat” Karman added smiling.
“Same! I’m starving” Nora admitted as the two walked happily to the motorbike.
Chapter two: Reaching the other side
Karman sat curled up on the couch on his notebook a board expression on his face. The coffee table sat in front of the couch holding warm drinks of chocolate. Nora laid out stretched on the floor with a few open books around him and a notebook and a pencil in his hand as he wrote and took notes. Karman wore a warm dark red turtle neck and gray skinny jeans and gray socks. Nora wore a snug emerald turtle neck with black skinny jeans and white socks. Nora sighed when his pencil tip became dull. “I need a sharper tip” he bemused dully. Karman tossed a pencil from the table to him and went back to working on his computer. He was then hit with the same pencil in the forehead.
“I already have a pencil you idiot, I just need to sharpen this one” Karman rubbed his forehead sneering at Nora.
“Then why’d you ask me for a pencil?” he snapped.
“I didn’t! I was talking to myself!” Nora yelled back. Karman rolled his eyes.
“Oh and that’s normal” he scoffed. Nora sighed closing his books and sliding them under the coffee table before heading over to kitchen to make something to eat.
“I’m going to get something to eat you what something?” Nora asked. Karman smirked and fallowed Nora into the kitchen coming up behind him, he stood in the doorway watching as the slightly smaller boy stood before the fridge with the door hanging wide open as he search through the contents of the fridge. He picked through the leftover food from take out nights. Mostly pizza. Nothing healthy like a normal teen should be having. He looked back into the fridge finding more pizza with weird looking mold on the top “Karman!” he snapped at him. Karman looked up at him lazily his hands in his pockets causally.
“Hmm?” he asked.
“Don’t you ‘Hmm’ me! What the hell is this!?” Nora yelled holding up the discussing pizza.
“Hmm, Pizza with mold on it why?” Nora chuckled the pizza at his head hitting him square in the face.
“Idiot! Don’t you throw food away!” he yelled. Karman kicked the pizza across the floor and left it go.
“Yeah. I do” he answered. Nora crossed his arms over his chest an annoyed expression on his face.
“This fridge is disgusting! Not to mention judging by it’s contents I’d have to say you order out a lot” he sighed turning back the fridge and cleaning out all of the spoiled food which was half of the fridges contents.
“Yeah, so?” Karman brushed it off. Nora sighed.
“So. You need to eat healthy! All this pizza can’t be good for you” he replied. The red head scratched the back of his head sighing.
“Yeah well I’m not exactly a very good cook, in fact I don’t even know how to use a stuv” he answered.
“It’s a stove not a stuv.” Nora pointed out tying up the trash bag to keep the smell inside. He then pushed the fridge door closed with his heel putting his hands on his hips. “If you take me to the store I can get some things and make you dinner sound good?” the gray haired teen pressed. Karman sighed and pushed himself off the thresh hold of the doorway.
“Sure, sure” he sighed grabbing his jacket and taking a seat on the coffee table to get his shoes on. Nora did the same tying his shoes then standing up straight pulling on his black trench coat with a wide raised collar similar to that of a tunic. The coat had white fur on the hems of the coat fitting snugly over his form. Karman’s jacket was simple just a gray coat with white fur on the hoods hem. He grabbed his keys and opened the door adverting behind him just as Nora grabbed his wallet and headed with him out the door.
* * *
Nora skimmed along the shelves carrying a shopping basket. His cheeks were rosy from the bike ride here, not exactly the warmest way to get to the store but Karman had no other vehicle. Karman fallowed behind him dragging his feet scratching the back of his head catching the looks of some girls who giggled at him. Probably for shopping with a boy. The red head sighed and looked ahead of him seeing that Nora had picked a can of something off the shelves. “Eww I hate pickled cabbage” he complained. Nora stopped and looked at him placing the can back on the shelf.
“Then what DO you like?” he snapped.
“Big macs” Karman answered simply. Nora sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Those are okay every now and then, but you need to eat healthier food too” he argued. Karman made a face.
“But healthy food tastes gross” the red head interjected. The gray haired teen turned away from him and began looking through the shelves again.
“Your eating what ever I feel like making” Karman sighed and kicked his foot of the hard surface of the floor. “You coming? If you don’t watch me carefully I might get something you don’t like” Karman jogged up to catch up to him, his pace slowing once he reached him. “What about beats?” he asked picking up a small can of beats. Karman shook his head no. Nora and sighed and put it back and moved on. The red head looked down into the basket seeing that Nora had filled it with some items he hadn’t seen him pick up.
“What that?” he asked childishly bending over the basket slight and pointing to one of the food contents in the basket.
“Eh? Oh burdock spaghetti” Nora answered. Karman made a face at the name. “It’s good trust me! Don’t give me that look!” he snapped. Karman sighed and left it go. The two shopped around for a while after a while Karman had given in and agreed to at least trying pickled cabbage and the healthier foods. As a reward Nora promised to make desert dumplings with dinner much to Karman’s delight. The two looked over some filing for the sweets. “What kind of fruit do you like?” Nora asked.
“I like strawberries” he answered. Nora picked up a few cans of strawberry filling.
“But strawberries are bitter” Nora pointed out. Karman shook his head smiling taking the cans from him.
“Eaten raw they are, but if you make them into a jam or something like that with the right ingredients they can be really sweet like chocolate” he mused. Nora pursed his lips at him.
“I hate chocolate” Karman’s eyes widened.
“No way!” he yelled loudly catching the attention of the other shoppers.
“Inside voices please Karman” Nora sighed. Karman continued freaking out despite the fact that people were staring, some mothers were steering there children away from the sight.
“How can you not like chocolate! It’s the best! It sweet and tangy!” he argued. Nora once more pinched the bridge of her nose.
“Okay first off look up the meaning of the word tangy before you use it again, second it’s far to sweet and it rots my teeth” the gray haired teen argued. Karman grabbed his shoulder and dragged him down the aisle towards the candy aisle thou he protests mildly by refusing to fallow. Thou his protests were ignored and he was dragged along anyway, Karman stopped before a row of candy bars adverting and smiling at Nora.
“What are you waiting for pick on up” he urged motioning to the candy. The gray haired teen made a face at him pursing his lip at him.
“I told you I hate chocolate…” he informed him again when a colorfully wrapped candy bar was held up inches from his face, he looked at the treat blinking before looking beyond at the reed head holding it.
“Come on! Everyone likes chocolate” he bribed. Nora pushed the hand holding the candy out of his face his usual emotionless look burdening his boyish face.
“Not me” he reminded him. Karman sighed and ran his hand through his hair.
“So not fair, I’m trying the food I hate and you won’t even try chocolate” he pointed out waving the chocolate in his face.
“Well life sucks that way” Nora said simply moving to walk away with the basket of food still hanging off his arm. Karman tossed the candy bar back on the shelves and fallowed him scratching the back of his head idly. The two walked to the self check out counter seeing Nora scan a credit card.
“HEY!” Karman snapped. Nora looked to him with a mild expression raising a elegant eyebrow at his loud friend. “don’t pay for stuff for me!” the red head yelled. Nora chuckled.
“You flip out over everything” he pointed out picking up the bags of food and walking away. Karman chased after him still shouting and catching attention from the other shoppers. The gray haired teen merely walked out the doors with the seething Karman chasing after him.
* * *
Karman sat on the couch in a rather laid back manner grumbling to himself about how stupid Nora was. The latter was currently in the kitchen cooking the food he had promised for Karman, the red haired teen glanced up occasionally staring holes into Nora’s back. Finding himself swallowing and biting his tongue. Lately he had been experiencing feels foreign for Nora who he had considered his friend. And unusually he found himself thinking about Nora almost every second of the day and he’d be much happier when he was with Nora. He felt like he could himself around Nora Ya Shura. The American boy sighed and laid his head back on the head rest of the old couch.
Thou he knew he valued his friendship with Nora more then anything, and if that meant he’d have to lock up these feelings then so be it. The red head felt like smashing his head through a wall for even think of Nora that way, he glanced out the window seeing the freezing ran pelt the dirty window. Nora glanced over his shoulder at Karman who seemed to be staring pensively out the window, which was odd for him. He normally never looked deep in though or like he ever thought at all, he was always optimistic. Well around him anyway. He Didn’t do well with people he didn’t know, he would often be rude and a bit standoffish. But that was when he first got here, he seemed so angry and like he hated everything and everyone. Nora knew it had something to do with his family sending him away because he dared to be what he wanted to be. Normal.
Nora stared down at the steaming pot before him with a lamenting expression. He only wished his way out was that simple. “The food done yet?” Karman grumbled leaning over his shoulder. Nora jumped and looked up at him quickly before looking back down at the food.
“Almost” he offered. Karman glanced at his face, the ashen haired boy focused on his work noticing the relenting stare he looked up at him, their eyes meeting for a brief moment that seemed to last a lifetime. It was broken when Karman glanced to the side like something had caught his attention. It had seemed his darkest secret would be the hardest to hide in his life, he was an excellent lair but. A small part of him wanted him to tell the truth. But the fear of rejection shrunk the will power away an shoved it in some dark place in his heart. The red head glanced out of the corner of his eyes at Nora seeing that he had returned to cooking. Things never seemed to go for him, and they never will would they?
* * *
Around a week had past since Nora had stayed late over at his house and cooked him dinner. And after that they had started another one of there not talking to each other retunes. Karman couldn’t explain why they were like this, it was almost normal for them in an awkward kind of way. The American teen stood at his locker with the door hanging open, he peered aimlessly into the locker with no intention of stopping of stopping for a while. The other students watched him nervously and whispered, to them Karman was a strange guy with a uncanny personality and a bold disrespect for authority as the teachers and other students had learned very quickly. He was like a ticking time bomb, he was unpredictable and unapproachable and so far to Karman he liked it that way.
“You know if you continue to stare at the wall like that your burn a whole in it” Nora pointed out monotony behind him. The red head adverted looking over his shoulder at the slightly shorter boy. “Or is said stupid American trying to think again?” he added. Karman frowned at him.
“What talking to me again?” he snorted finally shutting his locker. Nora made a face at him.
“Excuse me, but some of us are busy with school work. You would know for you lack there of” the ashen haired teen grumbled. Karman rolled his eyes at his comment.
“Yeah, yeah you got a reason for talking to me or are you just hear to bitch?” in reaction Nora held up a clean white piece of paper in his face. “The hell is that?” Karman added snatching the paper from him.
“Join the student council” Nora said simply. Karman couldn’t help but start to bust up laughing holding his sides. Nora frowned distastefully at his reaction. “I’m serious” he added only making Karman laugh more. He tried to speak through his fit of giggles but failed miserably at it. Nora’s eyebrow twitched in annoyance at his bold out burst, the other student became more unsteady by his suddenly display of emotion. “Fine be an ass all your life” Nora snapped turning on his heel to walk away when he was caught by his arm.
“Wait” Karman said between his dying giggles. Nora glared at him. “It just seemed funny is all”
“Really how so?” the Japanese boy pressed. Karman smiled at him.
“Well It just seemed that you wanted nothing to do with me and now you want me to join the student council with you it’s just funny” the red haired informed him his giggles still hanging in the air.
“Sometimes I wonder if being friends with you was such a good idea” Nora sighed. Karman slung an arm around his neck smiling like a fool.
“Sure I’ll join what does the student thingy do anyway?” Karman beamed. Nora sighed his shoulders slumping under the weight of his friend.
“School stuff” he answered simply. Karman rolled his eyes.
“School stuff very descriptive” he said his tongue dripping with sarcasm. Nora smirked.
“Maybe, but can you handle it?” Karman smirked in return.
“Try me”
* * *
“Let me leave” Karman whined.
“Your getting out of class, stop whining” Nora snapped. The other student members felt very uncomfortable in the presence of Karman but said nothing since Nora was the one who recreated him. They were going over some boring things about the school. And what not. Karman didn’t know cause he wasn’t really paying attention.
“I’d much rather be sleeping in class then here were you smack me every time I try and sleep” Karman grumbled earning another smack in the head by Nora who sat next to him. “Ass face stop hitting me already!” Karman barked at him holding his aching head. Nora gave him an impassive look his chin resting in his hand.
“Get over it” he said simply. The red head glared at him making the other students sweat. The air was filled with tension. Karman flopped back in his seat lazily with a huff.
“Look this is so boring! I changed my mind on joining” Karman explained. Nora smirked and tossed a fabric banner in his face. “The hell is this fucking thing?” Karman commented shoving the banner to the ground.
“Pick it up. Carry it. And help me hang it up.” Nora said slowly like he was dumb. “The rest of you hang up the paper banners, you can handle that right?” he snapped. They nodded and picked up the stack of papers and leaving the room. Karman grumbled and gather up the banner in a ball and stowed it under his arm and walked out the door into the empty hallway. Nora fallowed after him forgetting to lock the door behind him. “You brought your things for gym right?” Nora asked as he left chasing after Karman. Once they were out of sight a group of students peeked around the corner and tip toed to the door of the classroom.
* * *
“Why do I have to be the one to climb up the ladder?” Karman complained as he climbed up the trembling ladder that was set up in the large entrance way in the hallway. Nora held the ladder in place to keep it from falling over.
“You seem to be so piped up on energy so you can climb up the ladder” Nora said flatly. Karman glared down at him climbing up to the top rung to reach the place were he was to hang the banner, he pulled the banner up and began pinning it in place. Nora frowned seeing that he was making a mistake already. “Ummm Karman?”
“What is it now?” the red head groaned looking down at him almost losing his balance.
“Ya notice anything….wrong?” Nora tried to throw him a bone. Karman had a questioning look on his face, he glanced up at the beginning of his crappy pin up job. It was then when he noticed the banner was upside down. He glanced down at Nora.
“Shut up” he muttered and Nora smiled at his stupidity as he began pulling the pins out to redo the banner. As he worked Nora watched him with a seemingly less threatening look, it was replaced with a mild look of adoration. After they finished up Karman slid down the ladder making Nora nervous. “All done!” he beamed looking up at the banner.
“it looks crocked…” Nora offered.
“Deal with it” Karman snapped playfully ruffling his ashen tresses before moving to collect the ladder. Nora walked up to help him glancing up when a pin bounced off the floor behind him. He glanced up just as the banner sagged and fell on them. Karman flipped out and flailed underneath the banner bumping into Nora knocking him over. “I ca--sorry!”
“You big oaf!” Nora yelled trying to crawl out from under the banner. Karman stepped towards him and tripped over his stomach falling flat on his ass. “Damn it Karman!!”
“I’m fucking sorry!” Karman yelled thoroughly aggravated. Nora crawled out from under the banner and stood up brushing himself off turning to face the banner with Karman still underneath it. The red head stood up and peeked his head out from under the blue banner smiling at him with a yeah-I-know-I’m- a-moron kind of look. Nora shook his head at his antics placing a hand on his hip and leaning most of his weight on one foot. Karman let the banner fall off his frame before he tossed it in a pile in the middle of the hallway.
“You know you have to redo that don’t you?” he pointed out. The red head scratched his head nonchalantly in response.
“Oh shut it” he groaned moving to pick up the discarded school banner.
Chapter three: Pushing me away
After finally getting the Banner to stay up. The two boys headed back to the classroom grabbing their things just as the bell rung for gym. Upon entering the locker room together leaving each others sides to move to their lockers to get changed. Karman sighed unlocking his locker and moving to pull his school uniform, his eyes dilated slightly seeing foreign markings on the white gym shirt. Curious he held the t-shirt up to read what had been spray painted on his shirt: Go back to your own country!!. The shirt was labeled with all shorts of raciest terms and hurtful phrases meant to insult Karman.
The students around him laughed joking and talking unaware of what had happened to Karman. The red haired teen clutched the shirt tightly in his hands his blood boiling at only one of the sayings on the shirt. Go back to your own country. In his furry and might he punched his locker hard the sound rang through the locker room making the students near him jolt in fear quickly looking to the angered teen. He had punched the metal door hard enough to dent the locker and scrap his flesh on the small slits in the metal door. The room became deathly silent as Karman’s head was downcast on the floor his face still twisted in anger. Then with no warning in his native tongue he screamed profanities. “Do you actually believe that I fucking want to be here!!” he screamed causing most of the students to back away from him. Concerned mutters emitted lowly from the locker room. The only one who had stepped forward skirting the lockers was Nora who was half naked in only his red gym shorts.
The frustration Karman felt was a regular thing for him. He felt so much now mostly anger towards his parents for putting him in such a place. “Karman” Nora spoke up with his usual emotionless face, his voice was just the same. Karman glared at him removing his fist from the dented door down to bleed at his side.
“What the fuck do you want!?” he snapped. The gray haired teen’s eyes narrowed on him in return. Though Nora could partly understand his frustrations though he didn’t understand Karman’s predicament. He didn’t know about his parents sending him away because they didn’t want to deal with their son, he didn’t know that his parents avoided all contact with him.
“Calm down your acting like an ass” Nora answered dryly folding his arms across his pale chest. Karman’s wild blue eyes dilated at his response.
“Shut your fucking mouth you little shit!” he snapped back his intense feelings of anger escalated with every passing second he allowed his thoughts to race. Karman the failure: Karman the unworthily: Karman the useless: The unwanted: the hated: the stepped on: the anger: the wrath: all of it was building up and threatening to crush his world to pieces. With no release in sight such thoughts will destroy him from the inside out. Outside his vivid azure eyes but deeper lies something that hates and wants everything around him to go straight to hell. “You don’t know a fucking thing about me! So don’t stand there and fucking look down on me I don’t need your fucking pity!!” Karman screamed at the gray haired teen. The other students lingered in the locker room though some deciding it best to leave.
“Your right I don’t know you” Nora muttered. “Yet you don’t know me either yet there you stand screaming accusations at me” the gray haired teen added in surly. The red haired student growled at him in response clenching his fists at his sides, now everything was pissing him off to know end. The faces of the students who watched from afar, the silent mutters of his mind screaming at him. He could see the faces of his parents as his father told him repeatedly how disappointed in him he was. He remembered his mother merely standing by saying nothing yet showing nothing either. He remembered begging his parents to give him another chance.
He recalled getting angry again and snapping at every little thing and hating all the things he once held dear. He remembered his hard childhood from the beginning himself trying to be everything his parents wanted. He remembered giving up and throwing everything back in there faces when he failed repeatedly. By voicing that he didn’t want to become a lawyer like his father, he wanted the freedom to chose his own friends, make his own choices weather they were right to wrong. He wanted to face have real friends who liked him for him and not because their parents were friends.
“Shut up! I already know how you are!” he screamed. Nora glared at him.
“Stop getting so worked up over everything!” he shouted back.
“Why so I can be like you!” Karman screamed making Nora wince slightly. “So I can become just like you! So I can turn myself into a fucking emotionless asshole!! So I can have perfect grades and a bright future at the cost of my very self!!” he finished his voice still screaming.
“I’m not like that!!” Nora defended.
“So I can have my parents actually look at me and tell me there proud of me!! Because I gave in and became what everyone wants me to be!! So I can end up just like you!!” he accused pointing harshly at Nora who stood dumbfounded.
“Shut up!”
“I don’t want your fucking life!! Leave me to trip over myself and fail over and over so long as I can look at myself in the mirror I’ll be just fine!! I DON’T NEED ANYONE ELSE BUT MYSELF!!!” he screamed at the ending his body trembling in tremors from the pent up frustrations that were almost released on his only friend. “Stop trying to turn me into you I don’t want to be like you”
“What is going on? Honestly that never happened, I tried to turn you into me” Nora began. “Anything is better then being me” he whispered to low for anyone to hear. And he began to understand little by little that he and Karman were far to much alike, it was almost terrifying. Karman was everything he wasn’t. Karman was: fearless: spontaneous: outgoing. Karman was beautiful. And if one looked closer Karman could be gentle and kind. His tough outer shell was merely a shield from the world, and Nora was one of the few who had gotten a peek at his true self on rare occasions.
The latter bit his lip hard before shoving past Nora and leaving the locker room just as a teacher had walked in lead by a few students. Though he had intended on intervening he stepped quickly aside for Karman to pass on his way out taking nothing with him. Nora stood glued in his place watching Karman leave before his eyes glanced over at the Karman’s forlorn pile of belongings. With steady steps and walked forward bending over to pick up the ruined shirt. His eyes widened at the sight of the sayings and malicious comments and insults, he tightened his grip on the shirt recognizing the handwriting fairly easily. It was in fact some one he knew on a level though not as friends. Feeling his own frustrations boiling he bit his lip and packed up Karman’s things and finished getting dressed. He would confront this person at lunch and deal with things his own way.
* * *
Lunch period. A group of boys laughed at a lunch table. “Hey Akomon-san” one of the boys chuckled glancing to his friend. “That was pretty sweet what you did to the American gym shirt!” he spat laughing. Akomon laughed as well.
“Yeah, hope he takes my advice!!” he bellowed. And in that moment his tray of food was smacked off the table colliding with the floor. The boys eyes widened as Akomon angrily looked up behind him seeing Nora standing there across from him, the raven haired student glared at Nora. “The fuck you want!!” he snapped and with no warning Nora slammed the t-shirt down onto the table for all of them to see.
“Remember this?” he growled. The table fell silent knowing that Nora could get them in some serious trouble. Though Akomon took pride in his work and smirked leaning back in his seat casually.
“Not really” he sniggered only seceding in pissing Nora off more then he already was if it was even possible.
“Need me to refresh that bad memory of your?” he threatened. Akomon glared up at him before standing up his height reaching over Nora.
“Yeah--” with no warning he was punched hard in the face causing him to stumble back falling against the table. His friends jumped up in reaction. Nora held up his tightly gripped fist the same angry and pissed off look on his face.
“The next one will put out for good” he threatened. Akomon touched under his nose feeling the warm blood streaming from his nose, he glared at Nora. His eyes becoming hard.
“You little shit!!” he snapped ready to dive in to attack when his friend grabbed his shoulder.
“Not here man!” he encouraged. The bully tore his arm away from his friend, throwing a punch at Nora in unison. Using his arm he deflected the punch pushing it to the side, and with his opposite he upper cut catching him in the stomach knocking the wind out of him. It turned into an all out slugfest between the two boys though Nora was more then enough to hold his own. Due to his training to protect himself she he wouldn’t need a bodyguard during school hours, he hated those stuffy brutes. Using the advantage of his weight Akomon plowed into Nora throwing him back into another table, Nora fell back into the table to students at said table jumped up backing away from the fight. The students gathered around and cheered not allowing the teachers to pass and brake up the fight. The thick crowd of people cheered and punched the two fighters back into the fight when they fell into them.
“FIGHT!! FIGHT FIGHT!!!” the students chanted. Nora joined back into the fray throwing out another strike connecting with his collar bone, Akomon grunted and doubled over stumbling backwards into the crowd. He was shoved back into the fight and while running he punched Nora in the shoulder causing him to almost lose his footing falling back towards the crowd. Once again he was shoved back in straight towards Akomon who was in mid-swing. Luckily Nora ducked under the punched ending up behind Akomon, he spun around kicking the latter in the back sending him falling into the crowd only to shoved back into the fight. Nora stood ready unable to hear anything over the chanting crowd, Akomon glared at him furiously in a blind rage he charged at Nora full speed ramming into Nora shoving him hard towards the crowd that nervously and quickly dispersed reveling the wall right behind them. Akomon shoved Nora’s back into the wall holding him by his collar forcing him into the wall as he punched him the face with his fist.
He had Nora pinned against the wall as he repeatedly hit Nora in various places. In an attempt to escape the gray haired teen kneed his opened in the gut causing him to double over slightly, he then roughly grabbed his hair and slammed his face down into his knee again. Akomon cried out stumbling backwards releasing Nora’s shirt one of his hands covering his face the other held out as if to fend off any on coming attacks. Nora smacked his arm to the side and grabbed him by his hair throwing him head first into the wall, the students let out horrified screams as the fight ceased to be amusing the crowd thinned slightly as teachers forced their way through with much effort. Akomon sat slumped against the wall still holding his face the same hand came up to protect himself, his friends prepared to jump in as Nora approached but hastily said boy was yanked back away from Akomon by the teachers. The fight was broken up and the students quickly returned to their places not wanting to get in trouble for watching the fight.
“What the hell is wrong with you kids!!” one of the teachers yelled. Nora breathed heavily glaring furiously at Akomon who seemed down for the count. The teachers gathered around Akomon to assist him with his injuries while the teachers kept their grip on Nora while scolding him, though most were to surprised to say much to him. None of the staff had ever expected to see the day Nora started a fight.
It was then when the principal grabbed Nora and drug him off to his office while Akomon was taken to the nurse and would be dealt with later.
Nora was shoved into the office harshly by the principle, Mr. Tokamura.
“Sit down Ya Shura-san” the elder man snapped. Obeying Nora took a seat in the seat, his shirt stained with blood and he could already feel the bruises on his face and shoulder throbbing. Mr. Tokamura paced the office to angry to sit or speak. Though finally he did. “What in the hell did you start that fight for?” he asked unable to understand Nora’s logic. And in return the student said nothing. The elder man grumbled in aggravation at his silence and not before long he was giving Nora a long tirade about his behavior. Though seeing as this was Nora’s first transcription he left him off the hook with only a weeks worth of detention and nothing else. He ended his and Nora’s little chat though Nora said nothing nor replied to anything Mr. Tokamura.
The rest of the day seemed to drag on. After Nora was told to go to the nurse to get his wound patched up, though he was in better condition then Akomon. Students had ribbed him about his reasons for fighting but the flow of questions stopped when he glared at them the same feral look that he had given Akomon. He wanted to leave school early to go find Karman but when school let out he didn’t know were to start. He knew nothing about Karman’s favorite hang out spots or places he liked to be.
Nora walked slowly out of the school building with the crowd of chattering students. He watched his feet as he walked with the other students, his thoughts lingering on how he would find Karman. And eventually his thoughts drifted to what his parents would do when they found out about his fight today. He sighed to release the stress he felt before stopping in the middle of the parking lot looking up at the gray sky. The cold winter air nipped at his face stealing his heat despite his jacket.
“You just going to stand there and freeze or are you going to let me give you a ride?” A voice said pulling him back to reality. He calmly glanced next to him seeing Karman standing across from him motioning towards his bike. He was wearing a snug dark green jacket with black fur trimming on the hood. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly knowing about his and Nora’s little spat before. “Listen…about…you know before…I’m sorry” he mumbled.
“Sure, sure” Nora agreed brushing it off. Karman noticed his bruised face and raised an eyebrow in questioned, he stowed his hands in his pockets to keep them warm.
“What happened to you? Looks like you were hit by a truck?” he pointed out. Nora sighed.
“You could say I was” he admitted. Nonchalantly he then held up Karman’s forest green one strapped backpack for him. “Here” he murmured. Karman perked up before taking the bag from his friend tossing it over his shoulder.
“Thanks…” he mumbled awkwardly. The two stood in an awkward silence until finally Karman spoke up first thou hesitating slightly. “Hmm so…as I was saying before, you want me to take you for…a ride?” he asked. Nora smiled a tiny almost unnoticeable smile.
“Okay” he said calmly though the happiness clearly in his voice from the mellow tone. The red head smiled a crocked smile at him as he lead him to the bike to go for a ride like he usually did for Nora. In truth he would do anything Nora asked him to do though he would never tell him that. He mounted the bike letting Nora climb on behind him already wrapping his arms around his waist as the bike roared to life. Karman used his feet to hold the bike up as he pulled his small sun glasses from his coat pocket putting them on to protect his eyes. The gray haired teen glanced over seeing a limo waiting for him in the parking lot across from them he smiled to himself as the bike roared haphazardly out of the parking lot onto the road cutting off a car in return.
“Careful you idiot!” Nora snapped. Karman merely laughed in return as the bike screamed down the road as he whizzed around traffic skirting turns and running red lights only to piss Nora off but surprisingly Nora watched the city fly with dilated eyes a perfectly content smile on his face. He laid the side of his face on Karman’s back to use him as a wind shield. He didn’t know were they were going nor did he care. Hearing the cars honk and swear at them in protest to Karman’s skillful yet radical driving. His arms tightened their grip on his waist as he watched the people pass them by along with the buildings and cars.
The ride lasted for the longest time so long until the sun started to go down and city lights flaying past them in a whimsical blur. He didn’t recognize this part of town yet he stayed quiet as they took the scenic route flying past the glistening waters of the ocean just over the bank of the nearly empty road they drove on. They were leaving the city far behind though Nora had placed his trust deep within Karman and believed that nothing bad would happen between the two of them. They’d be okay so long as they stuck together. In that moment the sun was setting over the ocean in a wide array of fire. Nora simply watched in awe until the bike sputtered nosily. Karman made a face looking down at the gauge and soon he felt like kicking himself. “What’s wrong?” Nora asked.
“Out of gas” he yelled over the bike, the bike crawled to a slow as Karman steered it off to far side of the road. The bike suddenly died under them and Karman sighed placing the kickstand down and dismounting the bike, Nora fallowed the suit watching as Karman messed around with the bike for a moment before standing up right scratching his head. “Well…” he sighed. Nora rolled his eyes. So much for trusting Karman. The gray haired teen glanced out at the beach under the sunset, Karman noticed his wondering gaze and smiled at the burning sky. “Guess running out of gas isn’t so bad when you get stranded in the right place” he mused. Nora nodded slightly.
“Yeah, you seem to get stranded in good spots” he viewed. The red head gave him a questioning look.
“This is the first time you ever got stranded with me?” he pointed out. Nora glanced at him.
“What’s your point?” he asked. Karman gave him a self-confident grin pointing his finger up at nothing.
“You might go stir crazy if exposed to me to long” he joked. Nora smiled a tiny smile once more.
“So you’d like to think” he argued. The two then leaned on the metal guardrail of the road, Karman had climbed over the rail to sit on it’s edge instead. They watched the sunset for a while until Nora peeped over in Karman’s direction once more. “So what do we do now?” the gray haired teen inquired. The red head smiled in return keeping his glazed expression glued to the setting sun.
“I have my cell phone I could call for someone to come tow us?” he informed him. Nora sighed as a chilling wind blew playing with their tresses, the smell salt wafted around them carried by the same breeze. The two teens watched the sunset moving to hide behind the waves of the ocean that went on for miles in almost every direction. They relentless wind like a thief stole there heat causing Nora to shudder slightly. In response to the almost unrecognizable shiver Karman slid himself over towards Nora his shoulder rubbing up against the smaller boys to share the warmth.
Karman had made the call long ago and soon the two could see the headlights of a truck in the distance driving towards them. Karman stretched smiling to himself. “Finally!”
Chapter four: Valentines fever
The students cheered happily while riding a bus on a trip to spend a week at a famous hot springs resort for Valentines day. Everyone was very excited to be going Karman though could really care less he only went cause Nora had asked him to come with him. The red head sat slouched in a buss seat in the back next to Nora who sat in a much more dignified manner then his companion. Karman sighed scratching his head listening to music from his Ipod. Nora was actually beginning to doze off from the long ride to the mountains. Karman could care less about what was going on around him so the cooing of the girls in his grade went unknown and unheard to him.
“He is really cute isn’t he?” a girl giggled glancing over at the board Karman who sat near them. The group of girls giggled in return. A beautiful girl with long raven tresses that were held in a under her dark blue beret. Her big brown eyes were framed perfectly with just the right amount of make up. She wore a small dark blue long sleeve dress with thigh high white stockings and white boots. Her name was Elide and she had recently developed the hots for Karman Lowell.
“Come one Elide-Chan go talk to him” one of the girls coaxed. Elide smirked lewdly peering around the corner at the unsuspecting Karman. The raven haired girl stood up and walked back sitting in the seat across from the one that Nora and Karman sat in. the red head ignored her at first until he saw her lips moving. He couldn’t hear her due to the loud music in his ears, though he didn’t feel like dealing with her so he ignored her until his ear phones were yanked out of his ears by a peeved Elide. He glanced up at her nonchalantly.
“Can I help you?” he asked aggravated. The beautiful girl smiled taking a seat again.
“Hello I’m Elide” he introduced herself. Karman raised an eyebrow at her. He cared why. Elide pouted cutely at his response or his lack of one. “I was wondering if you wanted to sit with me and my friends” she said far to confidently obviously a girl used to getting everything she wanted. And Karman hated girls like that, he smirked in return and Elide gave him a sly smile. Casually he reached out grabbing her chin seductively puling her closer to his face that same surly smirk on his face making the girl blush for once. There lips lingered close together though never touching her friends watched with there eyes wide.
“Beat it” he whispered in a low undertone before releasing her and leaning back in his seat comfortably placing the ear sets in his ears again. Once Elide recovered she glared at him but that died as well and she smirked. She stood up and pulled out one of his ear phones leaning down to whisper in it, he kept his face smug and over confident.
“Once you’ve had me you’ll always come back” she encouraged in lustful tone. Karman chuckled looking at her there faces inches apart once more.
“Trust me, I’ve had FAR better then what you could ever give me” he pointed out huskily. She frowned at him. And in return he flicked her hat smirking. “Cute hat” he mocked her. Slightly embarrassed Elide stomped away leaving Karman and his over confidents to fester as he watched her leave. And honestly he felt so much better now.
He watched Elide return to her friends who quickly gossiped about the event some glancing over at him seeing that smug grin on his face flustering the girls even more. Some guys snorted at the girls behavior muttering things about the American born boy. Nora dozed off using Karman’s shoulder as a pillow now which didn’t bother Karman in the least bit.
The buss eventually stopped at the resort and the busses emptied of the students and teachers. Karman walked off the crowded buss stretching with his bag over his shoulder. “Man! Finally I hate sitting for to long!” he whined smelling the fresh open air, he wrinkled his nose at the unfamiliar smell. “The fuck is that smell?” he questioned. Nora walked past him yawning still half asleep.
“It’s called mountain air idjit” he scoffed. Karman made a face at him fallowing casually behind Nora.
“Smells like shit to me” he informed him. The students were split up co-ed style. Girls in one dorm and boys in the other. They would be two students in one room each that would be assigned by the teacher. Luckily for Karman and Nora they were paired up as roommates due to the fact the two didn’t get along with others well. Well Karman didn’t anyway, Nora didn’t bother nor cared for others company though he didn’t seem to mind Karman’s.
The two boys headed to their room, upon entering Karman tossed his bag lazily inside the room and flopped on the futon. “Why are the fucking beds on the floor?” he complained. Nora shut the door behind him sighing in response guessing that Karman had clamed the left side so he took the right. The red head laid on his back out stretched on the bed looking up at the ceiling. The resort was done in the traditional Japanese style with candles in paper lanterns and wooden floors. Not to mention the clothes wear for the hot springs was a kimono. Nora unpacked some of his things before turning to Karman.
“Lunch is at six, we don’t have to be in the dinning hall until then, what do you want to do?” the gray haired teen asked. Karman glanced up at him thinking for a moment.
“…Want…to go to the hot springs?” He asked slowly. Nora shrugged sure I don’t see why not. He stood up padding across the floor to grab his and Karman’s Japanese wear for the evening. He tossed the white kimono to his friend who made a face. “No. Fucking. Way” he spat out. After some swearing and cursing each other out. A while of wrestling and disturbing their neighbors with the racket Nora finally got Karman to put on the clothes though he refused to were it correctly.
He wore the white kimono leaving it open in his chest, his perfect fair skin and finally toned chest and stomach revealed for the world to see. He grumbled with his arms crossed as he waited for Nora to finished changing into his black kimono.
“Stop being a big baby it’s not so bad” Nora sighed. Karman glanced at his friends, he wore the attire correctly letting it fit snugly around his thin frame. The red haired boy found himself staring for a moment to long, Nora titled his head in a questioning manner. “What?” he asked. Karman awkwardly looked away so Nora wouldn’t see his face.
“…Nothing” he said after a moment. The smaller boy walked past him grasping the hem of his kimono and pulling Karman along with him.
“Come on stupid” ‘I don’t know how much longer I can hide my true feelings from him..’ Karman mentally kicked himself. Now he wanted a room with anyone but Nora, let alone to be in a hot spring with him. He just hoped that Valentines day fever didn’t infect him as well and make him spill his guts to Nora. Their relationship was just beginning to see a break through. And if it meant hiding behind a mask for the rest of his life in order to protect that relationship then he would gladly stitch the mask to his face forever. Cause he revealed his secret to Nora and he rejected him. He would surely be gone before the morning came.
