hello karma!

the reason why i'm writing this letter is because i want to tell You how much i really like you. you must know how many girls are running after you. it's funny that i'm one of them. to tell you the truth, Under this cheery facade i present to you every time we talk, is a girl waiting to be noticed by the infamous Karma akabane. poetic, huh? hopefully you'll understand that I'm just trying to use different expressions here to lighten the mood, and to practice my english... hehe. i'm writing this letter because i really want you to realize that a girl like Me is admiring you from afar. sounds creepy, but you probably Understand it when you're looking at okuda in class, or during break time. she's nice, i know. she's smart, pretty and brilliant, but i just want you to look at me like she's not the only girl in the world. i won't Reveal my identity until you find out who i really Am.

Karma leaned back on his chair in the dining room, reading the whole letter again. Whoever the writer is, she intended to drop a couple of hints in the letter. But she didn't reveal her identity.

A secret admirer.

Earlier before he came home, Karma found a love letter inserted in his math notebook, which was inside his locker. Today was a Tuesday; and on Monday's and Tuesday's, he has no math subject. So it would mean that whoever she is, she had put this letter in just last week. He told himself that after school, he'll try to figure out who wrote the letter.

He barely touched his instant noodles when he brought the letter downstairs with him. After swallowing a spoonful of noodles, he went back to the letter.

Remembering what he did with his math notebook last week, he could recall going through all the pages last Wednesday because he was searching for Okuda's test paper. The reason why he had her test paper is because she was absent the day before. After that math period, did he leave his notebook lying around the classroom? He was certain that he didn't, since after math period on Wednesday's is recess. He recalled heading to his locker and putting all of his notebooks back before heading to the forest since he intended to cut classes.

Grabbing the cellphone beside the letter, he opened it and started typing a message to a trusted friend, Nagisa. He knew he could rely on the little boy.

Karma:

Oy. Do you know someone in school who can pick a lock?

Before four minutes passed, Nagisa replied.

Nagisa:

Yoshida, or Itona mayb. Why do u ask?

Karma:

Schemes.

After that reply, he casually drops the phone on the table and started to eat more of the noodles. He didn't know if any girl in his class or any girl in the whole school can pick locks, especially the locks of a locker. Not wanting to rely on others for information at the moment, he made an assumption that nobody has picked his locker. And nobody besides him opened the locker because A) the letter was inserted in his math notebook, not through the narrow slits of his locker; and B) nothing was out of place, he remembered.

Since he assumed that nobody opened his locker, the idea that he's going to follow from now on is that someone inserted the letter during his math classes- a class he usually goes to due to the fact that his favorite teacher is supporting him like no other adult ever had. And during math periods, he brings his math notebook with him.

He mentally listed down the girls in his class.

Megu Kataoka

Kirara Hazama

Rinka Hayami

Hinata Okano

Hinano Kurahashi

Toka Yada

Okuda Manami

Rio Nakamura

That's all the girls. Looking down at the letter, a clue that was luckily given to him was that, she has a cheery facade. Megu's not really active in her love life. And besides, she's the one who gets love letters from others- may they be a boy or a girl. For Hazama, he doesn't even know if she likes a single boy. She's not even cheerful every time he sees her. The same goes to Hayami. The girl's as cold as a stone. She only speaks when spoken to, or when she needs to. And Karma has a feeling she's with the boy named Ryuunosuke Chiba, from Class C. Okano's playful and a bit cheerful, but recalling her behavior, Okano has a serious expression that only breaks when someone cracks a joke and think it's really funny, or when she's with her friends. Kurahashi is eccentric, cheerful- a positive flower. But Karma knew she doesn't like him. She has this... thing for Taiga Okajima, some pervert in Class C who's got a soft spot for the cheery girl. As for Yada, everybody knew that she has a crush on Megu. Who knew a gorgeous girl would have a crush on another girl.

Okuda is definitely not the secret admirer.

Now, drifting off to Rio, his "partner in crime", he started to recall any moment they talked with each other. Rio's mischievous and sneaky, and she can be easily compared with Karma. It's possible that she has a crush on him, and her secretive glances at him was proof of that. He just never tells her about how she looks at him whenever she thinks he's not looking back... actually, he teases her about that, but she brushes it off easily. It's either she doesn't have secret feelings for him and only sees him as a partner in crime, or she's pretty damn good in hiding her true emotions. And besides, Karma knew about her past crush on the young Asano. It was amusing and unbelievable at first (since he knows that Rio knows how arrogant Gakushuu could be); however, Rio honestly had genuine feelings for the smart guy before seeing through the barriers. Karma once thought that maybe, the reason why Rio often glances at him is because he looks a bit like Gakushuu. Those information aside, Rio can be a good suspect for this situation.

But then, looking back at the letter, Rio can't possibly be the secret admirer. Rio's the girl with the highest grade in Foreign Language; in fact, during the mid-terms last year, she was 2nd in English, with the young Asano ahead of her. She's smarter than whoever made this letter. What he also noticed is that, why would this secret admirer write in English? It's true that Karma can understand and speak the language flawlessly, but... her form of writing is odd.

Sure, the grammar isn't exactly wrong but the capitalization was...

Karma blinked.

After a few moments of analyzing the letter, he stood up from his seat, searched for a pen, and then went back to the dining area where his bowl of instant noodles went cold and his love letter simply laid.

He noticed that a countable number of letters are capitalized. When put together-

"Yukimura."

It read.

He didn't know anyone who's known as Yukimura. He does recall a teacher who used to teach his Science class, but that was it. That teacher was gone. Making an assumption that this was the secret admirer, a memory suddenly hit him.

Last Thursday, a female student entered the classroom to talk to their math teacher. But Karma didn't remember getting close to her. What were they doing during math period last Thursday?

Now he remembers.

He remembered the group activity they were all having. And since they were only going to answer one worksheet per group, he didn't bring his math notebook. The idea of her inserting the love letter into his math notebook became more believable since his seat was near the backdoor, the doorway she entered and exited.

He grabbed his phone again, and this time, he was calling a number he certainly didn't thought he would call.

There were a few rings before his call was answered.

"Good evening. Gakushuu Asano speaking."

"Hello there, Gaku-Gaku!" Karma greeted lazily, but both boys knew there was this hint of excitement in the redhead's voice.

"Ah, Akabane, isn't it?" there were a few clicks in the background. "I see no reason for you to call me at this hour." Karma' eyebrows suddenly furrowed briefly, then glanced at the wall clock in the room. It was only 7:48 in the evening. "You better not waste my time. What do you need from me?"

"I know you have all the class lists of every class in our batch. Do me a favor and search for someone known as Yukimura."

The clicks on the other line stopped. "What makes you think I would do you a favor right away?"

"Well, you technically owe me a favor ever since I captured a picture of you smoking a weed."

"First, that was four months ago. Second, I just happen to catch a lowlife cheat in action."

"Yes, I knew that. But if anyone ever finds out about it, rumors can easily end your future. I mean, nobody was with you during that time. Remember, Gaku-Gaku~ a picture says a thousand words."

"A drug test can be done. Evidence can be presented. Akabane, blackmail will never work on me."

"Blackmail? Never work on you? Okay then. I'm sure you remember entering a children's home wearing a bee costume. I got another photo of that," he chuckles. "Like, really Gaku-Gaku? You made an agreement to take over that land, only in one condition?" Karma smirked. "And just so you know, I never knew you could morph your face into something that looked like you were trying to hold a vomit in. That's freaking hilarious too, by the way." He chuckles again. "Never regretted my walk at that time. And- oh! Almost forgot. You were keeping that a secret from your little daddy, right? Isn't that a little naughty of you, Gaku-Gaku~?"

He could imagine Gakushuu's face right now. He's probably gritting his teeth and imagining a thousand ways to push Karma down- actually, to kill Karma.

"Yukimura, right?"

Finally.

"Yep. That's the one. A girl, by the way."

Gakushuu didn't get away from the line though. "What if I told you there's no girl in the whole batch named Yukimura?"

"Really?"

"Akabane, I know every student in the whole school. It's my duty as the student council president."

"You're certain?" Karma asked in a slow pace.

"I am. There's one boy in Class B, but you're looking for a girl."

Karma frowned slightly before glancing at the letter. "Alright then. I suppose that's it-"

"But," the student council president cuts the delinquent off. "Tell me the reason why you're looking for someone with that surname."

Surname? Karma thought. "Why're you curious all of a sudden?"

"I did you a favor."

Karma hesitated. There was no reason not to tell him. And honestly, this wasn't the first time they talked through the phone and shared 'stories'... they had business to deal with, and it was actually a silent war nobody but the two of them knew... actually, Rio, Ren, Fuwa and a couple of other boys knew about it; they just didn't bother joining in because they will be scarred for life if they did... so- "someone sent me a love letter. And I figured that the writer was someone named Yukimura."

There was a short silence.

"I do know one girl named Yukimura who entered the school- only with a different name."

This caught the redhead's attention.

"Now why would that be?"

"Her real identity is well-known throughout the whole country, possibly in other countries as well. So before entering the school, she changed her name."

"And that is?"

Karma swore he heard Gakushuu create that malevolent smirk of his. "Unless you offer me something, I won't be lending this piece of information."

Karma knew he won't just get the information that easily, but at least he was given a few hints- like for example, this Yukimura person existed in the school. And so, he thought of things that will certainly be accepted by the infamous Gakushuu Asano.

"No pranks will be made and directed to the student council members within this term starting after you tell me the name."

Gakushuu must be considering this offer. He should be. The last prank made was just last two weeks ago with his partner in crime, Rio Nakamura. And it ended pretty badly because the members of the council had to repaint the room... again.

"I was expecting something else-" Karma rolled his eyes, "-but I think that'll satisfy me."

The redhead heard a few clicks again before one loud click was finished. "Her name's Kaede Kayano."

Kaede Kayano

The one in Class D.

That eccentric pudding-lover?

"Thanks for the info," Karma said before ending the call.

Get ready for the next part... that is, if there is a next part :)