Seijuro's room was filled with heavy breathings.

One, from the cornered Nagisa, hand shakily held a knife in defense. Another one was from Seijuro, who had just succeeded in blocking bullets with a silver tray he got on the table. Nagisa's revolver abandoned behind his back― Seijuro had to admit it was not easy to seize it from the blue haired boy.

Nagisa grimaced. Seijuro smiled.

"That was an … amazing martial talent. Despite the fact that you're still, what? Fifteen?"

Nagisa didn't show his bewilderment. How did this man know―

"That is easy. I have connection far deeper than yours. No one could overthrow me, neither an insignificant assassin as you."

"Shut it!"

Then Nagisa ran toward him, his blood boiled at hearing the insulting words. The knife swung in Seijuro's direction, determined to paint a cut or two on those pale skin. But then a second later Nagisa found himself trapped in another embrace, hands locked behind his back.

Once again, how did this guy―

Seijuro hummed in delight. "I should thank Shuuzo-senpai. Two years of dodging his karate moves whenever he felt emotional indeed bears a sweet fruit." Nagisa didn't understand the thing he said, nor did he care. The boy struggled harshly, but unfortunately Akashi Seijuro's power wasn't equal with his height.

(Nagisa was so lucky Seijuro wasn't a mind-reader. If yes―maybe he would get slaughtered right on where he stood.)

"Do you know why I called you here, even though I knew about your pointless disguise?"

Nagisa answered it with a harsher tug.

"That's because," his smile grew wider. Suddenly Nagisa's instinct felt a bad thing coming. "I just received an invitation to Akashi Corporation's internal ball. Unfortunately, my dear Tetsuya never fancy those things. Now I'll give you two choices―either die in my hands right now or substitute as Tetsuya for the ball." A chuckle that slipped out the thin lips was unnerving. "I would also like to teach Tetsuya a lesson with this."

Nagisa's knife made a noise when the metal side hit the floor.

.:xxx:.

That night felt colder than usual.

Maybe because he slept in a humid, abandoned storehouse. Or maybe because Nagisa was not there beside him.

Even though right now, asleep peacefully though bounded while leaning on his shoulder, was the clone of his too-close-of-a-friend. His name is Kuroko Tetsuya, and he was―supposed―to be his captive. His timid, frightened-for-his-life captive.

But interaction between an abductor and the captive was rarely this close.

A captive? The man who was just chided him for not supplying him his daily portion of milkshake?

Yes, Karma tsked. What did this guy think this place was, a fast-food restaurant?

The man who agreed to count how many lizards have Karma managed to shot down?

Yes, the man who didn't scream even though one of it's jelly-like body fell right on top of his soft blue-haired head.

The man who got hit with rubber band on his cheek?

That was because Tetsuya continuously used his misdirection ability to disappear and moved like a caterpillar to escape. Karma was really tired so he hit the blue boy who already reached the main door. The rubber band whacked his cheek so hard it turned reddish. After that, Tetsuya didn't try to sneak an escape again. He sat silently on the corner with a puffed cheek.

"What, are you sulking?"

"I definitely am not," Tetsuya denied. Though he looked hurt.

Karma was so frustrated he banged his head to Tetsuya's.

"I-ittai… What are you doing that for, Bakabane-kun?" Tetsuya chided. His mood was getting darker.

"So you really did sulk," Karma said calmly, though not matching the question, "I'm frustrated."

"You should bang your head to the wall, not to my head. What if the worst happened, say, my head cracked?"

"But you got a really hard one it's impossible to crack."

"… I hope nothing but the worst for you."

"It's scary how you're so polite yet sadist at the same time."

Karma smirked happily. A suffering Tetsuya was really amusing. Knowing he would react like this, Karma felt like teasing the blue-haired boy badly until Tetsuya exploded to death. That would be fun to watch.

Just kidding.

But a chattering Tetsuya … Karma wasn't ready for it. His shivering was similar to electric current, it flowed onto him. Tetsuya's body uncomfortably shifted, maybe he started to feel numb. The ropes that bounded him still hadn't released yet. He also talked a lot in his sleep as the night grew on. Karma already lost count on how many Tetsuya-kun called "Akashi-kun".

But even though he was a criminal bureaucrat-to-be, that didn't mean Karma didn't have a heart. That was why he removed his large coat and hung it around their shoulder. His pale hand softly lifted Tetsuya's head to a better position on his shoulder, then he put his own on Tetsuya's. Karma fell asleep in a few minutes, with a peaceful Tetsuya leaning beside him.

.:xxx:.

Disclaimer to its rightful owner:

Kuroko no Basuke © Tadatoshi Fujimaki

Ansatsu Kyoushitsu © Yuusei Matsui

Fanfiction:

Futile by Rheyna Rosevelt

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[Three]

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.:xxx:.