Ansatsu Kyōshitsu / Assassination Classroom - Partners - Karma x Manami

Summary: A little proposal from Karma... Karmanami / Karma x Manami

I don't own Assassination Classroom or else I would have spammed that thing with so many Karmanmi scenes.

Please forgive any mistakes, both character-wise and grammatically-wise. I don't have time to re-read or edit things.

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Partners

HappyFace1886

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To many others, Manami Okuda was considered to be a sweet introvert. She was kind and considerate, but too socially awkward to be able to comfortably make friends with her fellow classmates. There were times when she’d be too blunt, misunderstanding their subtle compliments or underhanded insults. It was one of the reasons why, other than her failing grades in Japanese, that she was considered to be a pariah from the ‘higher-class’ of Kunugigaoka Junior High.

That was also why, if anything, she preferred to be where she was most familiar with, which was surrounded by her many test tubes, distillers, and noxious chemicals. She knew exactly what to expect and how to predict the outcomes. Even if she made a mistake, all she needed to do was rely on the facts and science to be able to reverse or even fix the issue. People themselves and their emotionally charged words were too complicated and difficult to decipher for her.

That’s why Karma knew exactly where to find Okuda after classes end.

The door slid opened and he leaned against the entrance, smiling smugly when he saw Ms. Poison Glasses diligently organizing the jugs of chemicals stored within the locked closet of the school laboratory. Koro-sensei, knowing Okuda’s advanced knowledge in science and of how she diligently followed safety procedures, had actually given her a key so that she had free rein over the labs.

“Yo,” he greeted with a raised hand.

Okuda, startled, jumped and almost dropped her clipboard as she whirled around. Karma’s smile grew at the sight. She was always so oblivious to her surroundings, especially when she was so consumed into her work. Okuda tightly clutched onto the wooden board and gave Karma a sheepish smile. “K-Karma-kun!”

“Getting ready for another project, Okuda-san?” he strolled over to where she was, only to be stopped before he could get any closer.

“Safety first,” she said with her hand raised, nodding towards where the labcoats were. “You know the drill, Karma-kun. Lab coats, goggles, and no open-toed shoes when near the vats, even if they appear closed.”

He chuckled benevolently and reached for the white coats hanging against the wall. “Well that explains why Karasuma didn’t throw a fit when he found out that the octopus gave you permission to use the labs as your own personal playground.”

Okuda’s cheeks flushed and she looked away, scribbling nonsense on the board. “I-It’s the rules and it’s for people’s own safety. You never know what’s going to happen.”

“True,” he acknowledged before hovering over her shoulders, taking in the inventory listed. “So what are you up to?”

“J-Just making sure we have enough acids and bases for the next lesson,” she stammered and took a step to the side in order to create some space. “I-I might have used a bit during my last experiment and forgot that we had a lab project tomorrow.”

“Shouldn’t the stupid octopus be doing that?”

“Koro-sensei is out for some one-on-one assassination attempts with a few of the other students,” she said with a mild shrug and then smiled soft. It was a demure look that came up whenever she talked about something she enjoyed and Karma indulgently memorized the look. “Besides, I don’t mind.”

“But if you’re always stuck in the labs, how else are you going to assassinate him?” Karma sat on one of the stools, clutching onto the edge of it as he casually leaned backwards. “If anything, you should try and make some poison to give to the other guys so that they can use it to kill him.”

Okuda appeared surprised by his plan before she looked away, a slight unsure look on her face. “That’s true...”

“But you don’t want that, do you?” he continued smoothly.

Again, she appeared surprised, this time by his perceptiveness. Okuda fidgeted a bit, unable to look him in the eyes again. “I... I know that I’m not as talented as our other classmates. They’re very strong and fast while all I have are my brains.... and I can’t even use half of my brain since the only thing I’m good at are things like math and science. Still... I... I want to be able to assassinate Koro-sensei with my own abilities.”

Something sharp was pressed against her throat and Okuda’s hand immediately went up to grab onto the wrist of her assailant, barely stifling her gasp and her sigh of relief when she saw that the ‘weapon’ was completely green. Her reflexes were too slow compared to most of the students and she would have been killed if that’s what her attacker wanted. Realizing that she was in no true danger, she was then immediately exposed to the fact that Karma was pressing closely behind her, one hand loosely around her waist so that she wouldn’t be able to get away.

“K-Karma-kun?” she stammered out and the anti-sensei knife was pressed harder against her throat, actually pushing her back until the back of her head was resting against his chest.

“See, just like that,” he whispered softly into her ear. “I could have ended you just like that.”

“I don’t understand,” she squirmed a bit against him, but it was impossible to break free. “What are you trying to prove?”

“That you’re vulnerable and need someone to watch your back.” His voice was sharp, but what she couldn’t see was the soft affection in his eyes. It was always so easy to talk to her like this, so honestly. Their fellow students, even Nagisa, would feel unnerved if Karma approached them in a threatening manner like this. Okuda just looked nervous because of how closely pressed they were against each other. “It’s fine trying to figure out a solution by yourself, but if you don’t improve in all aspects, you’ll just fail all by yourself.”

“A-And how exactly should I improve?”

“Your speed for once,” Karma said as he grinned cheekily. “I’m impressed, Okuda-san.”

“By what?” she was unable to hide her sigh or relief when Karma pulled the knife away from her. Even if she trusted him, it was never comfortable to have something potentially dangerous pressed like that. However, to her confusion, he didn’t move away from her, keeping his hand comfortably around her waist as though he had every right to leave it there. The other hand began to playfully throw the knife in the air.

“I felt it,” he said. “You have a needle hiding beneath your sleeve. If my knife hadn’t reached first and you hadn’t noticed that it wasn’t a real weapon in time, you would have poisoned me by now, wouldn’t you?”

She didn’t say anything, mortified by the fact that she’d almost killed her own classmate... not to mention, Karma-kun at that! “D-Don’t tell anyone!” Koro-sensei would definitely not be happy if he knew she was actually carrying around poison that could hurt people and not their near invulnerable sensei. Karasuma-sensei also wouldn’t take this lightly and might even take away her keys!

“What, that you carry poison with you all the time?” there was an excited inflection in his tone of voice. “What kind of poison is it, anyways? Something really nasty?”

“I-It’s just yellow jasmine I had Koro-sensei pick up when he passed by North America during lunch!” Okuda said with a flustered look on her face, finding it difficult to concentrate when Karma was pressed so intimately against her. She could feel the heat of his hand on her hip and... and was she imagining things or was he actually nuzzling into her hair from time to time?! “I coated some needles with them and have them lined up in my sleeve... just in case.”

“Ooh,” there was genuine awe and appreciation radiating from Karma before he seemed to have reached a decision. He pulled back just a little bit so that Okuda could actually look up at him. “So what do you say, Okuda-san?”

“E-Eh?” she stared at him, completely lost.

“How about teaming up with me to kill the stupid octopus?”

Her eyes goggled at him. “What?”

“I’m probably more physically capable, but you have the scientific mind to create a bunch of little neat toys for me to use on him.” he grinned in delight at the prospect of the near future. There were already several ways they could team up together. Not to mention, there were so many real world applications to her skills. The smile on his face turned absolutely devious at that.

“Wouldn’t Itona-san be better if you want gadgets?” Okuda’s brows knitted together in confusion.

“Nah, Teresaka would throw a fit if he realized I took one of his more useful cronies and his inventions are a bit boring,” Karma said with a shrug before turning to her, a sharp yet heated look in his eyes as he smiled down at her. “Besides, I’d much rather have you as my partner.”

“...I thought Nagisa-kun was your partner?” her heart skipped a beat at the look on his face, but logic and trust won over any panic that might be welling up inside of her. She didn’t understand what he was saying to her and if he was talking about a partnership, it was true that if a formidable team was to be made, Nagisa and Karma were the duo that fit the bill. “You two are always together and work well as a team.”

“I think Kayano nabbed him in that department.” He said casually and almost laughed, knowing that he’d totally lost Okuda by now. Karma could already see the gears running through her head, asking ‘Nabbed him? Nabbed him how?’ “I want you to be my assassination partner, Okuda-san.” His eyes then lit up as a devious plan came to mind. Karma leaned in closer and practically purred the next words out into her ear. “Or should I say... Manami-chan?”

The breath from his mouth seemed to brand her ear with his voice and the mere intimacy of how he was speaking to her –and her first name at that!- made her involuntarily shudder. “K-Karma-kun, w-what are you-?”

“If we’re going to be partners, we should be friendlier with each other. You already call me Karma anyways. I’d say it’s fair if I get to cal you Manami-chan,” he said cheekily and she shrunk down a bit, knowing there wasn’t anything she could retort to that. “So what do you say? Will you be mine?”

He held out a hand towards her and Okuda stared at it. The way Karma had worded their partnership sounded so... strange. Her brows furrowed together as she attempted to decipher what he was trying to say. Perhaps there was a hidden message she wasn’t getting? But this was Karma-kun she was talking about. He may act differently from the other students and may have that dangerous, mischievous streak that made him a danger to others, but he’d never do anything to really harm her.

Okuda hesitantly reached out and placed her small hand against Karma’s larger one, a shiver going down her spine when she saw the devious smile on his lips. Why did it feel as though she’d just signed her life away to the devil? Her face flushed when he wrapped his fingers around her hand and lifted it up, pressing it against his lips where a teasing smile was in place.

“I look forward to working with you, Manami-chan.”

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::Owari::

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AN: Dedicate to Manami-chan's birthday!

Based on the cover page of Chapter 11. I was surprised to see Okuda listed as one of the more independent types and was listed as a ‘tricky ambushers’ like Karma. Apparently there’s more to her than meets the eye!