𝐇𝐢𝐤𝐚𝐫𝐢 『Bakugo Katsuki』

◆Chapter 123◇

A few days before the battle...

The last few days were filled with nothing but preparations for the upcoming battle. While most of the others trained, Miyuki decided to make a few adjustments to the support items she'd made and so stayed holed up in her room for hours at a time tinkering with her tools and equipment. She still maintained her morning routines and went out for her early morning jogs like she always did, now with Tenya and Izuku to help him improve his use of his Fa Jin Quirk. She felt like he was getting better control of it, which was good. Zin's speed was unmatched; so much so that even All Might in his prime would've struggled to keep up with him. It reassured her somewhat, too, seeing him grow more confident in using his other Quirks.

'I wonder... if there was some way I could modify some part of Eclipse with One for All...' Miyuki pondered as she made her way back into the fortified structure from a jog, mindlessly fiddling with her gauntlet. 'There were those times they felt almost synchronized. Ah, it's such a long-shot, but... if it's something that'll give him any kind of upper hand over Aki-nii, then...'

Her mind constantly filled with the different strategies she could use to get through to her brother. She still didn't know him that well, and that's what worried her the most as she stepped back inside, a slight crease in between her brow and an ache between her fingers.

She stopped suddenly and looked up, surprised, when a gloved finger poked her forehead.

"You're gonna get wrinkles and start looking like an old woman if you keep moping 'round like that," Katsuki said, poking her forehead again. He was all dressed up in hero costume already and fully geared up. Except for his boots. His toes were out and there wasn't a single pair of Uwabaki in sight.

Miyuki puffed out her cheeks.

"I'm not moping, I'm thinking," she replied, looking down at her gauntlets. "There's a bunch of equipment that still needs fixing up before the fight, so I was just going over the blueprints in my head."

"You aren't a good liar." He poked her forehead once more. Her face reddened in embarrassment.

"I-It isn't a lie! I really was thinking about that... A-And other stuff. Hey, stop that. You're not going to thread out my thoughts by jabbing me in the head..." She grabbed his hand, pulled it away from her face. Miyuki looked up at him.

"You can explain everything you were thinking about to us inside there," he stated as he started walking away, looking at her over his shoulder. "C'mon, Pepperhead."

"'There'? 'Us'? Who're you...?" She trailed off, eyes widening slowly as she remembered the meeting that was supposed to happen that morning. She'd completely forgotten about it! "Shoot – Get it together, Miyuki, how could you forget something as important as that?!" She turned to Katsuki and saw he was far ahead of her already. "H-Hey, wait for me!"

He stopped and waited for her to catch up. When she did and they started walking again, he threw a glance at her from the corner of his eye.

The bags under her eyes had gotten darker and her skin was just a shade paler than normal. It disturbed him to see her that way, but he knew it wasn't just her. Everybody, every single hero left, was snapping themselves in half to give their all in this fight, himself included. Of course she wouldn't give herself a damn break.