fear. || { bnha }

nineteen.

Yet she was cut off by a kiss nonetheless.

It didn't last very long, and Valui had been too surprised to really react. She hadn't shut her eyes, so when Hitoshi pulled back, she saw that his expression had softened. His forehead rested gently against hers, his smile dying down from overwhelming joy to gratitude. "Thank you, though. Really." The volume of his voice had dropped as well, as if he wanted her to be the only one hearing what he was saying. "I... I don't know how to thank you."

Did he really think he needed to thank her? Valui smiled, hoping the look on her face made up for the head shake she couldn't perform. "You don't need to. Your happiness is enough for me."

When the cheesiness of that line hit her, Valui's face turned red.

Hitoshi's face also grew red, but he smile didn't falter. "You're adorable." It was mumbled; she almost didn't hear it. Letting out a faint sigh, he shut his eyes contently. When he opened them again, something like realization flashed through his eyes. Hitoshi broke the hug and took a small step back from her. "Oh, wait. I do have something for you, though."

"Huh?" Valui tilted her head in confusion. He had something for her? She watched as Hitoshi fished something out of his pocket, then holding it out to her. Valui's eyes focused on the small objects as she took them gently from his hand, turning them over and looking at them.

Hairpins.

They were hairpins — four of them, like she usually wore in her hair to keep her bangs back. They were completely average hairpins, up until the design that had been put on them. It was what told her these hadn't come from any store. The UA logo was on them made out of silver metal.

Valui lifted her head up from the accessories and looked up at Hitoshi, confusion written all over her face. "How come you're giving me these?"

The look on Hitoshi's face made Valui feel like the answer should have been obvious. "You lost your other ones," he said simply. "A girl in my class made a bunch of those and was selling them. I figured you'd like those more than some from the store."

But won't people think I go to UA if I wear them?

The thought was fleeting, because in the next moment, Valui decided it didn't matter. She smiled up at him. "I do like them. Thank you!" She slid the hairpins into her bangs with ease, clipping her bangs back as if the action was as easy as tying her shoes. To Valui, it was; she'd been doing this since she was little.

Hitoshi gave a small nod to let her know he heard her thanks. When she was done fixing her hair, he tilted his head quizzically at her. "Where were you going when I got here?"

"To the food court." At his vaguely confused expression, she continued. "The nurses said I can eat whatever I want now. As long as I don't overdo it."

All of the soft foods she had been eating were getting old. So was the taste of toothpaste from her hygiene kick earlier — couldn't she have found anything better to do? When Hitoshi gave a soft hum as a reply, Valui grabbed his hand and smiled up at him. "Wanna go with me?"

He smiled back at her and nodded. "Yeah, of course." Their fingers laced together as Hitoshi led her out of the room and down the hallway — it was better that way; Valui had no idea what the layout of the hospital was outside of her room.

After a moment of walking in comfortable silence, Hitoshi spoke up again. "So..." he started, trailing off. Valui looked up at him, though soon had to look ahead of her again as she nearly ran into a nurse with a food tray. Hitoshi muttered something under his breath, then, "Remember when I asked if you wanted to go out somewhere? After the sports festival?"