i wanted to punch him and
understand him at the same time.
(©Shannon A Thompson)
Ambiance; Shōrai by mun.,
& Disruptive LoFi
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Midoriya was removed from the battle arena on a stretcher, left unconscious after the last few seconds of the fight unfolded. You and Uraraka made your way down to the main floor of the building together. You supported her through her nausea, stopping with her to rub her back soothingly whenever she needed. She did her best to stay quiet during the process after you informed her that you had a headache. You told her not to concern herself about your symptoms, but that didn't change her mind at all.
You didn't realize just how much damage Bakugo and Midoriya did to the building together until you got to the bottom of the stairs. The maze that used to be dark and foreboding, a habitat you relished in. Now, you could see bright daylight pouring in from both outer walls. Dust was still settling from the air when you found Bakugo.
He's shaking. The Bluetooth is still in his ear, but it's been disconnected since you removed yours. There's something stirring inside your chest. You cannot identify what it is, or if it's you creating the feeling or if you're picking it up from the explosive blond. He's staring at his right hand, gloved palm trembling until he clenches it into a fist. From here, you can hear him start to hyperventilate. Was he having a breakdown? The gravity in the room shifts; his shadow flickers and sways. It's not as confident as it was before. It seemed...distraught.
You avert your gaze when All Might steps in. You don't overhear what he says to your classmate. Instead you focus on helping Uraraka back outside. Only a few more moments pass before they exit the building as well, and All Might leads the way to the observation room. Said room looked more like a control center than an observatory. Your classmates stare at you, Bakugo, and Uraraka like deer in headlights. You do your best to ignore them. They're still watching him.
"Well..." All Might hums to himself. His characteristic grin never changes even when he speaks. "Despite the results, the MVP of this exercise is Young Hokama."
Violet eyes jump from your black boots and you turn to All Might. Your heart skips a beat, and your fingers begin to feel tingly. "Huh?" Did you hear him right? He didn't say your last name, did he? He must've mixed you and Uraraka up...
"Shouldn't it be one of the heroes instead since they're the winners?" Asui asked. She stole the words right out of your mouth.
"Mm, valid question." All Might places his hands on his hips before using one to point to the ceiling. "Why didn't I choose one of those two? Who has a guess?"
Yaoyorozu's hand flies into the air. "Sir, I can tell you why. Hokama embraced this challenge. She was the only one who truly adapted to her assigned role."
All Might doesn't say anything. He honestly looks confused by her answer. Your eyes fixate on her. From what you can tell, she is just as analytical as you are, if not more. Maybe you should try to be her friend, too. She did sit right behind you, anyway.
"I'll explain." She begins going into detail, even though no one asked. "Bakugos judgment was clouded by a personal grudge against Midoriya. As you pointed out earlier, launching a large-scale attack indoors was a foolish move. It could've been disastrous. Similarly, Midoriya's plan was also poorly thought out considering the amount of damage he received. He rendered himself helpless, not smart."
Uraraka finally looks like she's returned to her normal self. Her cheeks are flushed pink with embarrassment, chestnut irises focuses on her boots with her hands tucked in front of her waist.
"As for Uraraka," Yaoyorozu continues. "She let her guard down mid battle, and her final attack was far too reckless giving the hypothetical stakes. Had she treated the weapon if it were real, she never would've used such an imprecise move. Hokama was fully prepared for her opponent's arrival. She had a strategy and never lost sight of her mission to protect the dummy weapon, even if she was foiled in the end."
Your body feels like it's been struck by a match. Your chest is warm and fuzzy and your legs are trembling. You want to run away.
"Technically the hero team won, yes, but they took advantage of the fact that this was training. They didn't respect the spirit of the trial."
All Might looks shell-shocked at her in depth oversight of the skirmish. He trembles for a second, like he's intimidated by her before clicking back into his original persona. "Yes, well, you overlooked a few things. Young Hokama could have relaxed a bit in the exercise, otherwise you've got it." He gives her a thumbs up. "Good job!"
"Bakugo's earpiece malfunctioned." Your voice, albeit shaky, came as an interruption, but thankfully it seemed that the pro hero was already finished speaking. "I could hear everything he was saying to Midoriya, hence my tension."
Ruby red irises lock onto you. You don't acknowledge it. That was the most you've spoken to anyone in the school, let alone your classmates. They all look at you, as if they're trying to understand what you just said. Some of them wonder how the battle would've played out had you not been distracted by the broken Bluetooth.
"A malfunctioning piece of technology can distract even the most professional of heroes in dire situations." All Might confirmed for you. "Despite that, you did an outstanding job."
A small smile crossed your lips at his praise. It falls when Yaoyorozu spoke up again, hands firmly placed on her hips. "One should always start with the basics and devote oneself wholeheartedly to learning. That's the only way to become a top hero."
Everyone is staring at her with a blank face.
"Now then," All Might begins again. "Let's blow this joint! Onto the next match. Think about everything you saw and discuss as you tackle this training yourself."
"Yes, sir!" The class echoes.
Match two began. It was Todoroki and Shoji versus Ojiro and Hagakure. It didn't last long at all. Todoroki allowed his comrade to locate the villain team, then did the work himself. He placed a hand on the wall and covered the building in an entire sheet of ice, freezing Ojiro and Hagakure where they stood. You couldn't help but think that the dual-haired boy looked like that old movie from America in his hero suit. What did they call it again? Oh, right. The Terminator.
The observatory was freezing. Todoroki had used so much ice that he dropped the temperature significantly. All Might did his best to remain steadfast when he spoke again: "He has incapacitated them without compromising the weapon or his team mate. Take note of his technique, students."
Bakugo is the only one in the room not shaking. You wonder if it's due to the nitroglycerin he produces. You imagine he ran hotter than the rest of the students in the room, including All Might. He looked surprised, eyebrows arched and slightly slack jawed even though his teeth were gritted. It only takes you a second to realize that it isn't surprise on his face; it's anxiety. Todoroki melts the ice in the building, and the review begins.
It's difficult for you to decide whether to watch how your classmates handle the training scenario or watch Bakugo's reaction. Both were interesting and entertaining, but the blond's overall demeanor was shifting the longer the battles went on. No one paid any mind to him and his inner turmoil. You only focused on it because his shadow was screaming; angry but scared.
The sky is blue with wisps of clouds here and there by the time class has ended. It does not give you any reprieve from the sun. The black catsuit covering your skin is a magnet for it. You feel like you're disintegrating when All Might stops your class at the gate exiting the arena.
"That's a wrap! Super work! You really stepped up to the plate and we didn't have any major injuries except for Midoriya. You should be proud! Excellent first day of training all around."
"It's nice to hear some encouraging words after our homeroom class." Asui comments. "Mister Aizawa was kind of a buzzkill." Some of your classmates nod in agreement with her.
The statement goes right to All Might's ego. He throws his hands in the air, posing theatrically like always. "I'm happy to bring such staggering positivity to my Alma Mater!" He salutes your class. "That's all for now, folks! I should go check on Young Midoriya's progress. Now watch how a pro exits, like he's got somewhere to be!" The tall, oversized man sprints away like his ass is on fire.
You're the first to leave the group and head back to the lockers. Your peers are still lingering by the entrance, in awe of All Might's spectacular departure from Ground Beta. The sooner you can get out of this hero costume, the better. The locker room is cool thanks to the air conditioning unit. It's refreshing, and you allow your shoulders to relax. You remove your boots and peel the catsuit from your skin. There's a thin layer of sweat across you, so you take a quick rinse in one of the available showers. Now you feel like a human again.
You're slipping on your shoes by the time that the other girls are stepping out of the showers as well. You can hear Ashido laughing about something, but don't care to identify who she's talking to. Instead you focus on the annoying squeak of your outside shoes against the linoleum, opening the door to the outside. Immediately, you are blinded by the sun. The humidity outside is just as bad as it had been inside the locker room due to the steam from the showers.
It takes a minute for your eyes to adjust to the light. Only when the sunspots fade from your peripherals do you realize that it isn't the sun that blinded you. It's the blond teenager looming over you: Bakugo. You take a step back once you realize how close he is. Your shoulders hit the locker room door. It doesn't budge, as it opens outwards. You don't even get a chance to ask him what he wants before he starts to speak.
"Hokama." He says your name like he's testing it on his tongue.
For some reason, it makes shivers roll up your spine. You furrow your eyebrows at the sensation. "Yeah?" You try to remain neutral, but there's a slight hostility that slips from your tongue.
This was probably the closest you'd been to him face to face. This is also the closest you've been to anyone of the opposite gender, not including your dad. You don't know why, but your eyes stay on him. His hair is bright in the sunlight, giving him almost a golden glow. His shadow falls slightly over his face, concealing his features but doing nothing to contain the bloody irises that stared into your own violet. His lack of talking makes you nervous.
Why is he looking at you like that?
"When did the Bluetooth break?" His question is straightforward, his voice full of gravel.
You blink, thinking back on it. "After your first attack."
He hasn't looked away from you, yet. It's almost intimidating. You can't tell what he's feeling, or what he's thinking. He isn't easy to read at all. He's closed off and dismissive, short-tempered and a threat to anyone who stood in his path. You wondered if his ego is as large outside of school as it is inside. Did he inherit this aggressive personality from someone or develop it on his own?
Your heart skips a beat when he opens his mouth. Before he actually speaks, the corner of the locker room door hits you in the shoulder blade when it opens behind you. You look over your shoulder to find Ashido's head of pink hair poking out.
"Oh, sorry Hokama. What are you doing standing in front of the door?"
"I—" You turn back to Bakugo, but he's gone. You don't get a chance to wonder where he went when she finally opens the door all the way. "Sorry, I was trying to get my eyes to adjust."
"Yeah, it is pretty bright out here, huh?" She steps out, letting the other girls file out behind her. She covers her eyes with her hand to shield it from the sun. "Are you coming back to class? Aizawa's gonna be pissed if one of us is late."
"Right." You reply earnestly, deciding to walk alongside her and the other girls. None of them really pay you any mind, all too focused on getting back to class before Aizawa shows up. Some of them are talking like they've known each other for years, though you aren't sure if any of them actually grew up together. Ashido's growing friendship with Jiro struck a chord in you. The acidic girl was bubbly and extroverted, while the other was more of the shy, quiet type.
It looked a lot like you and Mizuki.
You had totally forgotten about the fact that she was missing until then. The realization hits you like a bullet train and you stumble over your own feet. Your headache has returned and this time it's tenfold. You close your eyes and rub at your temples in an attempt to get it to go away. You won't be able to focus on your classes if it continues like this.
What was Bakugo wanting to talk to you about, anyway? It couldn't just be about the broken Bluetooth, right? Was he concerned about what you overheard him saying to Midoriya? No, he didn't really seem like the type to care about what other people thought of him. How come he approached you outside the locker room like that? Why did he leave when Ashido opened the door? Was it a conversation he didn't want anyone to overhear? What was he going to say?
You force yourself to sit through the rest of your classes for the day, despite your overwhelming headache. You can't identify if it's because of stress or the fact that you haven't eaten anything today, but it doesn't matter. The cause could even be dehydration. Thinking too long just makes it worse, so you do your best to ignore it. The desk in front of you is empty. Midoriya would have been there had it not been for him passing out after battle class.
Instead, you get to stare at the back of Katsuki Bakugo's head.
You want to confront him and find out what he was wanting to say earlier, but never get the chance. The second that class is over, he's one of the first to get up and leave. You don't chase after him, as the idea made you nervous and the thought of doing it in front of your classmates just gave you secondhand embarrassment for yourself. Some of them tried to stop him but it was no use. With a sigh you gather your things into your bag and begin to make your way outside. Before you reach the main door leading to the front courtyard, you decide to take a detour.
You hadn't been to the nurses office before, so finding it was a bit trickier than you expected. You didn't realize just how large the university was until you got lost in the hallways. You weren't going for anything in particular except to see if they had something they could give you to help with your head. You still didn't have any sort of appetite so eating was out of the question. As long as they could give you something to stave the pain off until you got home, you would be okay.
Your shoes squeak on the linoleum when you stop.
Home.
That word sounds foreign to you.
"Hokama?" Your name catches your attention and you look around.
Midoriya is standing behind you. His freckled face is covered in dirt and his wild green hair is even more uncontrollable than before. He's still in his battle outfit, as well. His arms are bandaged and one propped in a sling. He looks exhausted, like it's taking every ounce of willpower to keep himself standing upright.
"Oh, hey." You swallow the saliva in the back of your throat. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm doing better." He straightens up slightly with a soft smile. "I guess her quirk uses my stamina to promote healing, so I'm a bit drained."
"That makes sense." You surmise, crossing your arms over your chest. "Where are you headed? Classes are done for the day."
"I was going to grab my bag from the classroom and head home. What are you doing in this part of the school? I thought you'd be headed home by now, too."
You shrug slightly, one hand rising to the back of your neck. "I...was trying to find the nurses office, actually."
"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Midoriya's concern is more than noticeable.
It makes your heart flutter and your cheeks heat up a bit. You wave a hand frantically in dismissal. "Oh, yeah, it's just a little headache. Nothing to worry about."
"Okay, good." He closes his eyes for a moment. "I just came from there, actually so I can show you where it is if you'd like?"
"Yeah, that would be helpful. Thank you." You return the smile before following him through the hall.
You were headed in the complete opposite direction of the nurse, it turns out. Embarrassment is stamping itself on your face when he stops at the door to the office. You thank him for his help before stepping in. At a desk sits a short, older woman. She turns when the door opens and cocks an eyebrow over her transparent glasses.
"Hello. Do you need something?" Her stool squeaks as she shifts in it.
"Yes, sorry to bother you." You apologize for the intrusion. "I was hoping you had something to help a headache?"
"Well of course I do, I am the school nurse after all." She teases gently before sliding off of her stool. She waddles to a medicine cabinet and reaches inside. When she turns back to you, she has a small plastic cup with a single pill and a clipboard. "I need you to sign your name here, and then you can get a glass of water from the sink."
You do as she asks, signing your name next to a small description of what she had given you. Next to the sink are recyclable paper cups. You grab one and fill it halfway to take the medicine before throwing it away. "Thank you, miss."
"Of course. Have a good rest of your day, dear."
Midoriya is still standing outside the nurses office when you close the door behind him. You were prepared to be alone once you stepped out, so seeing him there made you jump.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He apologizes quickly.
"It's alright." You place a hand over your chest to settle your racing heart. "You didn't have to wait for me."
"I....didn't want you to get lost again." He averts his emerald eyes away from yours. His freckles vanished under a thin shade of pink.
You can't help but smile. Midoriya really was a walking, talking marshmallow. "Thank you."
"S-sure!" He's quick to begin walking again, slowing his pace slightly so you can keep up with him.
The walk back to the classroom was uneventful and quiet, just like the walk home the previous afternoon. You don't mind the silence, and it seems like he might be settling into it as well. You hope he doesn't mind that you don't talk much. You'd love to have a real conversation with him...you just found it hard. The two of you stop at the oversized door saying Class 1-A. You already have your school bag on your shoulders, ready to go.
"Do..." His eyes look everywhere but you. "You want to walk home together again?"
"I don't see why not." You reply almost too fast for your liking.
Had the circumstances been different, meaning Mizuki was here, you wouldn't have answered him so quickly. He doesn't seem phased by how fast you replied even if you are a wallflower more than anything else. Perhaps he just thought you were nervous. You weren't too sure. It doesn't seem like it affects him, though.
"Okay, great. I'll grab my bag real fast and we can take off, okay?"
You nod, and he opens the door.
"Hey, it's Midoriya!" You don't recognize the voice that's speaking. "Good to see you back, super. Man I couldn't hear what you were saying in the match but you were all fired up, huh?"
It's Kirishima, the boy with spiky red hair and sharp teeth. Other students fill in the gaps behind him, one being Ashido. The other two are Sero and Sato. You only know their names because of All Might saying them during battle training earlier in the day.
"I can't believe you held your own against Bakugo, he's super strong." Sero complimented.
"You did a great job dodging!" Ashido shakes her hands excitedly in front of her.
"You guys really turned up in the first match so none of us held back in our rounds, either!" Sato exclaims.
"You were far from elegant but I suppose—"
"Your dodging was like—whoa!" Ashido jumps up and down enthusiastically, unintentionally—or intentionally—cutting off Aoyama mid sentence.
They all end up introducing themselves to him. You shake your head and step to the side out of their line of sight, overhearing their names. You catch Iida yell at Tokoyami for sitting on the desk. That kid never relaxes, does he? Denki and Uraraka walk from the other door. She immediately notices the green-haired boy and approaches him with questions about his care from the nurses office.
"Uraraka, where's Kacchan?" He asks her curiously once all the commotion has died down.
You're surprised when he hears her answer and books it down the hallway, completely forgetting his backpack. "Hey!" An extension of shadows reaches out and swipes it off of his desk, causing some of the girls to jump in surprise. "Weren't we supposed to walk together?!"
Your shadow follows you with it through the hall alongside the sunset-drenched windows, down the stairway and skirting around corners. You don't say anything in an attempt to keep up with him. You can hear your breathing when you barely catch up with him outside the main door.
You're slightly winded when he finds the explosive blond-haired boy further down the walkway. He doesn't look like he's heading to the dorms. When sir fluff-top chases him down, you decide to give them some privacy and lag behind. You'll be here for mental support once he's ready to take off. It doesn't take long for Bakugo to turn and begin speaking back, his voice beginning to raise now and again. His shadow is wavering, unsteady and churning.
He was loud but his voice wasn't clear until near the end. "I even agree with what that girl said today, dammit! That move was so stupid! I broke the fucking earpiece so Hokama overheard everything—dammit, dammit, dammit!"
His emotions make something in your chest flicker. You'd already hidden in the shadow of the doorway in order to remain unseen. You won't show yourself until after the scene has come to a close. What was Bakugo's drive, you wonder. His tenacity and desire to outdo Midoriya was questionable. It made you feel like you were becoming a cat that will perish due to your own curiosity. Lost in your head again, you miss the explosive teenager turning away again. You also miss the Number One Pro Hero sprinting by you at top speed after him. He must not have seen you.
Good.
You step out onto the main walkway and feel the breeze in your hair. You're still too far to hear anything that the trio could be saying to one another, but it doesn't bother you too much. You'll find out the answers on your own soon enough. You tilt your head when All Might turns to your classmate once Bakugo leaves. Midoriya seems to be playing dumb, and the sight makes you chuckle slightly. You're not sure if you believe him knowing that he was too smart for his own good.
"Nere!"
Hearing your nickname snaps you out of your train of thought. You flinch against your will but turn anyway. The voice is too deep to be your sister, so your heart hasn't jumped. Heading towards you from the far side of campus is Mirio Togata. It was never labeled, but him and Mizuki had obvious crushes on one another. You weren't sure why the two of them hadn't gotten together at this point. When you questioned her about it, she always denied it. She said that Mirio was too good for her. You wish you knew his perspective better, but that was alright.
"Togata." You greet him calmly, though your heart begins to race in your chest.
Please don't ask me about Mizuki. Please don't ask me about Mizuki.
The tall blond man with cartoonish eyes has a small smile on his face when he stops in front of you on the stairs. He seems calm, but you can tell by his shadow that he's stressed. To others it remains still in front of him, but you can feel it clawing for you desperately: hunting. In his hands is a box. He's wearing a backpack that you haven't seen before, as well.
"Hey, how are you? Sorry to be blunt, but Mizuki never showed up for class today. Is she alright?" He gets straight to the point, like always. He did the exact opposite that you were asking, too.
Quick, come up with something so he won't be suspicious!
"Oh, yeah. She caught a bad fever last night and is at home resting." You frown in concern. "I think it might just be a spring cold. She should get over it soon, hopefully."
"Ah, I see." He nods in understanding. "I'd drop by to check in on her but..."
"I understand, don't worry. She's got her phone turned off so she can relax but if she's awake when I'm home I'll tell her to text you." You answer him a lot easier than you wanted to. Your heart pangs in your chest with guilt.
"Thank you. I have this gift for her, too. It includes this backpack as well. Do you think you can carry all of this?" He holds the box out to you, and you take it with both arms.
You blink at him. "The...backpack too? Is it heavy?"
He takes it off and raises it with one hand. "I'd say it's about 6 kilograms."
That was less than your school backpack, and the box he just handed you weighed about two kilograms if you had to guess. You nodded at him. "Okay, I can carry that."
You balance the box in your off arm before taking the backpack in your dominant one. You don't want to tell him that you don't know where your sister is. You'll keep up this charade of everything being okay until you can't anymore. You really should tell someone that she's missing, but your heart keeps telling you that she'll show back up at home. Should you listen to it or go with your gut?
"Are you sure it's not too much? I can always give it to her when she comes back to class." Togata asks with a kind smile. You know that he doesn't think you aren't capable, he just wants to make sure that you're comfortable.
You nod stiffly. "Yeah, I'll be alright. Thank you!"
She would want you to cover for her. You know this, so what you're doing is okay, right?
"Awesome! Will you let her know that I'm thinking about her?" He shakes his head quickly in an attempt to get rid of the blush covering his cheeks, but it's no use. "Meaning that I hope she gets better soon?"
You bite back a knowing smile. "Sure."
"I should get going now." He points his thumbs back towards the dormitories. "Thanks again!"
"Of course, have a good evening." You wave as he leaves, him doing the same in return.
By the time Togata vanishes around the corner again, Midoriya has finished his conversation with All Might. You wait until the Pro Hero has wandered elsewhere before approaching the green-haired teenager. You have to look up slightly to make eye contact with him, but don't hesitate when your shadow hands him his bag.
"I didn't want to interrupt, but you forgot this in the classroom."
"Thank you." He grabs said bag, and your shadow returns back to you. When you don't say anything in response, he looks down to the box in your hands. "What is that?"
You shrug your shoulders. "I don't know. It's a gift for my sister."
"You have a sister?" He questions curiously. "Does she go to U.A.?"
You look up at him before nodding. "Yes. She's in her third year."
"Oh wow!" He gushes in excitement. "You must have learned a lot on how to control your quirk from her, huh? Did you two train together?"
You tilt your head, wondering how you should answer him. "Her and I don't have the same quirk, so I had to figure it out on my own. We do train together sometimes, though. Not as often as we used to." You aren't sure why you're willing to tell him so much, but you feel like you can trust Midoriya.
"You don't have the same quirk?" He echoes your statement. "Oh, how interesting. Are they similar, at least?"
You shift the backpack on your shoulders. "They're not similar at all, actually." You look down to the box tucked under your arm and the backpack sling over your shoulder.
A gasp escapes your lips when the box wiggles itself right out of your arm. You go to catch it, but the backpack slows you down and throws you completely off balance. This forces your reflexes to react to saving yourself before the box. Fortunately for you, Midoriya's instincts are as fast as yours, if not quicker, and he catches the moving box before it smashes onto the sidewalk. You're surprised he catches it with one arm, tucking it up to his chest. Whatever's inside the box moves again, this time throwing the top of it directly off.
The lid clatters gently onto the sidewalk. Inside the box is a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. She's red and white with honey brown eyes, and barks when she locks eyes with you.
"A puppy?" You and Midoriya say it at the same time. The two of you immediately look at each other before back at the dog.
She tries to jump out of the box. You yelp in worry and jump to catch her before she gets away, dropping the backpack in the process. She's a wriggly little thing when you clutch her into your chest. Midoriya is still holding the box, and now staring blankly at the puppy pressed against your breasts. Said puppy turns and begins to sniff your chin, her tiny little tongue coming out for the occasional lick. You scrunch your neck at the sensation.
"Oh boy. Togata..." You mutter it under your breath, feeling your brow begin to sweat with anxiety. A fucking dog? Really? That's the gift he had for your sister? This was quite a present...
"Midoriya, can you do me a favor and see what's inside that backpack?" You ask him gently, beginning to pet the puppy in hopes that she would settle down. She seems to like the attention and redirects her licking to your hand.
"Uh, sure." He tucks the now empty box underneath his arm after picking up the lid. He unzips the bag and you watch his face fall. "It's...full of dog supplies."
You want to facepalm, but your hands are a bit preoccupied. "Is there a leash and collar in there?"
Around the puppy's neck is a cute, dark blue bow. That's not a suitable collar. You wonder what Mirio was intending with this gift. Maybe he should have waited until he saw her in person to give her this?
Your friend digs through the bag with his good arm. "Y-yeah, I think I found one?"
He pulls it out and tries to untangle the mess with his limited capabilities. When he finally makes sense of it, it comes out to be a small harness and a matching leash. Both are dark blue. The leash has white waves embroidered into the fabric. He hands you the harness first. You put it over the puppy's head while she does everything in her capabilities to fight you back. You do your best to be patient with her, as she's just getting even more excited with all the ruckus.
Once you get the clip fastened under her armpit, you take the end of the leash and clip it to the small metal loop between her shoulders and set her on the ground. You take the leash from Midoriya. "Thank you for your help."
"Of course." He laughs nervously. "A puppy, huh? How come you got the gift instead of your sister?"
You keep the puppy close to you when you zip up the backpack and pick it up again, continuing to make your way down the sidewalk now that the commotion is over. "She didn't come to school today." Your answer is brief.
"Ah. Well, I'm sure she'll be excited to see the puppy, hopefully?" He looks down at the small thing.
Her tiny paws rush to keep up with you and Midoriya's legs, her bobbed tail wiggling cutely. You look down at her as well as she stops to smell a patch of flowers. Inside one is a bee, and it buzzes out. She jumps back in surprise and decides to bark at it in self-defense. You can't help but smile. She sure is cute.
"I think she will be." Your answer is a half-truth. Your sister would absolutely adore the puppy. She loves every animal she lays eyes on, even the ugliest mangy bird you'd ever seen. You just don't know when she'll be home, or if she'll ever come back.
"Do you have any other pets?" He asks curiously, stopping with you at the crosswalk. Traffic has yet to stop to allow the two of you to cross.
You shake your head. "We used to have a Shiba when I was in elementary school, but it passed away and my parents never got another pet."
He nods softly. "I see. I've asked my mom for a pet before but we live in an apartment and can't afford one."
You look up at him before the light signals for you to cross. "That's reasonable. They are expensive, and I'm sure apartments are strict on pets."
He nods again, finally stopping once he reaches a particular corner. It's your street. The puppy stops too, standing on his shoe to look up at him. She barks expectantly, like she's demanding attention. He crouches down to scratch behind her ear. "I'll see you tomorrow, Hokama."
"Have a goodnight, Midoriya." You wave goodbye as he continues down the street, looking down to the puppy that stares after him. She turns back to you, her honey brown eyes glistening when she tilts her head. "Well...I guess we should get home, huh?"
She barks in response, like she understood you. You purse your lips and shake your head. Dogs can be such silly creatures. The rest of the walk down your quiet street was peaceful. It was soothing enough to make you forget that Mizuki wasn't home. The Corgi stopped every now and then to sniff certain things along the sidewalk. She didn't seem fearful of anything at all besides the evening bugs that fluttered around the flowers.
When you got back home, you plug in the code to the main gate and step inside. Since there is no opening between the fence surrounding the front yard and the road, you decide to let the puppy off her leash. She begins to run through the clean grass, deciding to go to the bathroom while she is at it. You didn't realize it until then, but the light for the foyer is on.
Your heart begins to race. Is Mizuki home? You do the code for the main door and throw it open. The foyer is empty. Violet irises dart to the shoe cubby on the left wall. Her outside shoes are still missing. You look down to the main step leading to the hallway. In front of said step are two pairs of business shoes.
"Nereza? Mizuki? Is that you?" It's a man's voice.
At the sound of voices coming from inside, the puppy you unleashed in the front yard goes running past you and down the hallway. Her tiny paws slip and slide across the hardwood floor, but it doesn't deter her at all. She's determined to reach her new friends. You close the front door behind you.
You hear a woman gasp. "Well hello there little one! Who might you be?"
A large figure begins to approach you from the hallway. You don't want to lift your gaze from their shoes. Why are they home? They were supposed to be on their trip until this weekend.
"Nereza." His voice is deep and it makes a chill run down your spine.
You slowly look up at him through your eyelashes.
"Where is your sister?"
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words; 6,363
~evixtus