Yoshiko sighed, sitting in the bathtub with steamy water. It was two AM, and she couldn't sleep, so she decided to take a warm bath to help ease her mind. She slowly dipped her head in the water, feeling the water soothe her eyes. She heard her phone ring and got up, cursing whoever decided to call at two fucking AM. Water ran down her body as she walked up to the shelf in the bathroom, almost slipping on the wet floor.
"That was close." She muttered. She looked down at the caller ID. It was her mother. Yoshiko went back to the bath with the phone and attended the call.
"Hi, mum." She greeted.
"Hey, Yoshi. I've been calling for ages. Were you asleep?" Worry laced Yoko's voice.
"Nah, I'm taking a bath. I forgot to call you back earlier."
"Ah." A moment of silence. "Are you okay, Yoshiko?"
"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"
"You've seen the news, right?"
"Mhm."
"Are you okay?"
"I said I'm fine." Yoshiko cringed when the words came out harsher than she meant them to be.
"Oh. W-we have to visit the police station at eight in the morning. I'll come to pick you up, alright?"
"Yeah, okay." She said. "Thank you for checking on me." She added in an attempt to make up for being harsh.
"Of course, Yoshi." Her mother chuckled. "Go to sleep after your bath. See you tomorrow."
"Yeah."
Yoshiko unlocked her phone and saw seven missed calls from Shinsou. She wondered if he was still asleep or awake. Before she could jump to an answer, he called her again.
"Ever heard of calling back?" Shinsou said as soon as she attended his call, his voice irritated.
"Where's the fun in picking up the first time?" Yoshiko teased.
"Yeah, right. Now tell me what's going on in your ugly head."
"The usual," Yoshiko said, crossing her legs. "Like how amazing, incredible, stunning, breathtaking and wonderful I am-"
"Oh, shut it." Shinsou interrupted. "Has Bakugo been stroking your ego?"
"He's only been stroking my temper." Yoshiko laughed. She dipped half of her face in water, closing her eyes, thinking about how he let her put her head on his shoulder. "He's been a wee bit nicer." She added, giving him some credit for letting her lean on his shoulder.
"Bakugo and nice? Nice joke. Anyways, you know that's not why I called." He said.
"Mmm, I'm fine. I swear. There's not much I can do about it, you know?"
"So you did not throw a temper tantrum?"
"I hope you dont get sleep for a week straight."
"Take that back."
"Never."
"Has anyone ever told you how mean you are?" Shinsou joked.
"Not enough people." Yoshiko got out of the bath, splashing water in the process.
"Don't tell me you're taking a bath at two in the morning," Shinsou said, hearing water splash.
"I dont see what's wrong with that." Yoshiko said, putting a towel around her bare body. She went into her room and dried her body.
"Just weird."
"If you can make out with Aktugawa at two in the morning, I can definitely take a bath at two in the morning." Yoshiko teased as she spread her vanilla-scented body lotion across her legs and arms. She smirked when she heard Shinsou choke on the air.
"W-WHAT?! How do you know?!"
Yoshiko stared at the screen. She didn't know. She just made it up. Now she had something to tease him about. "Hmmm? I didn't actually know you sucked her face two in the morning. I've gained valuable information."
"I swear to god, if you tell anyone..." He threatened.
"Heh, dont forget to use protection. I don't want to babysit your kids yet."
"YOSHIKO!!" He yelled, flustered.
"Just sayin'." Yoshiko went on, now dressing in a T-shirt and basketball shorts. "You dont want to be a dad at sixteen, do you?"
"Yoshiko! We haven't- we-" He searched for words. Yoshiko chuckled and shook her head.
"I was just teasing you. You're a whole different person when you're flustered."
"When you get into a relationship, you're going to regret saying all that to me," Shinsou promised.
"Yeah, sure. Not like I'm getting into one anytime soon."
"Uhuh? You've been spending a lot of time with Mister Explosions. What about that?"
"Meh, it's nothing like that," Yoshiko said. "We're just friends."
"Whatever. You get my point."
"Yeah." Yoshiko chuckled. "I've gotten comfy in bed now. I'm hanging up."
"Wait. Do you want to play call of d-"
"You're not ruining my sleep again, Insomniac Idiot." Yoshiko deadpanned.
"You suck," Shinsou muttered.
"Good night, Hitoshi," Yoshiko said, hanging up.
Yoshiko set an alarm for seven thirty and put her phone on the side table. She pulled the blanket over her, feeling the warmth creep over her cold body. She closed her eyes, slowly drifting into sleep.
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Bakugo was pissed, and it was Yoshiko's fault.
He tossed and turned around, tried drowning out her face in his mind by putting a pillow on his face, punching the bed and scrubbing his face in frustration. If it wasn't her goddamn face finding a way into his head, it was her voice.
"I'm gonna throw her off a cliff." He muttered into the mattress.
His heart raced as he thought about her leaning onto his shoulder. He closed his eyes, thinking about her smiling at him, her freckles moving upwards with the gesture. Her stupid, fiery personality that drew him into her like a moth to a flame. His fists clenched onto the sheets as he thought about the day she pinned him against the wall, her voice sending goosebumps onto his skin.
What would have happened if he turned around forcefully and managed to pin her instead? What if he pinned her wrists above her head and tilted her head towards him, having angry moon-like eyes glare at him. What would her lips taste like? What if he lowered his head and slammed his lips onto h-
"BAKUGO FUCKING KATSUKI!" Bakugo roared, sitting up and slapping himself with all his might. He angrily went back to his pillow and threw the covers over himself. His cheek pulsed where he hit himself. At least he stopped fantasising about the damn Solar Panel now.
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Bakugo woke up groggy. He wasn't used to such a small amount of sleep. He half-heartedly took a shower and changed into his hero attire. He ran a hand through his hair to untangle some knots. He was surprised Yoshiko wasn't knocking on his door yet since it was time to go to the agency. He put on his gauntlets and unlocked the door, stepping out to see Yoshiko locking her door.
"Hey, Bakugo." She greeted. She was in casual clothing instead of her hero costume, wearing a plain black cotton T-shirt with jeans. She pointed at his cheek. "I see five fingers. Who stole my dream of slapping you?"
"Fuck off. Why aren't you in your hero costume yet?"
"Have to visit the police with mom," Yoshiko replied, pocketing her keys. "Already texted Keigo. He's got a ton of paperwork for you to do in the meantime."
"Did you two just set me up for slavery?" Bakugo rolled his eyes.
"Yes. Now, about the slap. Who slapped you?"
I slapped myself because I couldn't stop thinking about your annoying little, pretty, pesky face.
"Accidentally hit myself in the shower... while washing my face," Bakugo said, looking away from her as he lied.
"You're a bad liar." Yoshiko deadpanned. Her phone rang, and she looked down to see her mom calling. "Okay, Pomie, I'm going now. Have fun."
She dashed towards the elevator, giving him the finger with a smug face as the doors slowly closed. Bakugo's eye twitched in annoyance. She just had to seize every chance to get on his nerves, did she?
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"Sunbeam! We were expecting you." A young police officer with navy blue hair as dark as his uniform greeted the mother and daughter with a pearly white smile. He had thin and long hair, which were pulled in a low ponytail. Yoshiko was convinced he'd be a knight if he were in armor.
"Ah, and you've got Akimitsu-chan too. Or would you prefer Photonix?" He grinned at Yoshiko.
"Anything will do," Yoshiko muttered.
"Alright, follow me, please!" He turned around, his ponytail elegantly moving along with him. Yoshiko was sure he was a new officer. He had an air of boyishness around him.
Yoko and Yoshiko followed the man into an interview room, where he would be explaining the whole situation to them all over again. Yoshiko didn't want to be here anymore. She didn't want to go over Daisuke's death again. She wanted to pretend he never died. To pretend he was there.
She recalled the day his body came back from the mortuary. No one would let her lift the coffin lid and see him. But she managed to shove everyone away. She had to say her goodbyes. She remembered his face drained of colour but still handsome as ever. She remembered pushing his bangs back, seeing the hole through where the bullet went into his head. She recalled cupping his cold cheek. When he was buried in the ground, a piece of her heart was buried along with him.
"Yoshiko... do you want to wait outside?" Yoko soothingly whispered as they stood outside the room.
"No, I'm good," Yoshiko replied. The officer opened the door for them. They went in, sitting on the chairs in front of the desk. Yoshiko glanced at the officer's name tag on his right breast. Officer Riku.
"Would you guys like something to drink? Coffee? Tea? Or maybe juice?" He smiled, holding an electric kettle in the corner of the room.
"No, thank you." Yoko shook her head.
"Alright then." Riku took a seat across from them. "So, as you're already aware, we've found a body which we've confirmed to be Hiroto." Riku opened the file on the table in front of him. "Last year, we also confirmed that it was Hiroto who shot Daisuke-san in the head and dumped him in the river. But now, we've found Hiroto's body, too. This only leads us to assume that there's someone else behind both these murders."
"Obviously," Yoshiko grumbled. Yoko nudged Yoshiko's foot with hers, sending her a silent glare to behave.
"We want to know if there was any case Daisuke-san was working on before his death that you two are aware of."
"Hmm..." Sunbeam bought a knuckle to her chin, trying to remember. "No, not anything that I'm aware of. Most of his operations were with Hawks, so that's where you'll find your answer."
"I see," Riku scribbled something down in his notepad. "That's it for now. Thank you for your time."
Riku watched Yoshiko get up abruptly and make her way to the door before Yoko could even get up. He felt her pain. Yoko let out a sigh and smiled at him before going after her. He got out of his seat and stepped out of the room. "Akimitsu-chan." He said.
Yoshiko glanced behind her shoulder, silver eyes bored. Riku bowed for Yoko and Yoshiko.
"What- Please raise your head!" Yoko exclaimed.
"This is on the behalf of the police," Riku said. "We're sorry we couldn't find this out before. But sometimes we make mistakes, too. Sometimes, it takes us years to find the person behind a murder. My mother was brutally murdered when I was a teenager. Two years ago, the police finally found her murderer. So please, place your faith in us. We promise to find justice for you, no matter how long it takes."
"Please raise your head," He heard Yoshiko's voice. He raised his head, meeting the girl's eyes. He could swear her previously angry eyes had softened. "I'm sorry for your loss. I trust you guys. Heroes make mistakes and miss important details, too. I'm a hero student myself, and I've made countless mistakes my mentors helped me fix." She smiled at Riku. "So I understand."
Yoko smiled at Yoshiko. Sometimes, she could be so mature despite her hard-headedness. She put an arm around her daughter's shoulder and bowed. "Thank you for your service."
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Yoshiko walked into the office room to see Bakugo stamping papers. Her eyes fell on the orange tabby cat curled up on the desk. Bakugo sighed, putting a stamped paper away. He put an elbow on the desk, resting his chin in his palm. With the other hand, he patted the kitten.
"I see you've met Kiara," Yoshiko said, walking up to his desk. Bakugo looked up at her. She was in her hero costume now.
"Yeah," He replied. "She pounced on me out of nowhere. Where was she yesterday?"
"Hawks got an extra room for her at the agency. She spends most of her time there." Yoshiko said, leaning closer to the desk and running her hand on Kiara's fur. "I found her trying to cross the road some time ago. She's grown so much since."
"Shoulda named her Flame," Bakugo said, softly snapping his fingers at the kitten.
"Because she's orange? Fuck no." Yoshiko said, picking Kiara and cradling her. Kiara climbed up the fabric of Yoshiko's vest and sat on her shoulder.
She's good with animals, Bakugo thought. And kids, he added after he remembered Mistumi.
"How'd the police visit go?" Bakugo asked.
"It was fine, I guess," Yoshiko replied, scratching Kiara's head, making her purr. "The officer just told us about the whole deal all over again 'cause families of victims ought to know about what actually happened. But then we already knew what was going on." Kiara jumped off Yoshiko's shoulder, landing on the desk. "Now we're just going to wait for what the police finds out."
"Oh."
Yoshiko dragged a chair beside him and took half of the stack of papers. "I'll stamp these with you, and then we can patrol."
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It was 10 p.m., and Bakugo couldn't sleep. Again. He paced around his room, wondering why his heart and feelings were acting up around Yoshiko. He felt himself softening up to her, wanting to spend more time with her. And her blabbing didn't annoy him that much anymore. The same went with his friends, but with Yoshiko, it felt different.
He fell back first onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. He wasn't stupid. He knew what this feeling could mean. He turned to his side, cheeks dusted with a faint pink. Was he really feeling this for a brat who had the audacity to show up with an explosion quirk, break his nose, beat the shit out of him on the training exercise on the very same day, have the nerve to call him her friend, and get first place on the sports festival along with him?
His heart thudded loudly in his chest as he thought about her proud grin after she won in sparring against him. Her cheeks flushed from the exercises they did together in the dorm gym. Her stupid, magnetic eyes that pulled him into her. He groaned and sat up, running a hand down his face.
"Do I fucking like her?" He asked himself out loud. I've been feeling fluttery around her. My palms start sweating more. There's this weird feeling in my chest and stomach. Her stupid face manages to make it into my head twenty-fucking-four seven. I hate her.
I might like her.
Bakugo had the sudden urge to ask someone for guidance. That someone was his childhood friend and the only person in the class in a relationship. Then there was his red-haired friend, who Bakugo knew had a small crush on Mina.
He hesitantly opened the group chat, which consisted of only him, Midoriya and Kirishima. Most of the texts were from Kirishima and Midoriya, with a few rare texts from Bakugo. With a deep breath, he pressed the group call button. The call went through after a few rings.
"Damn, look whos up past bedtime!" Kirishima exclaimed.
"Hey, guys!" Modoriya greeted.
"Hey," Bakugo said.
"Kacchan, you're not asleep yet?!" Midoriya gasped.
"Couldn't sleep." Bakugo clicked his tongue.
"Well, that's a first," Kirishima said. "Do you guys want to game?"
"Sure-" Midoriya began, interrupted by Bakugo.
"That's not why I called." He said, his heart beating loudly at the idea of saying he liked Yoshiko out loud. "There's something I want to ask."
"Sure, what's up, bro?" Kirishima asked, his voice concerned.
"Is everything alright, Kacchan?"
"Yeah. How does it feel to like someone?" Bakugo bit his tongue, internally cringing.
"Huh?!"
"Kacchan... I don't think I heard you right. Can you repeat that?!"
"You heard me!" Bakugo yelled, flustered.
"NO WAYYY! BAKUGO LIKES SOMEONE! POP THE CHAMPAGNE!" Bakugo could hear the springs of Kirishima's mattress as he jumped up and down.
"SHUT UP, SHITTY HAIR!"
"That's a surprise..." Midoriya said.
"Shut up! I don't like anyone! I'm asking for... a friend!"
"Uhuh? Since when did you start making friends?" Kirishima teased.
"I will ram your skull into a wall." Bakugo threatened.
"It's Akimitsu-san, isn't it?" Midoriya asked, smiling at the thought of his friend liking someone.
"I'm one hundred per cent sure it is Akimitsu," Kirishima said.
"Shut up..." Bakugo buried his head in the sheets, cheeks warming.
"Yeah, it's her," Midoriya confirmed.
"Our Bakugo is growing up!" Kirishima cried.
"You fools haven't answered my question yet." Bakugo hissed.
"Okay, uh, does your heart race around her?" Kirishima asked.
"...Yes." He shyly replied.
"Do you get nervous around her?"
"Sometimes."
"Do you think about her often?"
"Why is this a fucking interview?! I could have used Google if I wanted!" Bakugo yelled.
"Yeah, right. Answer the question, Bakugo." Kirishima said.
"Fucking fine. Yes." He muttered.
"Aw-"
"I will blast you to hell."
"Okay, okay. What is it that you like about her?" Kirishima asked.
"What do I like about her?" Bakugo questioned.
"Yeah! What do you find attractive about her?"
Bakugo scratched his cheeks, which were growing hotter by the moment. "It's her personality, okay? She reminds me of myself sometimes... and I like that because she also understands me. I relate to her in ways more than one. She's not afraid to chase her dreams. She's strong, brave, bold and resilient. The fact that she's just like me is attractive." A soft smile made its way to Bakugo's lips. "She's... also the most beautiful thing I've laid my eyes on." He whispered.
Kirishima and Midoriya took a few seconds of silence to process everything Bakugo just said. The blonde's eyes widened as he realised he let out more than he meant to.
"I-if you guys tell a soul, I'll make sure you never see daylight again!" Bakugo yelled.
"Bakugo, I dont think you needed to ask us," Kirishima said.
"Yeah, Kacchan. You already have your answer." Midoriya smiled. "After what you said, I'll definitely say you like Akimitsu-san. But that's up to you to decide. What does your heart say?"
Bakugo took a few seconds to think about Midoriya's question. What does my heart say? He put a hand on his chest, feeling it thrum against his fingers. His lips tugged up in a smile. "I got my answer."
"There you have it, Bakugo," Kirishima said. Bakugo swore he could hear Kirishima's grin.
"But it's still a little difficult to digest," Midoriya said.
"Then take digestion pills." Bakugo snorted, making both his friends laugh. "Oi, Izuku, Kirishima."
"Yeah?" They said in unison.
"Thanks."
"Stop, you've become so manly!" Kirishima sobbed.
"Anytime, Kacchan!"
"Idiots..." He grinned, hanging up.
Bakugo threw his phone on the bed, walked up to the balcony door, unlocked it and stepped outside. He let the night breeze hit his face as he watched the bustling nightlife.
"I like her." He whispered into the air.
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HE FELL FIRST 😤😤
How are we feeling about this chapter?