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Chapter 2

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"I wasn't going to jump."

Those were the words that came out of Shoto Todoroki's mouth as Y/N's tears trickled on to his cheeks.

"What?" Y/N said, not completely registering what he had said.

"I said," Shoto continued as he grasped on to either side of her wrists. "I wasn't going to jump. Now get off me!"

Shoto pushed Y/N off him with much more strength she had expected, causing her to stumble off. She watched as he stood and started dusting himself clean. She took it as her chance to wipe any remains of tears that had lingered in her eyes or on her cheeks.

"If you weren't going to jump," she continued as she stood straight. "Then why were you on the very end of ledge? Your arms were out. I thought you were going to jump!"

In the darkness, Shoto's face was unreadable. "Why would I have a reason to kill myself?"

Y/N felt as if his words had a double meaning, but she couldn't decipher what the other meaning was.

"I-I—"

Y/N was at loss for words and simply stared at the red and white haired boy in front of her. He was giving her a distasteful look and by the way he kept his distance from her, she could tell she had freaked him out.

"I don't know who you are," Shoto said, completely ignoring her stutter. "But for you to not have a reason to live—simply because I could die— seems preposterous. If I were you, I would set my priorities straight before I tried saving someone else."

His eyes were icy as he glared at her. It made her skin crawl from the tip of her head to her toes.

"If you're one of those fangirls that follow me around all the time," his eyes narrowed even more; if that were even possible. "Or if you were sent by father—"

"—no!" Y/N jumped in to defend herself. She grasped her left arm with her right and tried to give him the most innocent look she could master. "I simply assumed you were going to jump. I was trying to save you."

Shoto scrutinized her head to toe. She could imagine what he was seeing: A more than average height girl, with black curly hair, fair skin, and foreign eye color. People like her didn't attend colleges as prestigious as UA. She was sure Shoto didn't believe her.

"I don't believe you," he said bluntly—completely reading her mind. "After your declaration when you pulled me off the ledge, I know there's something else behind this ordeal."

Y/N opened and closed her mouth, but she couldn't find the words she needed to defend herself. It wasn't like Shoto Todoroki gave her the chance either way. His phone rang, and after he pulled it out and read something on the screen, she could tell she was the last of his worries.

"Next time," he said as he pocketed his phone again. "Don't assume people need you to rescue them. There's something called 'going out for fresh air.'" He gave her another once over and his face only seemed to become darker. "And if you are sent by my father, tell him his stupid games aren't going to work."

Y/N couldn't utter a word as she watched him walk towards the door and slam it behind him. She was left aghast and humiliated. She couldn't believe she had spouted such words at him! She groaned as she hid her face in her hands.

How embarrassing! She thought, I won't ever be able to look at him in the eyes again.

Still, that hatred he had in his eyes, she felt like it wasn't directed at her, but at someone else. His father? Who had been the one to message Shoto?

Y/N shook her head and tried clearing her thoughts. She'd decided she was going to be a measly bystander, even a watcher when it came to Shoto Todoroki. She don't want him to acknowledge that she existed! At least, not anytime soon, and she had run off and tried to be a hero.

Looking down at her wrists, she saw red circles marks forming, but she knew it hadn't been from Shoto. Even though he had pushed her off of him with more force than she'd thought, his touch had been so gentle. Those marks...they had been from earlier. The reason that had dragged her at night back to school to try and clear her head.

Gripping her hands into fists, Y/N took a deep breath and tried to mentally prepare herself for what awaited her at home.

…

She knew he would be up waiting for her. Anxiously awaiting her arrival so they could finish what they had started earlier in the day.

Y/N had always been an orphan child. She never met her parents or even remembered them. She had been passed around from foster home to foster home back in the United States. She'd never had a solid home for more than a year. Well, until a couple decided to adopt her when she had turned sixteen.

At first, them and their children had been nice. They gave her a home, food and clothes. It was more than Y/N could have ever wished for. But of course, nothing good in her life ever lasted long. One of the four children became ill and suddenly money was short and they couldn't afford bills or any living expenses due to the hospital bills and medications. The marriage had fallen apart so fast—Y/N had barely blinked before the divorce papers were being signed.

They had fought about who would keep her. Neither one wanted to be responsible for her and her expenses. Y/N knew when they had simply fostered her, they received money from the government, but now that they had adopted her, they had nothing.

At the end, the wife kept the three children and the husband kept her. When she turned seventeen she found herself with a small suitcase on the way to the airport.

"My brother recently died and left me some belongings and property in Japan," he'd said as they boarded on to the plane. He tossed her a book as they took a seat. 'How to learn Japanese for dummies,' was scribbled across the cover. Y/N had looked up at him in confusion.

"You better start learning. I know you have that great memory of yours or whatever, so use it." He continued. "We won't be back to Texas any time soon."

Y/N did have a good memory, but even after a year where she had mastered Japanese, she still hadn't been able to accept Japan as her home. Especially, when she had him around.

"Where were you?"

Y/N tried not to make eye contact with him as she took off her shoes before walking into the apartment.

"I left some notes at school," she said as she stepped into the living room. He was sitting in the ugly brown reclaimer she hated. "I went back to pick them up."

"And you didn't tell me?" Y/N watched as he rose from his seat. His brown hair was unwashed, his clothes were stained and she could smell him even from far away.

"I'm sorry," she gritted her teeth. "Chisaki."

His hands were on both of her wrists before she knew it. Her body froze as he scanned her with his biddy eyes. Y/N's body began to temple under his gaze and he smiled at her. It was the most disgusting and sinister thing, and she saw it at least twice a day.

He shoved her off, making her stumble to try and catch her balance. "You know I need to know everything." He said as he made his way to the kitchen.

"Yes, Chisaki." she said as she tried her best to scramble farthest away from him and slowly make it to her room. "I'm sorry. I'll let you know next time I'll be late."

"No," he said as he grabbed one of the kitchen knives. "There won't be a next time. You won't be late, and you won't leave when I'm still talking. Understand?"

Y/N nodded. Her hands had started perspiring as she grabbed on to the edges of her jacket.

"Good," He said as he placed the knife back into its designated spot. Y/N took it as her chance to make her way to her room, but he stopped her.

"Oh, and what did I say for you to call me?" Chisaki said as he watched her open the door to her room. "I want to hear you say it. Say goodnight to me."

Y/N swallowed the bile that had risen up her throat and with a shaky voice, she answered him:

"Goodnight, dad."