Chapter 36: Look at Me Alone

"Sh-Shouto, it hurts…" Chiharu mumbled, trying to push his arms away from her but to no avail, she can't break free from his hard lock. Shouto has been going hysterical ever since he tried to rescue her from the truck and she is currently doing her best to calm him down. Unfortunately, she can't. She still has many questions encircling her mind but decided to push it all back and attend this immediate happening in her eyes.

"Ryuuji-san, I'm sorry…"

"I'm sorry… Don't take her away…please…"

"Sh-Shouto…" She tries to call him out for the umpteenth time but he keeps on murmuring words that is truly confusing her a lot. With everything she has done didn't help at all, she musters every single ounce of her courage and strength to snap him out of his delusion.

"Shouto!"

The half and half guy finally snaps, jolting his attention to her and gazes at her fiery purple eyes. And in a moment, all of his anxiety and fears left him when she flashes a reassuring smile to her lips following it by patting his soft locks, "It's alright, I am here… I'm not going anywhere. I'm here! Don't worry!"

"Chi…haru…san…" He inaudibly replies but he could feel the demons crippling his mind instantly left him. For a while, he felt peaceful and protected under her soft touch. She's the only one who can reassure him and can bring him back to reality.

"Shouto, you are truly…" Her fingers proceeds to brush of some tears that are threating to fall out of his eyes and continued, "a kind and warm person…" Her smile soothes his aching heart. All his life he always believes that he has a grave sin that he needs to carry on all by himself but when Chiharu appeared in front of him all of it disappears. If only he can describe her into words, she'll be his hero.

"What the fucking hell are you doing, half and half bastard?"

"Katsuki!"

"Bakugou…"

"Don't fucking give me that!" He shouted, grabbing him by his collar causing Shouto to eagerly stand by his feet, "I'm asking you what the fucking hell are you doing!?"

"Katsuki! Stop! Shouto didn't do anything. He tried to save me from the tru—"

"Stop trying to protect him, Haru." He growled, his crimson eyes glaring towards his heterochromia eyes. For once, Chiharu can feel the intensity of Katsuki's rage towards his classmates. Goosebumps began to form in her skin. She wanted to tell him to stop and just listen to her, but she can't. She didn't know why.

"Police is here!" Police officer barge into the scene and pulled Katsuki away from Shouto. Chiharu can only form a deep sigh escaping from her lips. Thank goodness! The police is here and she didn't have to worry to what she'll do stop the angry explosive teen from lashing out; she even considered throwing a rock to him. The ash-blonde kept on protesting to stop pulling him away from Shouto but the police didn't bother to listen to him. On the contrary, Shouto kept his cool. Instead of listening to Katsuki's angry retorts, his attention is only focused to the girl sitting on the ground. Nevermind all the rubbish the angry blond throws at him, he is still filled with the warmth and cozy feeling caused by Chiharu. And swear, he is still trying to hold back himself off as he is always… and will be guilty of taking her father away from her.

The ambulance arrived shortly and they are taken to the hospital to treat minor wounds caused by the accident.

Shortly after they arrived, Shouta arrived immediately. Although it said that there are only minor wounds to treat, Chiharu is advised to stay for a little longer to take a check for her mental health. As Katsuki knows, Chiharu is not having a good mental health. He didn't trust any of Shouto's rumblings and let the girl be examined for a bit. As Shouta and Chiharu is brought to the room to have a check-up, neither the two remaining students left their place. Instead, the intensity of the atmosphere just thicken.

"I fucking heard it a while ago. You are so fucking loud that I can hear it from afar." Katsuki decided to break the eyes between them. But somehow, his coldness only add fuel to the intense atmosphere they are currently in, he continued, "You know Haru's dad?"

Shouto didn't reply rather didn't even bother to reply. Katsuki is intelligent he knows that sooner or later this secret that he's been carrying will definitely ruin the friendship that he has for her. After spending a lot of time being trained by his father and not being exposed to other people, this is only the first time he ever had a friend.

Katsuki had enough. He stood from his seat, grabs Shouto's collar and slams him on the wall, "I'm fucking talking to you, dumbass."

Shouto's still silent but he, too, returned his gaze to the seething blonde in front of him. Though, he is a bit confuse to the reason behind Katsuki's overprotective stature towards her. For a guy with a bloated ego and explosive persona, he only thinks of people as mere extras but for him, Chiharu is not just an 'extra' but a character in his story. What is Chiharu to Katsuki, anyway?

Snapping back to his deep thoughts, the ash-blonde tightened his grip to him and growled, "You… You are the fucking kid, right?"

Cats got out of the bag, huh?

"That fucking kid where Ryuuji-san fucking save! You are that person, right?!"

Finally, Shouto replied, "I am… that person."

"I'm not going to comfort you… Like hell, I don't do bat shit like that. I do not give a fucking cent to what happened to you." Katsuki mumbled still gritting his teeth together, "Fuck you. You even got the nerve to approach her like that?"

"…"

"Stay away from her…"

"What?"

"Are you fucking deft? I fucking command the hell out of you to fucking stay your ass away from her, bastard!" Smoke began to form into his sweaty palms, signaling that in any minute Katsuki will activate his quirk to him with no hesitations. Bakugou freaking Katsuki is fucking mad. He's not there when Ryuuji saved Shouto but he IS there when Chiharu suffered a lot after her dad died. He couldn't forget that time where she got bullied every single time. He couldn't forget how miserable she was. He couldn't forget how she cried real hard that time for her dad. But Shouto's answer surprises him.

"I don't want to." Shouto bluntly declared. This time, he grab Katsuki's arm, and with every ounce of his strength remaining he tried to remove it from his collar, "Now that you know that, you can tell her that I'm the one who murder her father." He added, "For the first time, I will become selfish. I don't want to throw someone who brought me back to life."

"Don't act like you know everything about her! I'm telling you get the back off." Katsuki is itching to blast this hoodlum's face off to oblivion. The half-and-half bastard didn't know everything. Hell, even he wants to tell her right to her face that he ultimately met the guy who indirectly took her father's life. Chiharu's mental health will no longer be able to take it. Right now, she is currently in her lowest. She can be friends with other extras, heck, even Izuku but not with this guy. Who knows what will happen if ever she founds out? He didn't want to see her being miserable ever.

Shouto frees himself from Katsuki grasps and pushes him off from him. He adjusted his burnt collar and said, "Chiharu-san is the reason why I am still here and why I am living. She is my lifeline." He added, "I won't. And I don't intend to. Plus, who gave you the right to restrict her from things she wanted to do? Even if you know every single detail that happened in her life, she is not yours to begin with. Bakugou, stop controlling her for YOUR own sake. Chiharu is her own.

.

.

.

.

What the fucking hell is he saying?!

Katsuki finally snapped. Shouto isn't there when she cried out loud when Ryuuji died. He isn't there when she got bullied several times. He isn't there when she witnessed her mother died. He isn't there to witness how Chiharu got devastated when she can no longer be a hero. He isn't there when she went all throughout every single painful things. Katsuki just wanted the best for her.

"What did you fucking even know?!" Katsuki tightens his fists emitting some tiny smokes from his hands and is about to lounge towards him. Out of nowhere his quirk diminished when Shouta quickly used his quirk to him, "Bakugou, do you want to be suspended before Sports Festival? Stop being so brash."

"What the fuck? This motherfucker is the reason behind Chiha—"

"I know. I am there. I know Todoroki." Shouta claimed but still kept his cool.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me! Why didn't you even te—"

"Even if I did, what good will it bring?" Shouta answered, "Todoroki is not in fault. It was the villain's. Plus, it is Todoroki's business to tell her or not." Sighing to these stressful events, he clutched the bridge of his nose and tried to assume both of them, "Chiharu's fine. Nothing special. Thank you Todoroki for saving her and Bakugo you should be even thanking him for doing that to Chiharu." He glances over Katsuki's seething stature, "Bakugou, I know you're just trying to protect Chiharu after all what happened between the two of you. But, stop restricting her from doing what she loves." Then, he shifted his gaze towards Shouto, "Todoroki, I repeat, it is never your fault. I'm sure Ryuuji will be glad that you befriended his daughter."

"That's it. Both of you go home. I am Chiharu's guardian not you."

…

Chiharu is bored. Shouta told her that she should not bother her friends for a while as they're focused in their own training. This also gives her the way to focus on her physical therapy and more important trainings for her to accomplish. There are also training she partakes with Shouta when it comes to making her quirk a useful peace especially when she's in her wheelchair mode. While she is glad to do that, she can't help but miss her friends company from time to time especially from an angry ash-blonde who only manages to reply to her chats once in a while.

Now she finds herself roaming around the neighborhood before the day of the Sports Festival. Aside from buying some grocery for their household, she wanted to try cooking things for her friends to cheer them a good luck. She is so excited that maybe she won't be able to sleep a wink for the event. Lost in thought, she turned a corner and bumped into someone. The impact made her wince, making the other party's grocery items spill into the ground revealing two packs of buckwheat noodles and a bottle of soy sauce. She hurriedly picked the items up.

"I'm sorry," She said, frowning slightly. "Are you alright?"

"Aragaki-san?"

In a strange twist of fate, Chiharu looked up and found Shouto standing in front of her still wearing his school uniform. She wonders about his presence as it's already late in the evening. A small smile escaped from Chiharu's lips and greeted him, "Shouto! What are you doing here?"

"Shopping. How about you? Is it fine for you to go out this late?" He asked.

"I am bored and Sho-chan is not yet home so I made a tour in the supermarket." She answered, "I have ice cream here. Do you want to talk for a bit in the nearby playground?"

Shouto nodded, assisting her in her wheelchair as he drives them off towards the playground. With no one else but them in the place, Shouto wheels her beside him as he sits on the swing. Off in the distance, I could see small stars, twinkling and shining. Then, the clouds parted and the moon became visible. It was a full moon, so large and beautiful. A beacon for the whole world to see.

Chiharu pulls out the twin popsicle from her plastic bag and breaks it into, giving the other half to Shouto. He nodded as a sign of being thankful and accepts it. The both of them were a bit silent for a while staring at the oddness of the moon. The night before the festival makes her feel nervous for the competitors but excited to see how their quirks work. Plus, she wanted to see UA. After all, she didn't cast aside her dream yet. She'll become one, in the future.

"Shouto, I'll give you this." Chiharu pulls out a handmade charm from her pocket and drops it to his palm, "It's a charm wishing you a good luck! You can pull it off!"

"Thank you." He nodded in silence, and decided to continue his conversation, "Chiharu-san, I'm really thankful of your presence."

"Hm? Why? Wow, we're getting solemn here, aren't we?" She joked but that didn't give the validation to warm the rather awkward and solemn atmosphere between the two of them. Shouto didn't pay heed to her own jokes and continued, "You're the first friend I have."

"W-What? How about when you're young or stuff like that? I'm sure you hav—"

"There's none." His eyes glows under the moonlight, "It's only you."

His words seemingly catches her off guard, and somehow it made her warm and glad. However, she didn't notice the rapid beating of her heart. Suddenly, a light sneeze escape from her pink lips, her arms both wrapped onto her arms. Before she could even think about moving, however, Shotou held out his left hand, his palm facing up. Chiharu stared it up for a second, maybe two or three.

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

"You're cold."

"This reminds me of the time we met," She sucks in a breath, and threw out every thought that comes into her mind out of the metaphorical window, carefully placing her hand on top of his.

He was so warm just like before.

On a quick span, she never thought about her next action as she placed their hands together on her cheeks with a soft warm smile tugging her lips. Although, Shotou is taken aback from her actions; somehow Chiharu felt comfortable.

"As expected, Shouto makes me feel secure." She admitted, but she can't ignore the fact that something is definitely wrong in her chance. Why does it keeps on skipping a beat? Is it because of the ice cream… or is it…him? And then, she began to examine every single detail of him. When she first met him, she can't tell the reason behind her being so secured around him. Usually, boys that isn't Katsuki nor Izuku will make her really shaken to her boots but Shouto gave an aura of stillness.

"Ice, that's my quirk."

"Wow, yet you're warm!"

Her eyes drifted, trying not to linger on his scar. It wasn't that she found it uncomfortable to look at, but knowing there must've been a story behind it and not knowing what that story was made me feel like she was intruding on something she didn't deserve to know about in the first place. However, she wanted to ease the burden that he's been carrying for who-knows. Yet, she decided to remain silent.

"No, I still have one."

"Your other Quirk," She I said, looking at him. "It's fire, isn't it? Because that will explain how you're this warm."

His nodded, fingers still trembling, but he didn't say anything else. She curled my hand around his, quietly hoping it provided him some sort of comfort.

"This is the best I can do," Shouto murmured, lifting his head after a few breaths of silence. "I refuse to use this power. I refuse to be like," his voice cracked as it dropped to a whisper. "Him."

Somehow the word 'him' sent an undeniable shiver down to her spine. Something is definitely wrong when he said that. Then, it ticked her.

The power.

The flames.

The red hair.

Todoroki.

"Endeavor," She said. "He's your—"She felt his grip slacken and reflexively tightened her own, releasing her nerves through a deep exhale. No matter how unconventional the puzzle seemed, all of the pieces fit together, but it didn't matter what she knew or didn't know. The fact that he shared as much as he did meant so much more to me than she could have put into words, and the only way she knew how to repay him was to do the same.

"Endeavor is powerful. He is the number two hero after all." She paused, contemplating over her next words, "I've seen his flames, and come to think of it, I really didn't recognize you—rather—I don't see you in him, nor do I see him you. You may have his quirk, well, that's that. It's fire."

"But you," I said softly, but surely. "You're so warm."

His breath hitched.

"I'm…"

"I am a bit afraid of guys you know?" She confessed, "From the time my father died, I was always bullied and that develops my fear to them. So when, you're the one who picked me from that auction I began to feel that finally, I am safe. So-" She reaches for his arm but instead got off-balance from her wheel chair, pulling him in the process. The both of them landed swiftly on the sand on the ground with Shouto above her.

"Excuse me," As soon as Shouto realized his situation with her, he began to retreat himself from her but instead, she pulled him closer to her. Never mind the rapid beating of her heart. Heck she didn't care if her face is fully-read. It felt like liquid adrenaline being injected right into her bloodstream - just enough to make her excited. Her skin tingled when they locked eyes and her heart beat erratically in her chest so hard that she felt as if she would burst. Despite all these weird feelings around her, she wanted to help him.

"You're trying to prove you're not like him," She said, mastering a little grin. "But you don't really have to. Todoroki Shouto is different from Endevour. For me, you're the best when you're yourself."

And then she smiled, like the best thing in the world, "I think you would look so much better when you smile." Her smile shone like stars after dark, with no city lights to dim them. For in that moment time stopped to stare and admire her. Despite everything she's been going through, she still persisted to smile and be the one thing that brightened up even the saddest of days.

I wonder, what if, I met Chiharu-san a little earlier than before. Will I be able to carry the burden she has? Will I be able to save her just as she continuously saves me from this hell?

UA Sports Festival arrived swiftly.

Chiharu's jaw drop when she saw the colorful balloons and festival-themed decorations all around the whole campus. The whole campus is filled with stores that sells delicacies and merchandises. There are also the audiences enjoying the whole festival. She's actually spending her time in her dream campus. Right now, words cannot explain how gravely happy she was. She can't further wait until her legs heal up and join the others as well.

As she tours around the school grounds, practically heading to the stadium, someone appeared in front of her. With his familiar death glare and spiky ash-blonde, she knows that it's the guy she really missed the most.

"Katsu—"

"Haru." He grumbled, washing her excitement down to the drain. "C'mere."

She is deliberately led to the back of the stadium, rather, the garden of the campus. While she is glad to see him after not seeing him for weeks, but she's a bit nervous to the atmosphere between them—it is awfully quiet and awkward. She cannot bear to withstand this kind of interaction not with her best friend.

"Katsuki, I made you a charm! You know to calm you down and to wish you a good luck!"

Silence.

"Katsuki, I also made you lunch together with Izu-chan!"

Silence.

"K-Katsuki, I-I—"

"Haru, I promise to win." He declared abruptly. His gazes pierces her purple ones. Once and for all, she can tell that he is dead serious about this. She knows from the start that Katsuki is the type of person who wants to win, no matter what happens. He is the epitome of victory, per say.

But, it's weird as it seems, she began to laugh with all of her might causing the ash-blonde to be triggered like a ticking time bomb.

"What the fucking hell!?"

Then, for a moment, she stopped, "Stupid," she continued, "It's already decided."

"Huh?"

"Whatever you do, you will always be the winner!" She declared with a hefty grin on her features, "You will always be the winner to me. That's why, just go ahead and beat those… what do you call them? Extras?"

Despite what she stated to him, deep down inside him, he knows that by just telling her that he'll win and she regards him as the 'winner'. Something feels odd. It's not enough. It's just not enough. Just remembering how Shouto got so ahead of his ass and deepens his friendship made his instincts go wild. He corrected her, "No, it's not enough."

"Huh?

It really irritates him. When Shouta told him that he should not hinder Chiharu in making friends, he knew that his teacher is absolutely right. Right now, what she needs is people that will support her no matter what. She needs to forget the accident, that tragedy. And in order for her to do that, she has to surround herself with people.

He gets it. He really gets it. But it totally irks him off when other guys, especially Shouto approaches her. Nevermind Izuku who always sticks to her like a glue. Whenever he sees him with her he felt that his whole system will explode in any moment and he has this urge to pull her away from him. The reason remains unknown to him.

Also, recently, Chiharu has been really beautiful even with those ragged hair or even the dark circles under her purple eye makes her really shine compared to other girls that surrounds him. Only thinking about that makes his stomach churn. Then, he even finds himself raking down to her figure over and over and over again. Chiharu's orbs is so soft and gentle, in a way he couldn't understand. Even if she spends lots of time with his classmates, yet it remained serene and beautiful. Chiharu is fucking different from other girls.

Chiharu is his sun, so radiating. She gives him energy. He won't reach this level of success without her supporting him with all his might. But lately, something feels off. He only wants her attention to him. He only wants her to look at him alone. He wanted to declare that this girl is only his and HIS alone. Fuck Shouto, Chiharu is his from the start. Something is definitely wrong. Recovery girls diagnose is wrong. He doesn't have any shitting issues. Hell, his tolerance with spicy food is high. He only encounters this things only when he is with her.

"Haru," He breathed, "I tell you again."

"Huh?"

"I take my eyes off you and some other extras kept on pestering you."

Something is wrong, deep down in his chest.

"Don't look at others."

"Huh?"

"Don't look at fucking Deku. Hell even that shitty hair even more to the fucking half n' half bastard."

"What are you even saying? I'm watching all of you. How can I not look at anyone?"

For the first time, he's even considering what if…

"For now, just take a good look at me…" He continued, "Look at me alone."

Her breath hitched.

"Welcome to UA Academy's annual Sports Festival!"

"Now then!" Midnight called out, "Time for Student Representative—Bakugou Katsuki of 1-A!"

Chiharu clasps her hands in glee, cheering at her friend with her soft voice. Her eyes still glued to the ash-blonde who walks towards the podium. Though, she's still curious and confused by the words he uttered before he left her a while ago just like that. What does he mine by looking at him when she has her friends competing there as well?

When Katsuki is in the podium, all eyes are focused to him. Even though he was meant to address the crowd with some colorful and meaningful words of wisdom to the people around him, those eyes—those dark crimson eyes seemed to be staring at her alone.

Katsuki shifted in his place and parted his lips.

"I'm gonna place first."

It took him four words to throw the entire stadium to a huge mess. Students began to angrily cry at his so-called 'speech'; spewing insults in his direction and telling him that he's too overconfident to declare that. However, that didn't throw him off. Hell, he doesn't care to what they're saying. He is only focused to one person, to that person who only needs to hear him—Haru.

Chiharu's eyes widened. All she can do is stare up to him, taking up all her breath. She is literally in awe. Unconsciously, a smile tugged her lips. And then, she remembered the words he told her a while ago.

Look at me alone.

Author's Note:

Hi! I'm back? It's been half a year already since I uploaded. College is truly stressful and I'm glad that I'm able to enroll in my chosen course. Well, I'm too immersed to my studies that I never even bat an eye to this. I truly apologize. Aside from being stressed by the never-ending school drama, I do not have any ounce of motivation to continue to this at all for the past few months. I tried but the hype left me.

And here I am trying to redeem myself back. I tried to update hoping that it will give me the hype and love I once felt when I write this. I'm hoping that there are still people who still waits and reads this fanfiction? Still, thank you for your support 333

I even forgot for a while that this is a Bakugou x OC fanfic that I turned it into Shouto x OC fanfic lol. Please tell me your thoughts 3333 I've been away and I wanted to finish what I started. When I started this fanfic, I do not have any plans at all to where this is going. Honestly, it's just a plot bunny yet it grew this much. Heck, I didn't even plan on her quirk at all and is only attracted to psychics (the reason behind her quirk). This time, I wanted to plan every single chapter that I make, every single detail I wanted. I started this as a mess but I wanted to straighten up this story to reach a valuable conclusion just for you guys 33

Thank you so much! Please stay until the end (and yes it's not ending lol. I still plan this to continue up until the Cultural Festival so it will really be a long ride)