"Koge are you sure you want to wear that out? What if it rains on it?"

"Oh it will be fine, Nene. It gets washed in water, what would a little rain do to it?" Koge glowered up at her friend as they walked together down the stone paved streets of town. Although the weather was quite dreary, grey and wet, the streets were bustling with activity. People of all kinds and social status wandered around, set on their destinations that Koge could care less about knowing. Although it was busy, the crowds seemed to part for them, allowing them through without much effort. But, unlike her brighter days, the people in their way did not part out of respect.

Rather, it was a fear that had them stepping out of the way. Koge did have to admit that she understood why they were wary of her, though she thought that this nonsense would have faded with time. It isn't uncommon for a lover to suffer from a mental illness of some kind when losing their partner, either to death or interest in another. But, whatever Koge had been suffering from wasn't understood by anyone but herself. The pain had been unbearable when her lover had vanished, and somehow, there had been a rumor that spread. It was said that the cuts on her wrists were not an attempt to take her life, but instead a blood sacrifice, a ritual to beg the gods to return her lover to his world.

It was nonsense, of course. Koge had tried to do no such thing, but since then, she had been labeled as a possible witch. She had even been blamed for Bakugou's disappearance, some saying she sold his soul to the devil in exchange for power. It was the most ridiculous thing Koge had ever heard, but her attempts to explain herself were in vain. And so, she was outcasted by all but those closest to her, including her family, Bakugou's family and her few friends.

The biggest reason why Koge wouldn't have done any type of ritual to bring him back was because she didn't believe he was dead in the first place. No body found, no evidence, no suspects, no proof. There was nothing to make her believe that he had passed on, and so she kept hold of the smallest hope that perhaps he would return one day. Tomorrow, another year, five years or even twenty years from now, she would welcome him back with open arms.

At first, she had tried to argue with anyone who said that he was dead, often getting into verbal fights that a woman of her status should never be seen engaging in. Polite, quiet and obedient is how she was supposed to be, but that is never how she was. Bakugou had told her that's what he liked about her, how she never held her tongue even in front of someone who could have her thrown into jail with a single word. Of course, being this way didn't come without its punishments and difficulties. This included being dubbed as insane any time she tried to claim that Bakugou was still alive, even so far as to nearly be thrown into a madhouse for it. Her only salvation had been her soon to be Mother-In-Law, who had used her status and money to protect her, but only with the condition that Koge would calm down.

So she had. Nearing the one year anniversary of her lovers disappearance, Koge kept to herself, not even bothering to snap back at people who tried to belittle her or insult her. She had her family, her friends and her possessions to keep her company, bringing what little happiness she could muster to the surface. One of them being the subject of Nene's current worry.

A deep red scarf that used to belong to her lover, worn around her shoulders and tucked into her bodice to act as a draped shaw. It was quite large on Koge and was not typically something that a woman should be seen wearing, but that was of little consequence. Often on the days that she was missing him more than normal, she would adorne a piece of his clothing, just to calm her. This scarf had always been her favorite, the fabric warm and soft against her skin.

"But you always fret about getting it dirty." Nene continued with her worry. "I just don't want something to happen to it, you'll get so upset."

"It's fine. I'll be inside most of the day, anyway." Koge stopped at the entrance to an odd looking dome shaped building, one which was extremely uncommon for this areas architecture. Though, it matched the oddness of the owner, so it was nothing anyone gawked at for long. As she pushed open the door, a bell jingled excitedly, announcing her arrival.

"Ah, welcome in! Just a moment!"

The excited voice called from up the spiral staircase, which lead to a small library and storage of special herbs and liquids. Just as Koge and Nene stopped to wait patiently, and figure of a young man their age approached the intricate iron railing, grinning down at them with sharp pointed teeth. "Nene! And Koge! What a surprise!"

Koge gave a small nod in greeting, while Nene gave a shy wave. "Hello, Kiri. It's good to see you." Both women took a step back as Kirishima leapt over the railing, landing in front of them with polished ease. Koge gave a small shake of her head, raising an eyebrow at her energetic friend. "Eijirou, Sir Eguchi gets upset when you jump over the railing like that. Remember last time, you fell through the floor." Koge pointed over towards a spot not too far away, where a brand new cellar door rested, locked and waiting use. Eijirou chuckled, ruffling his mess of straight red hair. "Aha, well, Sir had been talking about making a new entrance to the basement anyway! So it worked out!" A grin and a thumbs up followed his confident, if not ignorant, statement.

Nene giggled softly. "Still, you should be careful, Kiri. It would be bad if you did get hurt." Kirishima's grin softened to a smile, giving a playful bow. "As you wish! Though I'm tougher than you think."

"If you start going off about being part dragon again, I'm going to fire you."

A new voice filled the room, catching the full attention of the three young adults. A tall man came out from a back room that was behind the long counter, eyeing his employee with annoyance. His orange gaze was piercing, instantly making Kirishima laugh nervously as he rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, Sir! I swear I wasn't! I was just gonna say that I, uh… I've been training?" His face flushed as Nene giggled, obviously embarrassed at being caught.

"Well, now that Koge is here, you can take a few hours off. Why don't you take dear Nene out for a while, hm?" The older man smiled at them, leaning on the counter with gloved hands clasped. Nene's cheeks flushed darker, though she looked down at Koge, worried about leaving her. Koge gave a small nod, nudging Nene in the arm gently. "Go on. You can buy some of the things we need at the house while you're out. You have my money purse, just leave me enough for flowers."

"O-okay… Thank you. I'll be back soon." Nene gave a small bow before leaving with Kirishima silently, though Koge could hear them laughing softly once outside. Looking back out of the window, she watched them vanish into the crowd, Nene taking Kirishima's arm as he offered it to her. She must have been staring for a while, as the sound of her mentor's voice startled her a bit.

"Come here, my dear."

Tearing her eyes away from the window, Koge made her way over to the counter, placing her delicate hand into his large one as he offered it to her. "What's wrong? Tell Seiji all about it."

Koge sighed softly, looking up at Seijirou as she tried to think of what to say. Though, looking at this man didn't exactly help her thoughts stay clear. There was something odd about him, something that she could never quite put her finger on, but it wasn't exactly anything bad. The problem was that he was absolutely gorgeous, with pale flawless skin and a piercing gaze that typically left people speechless. Women that came into the apothecary would always swoon over him, his charming smile and alluring voice enough to make any woman leave their husband in an instant and vice versa. He could have anyone he wanted, and yet, he chose to be alone. It was odd to Koge, but that is just how he was, and he had been so good to her that she didn't dare question his reasoning.

"It's just… I had that same dream again this morning." Koge touched the scarf around her shoulders tenderly. "I'm just struggling more lately." Seijirou nodded, patting the top of her hand gently. "I see. Is that all?"

"No… when I woke up this morning, a fire had been started. Just like Katsuki used to do for me. And the window was open just a tad. Nene said it wasn't her. I… don't really know what to think." Koge had kept her gaze down while speaking, feeling a bit timid about sharing these thoughts. Though, when she looked back up, she thought for a moment there was a different gleam in Seijirous eyes, one intense and even angry. Though, it was gone with a blink, his comforting smile only growing. "Oh darling, that is an odd occurrence! Perhaps it was simply a misunderstanding between the maids."

"Probably." Koges eyes moved down to his hands as his leather gloves squeaked a bit with his movement. Ever since she first met him, he had gloves on his hands, every single moment. She wasn't sure why, and though she had asked a long time ago, he simply laughed it off and claimed that it was because of his fear of dirt and grime. Her hand was so pale against the worn black leather of his gloves, only adding to her thoughts that she looked sickly. Seijirou must have noticed as well, a finger tracing one of her visible veins.

"Not getting much sun, are you?" Seijirou released her hand, standing up straight. Koge gave a small shake of her head, making her way around the counter to the back room. "No, Sir. I tend to stay indoors unless I'm coming here or buying flowers."

"You're thinner, too! My dear, you know the first steps to feeling better are to take care of yourself." Seijirou followed her, reaching up to ruffle his wavy black hair, which was parted over to one side with the other shaved down. The long side reached down to his shoulder, and though it was an odd haircut, it wasn't all that odd for him. Koge sighed as she entered the room, closing her eyes while removing her small purse. "I understand that, Sir, but—"

She was interrupted by her own squeal, dropping her purse and covering her mouth in fright. Much to her embarrassment, she had been startled by another person in the room, something she wasn't exactly used to seeing. Another man was sitting in a chair across the room, lax with his feet propped up on a table. Though, the instant her eyes landed on him, he tended, piercing blue glare keeping her frozen in her spot. Seijirou was the one to break the tension, chuckling softly as he walked inside.

"Ah, I'm sorry, Koge! I should have told you I had a guest." He stopped beside her, bending down to pick up her purse for her. Koge glanced up to her teacher before back towards the stranger, watching him closely as he removed his feet from the table. "O-oh that's okay, I was just… not paying attention." After handing her purse back to her, Seijirou motioned for the other man to come over, though he also took a step forward himself. Koge thought this a bit odd, as if he were putting space between her and the newcomer, but she decided to stay quiet about it.

"Come here, Doey, it's alright."

Standing, the man slowly approached, keeping his eyes down as he ruffled his already messy orange hair. The closer he got, Koge could see that he was just as flawless as Seijirou, freckles sprinkled across his face and exposed shoulders, his tattered grey vest doing little to cover his torso and arms. It was odd to her that he couldn't seem to keep eye contact for more than a few seconds at a time, but she assumed that he was shy or possibly even put off by her own emotionally drained stare.

"Koge, darling, his is Dokuji. He's going to be my new apprentice, learning with you. Though, he'll end up being here at different times than you more often than not." Seijirou patted Dokuji's shoulder, making the younger mans face scrunch up a bit in annoyance. Koge nodded, giving a small bow in greeting. "It's a pleasure."

Although she had her head down and couldn't see him, Koge could hear how hard Dokuji swallowed before he spoke, his voice a bit nervous and shaken. "The pleasure's mine, uh… miss–?"

"Please just call me Koge. I prefer not to go by my last name."

"Right," Dokuji took in a deep breath, awkwardly shoving his hands into his pockets. "I'm going to… Go deal with the, uh… Boxes." He wormed his way around the two, quickly scurrying out of the room. Seijirou huffed, glaring after him as he placed his hands on his hips. "Excuse you!"

"Yeah, excuse me!" Dokuji called back, though he was already up the stairs and out of sight.

With a sigh, Seijiro headed over towards his desk, pulling open a drawer. "He's not really used to this type of environment, so please forgive him. He'll get better once he's more comfortable around you." Koge nodded, taking a piece of parchment as he handed it to her. "Of course, I understand. Are these the concoctions for today?"

With a nod, Seijirou sat down in his chair, pulling a large leather book towards him. "Yes. Do you remember them all?"

"If not I will look them up in the books before I make them. Hm… though most of these are sedatives?"

"Ah yes, we had an order from the hospital that we need to rush, so these are priority. Just don't ingest anything or you'll be sleeping on the floor." Seijirou chuckled as he gave her a playful nudge in the arm, sending her off to work. "And take care of customers as they come in, okay?"

"Yes, Sir." Koge left the room without another word, sticking to her duties.

By the time Nene and Kirishima returned, Koge had finished all her work and was allowed to leave, Nene talking her ear off excitedly as they left. Though, the instant the door shut behind them, Seijirou sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Man… That poor girl–"

He was cut off by a sudden thud right under his feet, the wood floor shaking with the impact. With an annoyed click of his tongue, he headed to the cellar door that Kirishima had forced him to make, squatting down beside it. "What?!"

"Get down here you fucking kook! Now!"

"And why should I do that?"

"Come down here or I'm going up there, you fucking prick!"

Pulling out his keys from his pocket, Seijirou unlocked the padlock on the door, pulling it open and beginning his descent down the stairs. The cellar grew dark as the door slammed shut behind him, though he had no problems seeing, stepping out into the open area. Arms crossed over his chest, his gaze met with the crimson glare that came from across the room, the figure sitting with his back against the wall.

"What do you want? I'm busy trying to run a business."

"I want you to tell me what the fuck you think you're doing. Why would you let her near that fucking creep, he's not ready!"

"And you think you are? I have to lock you in a damn cellar just to keep an eye on you. What the fuck do you think you're doing!?" Seijirou snapped back, walking closer as he pointed up towards the ceiling. "You damn idiot! You think it was smart to go to her this morning?! You think your little gesture was sweet?"

The confronting man before Seijirou stood, though he wasn't given a chance to speak. "She needs to think you're dead! Now all she has on her mind again is you, all because you decided a visit would be smart. It wasn't, Katsuki. You'll be lucky if Our Lady doesn't rip you to shreds because you did that."

"She can go choke on a dick, it's not like I wanted this–" Bakugou was interrupted by his own choked scream as Seijirou snatched him by the neck, slamming him up against the wood wall with nearly enough force to send him through it. Ignoring the feeling of Bakugou's claws digging into his arm, Seijirou leaned in closer, his glare and voice dark enough to send anyone running. "Next time you say something like that about Our Lady, I'll be the one to rip you apart. I've known you and Koge for years, and what's happened to you both breaks my heart. But I won't stand for your tough guy rebellious bullshit."

Releasing him, Seijirou backed away, leaving Bakugou to sit back down and clutch his throat. "If you love her, Katsuki. You'll stay away. This will be the last time I allow you into the town during the day."

With a scoff, Bakugou leaned back against the wall, too physically weak from hunger to fight back. "Go fuck yourself. Or get your little pet to do it for you, I don't care. You don't know what's best for her."

"I do know that she's been mourning your loss for too long. You can watch her and protect her all you want, but you have to become nothing but a memory. Now get control of yourself. We're leaving soon, and you're eating tonight, whether you like it or not." Seijirou turned and began his way out of the cellar, not bothering to take another look at the broken man behind him. "Accept what you are and get over it. The faster you do that, the less painful the rest of eternity will be."

Once again left alone, Bakugou leaned his elbows on his knees, hiding his face in trembling hands. He was so hungry and so distraught, the scent of every human that had entered the store that day clinging to his senses, like he was in a pit of endless flesh. Koge's, however, was the most prominent, so strong that he could have sworn he could taste her on his tongue. How badly he wanted to rip into her, to sink his teeth into her skin and drain her of life was overwhelming. Maybe Seijirou had been right, that his actions that day had been a huge mistake.

Because now, he found himself wanting Koge more than he ever had in his entire life, and he couldn't have her. He wished desperately to change what had happened, to wake up and realize this entire ordeal was nothing but a crazy nightmare.

But he knew he never would.