Chapter 16
To Those Who Ask
"You have two weeks."
The deadline hung over her head as Rei trudged to school, her steps weighed down by what felt like heavy weights or rocks tied to her ankles. Dread. Anxiety. The sensation that she was about to fall asleep on her feet as she rode the train to school. She had barely gotten any sleep during the night, constantly tossing and turning with what little sleep she did get that had been punctuated by nightmares, leaving her gasping for air and sweating with a sickness. By the time her alarm had gone off she had been lying awake for nearly twenty minutes, exhausted and anxious, making her even more groggy and irritable.
Why did it always seem like whenever she actually wanted to fall asleep, sleep never came for her? Why did it always evade her like she was plagued with some untouchable, undesirable, contagion?
The orphanage's inevitable close wasn't the only thing on her mind. After her conversation with Urahara, she hadn't wanted to give the camping packet over to their director. What was the point? Urahara wouldn't be around long enough to be concerned with a school trip in the summer, and neither could she be bothered about something so far in the future when there were children that needed her immediate attention. So instead Rei had read the packet over on her own and caved to deeper despair. The most gut dropping was the list of materials that would be needed, a majority of which she neither had nor had the funds to spare. The first order of business before she could even think about summer was how to secure housing as fast as possible while trying to balance her current school schedule and the need to study rigorously as the end of term approached. The weekend still four days away and desperately out of reach, making Rei even more apprehensive and despair filled.
For some reason Reina wasn't picking up either. Rei had sent her a text message asking her mentor to call her, but there had been no phone call last night or in the morning. She knew that Reina was in back to back business meetings and running around with her parents and management, but it was unlike her to withhold any sort of response or acknowledgement at all. The silence only isolated Rei even further, a hole in her heart named despair beginning to take hold as she stewed in silence and fear. By the time she made it to homeroom she was tired, cranky, hungry, and a ball of anxiety ready to explode.
Pushing her way into the classroom she slowly made her way to her seat. Yaoyorozu began to wave at her, but stopped at the bizarre look on Rei's face, immediately filling her friend with apprehension. "Tsuki-chan, are you…"
Plopping down into her seat, Rei dumped her bag onto the floor. "Is it obvious?"
Todoroki stared at her with concern. "You look like trash."
The cat quirk girl groaned, placing her arms on her desk and hiding her face. "I feel like trash."
Fortunately Aizawa had stepped into the room, everyone's attention turning forward and leaving Rei in the corner on her own. She propped her head up, still slouching in her seat as their teacher ran through some quick announcements and took role. Was she that late? Usually she had at least a few minutes to chat with Yaoyorozu, but there had been no time today. Not that Rei was in any mood to talk aimlessly with anyone at this point.
As Aizawa began taking attendance his eyes scanned the class to get a read on his students. They lingered on Rei for a moment longer than usual, but she didn't quite notice his scrutiny, too busy trying to cover her mouth with a hand and a ducked head to hide a yawn.
Black eyes narrowed.
"Akatsuki, see me at lunch."
"Eh?" Rei sat up straighter, confused at the call. Everyone else seemed surprised too, trying to shoot looks and crane their necks to see their golden eyed glassmate, but a flash of Aizawa's quirk and a sharp glare accompanied with a deadly aura had everyone focusing back up front in a heartbeat as Aizawa continued on, completely ignoring her as he powered through the roster and brought homeroom to a close. Before she could question him any further he had slipped out of the room, exchanging places with Present Mic as English began. Bewildered, Rei pulled out her notebook and pens as quickly as she could, her mind still trying to comprehend what was happening.
What was she in trouble for?
Nothing came to mind. Stumped, she continued to stumble through class as time forced her to bumble along to the daily schedule. Much to her fortune, none of the teachers seemed to call on her today, allowing her to attempt to force her own eyelids open and strain against the exhaustion that weighed her down. Todoroki shot occasional glances of concern at her as he ducked his head down discreetly, pretending he was stooped over his notes, but she waved them away, keeping her head down and focusing on her own notebook. She hid her frequent yawns behind her hand, ducking behind Yaoyorozu as she did as she tried to remain discrete and courteous to their teachers.
She had no idea how she survived the morning.
Any excitement she had about lunch finally rolling around the corner was immediately suppressed by her lingering dread at having to meet her homeroom teacher. Momo offered to walk with her, clearly concerned and a bit curious as to the sudden change in her friend's behavior, but Rei only waved her friend away, telling her to save her a seat at lunch and that she would be down later. The brilliant creator could only look on in concern as Rei stalked away, shoulders slightly hunched and neck craning forward under an invisible pressure as she walked down the hallway and out of sight.
It was the first time she had been called in to a meeting at U.A., although she wasn't a stranger to meetings with administration in the past. Heavens knew how many times she had been sent off to the principal's office back in elementary and middle school, for a slew of problems that she couldn't be bothered to attempt to even organize in a coherent fashion. She was accustomed to being the victim of blame, learning from an early age how to roll her shoulders back and defend herself in stride, even though everyone leered down at her in disbelief. Having a violent track record never really helped, even when she hadn't been the instigator in the majority of her cases. Still, it was strange this time now that she was at U.A., knowing that she hadn't done anything to warrant any sort of discipline that she had experienced in the past; she hadn't punched anyone, or egged them on in a fight. In fact she wasn't really aggressive with anyone here. Being sent to talk with a teacher suddenly felt foreign, and she didn't like it one bit.
That aside, this was U.A., and she had been determined to start anew. She couldn't afford to start a bad track record now. What was she going to be in trouble for, and how could she explain?
Slipping into the teachers' office, she snuck around the perimeter until she made her way to Aizawa's desk. He immediately saw her, pointing to an empty chair near his desk while he continued to shuffle papers around the small surface, organizing them in neat piles that had no immediately discernible order. Taking a seat on the swiveling chair she planted her feet firmly on the ground, but began wavering between sitting up straight and leaning back in the chair. Half of her wanted to show that she was alert and receptive to whatever her homeroom teacher was about to say, while the other half of her knew it was a complete lie that neither of them would buy. Eventually she settled on placing her palms on her knees, leaning forward in attentiveness so that she was less tempted to fall asleep in her seat. If she sank back into the chair she was liable to get even more sleepy and risk something embarrassing happening in front of her teacher. Stifling another yawn, she shook her head quickly in an attempt to clear the fog. "What am I here for?"
"You're sloppy today, Akatsuki."
Blunt, and to the point. Rei winced at the accusation. Aizawa continued, multitasking in his lecture as he continued to reorder a new stack of papers in his hands, pulling some sheets out and reorganizing them. Black eyes were focused on his task, but Rei knew better than to assume that less than half his attention was on her. "We expect that you give everything your all, and that doesn't include showing up to class half asleep on your feet."
"Sorry. It won't happen again."
He scoffed. It was clear that he didn't buy it, not for one second. "Tell me what's wrong."
"Huh?"
Giving the papers one final jostle, he smoothed them out as he placed them on the desk with a dull thud. Turning in his chair to look at her, he crossed his arms over his chest, his full attention now on his young student. It hadn't been a question, more of a demand that she answer. "What's going on. Something's obviously going on."
Rei looked down at her hands. "Sorry, sir, but it's just personal. I don't think you'd be able to help-"
"Whether or not I can help is to be determined. Your performance is disheartening, and if something needs to change then you need to tell me. U.A. won't accept anything less than your best."
She flinched at the harsh reprimand. Golden eyes looked around the room, wary and suspicious of the other teachers that were clearly trying to not to pay attention to their conversation. It was difficult due to the lack of space, all the desks crammed together and leaving little room for privacy. No matter how softly the two of them spoke, no matter how much white noise and general office sounds were generated within the space, there was no denying that strangers were privy to the personal matters of Rei's life in this moment.
It was embarrassing.
Rei's hands clenched her skirt in frustration.
"I… I'm losing my home, sir."
Her admission had been unexpected, Aizawa straightening his posture both from her sudden confession and from the content. He had been expecting at least a little more resistance, but she had managed to catch him off guard. But the shame was getting to her, Rei managing to look everywhere but his face as her her own expression turned downward in an attempt to escape. "The orphanage is getting shut down. I have two weeks to find housing, but I don't have enough money for long. I won't have anything left for the school trip either."
As the seconds passed she began to fold in on herself, shutting down completely. It was embarrassing. More than that, it was utterly mortifying to have to tell her teacher her personal living situation, to admit it to anyone. And it was only made worse by the fact that all the teachers could basically hear, the humiliation only multiplying with every person that her eyes could spot from her peripherals. She hated it. Hated, hated, hated, and detested it with more than anything in her heart. She wanted to break down and cry, to storm out of the room and scream, to throw herself in the river. Anything, to escape the situation she was now in.
Why, why was it that she had to immediately spill her guts right after finding out? She was still trying to process everything for herself. Why couldn't she have told Reina first, have talked with someone who knew her and who would understand, who wouldn't treat her any less? Why did she have to stain herself in the eyes of her teacher?
Silence fell between the two of them. Rei continued to stare at her hands. She couldn't make eye contact any longer. She felt defeated.
"Some of the trustees of our school decided to create an emergency fund for students."
Out of shock and surprise, Rei looked up. Aizawa was no longer looking at her, turning instead back to his desk. "Unfortunately it never gets used, since most people don't know about it." He dug through stacks of paper for a moment before pulling a sheet out, turning and handing it to Rei. As she grasped delicately in her fingers it he turned back to his desk. "Fill it out and give it back to me by the end of the day. You're dismissed."
She held the paper delicately between her fingertips, as though she was fearful that grasping it too harshly would result in the document crumbling between her fingertips. Hope. For the first time in a while, she felt hopeful. Thanking her homeroom teacher quickly and quietly she snuck out of the room, gently holding the paper to her chest as she brushed the tears away. This time as she left the room she didn't bother with caring about which teachers saw her leave. It was only after leaving the room that she moved against a random wall in the hallway, back pressed against the cool surface as she breathed in and out steadily.
It had happened so quickly. What had actually happened? After composing herself she looked back at the paper again, beginning to read the directions and prompts, familiarizing herself with what she needed to do. It was a fairly simple application process, and she was sure that she could complete it in between class periods, before Aizawa came by at the end of the day.
Hope. Aizawa-sensei had given her hope.
It wasn't enough to make her smile. No, there was too much that had happened in the past twenty-four hours that it would take a miracle to actually make her genuinely happy. Compared to the stress and the darkness that threatened to consume her, this was only a fragment of light that barely illuminated her path, giving her a sliver of sight in order that she could see her next step and what she had to do in order to begin climbing out of this pit. But it was a start, and deep inside her heart, Rei was thankful.
So absorbed in the paper in her hands and her swirling thoughts, she had opened the door to 1-A and stepped through without looking. If she had gotten a good night's sleep, if she had at least fifty percent of her senses about her, she would have avoided the collision. But instead she bumped into a muscular figure, giving her a heart attack at the sudden appearance of someone in her path. She gasped in surprise, looking up in shock at a familiar, snarling face.
"Oi, the hell's wrong with you?!"
Rei blinked, frozen in fear and panic before smoothing her face over into its cold and impassive mask. It was all too easy, too natural. Indifference was something she could wield to a masterful effect, something she could don in a moment's notice. Gold eyes stared up into fiery crimson in apathy, as though serenely judging her classmate for having the audacity to step into her path. "Nothing." Her voice was even, not a hint of the emotional rollercoaster that she found herself riding against her will. "I'm fine."
Bakugou scoffed, the sound much more vindictive and harsh than usual. "That's a fat lie. You look like you're ready to fall over from exhaustion!"
Irritated, she brushed past him, a scowl slowly forming on her face. She had tried to keep things cordial, but Bakugou seemed to be even more agitated than usual. Unfortunately, Rei wasn't in the mood for games now. All she wanted was to grab her lunch and meet with Momo, and perhaps catch a few minutes for a nap. The first thing she wanted was a quiet moment to herself, and the last was an irritable and fuming boy standing in her way. She spoke through gritted teeth, jaw set in lowly anger. "I said I'm fine."
A strong hand shot out, violently gripping her upper arm and shaking her, causing her to stumble a bit as she was jolted around. There was a bit of fear on her face as she looked up into red eyes that swirled with rage, but composure kicked in almost immediately, gold eyes staring up in a bored fashion as she guarded herself. "Don't fucking lie to me! Something's obviously wrong!"
But she couldn't fake the serenity for long. Something inside of her snapped. She had gone from embarrassment and humiliation to sadness, all the way to fear and shock. She had run an entire emotional gauntlet at this point, and she was exhausted to the core. Anger surged in her as she growled back into Bakugou's face. "Fuck. off. I don't have to tell you anything." Ripping her arm from his grasp she stormed off, walking quickly as she fumed. She could feel him stalking behind her, shouting in frustration.
"Why can't you just tell me what's wrong?"
"Because," she grit out, "I've experience enough humiliation for one day."
He barked out a laugh, standing over her as she pulled her lunch bag out from her belongings. "That's funny, you didn't seem to have a problem with that a few days ago."
Breathing in a slow breath, she tried to calm herself down. Her blood was boiling, anger threatening to rise. Why now, of all times? And why him? "Bakugou, you're really getting on my nerves."
"Just tell me what's wrong!"
"Why?" Standing up sharply, she whipped around, glaring daggers back at him. He had enough common sense to step back in shock, for the first time facing her full anger. There was no composure any longer, rage seething from her body. Where Bakugou tended to shout and act out in aggression, it was clear that Rei's anger was more like a gas leak, toxic fumes slowly moving around unnoticed until the moment where an unfortunate spark ignited and unleashed a maelstrom of havoc. Her voice continued to rise, escalating into a yell. She couldn't contain herself any longer. "Why do you care? What's wrong with you?!"
"You idiot! I'm worried about you!"
"Then stop being a prick and be nice for once in your life!"
Silence. Bakugou stared in shock. Eyes wide, it was clear that he had no words as he looked over Rei's entire figure, taking every piece of her in. Her eyes continued to rage, but every piece of her body looked as though she were a wild animal backed into a corner, somewhere between feeling lost and tensely coiled, prepared to strike. Chest heaving and stuttering as she tried to control her breath and even it out, it was clear that the seal had been broken.
There was no more control.
The tears fell, Rei unable to hold back any longer. She was tired and emotionally worn from the rollercoaster that had taken her up the highest heights and dropped her off the sharpest of cliffs, and Bakugou had done nothing but push her past her breaking point. The screws had come loose. The ride was in shambles. Her breath hitched even as she tried to control it, but her chest now heaved unevenly. She had broken.
"Why…" she started, voice cracking, "why can't you just drop the mask and be kind for once?"
It was clear he didn't have an answer. Red eyes were wide, Bakugou remaining frozen as she held her lunch close to her chest and walked out the classroom door, wiping the tears from her eyes with one hand. She hoped that he had enough common sense to not follow her. Taking the back route down the fire escape stairs in order to avoid as many people as possible, Rei made her way outside, sneaking through the campus to make it to the treeline.
She knew that Momo would be worried when she didn't show up for lunch. But Rei was too tired to care. She needed time alone to rebuild her walls, to refortify herself if she was to survive the afternoon. As soon as she made it into the forest surrounded the sports field she jumped up into a particularly large tree with a sturdy branch, far from view of the school building. She sat against the trunk and began unpacking her lunch in her lap, sniffling and trying to pull herself back together.
Lunch was mostly leftovers and whatever she had been able to throw together that morning in her exhausted stupor. Leftover katsu curry wasn't very good cold, but it was what she had grabbed first, and Rei was loathe to let any good food go to waste. Sitting in the shade on the warm afternoon, she felt herself slowly relaxing, bit by bit. With every bit of food she could feel herself recharging, and with every breath she could feel the tension draining from her core as she began recentering herself.
What was it about Bakugou that left her so perplexed all the time? One day he was borderline kind and gentle, and the next nosy and completely intolerable. Did he even realize how hot and cold he was? The thought of him and their most recent interaction had her trembling with anger, her rage coming back to her and flooding her senses. How dare he try to corner her, force her past the breaking point. Her true anger was something that she tried to hide, a part of her personality that she covered with layers of indifference and cold disdain instead in an attempt to smother than undesirable side. She had always been hot headed as a kid, but when Reina started mentoring her and she had realized that she wanted to be a hero, Rei had been desperate to put that side of hers to rest. Heroes were likable people, and no one wanted to work with brash and quick tempered individuals.
Come to think of it, wasn't that basically a description of Bakugou? Shaking her head, Rei scowled, chomping on her lunch harder than necessary. Everything came back to him. It infuriated her. She was so annoyed, so irritated…
But that was what made them similar. They both wore masks to hide themselves. It was only now that they were beginning to see past the facade, and now Rei was beginning to see how much of a contradiction she was living. She had come here to start anew, but she refused to get to know the people in her class, instead holding them at a distance. She had begun to accept the fact that she had a friend in Momo, but a piece of her continued to push the girl away.
She tried to dig to Bakugou's core in order to see exactly who he was, all the while insisting on keeping up her own walls and keeping others out, preventing them to see who she truly was.
She was confused and emotional. In that moment with Bakugou her judgement had clouded, and she had reacted harshly. This was why she tried to hold back, to maintain distance from people, to make sure that she kept herself level and even. It hurt. It hurt to expose her true nature, hurt to let people in and peel back the scabs and scars that she had thought had been healed and far removed from her life now. It hurt, knowing that she had said hurtful things to others.
Finishing her lunch, she pulled her knees up to her chest. She should apologize for acting in anger. It was the right thing to do, and if she wanted to become a better person and begin growing into a hero, she needed to put herself aside and become the bigger person. But there was a piece of her that was still bitter, that wasn't ready to let this go. She would hold off for now, even if clutching that piece of darkness was toxic. Just a little while longer.
She wasn't perfect, and she wasn't about to start pretending that she was.
For the rest of the day Rei kept her head down, going through the motions and otherwise simply trying to survive the day. She barely finished the application that Aizawa had given her, scrawling through the end of the day homeroom with her nose practically glued to the paper and zooming up to the front of the classroom as soon as he dismissed everyone. As she passed the paper to him she saw a look of satisfaction in his eyes, and she immediately knew that he had been stalling for her to have time to finish. With a twitchy half smile she had muttered her thanks before returning to her seat, gathering her belongings quickly and rushing out the door, briefly saying goodbye to Momo as she bolted.
She wanted to take a nap. There was homework to be done, money and expenses to be estimated, and emotions to be stored away. Nothing a quick nap couldn't solve. But there was one thing that a nap actually could not solve, and it was the fact that Reina still hadn't given her a call or even a text back. In fact, she was suspiciously absent in all aspects, not a single response coming through. It made Rei anxious; the last time this had happened, Reina had ended up in a hospital in a coma. With all her nerves suddenly surging again Rei rushed to her shoe locker, tying her boots hastily and running out the door. She didn't care that it was humid and warm, or that she looked like a madwoman on a hunt. Making it to the station in record time, she tried to ignore the fact that it felt as though a cinder block was squashing her chest down in anxiety on the entire ride back to Kumo City.
Not caring about rules and regulations, Rei used her quirk to boost herself back to the orphanage. There were still a few people on some of the more quiet and residential streets, so she took the backroads, cutting through huge blocks and leaping over roofs and hedges. By the time she arrived at the orphanage the kids were playing in the yard, Rei's sudden appearance startling them. They began to crow for her attention, but she pushed them away gently, escaping into the house.
"Urahara-san!"
Voices in the dining room. Rei shuffled as quickly as she could, mindful of the fact that her socks were slippery on the wooden floors. Her legs nearly slid out from underneath her as she made it into the archway of the dining room, gripping onto the wall to balance herself as she tried to catch her breath. For all her clumsiness, everything seemed to stop and fall together as golden eyes widened, meeting familiar warm brown eyes and taking in gunmetal hair.
"Rei-chan?"
The tears fell for the second time during the day. Rei hiccuped, falling to the floor as everything came over her. It was too much; the news from yesterday, the restless night of sleep, the struggle to stay awake through classes, the embarrassing meeting with Aizawa, the spat she had with Bakugou. She heard chairs scraping along the floor as both Reina and Urahara rose quickly to come to her side, picking her up and grabbing her belongings. Rei threw her arms around Reina's neck, sobbing into her neck as she heaved, back shaking and limbs trembling. Her mentor wrapped slender arms around the girl, rubbing circles around her back and whispering comforting words.
For a few minutes they simply stayed like that, sitting on the ground in the middle of the hallway, all the way until Rei's tears subsided and she was left hiccuping from the entire ordeal. Reina broke away gently, helping her up from the floor and sliding out the chair closest to her so that the emotionally broken high school girl could sit. Urahara returned from the kitchen, a glass of water in her hand that she set in front of Rei, who sniffled and murmured her thanks in acceptance as she sipped from the cup in small bits.
Reina's hands never left Rei's arms. The trio sat in silence as Rei calmed down, breathing unsteadily as she recovered from her breakdown. Reina was safe, was here in front of her. She was safe. They were safe. The tears began to start up again, Reina brushing them away with gentle fingers. "It's okay, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." It only made her cry harder, lowering her head as she wiped the tears from her own eyes with the back of her hand.
As she began to finally calm down, she was fully aware of just how weary she was. Her limbs felt numb and heavy, but she forced herself to stay awake and sit up. "I… I texted you…"
"I know, and I'm sorry." Her eyes looked weighed down, fully understanding just how much pressure Rei had been under during the day. "Urahara called me last night. I took the first train back from Tokyo this morning."
"B-but, your meeting…"
"My parents know. They understand."
Rei laughed, but it sounded more like another sob. "They hate me."
Reina's face turned serious, and she leaned forward to meet Rei's eyes, staring at her when she spoke with absolute honest. "They don't have you, Rei-chan. They just... didn't understand what I was doing at first. They're so proud that you made it into U.A.."
Sniffling, Rei rubbed her nose. Urahara disappeared to grab a box of tissues, reappearing after a few moments. Gratefully she blew her nose, thankful that she was finally able to breathe at least half normally again. She hated it when her nose was congested, sensitive smell and all; it clogged up her brain and made her feel less than operational. "Really?"
This time, her mentor smiled brilliantly. "Really, really. Did you know they had a hand in making your costume?"
It was news to Rei. She sat up straight in confusion. "W-what?"
"They're close business partners with the costume company that works directly with U.A.. They saw the designs and parameters you had sent in. They said you're a very smart girl, and one of the most detail oriented."
Rei laughed fully this time. "I told them to use carbon fibre. They must've thought that was so stupid."
"Well, most of Black Panther's costume is actually carbon fibre. It was a good idea, but they figured that you wanted to be a little more flexible since you're smaller than him."
Hearing Reina get serious about the specs and parameters was like having a lightbulb turn on, and Rei could see the passion in her eyes as she described her friend's costume. Even if Chirasaki had told her that Reina was running away, the happiness and passion she had when talking about the fabrics and materials was undeniable.
Rei had to know. "Reina, are you going back to your parents' company?"
She leaned back, scratching her cheek as a sheepish smile came across her face. "Actually, that was the whole reason why I went back the other day. I went to close a business deal with my father and a potential new buyer."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize." She pinched Rei's cheek playfully, earning another grin from the hero in training. "You come first. My parents will learn to accept that."
"That brings us back full circle." Urahara spoke from the other side of Rei, the two girls turning to their elder. She looked just as tired as yesterday, although there was a trace of a smile on her face right now. "I've informed Reina about the situation of the orphanage."
Rei blinked. "And…?"
"Aaand…" Reina dragged out, a brilliant smile on her face, "You're coming with me! If you want, that is."
"Huh?"
"Reina has offered to take you into her care. Technically without your parents' permission, it won't be an official adoption. We've been in conversation about this for a while now-"
"So what do you think?" Reina cut the woman off, much to Urahara's amusement and Rei's confusion. They had talked about what? But Reina eagerly grabbed her hands, shaking her excitedly. "Do you want to come with me?"
Her heart was so full, she felt ready to burst. "Are you kidding?" Rei smiled, the tears threatening to return. "I wouldn't want anything else in the world."
Arrangements were made. The three of them had agreed that nothing would happen until the end of the week, when the weekend finally came. It would give Rei time to say her goodbyes and allow her a full day to complete the move. The whirlwind continued to sweep Rei away, but now that the winds were dying down she knew that she would land on two feet. Everything would work out in the end.
That night she slept soundly, only waking up a few times before falling asleep once again with a grin on her face.
When the next day came, Rei could barely believe that it was only Tuesday. Not twelve hours prior she had been anxious for the weekend to come so that she could attempt to sort out her life. Now she was ready for Friday to come around for a completely different reason, desperately waiting for the day when she would finally leave the orphanage, and in the best, unexpected, manner possible. It had been an unsaid expectation that leaving the orphanage meant that one was about to face an even crueler adult world that was waiting on its haunches to devour them. To be moving into her mentor's house, someone who she loved like her own sister, was more than she could handle.
Rei's heart was full. There was no other way to describe things.
Arriving at school the next day, she was filled with an incredible sense of peace. As she stepped onto campus she breathed in deep, exhaling with a small smile on her face. She could do this, one day at a time.
"Tsuki-chan!"
Rei turned around in surprise, watching Yaoyorozu climb up the steps to the school behind her. Her friend waved to her, picking up the pace in order to catch up. Rei blinked at her concerned face. "Are you feeling better today? You look better…"
"Mm." Shifting her backpack on her shoulders, Rei smiled. "I'm better."
"Ah! You're smiling!"
"Is… something wrong with that?"
"N-no!" She looked rather sheepish, averting her gaze sheepishly for a moment. "It's just, I don't think that I've ever seen you this happy before."
Humming, she continued walking forward, Momo keeping pace with her. "Just feeling better today."
"I suppose everyone has their off days, don't we?"
"Yeah."
Just like that, they were back to normal. Yaoyorozu talked animatedly about a new shipment of her favorite tea that had just come in, Rei nodding but listening engagedly. There really was something new to learn everyday; even Rei found herself drawn into a conversation about tea and proper tea making practices, optimal temperatures and types of leaves. Yaoyorozu was truly a wealth of information, both on and off the battlefield, leaving Rei blow away by how much she could memorize and regurgitate on the spot.
They had talked all the way until they were in the classroom, settling down in their desks for a moment before picking up the conversation again. Todoroki, who had been reading a book at his desk before they came in, set down his book and joined in on the conversation, peppering his own comments on occasion. It was relaxing, casual, and Rei found herself quite comfortable. They had continued their talking all the way until Iida had called for class to get to attention, halting their motions and turning around in their seat so that they faced the front. As Aizawa entered the classroom and stood at the podium he made eye contact with Rei, who sat up straight and returned the look with an attentive, yet placid face. He nodded minisculely, acknowledging the difference.
Shocking, how a good night's rest could make all the difference. Just like that she was back to normal, taking copious amounts of notes while her eyes flickered between the front and the paper in front of her. So many things made so much more sense as they reviewed the previous day's materials briefly, concepts that had eluded her finally coming back now that her head was screwed on properly. With a small grin she twirled her pen in her hand, watching Midnight briefly before jotting something else down.
And just like that, lunch time was upon them. Rei sighed, stretching her hands up high into the air before arching her back, almost tipping over backward in her seat as she pushed her hands as far back as they could go. With a yawn she blinked her eyes, the afternoon sleepiness beginning to overtake her as she shook her head, trying to stay awake. Yaoyorozu looked at her in concern. "Are you still sleepy, Tsuki-chan?"
Rei shook her head, though rubbing her eyes in a sleepy manner didn't make her any more believable. "I'm fine," she reported, "It's just that the warm weather and the sunlight makes me naturally sleepy."
Yaoyorozu smiled. "You're just like a cat, Tsuki-chan."
"Cat?"
Todoroki's head snapped up, looking around for the aforementioned animal. Rei and Yaoyorozu blinked, looking to one another in confusion before Rei began snickering, a sheepish smile on Yaoyorozu's face. "Todoroki-kun… do you like cats?"
He was clearly disappointed, but tried to hide it. "Yeah."
Rei grinned, opening her mouth to say something but instead freezing as she saw a stoic Bakugou walking in her direction. She paused, tilting her head in confusion and slight apprehension as he walked all the way up to her desk, standing over her and staring into her eyes, unblinkingly. "I need to talk to you."
Nodding, Rei motioned for Yaoyorozu to leave, the girl leaving with Todoroki in suit as the two of them shot looks at the two that remained in the classroom. Rei refused to break eye contact, staring at him blankly even as the entire class began to filter out.
Once they were alone he shifted, finally looking away.
"Sorry."
She blinked once.
Then twice.
"Huh?"
He tossed a glare at her as he moved to lean against the window, though his posture was lazy today, lacking the deadly intent he had wielded masterfully on their previous encounter. Rei stood up, shifting from her seat to sit on top of her desk, lifting herself up as she shifted backwards on the surface. Crossing her ankles she swung them a few times in the air, watching her classmate as he scoffed. "Don't make me repeat myself."
She crossed her own arms over her chest. "Fine."
Bakugou sighed, eye twitching in discomfort. "I'm sorry for pushing you." He paused. "And for being a prick."
"Do you mean it?"
A glower. "What's that supposed to mean? Of course I do!"
"Okay."
He blinked. "That's it?"
Rei smiled, clasping her hands in her lap. "If you mean it, then I accept."
For a moment he simply stood astounded, staring at Rei as though trying to decipher if she was joking or not. But he found nothing, and he instead opted for simply rolling his eyes. "Stupid."
As a peace offering she extended her hands out again. There was no hesitation, Bakugou moving almost in sync as soon as Rei began to move. Her smile widened at the instinctive movement, though she made no comment. Moving her fingers slowly but thoroughly up and down his forearm, she tilted her head in thought. "Your arms are much better, compared to the sports festival."
He scoffed. "I didn't have my gauntlets on me. I almost forgot how much effort it takes to only use my hands."
"Tell me how they work. The gauntlets."
Bakugou hesitated for a moment, looking skeptically at Rei before giving in. If she wanted to know, then there wasn't really any reason to not talk about them. He talked about their construction and materials, their intended purpose and how they worked with his quirk. As he spoke, Rei focused her eyes on his forearm and hands, but her ears and mind listening attentively to his explanations. She honed in on his voice, how smooth it sounded when he wasn't trying to yell angrily at someone or something, her heart fluttering just a bit. When he finished his explanation she had moved onto his fingers, pulling on them slowly and snapping her fingers at the end.
"I see. So at the sports festival you were forced to revert to having a lack of reserves."
"More or less."
She frowned. "That makes sense why your forearms were so messed up. You were close to bursting something, from what I could tell."
"I know." His face turned dark as he recalled that day, something on his mind. "Quirks are just physical abilities, at the end of the day."
Rei nodded sagely, squeezing his right hand and lowering back down to his side before moving to pick up his left hand. They moved at the same time, hands bumping into one another clumsily, both of them freezing for a moment at the lack of coordination. Rei only smiled gently, taking initiative and grabbing his arm, feeling for any signs of strain and stress. "Remember to breathe," she spoke quietly.
She heard him inhale deeply, her fingers pressing down as he exhaled slowly. They fell into silence for a few moments, lost in their own thoughts. Rei's thoughts swirled. If he could apologize…
"I'm sorry too. For yesterday."
Bakugou looked at her, but Rei kept her head down, continuing to speak a bit sheepishly. There were few times that she ever honestly apologized, most of her apologies being forced out by principals searching for some sort of surface conclusion to the disruptions she and the other boys caused in her previous schools. Only Reina ever really received earnest apologies, and even then they were few and far in between now that they rarely actually argued. "I was rude."
The blonde boy clicked his tongue. "Don't apologize for that. I don't wanna start apologizing for everything I say."
Rei's lips twitched. She couldn't help it. "So you admit that you're always rude?"
"Don't push it."
Shaking her head, she smoothed her face over, dropping the smile. The placid mask back in place, she continued to massage his arms out.
"There you go again."
Hands freezing, she looked up in genuine confusion. "Huh?"
"Wearing that stupid mask of yours. You think you can hide behind a stoic look?"
At this Rei scowled, finger digging into a particularly deep knot. He hissed at the pain, but he refused to back down from the question, digging holes into her skull with his eyes. Neither would Rei back down. Bakugou's glares had never worked on her anyway. "No one wants to know the real me."
"Why? Because you're angry? Obviously that doesn't matter, because I'm still here."
"And yet you're barely tolerable."
He rolled his eyes at the dig, earning a small grin from Rei. But he persisted. "You tell me to stop being a jerk, but you think you can keep hiding behind your mask? Stop talking shit and start practicing what you preach."
Since when did she start taking personality suggestions from the most hot headed person in the class? But for some reason, Bakugou was making sense. He was right, and the two of them knew it. Still, being her true self… Could she really do it? What even was her true self? She toyed with the concept in her head, bouncing ideas back and forth. If she had to narrow it down…
It was how she acted whenever Haru had been around. Whenever Reina was around. No one in school got to see that side, save for maybe Todoroki when they had accidentally bumped into one another on their way to the hospital after the sports festival. When Rei had come to U.A. she had immediately put up a front simply because that was what she was used to; she had enemies back in her elementary and middle school, and she had to be tough and strong. She had to make sure that others wouldn't test her, but also pretend as though the hurtful words and the blows didn't hurt her, instead rolling off her back like oil and water. That was the persona she carried into U.A., but she was beginning to see that she didn't have enemies like that here. Class 1-A was her home away from home, and she was beginning to trust each and every one of them, even though that trust was still tentative and growing.
Why didn't she trust them with who she really was? She could be genuine here. If Uraraka and her bubbly personality survived alongside Bakugou's anger, if Todoroki's seriousness could coincide with Ashido's playfulness, then surely there was a place for her. Bakugou was right. She had to stop fooling herself and fooling others.
Finishing up with his left hand she gave it a squeeze, patting it and slowly letting it drop. But he suddenly held her hand in his, holding it between them as he stepped closer. Rei looked up, crimson meeting gold. Her lips parted in surprise. In the warm afternoon light with the sun shining through the window behind him, a shadow over his face, red eyes still glistened and glimmered with emotion, completely alive. He was beautiful.
"Will you stop faking already?" His voice was husky as he leaned over her, and for a moment Rei forgot to breathe. But as soon as she finally inhaled she regained a bit of her dignity back, choking out a response of her own that was as witty as she could make it, what with her last remaining brain cells fleeing from her for a moment.
"Only if you do."
He clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes as though annoyed at even the thought of being cordial, pulling back as he rolled his shoulder and righted his posture. Putting some distance between them he watched as Rei pushed herself off of the desk, turning his head away as she looked at him with a triumphant grin. "Don't push it."
It was enough to make her smile even more brightly, the two of them making their way down to lunch with one another. He opened the door for the both of them, shutting it behind them before falling into step with her. She noticed that he had slowed his steps enough for her to keep up, her short legs usually hard pressed to keep up with anyone in their class. But they moved at a comfortable speed, almost meandering into the cafeteria. Before they had entered the doors he placed a hand on her shoulder, forcing her to look up at him.
He drew in close, face mere inches away from her own. Rei's eyes widened as she inhaled sharply, unsure of what exactly to do. It was so sudden that she was caught off guard, the only thing she could do was blink.
He smiled, more of a gentle smirk than anything, but it was the most normal and peaceful she had ever seen him. "You look better when you smile."
And just as soon as he was here he was gone, pulling away and walking into the cafeteria like everything was normal. Rei blinked multiple times, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened and trying to calm her heart, beating so fast it felt as though it was going to bust out of her rib cage and fly out of her chest, onto the wooden floors.
Did he… just compliment her?
She wanted to tear her hair out, watching him strutting away confidently. She scowled, crossing her arms over her chest as she stormed into the cafeteria to get in line for food. By the way he walked, he knew exactly what he had just done.
But that also meant… he knew something.
She wanted to scream. But instead she took a deep breath, ordered her food, and made her way to Yaoyorozu's table. Sitting down, she nodded at everyone, ready to dig into her food. She had just taken a bite of her udon when Jirou looked at her suspiciously.
"What did Bakugou say to you?"
Rei choked. Yaoyorozu patted her back, watching her friend carefully in case she needed to help her out further. But Rei simply waved her away, sputtering and trying to regain some of her grace, though it was difficult now that she had gained everyone's attention on their side of the table. "Why… do you ask?"
The girl simply twirled her earphone jacks around her finger. "Bakugou came in with a strange look on his face, and you looked absolutely livid when you came in."
Relaxing, she internally sighed. At least they didn't think that anything else strange was going on. Shrugging her shoulders, she continued to eat her food. "Just him being a jerk, that's all."
No one seemed to buy it, but since it was the only explanation that she offered they accepted her half truth, all returning to business. As she chewed carefully, she saw the boy in question walk past her, sitting at another table a few spaces down and facing her as he sat. He met her gaze and flashed a cocky grin before his face wiped over with a blank look, turning toward the boys at his table.
"Tsuki-chan, you're going to break your chopsticks!"
"Good," she muttered darkly. "Because otherwise someone's going to die today in hero basic training."
"Alright, listen up! For today's hero basic training, we'll be playing a game that will test your skills as teams!"
The class stared blankly at All Might, unsure of what exactly to make of today's lesson. They were at the entrance for a forest area, a high density of trees all around. A game? He raised a hand, laughing at their reactions. "I'm sure some of you are wondering what we'll be doing. Are you ready? It's capture the flag!"
This time the class burst into cheers and chatter in recognition, excitement threading through the class in anticipation even as All Might worked to settle them back down. "Of course, there's a catch. You'll be separated into two teams, of course. But you'll also have a partner!" He lifted up what looked like a strip of ribbon, although it looked a long stronger, more akin to the bandages that Aizawa wore around his neck. "You'll be tied together with a partner. It doesn't matter where you connect, the choice is yours."
A dual team test, was it? There was certainly layers to this game. Not only did everyone have to work as a cohesive unit and decide who was going to go on the offense and the defense, but the smaller units had to work together as well. Rei nudged Momo, whispering as the class began asking questions. "Team up?"
Momo had just opened her mouth when All Might pulled out a box, stuffing his hand in. "We'll be randomizing it, so you won't partner up with just your friends! What did I say at the beginning? That's right; we're testing your skills and how you cooperate with teams!"
Yaoyorozu sighed, Rei patting her arm comfortingly.
"Next time, then." The two girls shared a smile before returning their attention to the front.
"Sensei!" As always, Iida had a question. "Since we have an odd number of students, what will the odd person out do?"
"Good question!" All Might threw a thumbs up out before explaining. "The last person will find a place to hide in the map. The first team to find them gets to put them on their team as a free roaming individual!"
"Now! The first pick is…" He drew out the first two names. "Uraraka and Iida! You'll be on team A!"
Most of the class grumbled at how lucky the two friends had been, the two of them moving to the front to pick up their ribbons, already beginning to discuss strategies as they stood off to the side. "The second pick… who could it be?"
Everyone watched with bated breath as he drew two more names from the box, unfurling the pieces of paper and flashing them in the air.
Rei's eyes widened. Then she groaned, tilting her head up toward the sky. "Oh, fuck no-"
Just her luck.
"Bakugou and Akatsuki! Team B!"
"This is ridiculous."
The groups had been divvied up and sent to their respective locations, given a flag to plant anywhere they wanted on their side. Team B was sent following after a storming Bakugou and a scowling Akatsuki, who held the flag securely in her hands. They had gotten pretty close to the end of the field, almost near the back wall of their section. But Akatsuki had stopped, sitting down and putting the flag in her lap as she bowed her head, hands on her temples. She closed her eyes, trying to shut everything out.
"Oi, are you even paying attention?"
Akatsuki glowered. Even with her eyes closed, everyone shuddered at the deadly aura she leaked at being interrupted. It was a true testament to the fact that anger could be both violent and subtle. Somehow, Rei made subtle anger feel like a noose was being slipped around everyone's neck and would tighten at the slightest sound or inconvenience. "Shut up. I'm trying to think of a plan. Give me a few minutes."
They had fifteen minutes to come up with a plan. Everyone had eyes on the storming girl and the equally irritable boy as he scoffed, crossing his arms and looking around the space. The strangest part about the entire situation was that Bakugou listened to Akatsuki, shutting his mouth and tapping his foot on the ground impatiently. But even more, it looked like he was completely deferring to her judgement when it came to the exercise. That was a first. It was Kaminari who shrugged, taking the lead for the rest of them. "Akatsuki-san is probably the smartest here. If anyone can outsmart Midoriya…" He thought back to their first class, when he, Jirou, and Akatsuki had gone up against Yaoyorozu. Akatsuki had outwitted the model student, playing mind games that were simultaneously layered yet simple. Going up against Midoriya and his meticulous planning was slightly different, but if there was anyone in their group who could do it, it was the glowering cat girl in front of them.
She wasn't perfect, but she was undoubtedly their best bet and shot at winning.
Ashido jumped up energetically. "Yeah, that's right! We won't have to worry!"
Their team consisted of Ashido with Shoji, Kirishima and Ojiro, Mineta and Kouda, and Kaminari with Sero. Akatsuki's brow furrowed as she stewed in her thoughts, sitting on the hard ground. Team A had a lot of hard hitters, particularly with Iida, Todoroki, Yaoyorozu, and Midoriya now that he was demonstrating relatively good control over his quirk and was able to maneuver around the field quickly. If Team A found Tokoyami, the odd man out who was hiding somewhere in the forest, then their chances of winning were even better. Team A also had the most cooperative students, and they were most likely listening to Midoriya as he developed a strategy right as they spoke. Cursing her luck, Akatsuki wracked her brain for ideas. Think! Who would Midoriya choose to defend, or to come and get their flag?
A solid minute passed, Bakugou scoffing. "Are you done yet? Because I'm going to get that flag for myself."
That was it. Akatsuki opened her eyes, looking up to the group as her lips parted for a moment in a gasp. Then, a smirk covered her face. "I have an idea." Team B leaned in toward her, mouths shut tightly as they waited in expectation. But she simply turned to Bakugou, crossing her arms. "We're not going for the flag." Before he could react, she held up a hand, motioning for him to stop. "We're going to be the distraction. We're going after Midoriya and Tsuyu."
The blonde was clearly surprised, but the compromise seemed to please him greatly as he grinned maniacally. It was nothing that anyone had anticipated, but the bizarreness of the plan surely had its place. Nine sets of wide eyes stared at her as she picked up the flag, standing up and walking over to a tree. She hopped up into its limbs, finding a place to stick it into and shoving it violently and deep into the trunk. She felt a little bad for the tree, it having done nothing to deserve what was about to come. Jumping back down and dusting her hands off, she joined the circle that had formed.
"Alright, listen up. Here's what we're gonna do…"
"Are you ready? Because ready or not, we… are… starting!"
At the sound of All Might's voice over the intercom and the buzzer that belted out over the training ground, Midoriya powered up his quirk and took off across the boundary line. Tsuyu sat on his back, one arm wrapped around his neck for support as she piggybacked on her partner. Their left arms had been tied together, nondominant hands that allowed for them to travel comfortably while also giving them a decent amount of range. As long as his legs and one hand was free, Midoriya would be able to defend and do whatever they needed to do. Tsuyu also had her tongue to help guide them.
All in all, there were few other matches that were as favorable as this one.
To be frank, Team A was loaded with hard hitters. They had truly lucked out on getting not only Todoroki and Yaoyorozu, but the two of them as partners. The two of them had the capacity to act as both long range and short range fighters, what with Todoroki's long range quirk and hand to hand combat abilities as well as Yaoyorozu's ability to create a variety of traps and weapons, making them obvious candidates to defend the flag.
And that was only the beginning.
Compared to the other team, where many of their members were not team players, Team A was most likely to take the victory here. It was logical. Midoriya felt sorry for Akatsuki, who had been paired with Kacchan. The entire class had seen the competitive sparks flying between them, but Midoriya had noticed that Kacchan… seemed different. He couldn't place his finger on it. But Bakugou's reaction to having Akatsuki as his partner hadn't been strange, in an entirely indescribable way.
Maybe it had something to do with the fact that this was the second time the two had been paired together so far during the school year. The first time had quite literally been in the first week of school, when everyone was still getting to know one another and learning about one another's quirks. Bakugou and Akatsuki had scraped by with a win against Iida and Kirishima. And most strangely enough, the former had actually worked together, somehow, some way. No one had ever really addressed it or asked how it had happened, or to what precise degree the two of them had collaborated and who was giving the orders. Yet Midoriya knew that something was going on between the two, or at least there was something between them, some commonality that allowed them to work together.
No one normal was assigned to a team with Bakugou and walked away unscathed, physically or emotionally.
Sailing through the emerald canopy, Midoriya continued to contemplate these thoughts while keeping his eyes peeled for members on the opposite team. Akatsuki and Bakugou were a strange pair when put together; they were undoubtedly the two most volatile people in Class 1-A, but on opposite ends of the spectrum. Where Bakugou was physically violent with an outward temper to match, Akatsuki tended to be the silence assassin that could level anyone with a single look when she wanted to. Putting the two together on a team was almost a certain recipe for disaster. Both were stubborn to a fault, confident, and highly skilled. If neither was willing to budge, then their team would fall apart.
Midoriya was confident in his plan. The pieces were in motion. All they had to do was find Tokoyami first. Then, victory was almost assured.
"Kero! Midoriya!"
Green eyes widened at the figure that barreled in their direction, and Midoriya barely had time to adjust his momentum and jump high into the air as an explosive fist came barreling down in his direction. An explosion ripped into the earth, causing the dirt to rise up all around them and cover his vision. With a hand over his nose and mouth Midoriya strained to look around, regaining balance and watching out for the next, inevitable, attack.
"Thanks, Tsuyu." It had been his partner's quick warning that had alerted him to the danger and pulled him out of his thoughts, no matter how little information Tsuyu had provided. At least they had time to react. As the dust began to settle, Midoriya's eyes landed on Bakugou's figure, hands crackling at his sides as a maniacal grin was plastered on his face, blood red eyes trained on his opponent.
"The hell you think you're doing, Deku?"
A cough sounded from behind Bakugou, making Midoriya's eyes light up in surprise. "Idiot. Fucking warn me. I can't guard my ears and mouth at the same time. Damn dust."
"Hah?" Bakugou looked over his shoulder to the small figure on his back, a black haired head popping into Midoriya's view. Gold eyes glared with horrifying intensity, but her look was only matched by Bakugou's bloodthirst for a fight and his smug arrogance at her discomfort. "You that weak, beansprout?"
"You're not the one with sensitive hearing!"
"I'm the one with the explosive quirk! I hear it all the time!"
To Midoriya's horror, Akatsuki smacked the top of Bakugou's head with her free hand, brow wrinkling in distaste and irritation. "Shut up and fight, idiot!"
"Shut up and hang on!" There was no time to think as Bakugou barreled toward Midoriya, fists ready and hands crackling in anticipation. The green haired boy was hard pressed to jump out of the way, using One for All to dodge the attacks but barely managing to keep out of harm's way. It was even more dangerous now that Tsuyu was on his back, knowing that someone else was at risk of getting hurt by Bakugou's anger, specifically at his childhood friend.
But there was no time to think.
Only time to act.
If Midoriya had time to think, he would have considered how odd it was that Bakugou hadn't retaliated against Akatsuki for her bopping of his head, for how she replied with sarcasm and bite that mirrored the explosive blonde's own. He didn't have time to consider the fact that the two of them were working together in tandem.
He didn't realize that time was ticking down, and that he had been predicted from the tip of his head to the soles of his shoes.
AN: Oops, cliffhanger! Sorry, I know I usually don't do big cliffhangers like this, but... ψ(｀∇´)ψ
Not gonna lie, we're heading towards some of the writing that I'm actually most proud of thus far in the story. I hope you're exciting for some of the future chapters to come!
Also, I'm still on a struggle bus. Not only is my health giving me fifty shades of issues, but I'm also walking in commencement for my university and filling out all kinds of paper work for my masters program that I'm in (grad school is a wild time y'all). It's a busy time. I've decided to set a goal of posting at least one chapter a week, if not more. That way, I hopefully don't leave you all hanging. I'm going to do my best! Please be patient with me as I try to work things out, and as I continue to write more chapters. I'm a bit stuck/ have a bit of writer's block on the current chapters that I'm on, but I mean it when I say that I'm tackling it and adding ideas every day, even when I don't want to. I'm going to keep writing!
And thank you for your reviews...
dragontamer64: Yay! I hope you find some of my tips useful. I mean, I do have a thousand other suggestions, but I tried to consolidate everything into the things that could be the most applicable to a wide audience and also the ones that I've personally found that work for me. Writing is hard and a lot of practice. If you ever need someone to proof things or someone to bounce ideas off of, I'm here! I'd be more than happy to help you with any of your works if you'd like. I promise I'm nice, and I don't look for every wrong thing (I hate the red pen theory, and I also have experience as a real world proof reader/ writing tutor, so I mostly know what I'm doing)
Waterdragon1123: Haha, so true. But I hope that this chapter has been a little twist! Please look forward to the fact that I will be writing a lot more Reina and Rei interactions; I'm very excited to show what I've written thus far! Thank you for your review!
xenocanaan: Thank you! I'm very happy that you've enjoyed this story so far! Tbh I didn't actually really like this story until people started showing interest, so it's been very motivating for me to change the things I don't like about it and make them into good things.
N3mm: I love the art analogy! I definitely see how they can have similarities, and I love the insights that you bring. I'm very honored that this story inspires you! It's always a joy to read long reviews, and I appreciate the time it takes to write them. Please look forward to more sweet/ asshole moments with Rei and Bakugou. They are my favorite shitty children, my precious walnuts.
yaoi4adollar: Thank you! I will do my best to pump out the content as much as I can!
Want more tips? Have more ideas? Just like the story so far? Please leave a review!