Chapter 14
Hotaru's P.o.V
I had stayed outside until my mother left. I would have gone somewhere but I had nowhere to go. Besides, I was going to study with Katsuki and Eijirou and I needed my books. I waited until my mother was gone and out of sight, I picked the lock to the backdoor with my fake key and got in.
'I still say you should just go and never come back,' Kiyo spat as I walked up the stairs. I sighed, leaving her question to go unanswered. I got to my room and put on a casual pair of clothes. It was my first time to actually have plans with friends...
I sighed, picking out a dark blue jacket and black leggings with an icy blue tank top as well as black shoes. I zipped up my jacket halfway and took a deep breath before exiting the house. This time, of my own free will.
The night before, I texted Katsuki and Eijirou to meet me at the front gates of UA. Eijirou had texted back with a few questions, but in the end, he agreed. Katsuki had yet to text to me, which left Kiyo a little salty.
'Oh, look who decided to show,' the spirit spat. When I got to UA, I found both Katsuki and Eijirou to be there. I waved and Eijirou waved back. Katsuki just nodded with his usual scowl. They stared at me for a bit. I nervously laughed.
"Hey, Hotaru," Eijirou grinned. I sighed in relief.
"Guys," I nodded.
"Where are we going?" Katsuki got straight to the point. I smirked.
"Follow me," I winked. I did an about-face and began walking away from UA. As I followed the path I burned into my memory, I could see Katsuki start to remember.
I was, indeed, taking them to the little pond that once was owned by Shimura Nana. The worst that could happen would be our papers and books falling into the water. We were safe from other people.
'No mothers to worry about,' Kiyo interrupted my train of thought. I rolled my eyes.
"Are you serious?" Katsuki grumbled when I revealed the entrance. I chuckled, pulling back part of the wall of vines.
"I figured it would be quiet, so we could work peacefully. Also, we get a nice view!" I pulled back some of the vines and let the boys go through first.
"Woah..." Eijirou's jaw dropped. I giggled.
"You and Katsuki had about the same reaction," I noted before walking over to the stone bench and pulling my books out of my bag. Due to my small size, all of us were able to fit on the bench and do our work.
The day went on as I had planned. Eijirou got hit by a book, Katsuki threw a book at Eijirou, and I almost charred the book because I was beginning to get a headache...Everything was great! Katsuki, who I had noticed was very quiet the day before, seemed to be back to normal, with the exception of avoiding a few of my questions. He was throwing more insults at me than he usually does, though. Even Eijirou noticed.
"You useless idiot, that's wrong!" Katsuki spat as he erased the answer I had put down. I creased my eyebrows.
'Kill him, already,' Kiyo grumbled, clearly ticked off.
"Hey, Bakugou. Maybe lay off a little?" Eijirou said with a worried look. I shook my head.
"It's fine, Eijirou. He's just being honest. Brutal...but honest," I sighed. I had come to accept my stupidity as part of my character.
"Still..." Eijirou mumbled as he looked to the pond. I sighed.
"It's official...I'm an idiot..." I stood up to stretch my legs. There was a moment of silence, then laughter. Katsuki's laughter.
"At least you admitted it," he said. I raised an eyebrow.
"Hey, dumbass, why don't you fuck off?" I mocked as I stuck out my tongue. I heard Eijirou groan at the conversation.
"You sound like Bakugou..." he pointed out. I couldn't help but join the laughter.
'This is what friendship looks like.'
Later...
3rd P.o.V
The three classmates were packing up to leave the garden. Kirishima and Bakugou were still picking up their things, but Hotaru was ready to go. She stood and waited until they were done.
"You guys ready?" she asked as she threw her bag over her shoulder. The boys nodded.
"What do you think the exam will be like?" Kirishima asked as they walked.
"Didn't someone say it was going to be like the entrance exam? Robots and stuff?" Hotaru asked. Bakugou snickered.
"Who cares. All that matters is that I get the best score!" he raised his voice a bit. Hotaru winced at the volume.
"Tone it down a notch, will you?" she sighed and Bakugou quieted down. While they walked, Hotaru looked to each of the stores they passed. She knew she and Kirishima had the same idea when they saw an ice cream parlour and shared a look. Bakugou didn't seem to notice the shimmering look of deviance in their eyes.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Yup."
"What the fuck are you two-" "Ice cream!" Kirishima and Hotaru shouted in unison. They both ran towards the little building. Hotaru spun around when she noticed Bakugou had yet to move.
"No," Bakugou spat. He didn't even have to hear what the stupid Lizard Girl was going to say. The sparkle in her blood-coloured eyes spoke for itself.
"Yes," Hotaru giggled as she ran back to Bakugou. She gave him a smile before grabbing his hand.
'What the fuck?!' he wanted to say, but only repeated inside his own head. He felt a warmth rise up in his cheeks as the plum-haired girl dragged him inside the shop. She was like a kid.
"I got him!" Hotaru grinned at Kirishima who saw the two and simply chuckled. He had been waiting in line while the girl grabbed the angry blonde.
"Nice," he snickered, high fiving Hotaru. The purple-haired teen scanned the menu and eventually decided what she wanted. What she had yet to realize was quickly pointed out to her by Kiyo.
'Ahem!' the spirit cleared her throat...somehow. Hotaru looked back to her shadow and the familiar red eyes.
"What?" she whispered as to not draw attention to herself.
'Hands,' Kiyo spat. Hotaru stared at her shadow with a confused expression.
'For Heaven's sake, Hotaru, your hands! Let go of the boy!' Kiyo grew impatient and started yelling. Hotaru looked down, finally noticing her right hand was still clasping Bakugou's. She felt her face grow hot. Bakugou didn't seem to notice. She paused for a moment, wondering what the big deal was. Then, she silently, she let go of his hand and he didn't seem to notice. Had he even noticed they were still holding hands up until a second ago? The girl's face turned beet red as she pretended to read the menu again.
"Are you okay, Hotaru?" Kirishima noticed her blush. Hotaru nodded, fearing that if she said something or drew attention to the fact she had just been holding Bakugou's hand, she'd make things worse. She simply stared at the menu.
When Hotaru had gotten to the front of the line and ordered her cold dessert, she was forced to wait for Bakugou and Kirishima. Just so she had something to do, she looked out the windows of the store.
'Hotaru,' Kiyo got her attention. Hotaru looked back to her shadow from the corner of her eye.
'Across the street,' the spirit's voice had a hint of resentment in it. Hotaru raised an eyebrow. She followed the spirit's directions...
There, across the street, stood Hotaru's mother.
"Holy shit..." She mumbled. The woman was stumbling out of a bar with a martini and a well-dressed man who was linking arms with her. She felt her chest tighten at the sight of her mother laughing and having a good time. She had never seen her that happy...
"That fucking bitch," Bakugou suddenly came up behind her. Hotaru didn't bother looking away from her mother.
"Makes me sick," the blonde spat. Hotaru sighed, closing her eyes for a second.
'She's evil,' Kiyo spat. The only thing the two ever agreed on and it was that Hotaru's mother was not fit to take care of her.
"I guess she wasn't at church after all," Hotaru let out a short, breathy chuckle. Bakugou gave her a mean glare.
"I don't know know why you're fucking laughing," he spat. He looked back to Kirishima and made sure he wasn't about to interrupt. He then turned back to Hotaru.
"She's laughing and having fun, knowing full well that the shit she does to you is fucking wrong," he said in a hushed growl. For once, he seemed to actually want no one to hear what he had to say. There was a moment of silence between them.
Then a sniffle.
Bakugou snapped his head in Hotaru's direction. He saw tears run down her cheeks and panicked.
"Why the-" "There's nothing I can say that will redeem my mother...but I don't want anyone to blame her. She's the only family I have and I want to give her the benefit of the doubt, I guess," Hotaru's voice cracked as she sniffled once again.
"Okay, guys, we've got-Woah! Why are you crying?" Kirishima walked over and instantly noticed the tears and emotions. He looked at Bakugou with a concerned expression.
"I said for you to keep her company, not make her cry!" he said. Bakugou's vein nearly popped out of his forehead.
"I didn't do this, you idiot!" he shouted. Hotaru forced out a laugh as she whipped away her tears with her jacket sleeve.
"It's fine. I'm just thinking about something," she smiled.
"What?" Bakugou asked, not thinking of the girl's privacy. Hotaru hesitated for a moment.
"What great friends I have," she jumped up a bit and wrapped her arms around Kirishima and Bakugou's necks. She had to pull them down a bit so they were on her level. If they stood up normally, they would pull her off the ground completely.
"Thanks. You're pretty cool, too," Kirishima laughed. Hotaru giggled as she let go of the boys, linking arms with them, instead.
"Now, let's go before we get kicked out," she began moving for the door.
"Why the hell would we get kicked out?" Bakugou asked, creasing his eyebrows as he followed the petite girl.
"Because we have you with us, idiot," Hotaru gave him a short chuckle. She opened the door and pulled the two boys outside. Together, the three of them made their way to the train station. Hotaru smiled the whole time. She finally had real friends. Friends with whom she could share this happy moment. That thought hit her hard. Ultimately, it had been a great day.
She couldn't wait to do it again.
-.-
Special Thanks To...
Akagami hime chan
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