A Place Where The Chrysanthemums Bloom was not meant to debut today, but in honour of Chapter 322, I've rushed to post this story.
BNHA and APWTCB have been a huge part of my life for the last 2-3 years. I've poured every single thing I know about writing, about humans and their fickle relationships, and my entire heart and soul into this project. I've rewritten chapter one over ten times because this story literally means everything to me and I hope that this opening (though long) can pique your interest.
I'm so nervous to post APWTCB and I'm a disaster right now but it's here and it's a mess but it's finally here. Never in my life did I expect myself to rush this important moment, but I couldn't sit around after reading such an emotional chapter in the manga.
Thank you so much for checking out A Place Where The Chrysanthemums Bloom. It's more precious to me than anything else in the world, so I hope reading this chapter will be worthwhile. I have no words for how thankful I am when people check out my projects, and this one has by far been the most emotionally taxing and personal. I love this story and these characters more than anything in this world, so I can at least guarantee you that I'll put a lot of care into this, and I hope that this will also become a valuable story for the ages.
I didn't mean for A Place Where The Chrysanthemums Bloom to be so dark, but I hope you will remember that is ultimately a personal story about hope. And just like what BNHA did for me, I hope A Place Where The Chrysanthemums Bloom gives you moments of solace, joy, and reflection.
-Koyo
Chapter 1: A Hero's Death
You can become a hero.
Fifteen.
The ashy clouds wafted ominously.
Billowing smoke tainted the starry nights of her home, the massive, private island in the eastern coasts of France which had been her only home for as long as she could remember. What would have normally been a beautiful, pitch-black sky with thousands of stars rippling across the horizon was now engulfed by grey, as if someone had taken a charcoal blanket and spread it across the sky.
Her limbs ached. Her vision blurred. Thin legs and bare feet screamed in agony as she pumped her arms furiously, running as fast as she could to the edge of the peninsula.
"I'm sorry," the bitter scream escaped her lips as she shook her head, hot tears rolling down pale cheeks. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry—"
Gentle streaks of moonlight poked through from the sky, lighting up patches of the white, frost-tipped grass that glinted eerily from France's freezing temperatures mid-February. And across the horizon was the brightest full moon she had ever seen, illuminating the miles and miles of ice that connected her home to mainland France, her last chance to escape and Kaguya-san's last gift before she—
"It's futile, my beautiful chrysanthemum," a coarse, sinister voice called out from behind her.
Her blood kicked into overdrive, running like fire through her veins.
Her legs were burning as she forced her legs to move faster, because she had to, had to survive, and thought of what she was leaving behind: the beautiful, seven-floored manor that was now a blazing inferno, the watchtowers where she so often enjoyed the view of mainland France now reduced to rubble, and the bodies—
The bodies of everyone she grew up with, bloody and littered across the front garden and every other room inside of what was once her home.
Her haven. The nest that she was never supposed to leave. All gone because of her.
Crystal-blue azure, as clear as the sunniest of days and as deep as the most majestic ceruleans looked forward, wind whipping against her petite frame and pale skin.
Beyond was the sea, frozen in a quiet eternity that she would have to trek through to reach a chance of survival. The only thing she had to do was to find a hero once she reached the mainland. A hero who would finally be able to hold her hand and tell her what she wanted to hear the most.
But heroes only exist in fairy tales.
"Shit—" Her foot skidded across the icy grass and she fell unceremoniously onto the frozen sea. Her head smacked the hardened ice and her ears rung painfully and her vision disappeared momentarily, returning in black spots. Her white nightgown was caked with blood—though not hers—and clung to her body like a wet towel.
Thin, pale arms forced herself upwards, dark hair covering her vision. The sound of ice crunching underneath made her look up slowly, where several cloaked figures surrounded her, the serpent ring on their fingers glinting under the bright gleam of the moon.
What should have been the sound of crashing waves was instead met by utter silence and the occasional, chilly blow. Her heart rang like a gong in her ears, each beat moving faster and faster as a set of eyes stared down at her.
Until it finally stopped.
A small, bitter smile escaped her lips. She knew from the very start that everything was futile.
After all—she'd been the first to give up, hadn't she?
We always wish for what we can't have.
Fourteen.
SMACK!
The girl crumpled lifelessly to the floor as Gunther raised his foot again, cobalt-blue eyes flashing with anger as he struck her down.
"You… YOU!"
"Stop!" A woman with soft hazel hair and amber eyes threw herself forwards, gripping his arms and trying to pull him back. The blonde man swiped it away, hand shaking as he pointed at her with seething anger and discontent.
"Don't get in my way, Hanako. This… this brat doesn't understand how many people sacrificed—" he spat, swinging his leg back and kicking her ribs as she lay motionless on the ground. "What the fuck—do you not have—what more do you want?!"
Dark hair covered her face as she sensed the metallic taste of blood from her split lips. She raised a thin arm feebly and haphazardly wiped it away from the back of her hand.
Wordlessly, she went on her knees and grabbed the lighter and cigarettes from the marble tiles, as well as the bloody earring that she realized was ripped from her lobes. She bent down and picked it up, touching both of her hears to make sure that the skin had healed.
Good. She'd just pierce them again later.
"You think drinking and smoking and getting piercings makes you an adult?" Gunther cried, blistering anger etched deep into his throat. "You are only a child, you brat—a child!"
"And this is how you treat a child?" She asked softly, rolling an unlit cigarette between her two fingers.
The man swung his foot again, sending her flying across the room again, a thin trail of her blood marking the floor.
"How dare you—how dare you, after everything—"
"What the hell is going on?!" A new voice echoed from the entrance of the study. The girl lifted her head up slowly, watching her older brother stare at her split lips and bruised eye in shock, a backpack and jacket hanging loosely from his arms. He rushed to her side immediately, cradling her face in his arms. "I'm so, so sorry—"
Gunther loosened his tie as he marched over to the damaged girl with a golf club in hand. "Move out of the way, Kaiser."
"No!" He screamed, pulling in his sister tighter in his arms. "Stop—please! You've hurt her enough!"
"I said move!"
The young girl opened her eyes slowly, watching the blurry outlines of Kaiser's tear-ridden cheeks, Gunther's face, scrunched with pain and fury, and Hanako's screams of help as she desperately tried to hold Gunther back.
The last thing she saw was an ominous glint reflecting off the club as he struck it down.
Thirteen.
"You're so slow, Kaiser!"
A young man with wavy, onyx-black hair and bright blue eyes stumbled as he reached out an outstretched hand. "Hey, don't leave without me!"
She paused in front of her older brother, a lengthy sigh escaping her lips. Kaiser tumbled in front of her, sweating behind large, black glasses as he gripped the paper bags tightly in his arms. "We'll be late to the party if you keep dawdling!"
Kaiser readjusted his round glasses with the back of his hand and gave his sister an apologetic smile. "Sorry—I'll be right there. You sure love parties though, don't you?"
"Of course," she grumbled, puffing up her cheeks slightly. "Unlike you, I'm not allowed to leave the island. It's my only chance to actually see other people, and I'm finally a teenager now!"
A small, apologetic smile curled up from the ends of his lips. "I'm sorry."
"You always say that, but it's not your fault," the girl huffed, tugging on his sleeves. "C'mon—you have to spend time getting ready if you're going to confess to Kaguya-san today!"
"Eh?" Kaiser cried, running in front of his sister to block her path. "H-how did you know?"
The black-haired girl sighed and rolled her eyes heavenwards, shaking her head. "Kaiser. You've always attended my birthday party in your usual black suit with your usual nice shoes and your usual nice glasses. So when you started to ask me about which tux to wear, how to put in contacts, and if girls liked your hair up or down, of course I can put two and two together! Surely you're not doing that to impress me, and by process of elimination, I can only assume that it's for Kaguya-san."
His shoulders drooped in defeat. "I can't hide anything from you, can I?"
"You can't hide anything from anyone," she grinned, linking her arm with his. "But that's a good thing! You wear your heart on your sleeve, and I'm sure Kaguya-san likes that about you too."
"You think so?" He asked, azure eyes sparkling and hopeful. The younger girl nodded reassuringly next to him. "Of course! I bet she would've confessed first, but I think she was being considerate, making sure you were comfortable and not rushing."
"If you're the one saying that, it must be true," he sighed, slapping his forehead.
"So?" The girl asked, a teasing smile on her lips as two butlers opened the white, double doors that led to the west-wing kitchen. "What do you like about Kaguya-san?"
Azure eyes looked up at the fluffy white clouds as they stepped into the manor. "She's kindhearted."
She snorted. "That's a compliment, coming from you."
"No, but really," Kaiser smiled. "She's so strong and amazing, and there's so much I can learn from her. Especially for someone as selfish as me…"
"Kaiser," his sister said sternly, pausing her steps. "Stop saying you're selfish. You're not."
He patted her hair slowly. "Thanks. If you're the one saying that, it must be true."
"You treat me like I'm some sort of a fortune teller," she mumbled, swatting his hand away. "I'm not always right, you know. I just happen to spend a lot of time observing people."
"I do that too!"
"You're looking for the best ways to please others," she sighed, giving him a pathetic look. "Honestly, I can't believe we're related…"
Pale hands immediately went to work, pulling out the fresh vegetables and fruits that they had picked from the northern gardens earlier. The stainless steel islands were almost filled with the fresh produce, and the two siblings sighed with relief as they rotated their shoulders and worked out the knots.
"What about you?" Kaiser asked as he swiftly walked over to the massive refrigerators. "What kind of a person would you like to date?"
Long, pale fingers froze for a moment at his question, surprised at what he'd just asked. "Like… my ideal type?"
"Yeah."
"I don't know," she said, furrowing her brows as her hands went back to work. "I don't really know any guys around my age."
The two began to stack their groceries quickly, Kaiser working on packing the fridge with containers of fresh fruits and vegetables, while the young girl organized the non-perishables.
"Maybe someone like you," she whispered after a moment of silence. "Kind and empathetic. Strong."
Kaiser looked up from his bags. "I'm not that strong though. What about a hero?"
At his suggestion, her hands clenched tightly next to her sides and her knuckles turned white. She quickly turned on her heel to face Kaiser, and all he was met with was a rage behind those young, deep blue eyes.
"No," she said curtly, lips pursed into a straight line. "There's no such thing as heroes."
Twelve.
Two legs dangled precariously over a massive cliff and a quiet sigh was muffled by the sound of crashing waves. Kaiser took a seat next to her and grimaced, looking at the turbulent sea miles below them.
"Hey," he said quietly, hands reaching for the bandages over her pristine face. "Are you okay? I heard you got into another fight with father—"
"Kaiser," she interrupted, cutting him off. "Where do you like it better? Here or Japan?"
Her brother looked up at the grey skies for a moment, thinking of both of his homes. "I'm a Japanese person so I think I'm more inclined to Japan… but France is nice too."
"Then, are you here because of me?" She asked curiously, turning to face him. Kaiser stiffened for a brief second as if to realize his mistake before he looked back down at the seas, face crestfallen.
"Oui. But it's not a big deal. I'm the happiest whenever we're together, so doesn't matter where we live."
She nodded slowly, face neutral as she swung her legs back and forth. "I wonder what the Eiffel Tower looks like. Your school's in Paris, right? Do you see it often?"
He nodded. "We pass by it, yeah. B-but it's not that grand or beautiful, so you're not missing out on much. I'm sure father could build us a similar tower if we asked."
The girl shook her head, a quiet smile on her lips from her brother's poor attempt at lying. "It's okay. I just…"
She let the chilly breeze carry on the silence, the frosty winds of France's fall weather combing through her hair.
The tower will probably fall before I'll be free.
Eleven.
"Save me."
Ten.
"You might feel dizzy and lightheaded, but you have to do your best, okay?" The nurse clasped her hands tightly and the girl's lifeless eyes traced the cord that connected her wrist to the blood bag next to her. She nodded wordlessly, tiny shoulders sagging as she leaned back into the chair.
"How is it?" Gunther asked as he entered the room. The two nurses in the room stood up immediately as they bowed in surprise. "P-Papillon-san! I didn't know you were coming—"
"Make sure you can take as much blood as possible," he cut them off, giving his daughter a cold look. "I'll take the filled bags for now."
He reached for the ruby packets on the stand next to her and spun around quickly, exiting the room with a quiet click of the door closing behind him. The nurses immediately shuffled next to each other, eyeing her limp body cautiously.
"Do you think she's conscious?"
"She's been out of it for a while," the other nurse whispered back. "Why do you think her blood is so important? And to take it out in such a creepy room in the corner of the hospital as well..."
The nurse's eyes widened as she slapped her friend's arm in realization. "Do you think it has something to do with All Might's fight earlier today?"
"You're right! A toxic chainsaw user, huh? Pretty nasty stuff. Still, I'm surprised they were able to injure All Might so badly."
"Rumour says he actually fought someone else though! But they're keeping it under wraps for some reason."
The two quietly turned around to see the girl's dull eyes, thin body unmoving on top of the bench.
"Why do you think they need her blood then?"
"Beats me—maybe it heals toxins or something?"
"I didn't even know that the Papillons had a daughter," one of the nurses continued, reaching over to the little girl's arm and making sure that the needle was still intact. "It's usually just their son in the press, isn't it?"
The second nurse nodded enthusiastically, looking dreamy. "Kikuchi Kaiser—he's grown up to be quite the looker, you know!"
"Hey, don't let your boyfriend hear that! And he's a bit too young for you, isn't he?"
"Four years is nothing!" The nurse snorted, crossing her arms. "And he's twenty, so there's nothing legally wrong."
The door creaked open again, and the nurses immediately flushed red. Her gaze also turned towards the entrance without much strength, where she saw her older brother in a black turtleneck and a long, deep-green coat. Devastated, azure eyes analyzed her surroundings and the bag of blood that was being collected on the stand next to her.
"K-Kikuchi-san!" A nurse cried, smiling brightly. "Did Papillon-san send you? This bag isn't ready yet, I'm afraid."
He marched into the room and crouched in front of his young sister, caressing her face as his brows furrowed slightly in worry. "I... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
There was no response.
"Kaiser-san?"
He spun around on his heels to the two nurses, grabbing their wrists. "You two—follow me."
"W-wait, Kaiser-san?!"
The door was slammed shut behind them and the young girl looked down at the plastic cord connecting her arm to the bag once more, watching the red—her blood—slowly empty out her life.
Her vision blurred violently, collapsing into a mesh of dull colours in front of her. Her breathing was slow but laboured, and she could feel herself slipping in and out of consciousness.
It's peaceful, she thought, her eyelids heavy. I wouldn't mind dying right now.
Ten.
"Thank you."
The girl had seen All Might multiple times throughout her childhood, but it always felt wrong to see the body in front of her. Tall, blonde, but without any of the muscles or strength she'd seen of him in advertisements and videos. He was an empty bag—just a shell of the man everyone knew him to be.
Except to her.
"You really saved me this time," he coughed, looking the frailest she'd ever seen in her entire life. He was in hospital clothes, everything except for his eyes and mouth completely bandaged. "We used up everything, and I'm still like this."
"I could give you more, Uncle Might," the young girl offered quietly, tugging on the bandages around her arm to reveal soft, undamaged skin. "Just say it."
But even if there were no signs of injury, All Might felt a lump on the back of his throat as he realized that there must've been enough blood and bruises if she'd bandaged her arm so extensively.
"No," he said quickly, shaking his head. "You've done more than enough. Thank… you."
Azure eyes betrayed nothing as she quickly bandaged up her arm and hid it behind her back. "Then, can you grant me a wish?"
All Might looked down at her little body curiously, hand still holding his IV pole tightly. "Of course—whatever you want."
The world seemed to still. Her body trembled trembled, and she urged her shaking body to finally spit out the words she'd longed to say.
In her head, all she could think about were those pale blue eyes, beating her over and over again, the needles poking her skin and the red cord that seemed to bleed her out dry. She couldn't even count how many times she'd passed out as they took her blood, and how many times she'd woken up in a bed with Kaiser next to her, holding her hand and whispering 'I'm sorry' as tears rolled down his cheeks.
"Then save me," she whispered, gripping the front of her shirt. "Please save me, All Might."
"You!"
The little girl immediately froze as she heard her father's voice from the end of the hall. He began to pace towards her quickly, anger lining his furrowed brows as he saw the two bodies together.
"Please," she begged, blue eyes welled with tears. "Please—"
All Might looked down at the little girl, then at Gunther's body marching towards them.
"Gunther's a hero himself," All Might said softly, turning around and gripping the pole tightly as he wheeled himself back towards his room. "I cannot save what doesn't need to be saved."
He could almost feel the azure pupils shattering as he turned his body and walked away from her.
Ten.
Mossy-green tufts of hair stopped in front of the hospital, emerald eyes shining as he read the name out loud. "Takamasa General Hospital!"
He took an eager step forwards, smiling as he saw that the entrance was empty. There's no reporters here… maybe they haven't found All Might yet!
Just as he opened up his notebook—a lilac Campos that was almost completely filled after analyzing his favourite heroes—a soft body crashed into him and sent him to the ground.
"Ow," he grunted, wincing he landed on his back. He shook his head then opened his eyes, wondering if he'd hurt someone. "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention."
A young girl around his age with the palest skin he'd ever seen lay on top of him, breathing heavily. He flushed red as he scrambled to sit up, cheeks burning with embarrassment.
"I-I-I'm so sorry!" He stammered, waving his hands with shock and embarrassment. "I should've watched where I was going!"
"Help me," she suddenly uttered, gripping the front of his shirt. Sweat lined her pale, innocent face. "Please help me."
"Oi, where'd the brat go?!"
The little boy looked up from her to see several doctors and nurses running around frantically inside of the hospital as a blonde man in a long coat yelled orders. He slowly took a step back to turn around and the boy immediately flipped their bodies so that he was on top of her, bag and body shielding her body from sight.
The blonde man looked at him with a furrowed brow until a woman in a white lab coat talked to him in an urgent manner, pointing to a direction deeper into the hospital. He gave one last look towards their direction before spinning around and following after her.
The green-haired boy let out a sign of relief. "He's gone now, I think you're safe."
His eyes fell back to the girl under him and the heat immediately came back to his cheeks as he realized the position they were in—him on top of her, holding her wrists down as a few people walked around them, giggling and pointing and whispering something about 'young love.'
He immediately jumped back and hid behind a bush, ears turning so hot he could almost feel the steam coming out from his head. "I-I-I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to pin you down like that!"
The onyx-haired girl pushed herself off the ground slowly, sweat still lining her face. Without saying another word, she reached down to grab the pens and other writing utensils that had fallen to the ground when they bumped into each other, and he stumbled out from the bushes, picking up his tools as fast as he could. "Y-you don't have to do this for me, it was my fault in the first place!"
Just as he picked up his last utensil, they both reached for the light-purple notebook on the ground, fingers touching. The two children both looked up in surprise and he could feel himself flushing again for the umpteenth time that day.
After a moment of staring at him, the young girl let go of the notebook and straightened her back, looking away. "No—you saved me. Thank you."
He blinked in surprise at her words, not entirely registering what she'd just said.
I… saved her?
"I'll be on my way," she said quietly, stiffly walking away. "Goodbye now."
Just as she began to walk past him, the boy gripped her arm, carefully hanging onto her as his hands felt the soft bandages underneath his touch.
"What's the matter?" He quietly asked, kind, viridian irises innocently looking at her crestfallen face. "Are you okay?"
"It's none of your business," she muttered, quickly taking her hand back. The warmth of his hand lingered on her arm. "I should go."
Instead, he quickly ran in front of her and stretched his arms out to stop her. "I-I know I'm probably meddling, but you're hurt. A hero would never just let a crying girl leave."
"I'm not hurt," the girl said, quickly tugging the bandages off to reveal perfectly smooth, pale skin. "See?"
He stared at her arm with awe, attention quickly turning back towards her. "Then why do you have so many bandages—"
"Get back here immediately!"
The girl flinched hard as her father's thunderous voice echoed throughout the front entrance of the hospital, jolting the green-haired voice in the process as well. As Gunther paced towards her, cold, pale hands quickly reached for his, and he looked up at her desperate, azure irises.
"If you're a hero, then save me in the future," she asked earnestly. "I'll wait, no matter how long it takes."
"Hey! You shouldn't be out here!" Kaiser's voice cried out from the other side of the vast garden, where the golden chrysanthemums surrounded the two children. He looked at his sister holding the green haired boy's hands in surprise, brows furrowing as he quickly ran towards them as well.
"W-what's your name?" He stammered, nervously eyeing the two adults that were closing in on them. "I'm Midoriya Izuku."
Her breathing grew laboured as Kaiser and Gunther were only steps away from them. She immediately pursed her lips and gripped one of the pens that was still in his grasp, popping the lid off. She snatched his hand and quickly scribbled out a set of four kanji on his palm, just as Gunther reached down to grab hers.
Midoriya quickly read the letters. "Ki... Kikuchi?" He asked.
Gunther's grip tightened around Kana's wrist, face a furious shade of red. "What the hell do you think you're doing, out in the public?"
Hot tears streaked her cheeks as she ignored Gunther. "I'll wait as long as I need to."
"Kaiser," Gunther barked as his son panted, stopping in front of the two children. "Make sure you deal with him."
Just as he forcefully dragged her back into the hospital, Midoriya looked at the small girl in awe, then glanced back at the kanji characters on his hand. Kaiser's eyes grew as big as saucers once he'd seen what his sister had written, and he lunged for the young boy.
Just before Kaiser could silence him, she heard for the first time—her name from someone else's lips.
"Kikuchi Kana!"
Author's Note:
This chapter is unfortunately in its very early, rough stages because I rushed to get it out. The chapter is actually enormous, due to the fact that we still have to count down to 0 and there's a whole other section after this. Regardless, I hope even these first five years of Kana's life have been interesting to you, and I'd appreciate a review though it's incomplete at the moment.
I've been waiting to publish this story over the last three years and never thought I'd be rushing it in this manner, hastily uploading a half-finished chapter. But Chapter 322 pushed me to finally start instead of worrying so much about if it was perfect or not, and this has ironically become the most imperfect start to a story that I've ever published on this site.
Kana's story is perhaps a bit too dark and personal for this genre, but it is a story that is personal to me and is ultimately one about hope and the desire for a better future.
Thank you so much for your love and attention if you've read up to this point. I also write really lengthy posts on my tumblr, which you can find by searching up 'rakuyokoyo,' so please check it out as I'll have a separate thank-you note on there soon.
Please tell me your thoughts with a review, and thank you so much once again for reading this far! The last two-thirds of chapter 1 will be posted in a few weeks—I'll post it as chapter 2 so everyone gets the update notification, and then later merge it with chapter 1.
-Koyo
