Kōki feels a little uncomfortable, as she sat in the back of her mother's car with Todoroki-san. The driver is unfamiliar, but that doesn't surprise her. She seldom takes her mother's car after all. This isn't the first time she's gone home in mother's car, nor was it the first time she had gone home with someone other than Akemi.

Mother is still away. She had to make reports to the company, and so she could get the operation the funds and connections it needed. Mother didn't tell her what and why they needed it, but it doesn't matter. As long as Akemi could come home, it's fine.

To the Kimura sisters, home isn't a place. It's not the house. It's wherever eachother and mother is, and hell is wherever that man is. It doesn't matter. The house is a bitter-sweet place, with memories both good and bad. Both fond and sad.

Mother's asked if Todoroki would like to be picked up later on, it's only noon after all, but the teen shook his head no, and they were off.

As soon as Todoroki got in the car, he'd moved to sit at the other side, leaning up against the window and putting as much space between them as possible. He called who she assumed is his sister, told them he isn't coming home tonight either, (he wasn't home yesterday too? Did he stay at the hospital all night long?) then just sat in silence, looking out the window without so much of a word.

She glanced towards the older boy, and her attention was swiftly caught by the reddish burn scar over his left eye. What happened, she wondered, she bet Akemi knows. Kōki really isn't all that familliar with Todoroki-san. All that she knew is that he and Akemi are close. Close enough that Akemi told him. Confided in him.

"If you're worried about our father, he's out." Kōki whispered bitterly. "That person seem to think that PR is more important than getting Akemi back. I wouldn't be surprised though. Akemi's the heir after all."

Her tone turns sad towards the end, heavier. No, she wasn't jealous of Akemi or anything, she don't want anything to do with the companies. She doesn't really even know what she wants to do. Akemi has a clear goal, and sometimes, she can see the envy and resentment rolling off her father for it. Her father resented Akemi for having a will, a fire. Her aura and emotions had always blazed and burned with determination and personality. Kashiwa says she's biased, and maybe Kōki is, but she doesn't care.

Akemi however, wasn't the only one occupying her mind. The little white haired girl she'd gifted Akemi's necklace to this morning is still fresh on her mind. Eri kept wandering around the peripherals of her thoughts, and Kōki couldn't ignore that. As much as it guiltily annoyed and infuriated her, Akemi is her priority. Kōki isn't some martyr like Midoriya-san or anyone else, nor is Kōki selfish. She is just a normal girl who wants to do whatever she wanted with her life.

Derspite the short distace, the rest of the ride was agonizingly slow with the painfully awkward silence hanging dense in the air around them. Neither spoke as the driver opened the door for them (Akemi's the one who thanks everyone for everything, Kōki'd rather keep her mouth shut) (The thought of her sister grips her chest, and Kōki finds herself reaching for the necklace for comfort, only to find none.), and Todoroki-san followed Kōki though the parking lot and up several fights of stairs into the enterence hall.

"This is the entrance hall." Kōki said faintly at the long walkway, lined by small artificial waterfalls and various plants. Todoroki glanced around, barely even fazed. It's a nice change, Kōki don't really like to talk about the money.

"There's a lot of greenery around here." Todoroki mumbled, a half-baked attempt to start a conversation. Kōki smiled slightly, strained, she isn't that good at starting conversations either.

"Mother's request— She's had always loved plants." She replied, taking the petal of one of the Chinese Evergreens between her fingers. While Akemi and Mother talked about braids, Kōki liked to ask her about the plants, So she could be reminded of her presence even when she's gone. "Father detested them so Sis really liked them. Akemi could never keep any of those alive though. Mum gave her a pot of cactus once, she killed it in three days."

"That's... Very Akemi."

"...Yeah."

They stood in silence but for the faint trickle of water, before Kōki finally took a step down the hall and glanced back.

"...The living room's that way." She said, before walking down the bamboo floorboards. Slippers making a faint brushing sound against the wood. Todoroki-San follows after her, steps slow and hesitant as Kōki entered the lavish living room.

It's more of a living area, really, too big to be called a room. Kōki seldom comes down here though, as the loft that over saw this entire space was father's favourite spot. She glanced up at the thin aquarium wall that acted as a barrier between the loft and the lounge, and for a moment she thought she saw father there, but it was just the jellyfishes.

"Odd choice for a pet." Todoroki-san nodded towards the aquarium, Kōki snorted.

"Father likes them." She replied faintly, "Akemi pretends that she despise them because of it, but she actually really like them. I thought no it's because of that one book in Alex Rider."

Todoroki-san hummed, and looked like he had no idea what or who Alex Rider is, but that's fine, because neither do Kōki.

Well, for the 'who' part, at least. She did know that it's a novel series.

"It's a novel series." She elaborated.

"Oh."

Kōki shuffled her feet and glanced around, light seeped in from the courtyard through the large French windows, morning glories blooming along the cross fenses in vibrant colours over the lily pads of the pond.

"The kitchen's in there." Kōki jabbed a finger at the room across the circular yard, "we usually have a chef around but it's not like he does anything." She glanced at the older boy, who had a far away look in his eyes.

"...my sister cooks at home." Todoroki-san spoke faintly, "I don't spend a lot of time with her, or any of my siblings, really."

Kōki felt a pang in her heart. Anger? Nostalgia? Jealousy? She has no idea. All she knew is that she really wants to punch something. "You should." She settled with saying, in a strangled voice.

He hummed non commentially, and Kōki began to walk up towards the stairs.

"The guest rooms are on the second floor, west wing." She said as Todoroki-san caught up with her, having stayed behind to look at the flowers. "You can see the courtyard from there." She added as she saw that he was stiglancing at the flowers.

"What are those, anyway?"

Kōki blinked. "Morning glories." She answered. "Akemi... She hated them. I don't know why, I remembered that she used to really love them but after she changed schools she's hated them. So much that she actually burnt them once."

He looked startled, and she felt a sense of petty accomplishment from that, but Kōki ignored it and continued her way up the stairs.

As she walked, she couldn't help the surge of jealousy that rose in her. Her eyes sears with an unbearable heat, why tell him? Why, Akemi, when you didn't even trust me?

"Here." Kōki stopped outside of the guest room, and pointedly looked away from Todoroki-san. "Your room."

She can feel Todoroki-san's gaze in her, and it burns. It burns like the light from his words, which didn't make any sense as he clearly is oblivious to her tension and had no idea what to do.

"Um." He started, "you're crying."

"What?" Kōki blinked, and the hot drip of a tear sliding down her cheek confirmed that yes, she is crying. Todoroki-san's grey rings of light settled around him awkwardly, like it's trying to suppress itself but in the same time not, resulting in some kind of awkward, crooked circles that orbited with the occasional words like 'what to do' and 'I have no idea' and 'this is so awkward'. She reached a hand up and wiped the liquid away with a rough drag of the back of her hand. "I'm not." She denied.

"But..."

"I'm not." Her voice trembled. "I'm not- I'm just-" she gritted her teeth.

"Oh, uh, okay." Todoroki-san looked away, and Kōki fell silent. He moved to open the door, and the question lodged in her mind resurfaced. This time, however, Kōki did not stop herself from asking.

"Why you?" She spoke, right before he closed the door.

The door halted.

"Why did she tell you?" Kōki's voice sounded choked, and she's crying again, she's crying again and she hates it. Akemi's strong, and she's never cried in front of her, not like this. "Why did she tell you everything when she didn't even- when she didn't even tell me?"

Todoroki-san wasn't looking in her direction, but she could still see his surprise.

"Why am I always protected?" Kōki sobbed,full on weeping now, "why doesn't she trust me?"

Todoroki-san stays silent. His Aura flats with discomfort and helplessness, and in the end, he settled with a simple sentence.

"You're crying." He mumbled, not glancing at her.

"...I know."


Current Poll Results~ (from both the poll and the reviews)

Akemi's paring:

Todoroki Shouto: 26

Midoriya Izuku: 7

Ueno Hibiki: 7

Bakugou Katsuki: 5

Iida Tenya: 3

Dabi: 1

Iida Tensei: 1

Kaminari Denki: 1

Seiba Hiroi: 0

Others (Please state in review!)


Hibiki's pairing:

Shinsou Hitoshi: 9

Kimura Akemi: 7

Iida Tenya: 4

Midoriya Izuku: 0

Seiba Hiroi: 0

Todoroki Shouto: 0

Others (Please state in review!)


Oh, poor Kōki.

Todoroki's answer has two meanings, actually and I promise he doesn't mean it that way, he's just an awkward dork. This will be important to Kōki later on though, and Todoroki too.

Next chapter we'll go back to Todoroki!

Onto the comment(s)!

To you dont know me: Nice to see you back again! Also, poor Yuno, I'm just a sucker for angsty characters.

I have a discord server where I share art for my fic (and my original stuff) or just chat, (commands for summoning Akemi and co. recently added) link here:

https/discord.gg/2S7Cy4R