NOT JUST A PRETTY GIRL
CHAPTER 5: The One With Anger Issues
AUTHOR:
A huge thank you to my friend iBloo for being my beta for this chapter yet again.
"A mental health break? You can't be serious!" Ochako argues, her eyes widening as she tightened her grip on her mobile; "There are dangerous villains out ther—"
"Out there needing to be caught, I know," her manager, Hotaru cuts her off, clearly expecting such an answer. Ochako isn't the unpredictable type when it comes to day to day discussions. "There are also plenty of other heroes who are as amazing as you or stronger who will be able to keep the city safe in your absence," Hotaru adds matter of factly, fighting back with logic and facts were always a sure path to victory against Ochako.
A frown grips Ochako's lips as she pauses for a brief moment. "But, Hotaru!" She whines half-heartedly, somewhat reminiscent of a child complaining to a parental figure. What could she say in such a position? Hotaru did have a point, there were ample heroes out there and she hadn't even begun patrolling Tokyo since her move anyway. But that hardly put her at ease.
A heavy sigh sounds through the phone as Hotaru nears her point of exasperation. "No buts! The agency has made a decision and if you wish to continue to be a member of our agency you need to take a mental health break," she repeats somewhat irritably, surely it wasn't that big of an ask. After all, who wouldn't want a break from things after experiencing so much stress in one week? "God, if someone ordered me to take a break I would jump at the chance. Please don't be a pain in my butt about this. I get enough of that from Bakugo," she laments, at last.
Had she misheard her? Since when did he have anything to do with this conversation. Brows pinch together, as Ochako tries her hardest to find a connection between the two individuals only to come up short. "Bakugo?" She repeats dumbfoundedly, lips proceeding to contort as the sound of his name left a sour taste in her mouth. Did she confuse herself or is she just trying to antagonise me?
"Oh yeah, didn't you hear the news? He jumped agencies after that court case he lost due to the Odaiba train crash incident," Hotaru explains, clearly quite proud of the procurement of yet another widely acclaimed hero. "Though I do have to say that he was very pissed off with The Endeavor Agency. He wanted to sue their entire legal department for, and I quote; 'Not doing their fucking jobs properly because they have shit for brains.' So charming," she proceeds to gossip gleefully.
The Odaiba train crash was a high profile litigation case that made waves across the country only six months back. The second strongest hero, Ground Zero, was required to pay millions in damages to families that lost their loved ones due to a hero being on the scene being unable to save them because of a trap the villain had set. The media had painted the case as if he had not done enough to save the lives of the innocents, but it was difficult to know what more could he have done without backup. Would throwing his life away have even changed their minds? It was highly doubtful.
"God, he's just all class isn't he?" Ochako states, sarcasm dripping from her voice, her throat tightening as she tries her best to avoid repeating his name. "Wait so you've been dealing with this scandal for us both? Then is he having to take a mental health break?!" she exclaims suddenly, realisation hitting her.
Gathering all her inner strength to not hang up, Hotaru pauses, silence befalling them for a moment. "Don't raise your voice at me!" Hotaru fires back, her tone dripping with irritation.
"Sorry. I'm just so frustrated," comes Ochako's sheepish response as she throws her body back onto the sofa, eyes fixed on the ceiling. It isn't her fault, I know that. But who else am I supposed to complain to? No one else truly understands the situation from my perspective. There is Bakugo though, she muses, lips pressing together tightly as his manic smirk creeps into the far corners of her mind. Of all the people in the entire city, why did he have to be the closest thing she had to a confidante on this matter? Grimacing, the brunette rubs her left temple; I really need to catch up with the girls or I'll lose my mind soon.
"I know, but it wasn't my call, okay?" Hotaru responds with a sigh, "To answer your question, no he isn't being asked to take a break. Chaos is his sense of stability, this is nothing to him. Just a blip on the radar," she adds somewhat reluctantly, knowing the response it would garner from Ochako.
Ochako clicks her tongue as she frowns, her eyes lacking the usual zest for life they almost always bore. "Still seems unfair," she replies simply, a sigh following soon after; "All I did was leave when they made me feel uncomfortable. I don't owe people who ask inappropriate questions my time or respect." It was difficult to not feel defeated.
Why did Bakugo deserve special treatment? Sure, he was chaos in human form, that much was obvious, but that didn't mean she lacked what it took to handle the situation at hand if they let her push forward in the face of such frustrating circumstances. Instead, they wanted to hide her away. Ultimately punishing her for doing nothing short of reacting as any overwhelmed woman would've done; by fleeing the uncomfortable situation.
"Well, complain to All Might. He's the one that made the call," Hotaru responds simply, "But you know his stance on the matter is unlikely to change."
All Might, it was always him. One of the most distinguished heroes in history had unknowingly become somewhat of a comrade to the media, not due to malicious objectives, but simply due to his complacency with the norm and the overwhelming desire he had always had to shield his beloved hero family from harm. His intentions were pure and undoubtedly touching, but to Ochako, it felt more like an overbearing parent holding her back and encouraging her to put everyone else's well being above her own. It was getting to the point where it was suffocating.
Ochako exhales heavily, losing herself deep in thought. The matter was complicated, far too complicated for her liking. "Maybe I will," she responds somewhat sheepishly, slightly losing her nerve at the thought of picking an argument with someone she respects so much. Would he brush aside her feelings and feel disappointed in her frustration, or would he try to understand where she is coming from? The thought was daunting.
"Okay then, you think on that. I'll check in on you in a few days," Hotaru responds calmly, sympathy for her client clinging to her voice in a rare instance in which she lowered her guard. "Since you already broke our stay at home order, you might as well get some exercise, that always makes you happy," she suggests thoughtfully, her hand tightening around the phone as she relaxes back into the curve of her office chair; "But please stay out of trouble and wear a disguise outside, just for now."
"Mmhmm, talk soon," Ochako responds as her thumb traces across her screen absentmindedly, hitting what she thought was the call end button as she drops her phone into her lap. Her arms flick up and over her eyes as she lets loose a long groan of irritation; "This is bullshit!"
"Ah, I can still hear you Ochako!" Hotaru calls out on the other end of the phone, the distant sound of her voice causing the brunette to sprung upright; hands scrambling in a panic for her phone as it falls to the floor.
Ochako's eyes widen in horror as her cheeks flush crimson, embarrassment consuming her in a mere instant. "Fuck!" she curses once more, her hands lifting the phone back up into her lap as she quickly hits the end call button on her screen. How could the day get any worse?
Hotaru wasn't wrong, the gym and other forms of exercise always cleared her head in a way that nothing else could even rival. There was something about the scent of sweat and the sound of iron clanging repetitively that was somewhat hypnotic, without even trying it put her at ease.
Rubbing her face with her towel, Ochako wanders around the apartment complex's private gym; carefully eyeing off the equipment available in search of something that would provide somewhat of a challenge. The leg press was too easy, with the max weight only going up to 70 kilograms, but the sizable punching bag called out to her.
Eyes lighting up, the brunette weaves past several sweaty men, her gaze fixed on her final destination until an annoying blond face appears in her peripheral vision. Throat tightening, she stops dead in her tracks, her gaze dragging in his direction and narrowing. Of course, he's here!
Clicking her tongue she turns away quickly, new sneakers squeaking as they slide across the rubber flooring as she proceeds to storm off, jaw tightening as she approaches her target. Exhaling irritably, Ochako goes up on her tippy toes, fingertips grazing across the surface of the gloves causing them to float and immediately drop as she quickly relaxed her posture, catching them.
Her eyes flick over her shoulder as she slips on the gloves, completely distracted by his presence in what ought to be her sanctuary. She was positive he hadn't noticed her presence, but that hardly made the situation favourable. "Can't you just leave already?" She grumbles to herself as she turns back to the punching bag, eyes narrowing as she throws her weight into a flurry of jabs. The bag swings back as if it was weightless before freefalling back in her direction only to be collected by a series of roundhouse kicks and uppercuts.
It was difficult to recall the last time she had taken so much pent up anger out in a gym sesh, it had easily been months. Although it made her muscles ache, somehow that pain made things feel a little better, even if it was only for the duration of her workout.
Beads of sweat cascade down her forehead as she catches the bag with both hands and runs her knee into the surface, springing backwards in a mere instant and proceeding to hi-jump kick it as it swung back in her direction.
"Someone's pissed off!" a familiar voice jeers from behind her. Suddenly a taut muscular hand reaches around her, seizing the swinging bag by its chain, holding it captive as he draws closer, his head hovering above her own; "You know it will break if you use it like that, right? It's not a person."
The irredeemably cocky voice rings through her mind like a siren causing her bright eyes to widen, alarmed at his close proximity. How did he manage to sneak up on her like that? "Yeah well, I don't exactly have a sparring partner," Ochako notes bitterly, her eyes narrowing as she reluctantly turns to meet him eye to eye; "and even humans break if I treat them like that punching bag. I know from experience," she quips, as she knocks his arm away allowing the punching bag to smack gently against the curve of her back.
"Who fucking needs a sparring partner? How old are you, five?" Bakugo replies mockingly, the corners of his mouth curving upwards into an obnoxious grin. "There are villains out there you can use as human punching bags."
It was baffling listening to him spew such hateful comments. Did he fail to see them as people worthy of life period? Not all criminals were as bad as All For One or even Shigaraki. There were petty thieves, trouble makers, and all kinds of non-violent offenders that didn't deserve to be labelled as punching bags. His views on the matter were disturbing, but not all that different from the majority of society.
Sighing, Ochako rolls her eyes and punches the punching bag one last time as she walks off, yanking the towel off from around her neck and dabbing at her forehead. "They are still humans, you jerk," she grows as she storms off; "Don't talk about them as if they are inanimate objects. They are people and a lot of them are victims of the system. That doesn't excuse their actions but they exist because of society." There was nothing more to say on the matter, what would be the point of getting into a heated argument with someone so stubborn?
The punching bag smacks into the side of Bakugo's face as he turns to watch her storm off. If she thought she was winning the discussion by simply up and leaving, she had another thing coming. "God, fucking spare me! You're such a fucking bleeding heart it makes me nauseous," Bakugo exclaims dramatically as he pursues her. "They are criminals, plain and simple. Who gives two shits if they are human or fucking aliens?" he adds somewhat dramatically; "News flash! Life is always un-fucking-fair!"
"I don't need to listen to this heartless, old-world shit from you!" Ochako curses, losing her temper as she hears him pursuing her as she makes a beeline for the exit. He really cannot stand to lose anything, can he? Not even an argument about ethics.
"And I don't need this new-world shit from you! Fuck off!" Bakugo fires back hotly, fists clenched as he continues his pursuit.
If you want me to fuck off, why follow me then? Ochako's mind calls out as she comes to a complete halt outside the elevator, her fist smashing into the button causing its light to flicker uncontrollably for a moment. "Right back at you, Katsuki!" she half yells, her irritation reaching its boiling point.
Bakugo stops a few steps short of the elevator, eyes narrowing as he stood there in silence for a few short seconds, attempting to process what she just had the nerve to say. "What did you just fucking call me?" he growls dangerously.
"K-a-t-s-u-k-i," Ochako repeats slowly, her lips curling upwards into a triumphant smile as she felt herself gain the upper hand.
It was almost as if she wanted to infuriate him. "Stop it!" Bakugo snaps, eyes widening as he quirks his upper lip in disgust; "No one fucking calls me that except my parents!"
There it was, proof of her pending victory. She had gotten under his skin, unnerving the mighty Ground Zero himself. Who would've thought just calling him by his first name would cause him so much discomfort?
Smile broadening, Ochako flutters her eyelashes innocently as she relaxes her tense shoulders. "Sorry, Katsuki! But that's all I'm going to refer to you as now since it pisses you off oh so much," she explains nonchalantly.
"Motherfucker!" Bakugo howls, his entire form quaking as annoyance consumes him whole. He lunges forward, hands roughly seizing the petite brunette's shoulders as he draws his face threatening close. "Listen here you fucking little shit! Don't think for one second that I'm gonna let this disrespectful crap slide just because you're a woman!"
Ochako huffs loudly, her heart rate accelerating as his hands tightened their grip of her shoulders. It is clear he meant no harm by it if he did she would know it, but instead, he wanted to make a point and if he could scare her in the process it was clearly a bonus. "Good! I don't want to be treated differently," She remarks defiantly, arching a brow as she looks him dead in the eye; "If you want to fight, then bring it on. I've learnt a lot since our last fight, Katsuki."
Slightly taken back, the blond clicks his tongue; irked beyond a shadow of a doubt. "I'd have you on your fucking back begging for mercy in under a minute," Bakugo growls darkly.
Throat tightening, Ochako feels her cheeks flush as his suggestive comment echoes through her head. "I'd die before I begged you for anything beyond our lessons," She fires back hotly, her patience for the day wearing thin.
The elevator rings out beside them, signalling that it had dropped to their level, and within a split second the metal doors shudder and proceed to retract. "Ochako?" calls a familiar voice, his voice wavering unsurely.
A cold chill rushes down Ochako's spine. Years of skillfully avoiding interacting with him go down the drain in mere seconds. Fate sure is cruel. "D-Deku?" She stutters as she turns to face him, completely taken back by his sudden entrance. Everything about his presence felt familiar, from his well-loved All Might muscle shirt down to his old, scuffed up trainers. He was still the same old Deku she remembered.
Bakugo's grip on her shoulders slackens as he rolls his eyes and proceeds to dig his hands deep into the depths of his pockets. "Jesus fucking Christ! Give me a fucking break!" He groans loudly, eyes narrowing as his gaze shoots across to the green-haired hero standing to their right; Deku, the number one hero of Japan.
"Nice to see you too, Bakugo," Deku responds simply, an awkward grin gripping his lips as he strides out of the elevator, scarred hands clutching a notebook and water bottle.
Twisting his lips in distaste, Bakugo points a finger accusingly in Deku's direction. "Two whole fucking weeks! I went two weeks without seeing your annoying face!" he barks irritably, still wound up from his conversation with Ochako only moments prior.
Deku frowns, eyes softening as his shoulders droop a little. "I live here Kacchan, you will always run into me from time to time. I thought we were past this?" he responds, disappointment clinging to his voice as he observes the blonde; "We are friends, right?"
"You're annoying me today. I don't owe you shit, truce or not," Bakugo fires back hotly, crossing his arms and averting his gaze. Friends! What a fucking juvenile thing to say!
Sighing in defeat, Deku's gaze drags across to Ochako, his smile broadening. "I heard you moved into our building recently. I know the press has been harassing you out the front of the building, but it really is great to have you home!" he states, bright eyes lighting up.
There it was, that smile that used to make her feel weak at the knees; and yet, this time, nothing. No accelerated heart rate, no anxiety over what to say. Nothing of the sort. "Oh, thank you!" Ochako replies, her lips curving up into a warm smile; "My apartment is a bit of a mess, but you're welcome to come over so we can catch up over tea some time."
Bakugo shudders, his gaze flicking back in Ochako's direction; brows pinched together. For someone who claimed to be trying to avoid him, she certainly seemed to be dropping the ball.
"Sure! Right now works for me. I'm not all sweaty yet, so I won't stink out your apartment," Deku notes as he turns his back to her, fingers pressing the elevator button beside him causing the doors to retract once more. Extending one hand in line with the door he smiles back at her; "Heroines first!"
Taking a deep breath Ochako stares up at him blankly, perhaps she hadn't been as specific as she should've, but correcting him now would be rude. Right? She bites down on her lower lip, deep in thought as she strolls into the elevator, hands nestled in her lap as her mind shoots back to her uncharacteristically messy apartment upstairs.
Bakugo's eyes widen in disbelief as he watches Ochako stride into the elevator with little to no hesitation. Did she even understand the gravity of inviting a man into her apartment alone for 'tea?' How naive.
Exhaling heavily, he rolls his eyes and storms after her, shooting the over-enthusiastic Deku a warning glare in the process. "You better have fucking coffee, I hate tea. It's fucking leaf soup," he growls as Deku slips into the elevator and hits the close button.
"I have instant coffee I think?" Ochako notes as she leans forward, pressing her floor number on the panel and proceeding to zap her passcard.
Scrunching his nose up, Bakugo groans; "Disgusting! But I'm not having that flowery herbal shit Deku froths over, so it will have to fucking do."
Deku slides a touch closer to Bakugo, his biceps brushing up against his comrades. "Kacchan, you really should just drink whatever your host has available, it's rude to complain," he reminds him, a concerned tone clinging to his voice.
"Who the fuck do you think I am? Mother fucking Theresa? Etiquette can go fuck itself!" Bakugo growls as he shifts slightly, their physical contact putting him even more on edge than usual; "Also, don't stand so close to me, loser! I don't need to feel your disgusting breath all over my face!"
Ochako presses her eyes shut as she lifts a hand to her face, massaging her temples as she tries her best to block out their incessant bickering. God, this is going to be a nightmare. Is it too late to change my mind?
AUTHOR:
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Thank you for taking the time to read my content. It means so much to me.
If you have a moment please consider leaving a review as I'd love to hear your feedback and thoughts on this story.