A life outside this box we live in

Chapter 1: The meeting

Her first impression of Bakugou Katsuki was, to say, not the best.

Ok, if Ochako was a hundred percent serious, it was close to being one of the worst in her entire life.

He was quiet, but rude and brash. When his grandfather had ordered him to show her around the house, he had marched on without a word. Ochako wasn't quite sure what to do until Ryou had told her that that was Katsuki language for 'follow me', so she did reluctantly. He pointed out obvious things without much description, and barely looked at her as he practically flew past everything.

"The garden."

"The toilet."

"The kitchen."

He muttered only few words in such a clipped tone that Ochako was wondering if it was okay to snap during her visit in someone else's house, but no, she had to show that she was well-mannered. She wouldn't stoop down to his level just because he had managed to push her buttons.

He opened a shoji door leading to the outside, not looking back as he took off his slippers and changed into outdoor ones, prompting Ochako to follow, albeit a little hurriedly. Not knowing where he was going, Ochako finally decided to speak up.

"So, where are we going…?"

"To your living quarters," he said curtly, approaching a small house just outside the main one. Ochako paused, tilting her head slightly. So, she wasn't going to stay with the other family members…?

She trailed after him nonetheless, trying hard to keep her frustration inside. Who was he to act so rude and irritated? He wasn't the only one unsatisfied by the arrangement, she wanted no part of this until her grandfather decided to bring her into his yakuza business. She didn't even want any part in the organization, she just wanted to live a peaceful life helping her mother run her flower shop and do volunteer at the nearest orphanage. Granted, that flower shop and orphanage were backed up by the Uraraka Group's money and stuff, but still, it was better than actively participating in all the bloodshed and whatnot.

The house she was entrusted with was a comfortable looking place. It was spacious, almost a little too much for one person. The kitchen was clean and seemed easy to use, the kitchen table was around her waist. The bathroom was wide as the toilet was, but her room was so much bigger compared to her normal one back home.

It wasn't as if her family were poor, but her grandfather was stingy, and her mother was cautious about using their money since that she was a normal civilian born in the poorer parts of the Mie prefecture, so Ochako herself had never spent more than necessary. It seemed like the Bakugou family was different, Ochako thought as she eyed the crisp black suit Bakugou Katsuki dressed himself in.

He suddenly stopped after showing Ochako her room. She paused her feet as well, gripping her bag slightly as he turned around, his red eyes finally making contact with hers.

"We're done. Do whatever you want, I don't give a fuck," he said as he scowled, walking past her. Instinctively, Ochako's hand shot out to grab his arm.

The crease between his brows deepened immensely. "What the fuck?!"

"What the-, that's my line!" Ochako finally felt her mouth move, her irritation evident in her tone. "What's with you? You've been acting like I'm just a huge nuisance! What did I ever do to you?!"

For a brief moment, something that looked like surprise reflected in those red eyes of his before his eyebrow twitched. The blonde then ripped his arm away from her clutch. Ochako cursed herself that she subconsciously made an effort to not grip him hard enough to bruise his skin. "You are a damn pain in the ass, Roundface. I didn't fucking ask for any of this to happen, the old man and yours just made this stupid thing up on the fly, and now I'm stuck with you. Do us all a favor and just fucking go back to Osaka, pink cheeks."

Ochako could only stare, mouth wide open as he trudged away from her, away from the house, back to the main. A few seconds passed before her bag on her shoulder slumped to the floor, in which Ochako did as well, only, her fist was the one that made contact with the zabuton put out oh so nicely for her.

"That, that-!" Ochako plunged headfirst into the soft pillow, gripping the edges tightly.

What was wrong with him?! How could anyone be so rude and- and insufferable to a person they just met! Did no one teach him any kind of manners or something?! And I'm supposed to marry…marry that?!

Ochako let out a strangled scream, pushing her face into the pillow harder and harder until she finally felt a little better. Letting out a deep sigh, she lifted her head slightly, seeing her brown locks hang in front of her eyes.

What am I doing here…?

She pushed herself off the ground, raking her fingers through her hair as she took out her flip phone. Finding the number she wanted, she pressed 'call', and waited as the ring echoed.

Click!

"Ochako-chan? Is that you?"

"Hey, Deku-kun," Ochako let out a sigh of relief at hearing a familiar voice. "How're ya? I'm in Tokyo now, s' not as hot compared to Kansai, haha."

"Haha, well it's supposed to be! I'm fine by the way, how about you, are you okay? Did something happen? You sound tired."

"Well," Ochako leaned back gently, making sure her head didn't hit the wooden floor as she lied down. "Deku-kun, this is a…family thing, but will ya still listen to me?"

There was a small pause, but Izuku's voice was still smooth and gentle as ever. "Ochako-chan, you might be surprised. Don't worry about that, I'm always willing to listen. Besides, you never did tell me why you were coming to Tokyo. Does it have something to do with the news article about the East and West joining forces?"

Ochako blinked, before letting out a small giggle. Midoriya Izuku was that kind of person, she thought fondly. Always curious, always gathering information, always caring. She felt warmth bloom in her chest as she let out a small sigh. "Yeah, Deku-kun. It's about Grampa and well, the Bakugou Group."

She heard a small intake of breath. She continued slowly, "Grampa and the head of the Bakugou Group, one of the biggest kinds of yakuza in Kanto, kind of got their grandchildren into an arranged marriage. I was kind of, well, forced to come 'ere to just meet with him, see who I was going to 'marry'." Ochako cringed, she could practically hear the air quotes around that particular word.

"And…?"

"And…And…" Ochako thought of all the brash and hurtful words he had said to her, the way he acted, the way he talked, and felt her anger slowly boil to the surface of her skin. She stood up and marched towards the wide open shoji doors and slammed them close, closing off the view from the main house. "He's such a…a jerk!"

"Ochako-chan?!"

"He's so arrogant and inconsiderate! He barely even showed any kind o' hospitality, and he treated me like I was a huge pain in the butt! I didn't even ask to be 'ere!" Ochako ranted angrily, feeling the sudden weight of what had happened fall onto her shoulders, making her sigh. She plopped down to the floor, leaning back and resting her head on the wall behind her.

"I just…I…"

"Ochako-chan," Izuku started, his voice soft and comforting. "…Did you calm down a little?"

"…Yeah," Ochako admitted. "A little. Still angry though."

"Um, can I take a guess? Is the name of guy that you're going to marry, Bakugou Katsuki?"

Ochako blinked. "Do you know him?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess. I mean, after we moved out of Osaka and came to Tokyo, I was in the same school as him ever since we were kids. We used to be friends, but, well, after his quirk manifested and mine didn't, we kind of got into a…rough situation. I don't really talk to him now, but from I hear, he's gotten a lot better ever since junior high. Maybe it's because Kirishima-kun and the rest of his friends broke through his hardened shell and gave him the friendship that I never could, or maybe it's because-"

"Deku-kun, wait, wait," Ochako chuckled slightly. "One at a time. It's a lot to take in."

"Oh, sorry, I was rambling again, huh? Well, anyway, you learn a lot when you're going to the same school, especially since Kacchan's pretty famous around here. A lot of girls really like him."

Ochako felt her jaw drop. "Seriously? But he's so mean!"

"The rumors I heard mostly sing praises about his looks more than anything. He doesn't really get approached by others because of his intimidating personality though."

"Oh," Ochako pursed her lips as she recalled how he looked like. Although his hair was spiky and blonde, the spikes somehow looked soft and touchable at the same time. His eyes were a smoking red, they almost seemed like they were burning themselves into her soul. He was taller than her, and although he was wearing a suit, the muscles under the fabric weren't completely invisible-

Ochako slapped her cheeks, feeling them flush slightly. Bad Ochako, stop thinking!

"Ochako-chan?"

She squeaked. "Yeah?"

"Are you going to stay?"

"…Huh?"

"I mean, you're in the middle of your last year of high school, right? Most are already preparing for college exams, so I don't know if transferring at this time is a good idea…Besides, I don't think school life here would be easy on you too, Tokyo is quite different from Osaka, especially if you add in your family relations."

"Ah, no, I'm not staying here permanently now," Ochako waved her hand. "I'm just here to meet the Bakugou Group and see my…urgh, 'fiancée'. But Grampa told me that I don' have to accept it none even after coming here, so I don't think I'll be coming back at all."

"Really? You're not going to stay?" There was disappointment laced in Izuku's tone, causing Ochako's lips to lift slightly. "I know that your living arrangements aren't exactly ideal, but, to be honest…a small part of me was looking forward to seeing you again."

Ochako chuckled. "Just a small part?"

"Haha, okay, maybe a little bit more. I mean, we talk all the time, but I barely see you in person. And I can't exactly march over to the Uraraka household if I ever visit Osaka, Seiji-san definitely wouldn't recognize me and turn me away."

Ochako recalled how her grandfather didn't even know that she was keeping in contact with Izuku and giggled. "Yeah. Maybe Gunhead would try to convince you before Shishikura turns you into a lump of meat."

"Ah, Gunhead-san was always the nicer one."

"Well, he did teach me G.M.A."

"…I really shouldn't get on his bad side, like, ever."

Ochako's mind drifted off to the time when the two men had come home late at night, fists and clothes drenched in blood while smelling like guts. "Yeah, you really shouldn't."

Izuku laughed lightly, his chuckles sounding like wind chimes washing her stress away. Moving from Osaka to Tokyo was tiring. The rush of people everywhere, the thought that she would have to live with strangers she barely knew did nothing for her already flittering nerves. Izuku was like a breath of fresh air. He always was.

And for a brief second, she wondered if staying in Tokyo just to see her friend again was worth living with her rude 'fiancée'.

Then, the shoji doors slammed open once more to reveal that man, his brows still furrowed and scowl present. "Oi, Roundface. Gramps told me to get your ass to dinner. Get moving," he then turned around and trudged back, not even waiting for her response.

Ochako had to stop herself from crushing her cellphone.

XXX

Katsuki was irritated. He was angry and confused and felt fucking betrayed by his own grandfather.

He slammed his fist on the table, shaking the ceramic cups of tea on it. "Gramps! You can't do this! Why the hell do I have to get engaged?!"

Ryou calmly grabbed the cup that had spilled tea on the side, gracefully sipping it. "It's decided already, Katsuki. Seiji and I agreed on you and his granddaughter getting married. Unless one of you dies, this engagement won't be broken off."

"This is so old-fashioned Gramps! Are you fucking stuck in one of those Meiji period dramas? Who does this kind of thing anymore? You already exchanged sake with that bloody Kansai group, ain't that enough?!"

"Seiji was looking for a suitable partner for his granddaughter, apparently, she doesn't care much for boys and the like," the edges of Ryou's lips lifted, a teasing glint forming in his eyes. "She's perfect for you. You don't give a crap about having sex with a woman. You'll get along great."

Katsuki felt the tips of his ears flush as he scowled even harsher. "My damn love life-"

"Nonexistent," Ryou corrected, sipping his tea once more.

"Shut up old man! That doesn't matter, you promised that you would let me into the Group as soon as I turned eighteen, shouldn't I get a cup of sake? Not a damn bride!"

"You should talk to your mother about that one. She's the one who insisted on me offering you up. Looks like she wants to see some grandkids running around soon."

Katsuki's palms exploded. That damn hag-

"And, after much consideration, we decided you weren't ready yet. We decided to extend the period until you turn twenty. Until then, you're not officially part of the Group, understood?"

"What?" Katsuki felt the blood drain out of his body. His fists curled on top of his lap, his legs neatly folded under him in a seiza. "…What the fuck did you say?"

"Katsuki," his grandfather had finally put his cup down, raising his head to stare at Katsuki with those dark eyes of his. "The yakuza is not a kind place. I'm sure you know that by now, you've been going along with a lot of those missions that I had originally assigned for my subordinates. But although you've caused pain, broken bones, you have never killed a man yet. You're not mentally ready. You're still young, you shouldn't be thrown into this world without experiencing-"

Katsuki blasted his palms onto the table, leaving behind scorch marks as he snarled. "Don't feed me lies, Gramps. You think I wouldn't know how you think by now? Tell me the damn truth."

Ryou regarded his grandson coolly, emotion hidden behind his even gaze. Katsuki felt his fingers twitch towards his wrist, the ink of his tattoo flickering into his vision. He felt his blood boil, the feeling of not ever being able to catch up to this man in front of him taking over his entire body-

"Your mother wants you to fall in love."

Katsuki's thoughts paused. Ryou reached down to grab his cup as he sipped his tea once more.

The clock ticked.

"…What?"

"Your mother said, and I quote, 'He's such a brat when it comes to people. He's finally mellowing out a little after meeting Eijiro-kun and the others, but he's still missing an important emotion as a person. The feeling to love someone. So, no accepting him until he finally gets a girlfriend and calms down!'. Or so she says. Honestly, I think she just wants you to have kids."

The clock ticked again.

Katsuki stood up, his head low as his bangs covered his eyes. He slowly bowed slightly, saying a wordless goodbye to his grandfather as he walked out of the room. Slow footsteps turned into normal, normal walking turned into fast walking, and soon, the harsh sounds of feet thudding on wood echoed throughout the mansion along with a very, very, furious shout.

"DAMN HAG, WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?!"

And that was how he, Bakugou Katsuki, found himself in this ridiculous situation that seemed like it came out of a rom-com. Except that this was the real world, he wasn't a pansy dude with artificial abs, and he was a damn yakuza. He had yakuza blood in his veins. He was supposed to overthrow his grandfather and take over as leader since that his father was too much of a wuss to become one, and be the best yakuza the country had ever laid eyes on. Not waste his time over a girl, even if she herself was a yakuza.

When he had first seen her though, nothing but disappointment assaulted him. She was small, fucking tiny with round cheeks tinted with pink, and huge eyes that seemed to reflect the world as bright and bubbly. He had found himself irritated that he thought that his mother would ever set him up with a girl that wasn't 'ladylike' and found himself acting like a complete ass ever since she entered the household.

Oh yeah, if Kirishima saw him now, he'd be fucking proud, Katsuki snorted to himself in his head. The rest of the idiots would probably be laughing their asses off.

Then, she surprised him by grabbing his arm with more power than he thought she had, with a sparking fire in her eyes and a sharp tone. He'd responded the same, shoving her away as internally, he was thinking, 'what the hell was that?'

When he had returned to her temporary quarters to tell her that dinner was ready, he saw that spark in her eyes once more. Something fiery, something hidden under her polite actions and round cheeks.

He would deny forever that he felt small prick of curiosity flicker into his heart. He didn't give two shits about her. Uraraka whatever could just disappear out of his life and scuttle back into the hole she came from, Osaka or not.

Katsuki didn't want anything to do with someone who looked like they had no inch of yakuza running through their veins.

So, Seiji says the engagement could be canceled, Ryou says it's not. Wonder which one's telling the truth, huh?

Ochako's Kansai dialect is hard to write…I dunno how to do this without making her natural way of speaking hard to read. Just imagine her speaking in a different way when she's talking to family and friends! Or when she's pissed off. Beautiful either way.

So, they finally meet, and first impressions are less than stellar. But hey, what could happen from here, eh?

Now onto the word of the day!

Uraraka Group: A group directly under the Yaoyorozu group, the largest yakuza group in the Kansai region. The people there are generally friendly and un-yakuza looking, but if you mess with one of them, you mess with the whole family. Gravity manipulators are one of the characteristics of the family. Currently, Uraraka Seiji is the head, the grandfather of Uraraka Ochako.

If you ever want to contact me, here's my twitter: Runefairy12

See you again next chapter!

~LunaricFairy12~