Interlude: Fragment of the Past (1)

Kurumi loved her mother's hair. Each strand was like silk, flowing like a river to her waist. It was the most beauiful color of honey-gold, and Kurumi often loved to nibble on it, half-expecting the sweet taste of honey to bloom on her tongue.

Kurumi loved her mother's eyes. Her eyes were like pots filled to the brim with honey. They were like molten pools of the setting Sun and Kurumi loved, just loved how they glistened whenever her mother looked at her.

She was in middle-school when it happened.

"It's okay, honey. Everything is okay."

Her mother's last words became the only lie she had ever told Kurumi.

"AAAAGGHH!" Kurumi woke one night with a start. Pain erupted from her right eye, searing and hot as it disrupted her slumber.

She twisted and turned in her bed, fingers desperately squabbling over her eye, but it wasn't a pain she could lessen through any physical means.

It had taken root deep within, and her fingers scratched helplessly against the surface as Kurumi thrashed and writhed in her bed.

Something. Something cracked. No, ripped was the more appropriate term. Something broke at that moment and Kurumi choked when she felt something wet from between her eye lids. She drew back her fingers, and from the dim light that spilled from between the closed curtains of her window, she could still make out the sticky red residue that was undoubtedly blood.

Kurumi shakily pushed her blanket off and sat up, before a blinding pain stabbed deep within her eyesocket once more. She let out a shaky moan, too tired to scream as cold sweat slid down her eyebrow. She slammed her back against the wall, desperately willing the pain away, but it didn't stop. It throbbed and throbbed, like a thorn that had wedged istelf in her eye, and blood mingled with tears as they cascaded down her cheeks.

Kurumi sobbed bloody tears and in the semi-dark room, Kurumi was alone as she fought against the pain.

Quirks were like muscles, Kurumi distsantly remembered her father once saying.

And she realized she was paying the price for abusing it.

"I'm sorry, mom." Kurumi croaked, "I'm sorry."

And through the pain, the fatigue, through the red that was her blood, a whisper seemed to curl past her ear.

"It's ok, honey. Everything is ok."

Throb.

Throb.

The pain was still there, but it had receded to a dull itch. Her head was clumsily swathed in bandages even after the bleeding had long stopped. It was uncomfortable with all these layers of cloth over her right eye, but her father had insisted.

Scratch. Scratch. Scratch.

Kurumi dug her nails into the bandage.

It was frustrating, but no matter how hard she scratched, it did nothing to soothe the itch that had taken root deep within.

Her room was dark. Only the small beam of sunlight that trickled its way through her curtains told her that it was day-time.

How many days had it been? Kurumi hadn't bothered counting. She didn't care. It wasn't like it mattered anyways.

She had refused to leave her bed since that night. Not even her father could convince her otherwise. She refused to respond to any of her friends' messages either. Not Bakugo. Not Izuku.

Kurumi Aizawa completely cut herself away from the world.

Holing herself up in her bed, with her blanket over her eyes, and with nothing but the dark and silence as her company, Kurumi had all the time in the world to think.

And she used all that time to etch into her mind, the face of the woman she despised with all her heart.

Monster. Killer. Murderer. Villain.

The one, who had caused it all.

The one, who had taken her mother away from her.

The woman was still painfully vivid in her mind's eye. She was a tall woman with chestnut, brown hair and auburn eyes. She wore a business suit, but Kurumi remembered most chillingly of all, that cold, empty look on her face. She hadn't realized a person could look so devoid of emotions like her.

Kurumi burned the image of that woman into her memory over and over again. Like a video on repeat, the image of her face constantly flashed through her mind.

It was the only thing she could do as of now.

The woman hadn't been caught yet and was still at large. She had disappeared without a trace after that night. No one had seen her go, no one knew where she went and everyone was left scratching their heads like idiots.

Useless. Incompetent. Every single one of the heroes and the police were fools.

Kurumi curled herself into a ball, as she continued to play with the image of the accursed woman in her mind.

But just when her eye-lids began to droop, just when the woman in her thoughts was giving way to restless slumber, the door to her room opened.

Light spilled into the semi-dark room, and Kurumi curled deeper into herself. Go away, dad. She tried to say, but her voice refused to listen to her.

"…Rumi?"

Kurumi knew that voice. And it wasn't her father's.

"Emi…?" This time, Kurumi managed a croak. Her voice was husky from unuse and her throat felt awfully parched.

She peeked out from the folds of her blanket, and there, standing in the doorway was a most familiar woman.

Emi Fukukado.

Emi choked upon seeing the young girl. Kurumi Aizawa was dishevelled and thin, malnourished as if she hadn't eaten properly for the past few days.

Curled within her blanket, she looked awfully sick.

But what terrified Emi most of all was that empty, blank look on Kurumi's face. She had seen that look before and Emi didn't like it one bit.

It was the face of someone, who had no tears left to cry.

The woman hurried to the girl's side. Kurumi was still for a moment as if she didn't know what to do, but sowly, quietly, she reached out her arms and the woman immediately drew her into an embrace.

"You poor, poor thing…"

Kurumi sighed into her chest as Emi combed her fingers through her messy curls.

"Emi…" Kurumi croaked in a voice that barely sounded like her, "I want to see mom…"

Emi's arms tightened around Kurumi's back. It was a child's wish, and Kurumi already knew. It was unfair of her to say this. But she wanted comfort. She wanted love, and Kurumi sought warmth in the only way she could think of right now.

Pity.

Kurumi felt something wet drop onto her cheek.

Kurumi looked up dully.

Emi was a pretty woman with an athletic build, and sea green hair that flowed to her bosom. But her usual bandana was missing now, and her usually flowing hair was wild and messy. The constant smile the woman used to greet Kurumi with was also nowhere to be found.

Instead, drops of water were falling off of Emi's chin. It took awhile for Kurumi to realize that they were tears. She stared blankly as the tears continued to fall, cascading like mini-rivers down her cheeks. She reached up a small, dainty hand and tried to wipe them away. But the tears kept coming.

"Don't cry," Kurumi croaked and their eyes met.

Emi's face scrunched up, her lips trembling as she tried to force a smile, a smile as she had always done, even as the tears fell down her cheeks. Kurumi had always found Emi Fukukado's smiles pretty, but the way she forced the corner of her lips upwards now, was nothing more than a pale imitation and had none of the things Kurumi had grown to love.

Emi's façade didn't take long to break away like waves against a cliff, faltering before dispersing altogether. She buckled as her sorrow overrode any attempt at a smile and the grown woman buried her face into Kurumi's small shoulder.

"Don't cry," Kurumi croaked like a broken recorder, "Don't cry…"

It was ironic that Kurumi became the one to offer comfort instead when she had been the one craving it.

And it was ironic that Emi Fukukado, Ms. Joke, the Smile Hero herself had failed to muster up a smile.

Hello, guys! Long time no see! I finally managed to pump out a chapter and I know it's short, but I have a big one coming soon! I haven't visited the website for quite some time, so I was genuinely surprised when I saw so many favs and followers! And so many reviews too! The attention and genuine interest you've shown me is so heartwarming and amazing! It gives me so much motivation, so I promise you, I'll do my very best to improve and write a story that will satisfy both you and myself!

Thanks for reading and I hope to see you guys again in the next chapter!

P.S. I ended up rewriting chapter 7. Nothing too drastic, but I think it's better this way.