It's a flashback this time not an entry. Entries will be switched with flashbacks when, for some reason or another, Izuku can't write in her journal in the story like when she's unconscious or when chapter is a continuation of a day in the story.
Flashbacks are italicized. Current events are not.
CHAPTER 4
ALIGN
(6 years old Aizawa Izuku, 10 years ago, Spring, Aizawa Manor, Courtyard)
Aizawa Inko hummed as she put the last of the snacks that she had baked herself on the table. The pleasant aroma of tea filled the air and the table was elegantly arranged with the expensive tea sets and porcelain that the Aizawa family owned and accumulated over the years. Inko never really cared for prices but the tea sets were very nice to look at and it was better to use them than just having it gather dust on the cabinets, not to mention that it was perfect for the little affair that she was hosting. Inko could never really ask for a better day: the sky was clear, flowers were in full bloom and spring was on full swing. It was perfect for a relaxing tea party outside. The gardener didn't spare any effort in taking care of the plants in the courtyard too.
It was a Sunday afternoon and Sunday afternoons were spent with family. It was a family tradition that Inko actually made up and upheld. Just on Sunday afternoons, all three members of the Aizawa family would put a stop on their busy lives to spend the afternoon on whatever activity the 'host' decided on. The 'host' last week was her daughter and the family of three ended up playing games around the manor. The father and daughter got very competitive with each other too. Her husband tended to let their daughter win though probably because the smile that their daughter had on her face every time she won was too adorable to pass up. But then again, it was her little Izuku, everything about her was adorable. And now it was Inko's turn. She decided to host a tea party taking into account the busy week her husband just had and so it would be nice to just relax and talk the whole afternoon. Knowing her daughter, she'll have lots of 'little adventures' to tell them.
Too engrossed with her own musings, Inko never noticed her husband's presence till he snuck up behind her and gave her a well-placed kiss on the cheek. Her husband, Shouta, was never really that showy with his affections outside but on the occasion that he does, it never failed to make Inko's heart flutter no matter how many years they've been together. She smiled at her husband who also replied it with his own. It looked more of a smirk but Inko knew better. She watched him sit on one of the chairs and reach for a cookie and proceeded to munch it nonchalantly.
"You're not waiting for your adorable daughter, Shouta?" Inko playfully asked.
"Nah, she'll be running towards here any minute now anyway." Shouta replied, relaxing in his chair. "And this is delicious, by the way, Inko."
Inko chuckled. "Nice of you to compliment it and here I thought that I'd have to ask for it first."
Shouta snorted in amusement. "As if I'd miss recognizing any of your cooking."
Inko giggled but before she could reply, their little bundle of joy came running towards them just as her husband predicted. Little Izuku looked like she just got out of the bath with her green hair slightly damp. She also brought an ornate box with her too. Then finally, little Izuku reached them and she was settled into a chair by her very helpful father who sat beside her. Izuku put the box on the table.
Seeing the two members of her family comfortably settled down, Inko settled into a chair beside her daughter putting Izuku between her and her husband. The ornate box on the table caught Inko's attention. It was very familiar.
"Izuku, where did you get that box?" Inko asked.
"I found it in the storage room." Izuku answered cheerfully.
"And what were you doing in the storage room, Izuku?" This time, it was her husband who asked. He was looking suspiciously at their daughter. "Is that why you look like you just got out of the bath tub?"
Izuku twirled her damp in her fingers guiltily avoiding her father's eyes. "Me and Hii-kun and some of the maids played hide and seek in the manor, Papa. I hid in the storage room this time."
Inko smiled at this. With Hitoshi-kun as the only young playmate nearby, Izuku tended pull along some of the staff in the manor to a game or something. They have been very patient and accommodating to her daughter too. She made a mental note to thank and give them bonuses later.
"So what about the box, Izuku?" Her husband asked, prompting their daughter to continue.
"It was an accident. I promise!" Izuku suddenly exclaimed. Both parents raised an eyebrow.
"You tripped again, did you?" Inko deduced and the red flush on her daughter's cheek was more than enough of an indication. Inko chuckled. "Already five years old but you're still my clumsy little Izuku. I'm so glad I still haven't lost my little baby just yet."
"Mama… I'm not a baby anymore…" Her daughter whined and then suddenly there was a determined gleam in her eyes. "I'm a grown up now! Really! It's not my fault I tripped this time!"
"Oh? Is that so?" Shouta playfully taunted.
"Yeah! It was the Invisible Boogeyman of Darkness who tripped me!" Izuku looked awfully faithful that it was the truth. "It also summoned the Dust Bunnies to attack me! It's not my fault this time!"
Inko sweat dropped as she saw her usually stoic husband turn around, shoulders shaking and trying his best to reign in his laughter. What probably really happened was that her daughter might have tripped on her own two feet again which disturbed the settled dust in the storage room.
Come to think of it, she never really straightened out some of her white lies to her daughter just yet. The Invisible Boogeyman of Darkness was one of the imaginative characters Inko made up to prevent her daughter from venturing out into dark places and the Dust Bunnies were one of the fictional creatures she told her daughter about so that she won't bother the maids while they cleaned the dusty areas of the manor. And her sweet, adorable, and very, very innocent Izuku had believed them down to the last detail. Inko felt a little bit guilty. Just a little bit. Besides, it would be all too soon when her daughter actually grows up and learns of the truth. It would be wonderful to see her daughter's embarrassed face in the future while she retells the times she believed in the very imaginative creatures she came up with on the fly.
"So you found the box then. Was that right, Izuku?" Inko asked just to change the subject before her husband lost all of his composure.
"Un" Izuku nodded. "It fell off the shelf. I thought it was pretty and I was curious what was inside. I wanted to open it but I saw your name on the side, Mama. Papa told me not to open boxes if they aren't mine so I brought it here. I wanted to see what was inside. Can you open the box and let me see, Mama?"
Inko smiled. Sometimes, it really amazed her how much influence Shouta had on their daughter. Izuku was undoubtedly a daddy's girl.
Then remembering her daughter's request, Inko took the box in her hands and examined it. Just as her daughter told her, she found her name on the side of the box, her maiden name exactly: Midoriya Inko. Inko finally remembered the familiar box. If she remembered it right, then the sketches were inside this box. Inko opened the box and put it on the table to let her husband and daughter see its contents.
"Mama, you don't look like a grown up! Your hair is long too!" Izuku exclaimed as she saw the colorful drawings. "And who are those other two pretty ladies with you, Mama?"
Shouta furrowed his eyebrows. "Are these the sketches Hizashi drew years ago?"
Inko nodded as she took out the sketches out of the box to give her daughter a closer look. It was a drawing of her and her closest friends when they were fourteen years old. The artist was one of her husband's closest friends (though he would never admit it): Yamada Hizashi.
"Who are they, Mama?" Izuku repeated.
"They are my closest friends, Izuku. They had different last names then but now they are called Todoroki Rei and Bakugou Mitsuki. The girl with the white hair is Rei and the other one is Mitsuki."
"I didn't know you still had those, Inko." Shouta said.
"I also didn't." Inko admitted. "I figured out that I somehow lost it when I moved in. I must have somehow misplaced it and one of the maids must have put it in the storage room."
"Where did you meet them, Mama?" Izuku asked tugging at Inko's sleeve.
"I met them at school, Izuku."
"School?"
"You remember the schools in Yuuei that I told you about, Izuku?"
"Hmm… I think it was the school for knights, the school for tacticians and the school for noble ladies and equi- equi- etiget."
"It's the school for noble ladies and etiquette, Izuku." Inko corrected her daughter. The military school and etiquette school had been around for years but the tactician school had been recently founded. Tactics were usually a subject taught in military school and it was still taught there but only the basics. The tactician school taught tactics more intensively.
"Oh. So you met them there, Mama?" Izuku asked again and that broke out Inko out of her musings.
"Yes, I did. The three of us shared a dorm room in all the years we spent there." Inko replied.
"Then you became friends?"
"Not at first, we didn't. We were too different with each other. We had different upbringings. We had different problems. And we had very different circumstances."
It was a truth that rang through Inko's heart as she remembered her friends and the peculiar but strong friendship they shared.
Rei had been the illegitimate child of one of the noble lords in Yuuei. She was raised in Hakuryuu by her mother who eventually lost her life to an incurable illness. It was then that Rei's father became involved in his daughter's life. Her father wasn't really happy with her and of her 'uncivilized' upbringing. Just a few days after Rei moved into her father's care, her father had immediately sent her to boarding school without so much of an explanation or even a glance. Rei came to Yuuei as a lifeless fourteen year old with a void and empty heart.
Then there was the rebel Mitsuki. She was the extreme opposite of Rei. She was loud, abrasive and destructive. She had recently lost her mother in an attack prompting her father, the Marques of Yamanashi, to send her away for her protection. Mitsuki didn't like it. She hated it. She hated leaving her father and she hated how powerless she was. She hated that she was more of a liability to her father in his time of need. And she hated it even more that she can't take revenge on the people that took away her mother's life. Mitsuki came to Yuuei as an angry fourteen year old with her heart full of bursting aggression that badly needed an outlet.
And then there was Inko, the meek and forgotten daughter of the noble Midoriya family of Shikyuu. She was the middle child, outshone by her elder brother and neglected in favor of her much loved younger sister. Then crisis came to their family and she was even more forgotten than before until they needed a sacrificial lamb to save their family's fortune and prestige. They needed a bride that could be married off to the richest noble they could find and it was Inko they saw. However, they found her lacking and so she was sent to school to brush up her etiquette and turn her into the perfect bride, the perfect sacrificial lamb. Inko came to Yuuei, as a fourteen year old with half a heart glad that she was away from her family and another half terrified of the future that lay before her.
The three of them had been very different but they had also one thing in common. Just that one thing. They were girls thrown into a foreign and unknown country without even the least bit of consideration of their own wills and desires.
Then Inko felt a tug at her side again. She turned to her daughter who seemed to have another question for her.
"Then how did you become friends, Mama?"
Inko smiled at her daughter. "It's a bit of a long story but basically, it took us being lost, getting kidnapped and escaping it together to be friends. I'll tell you all of the details when you're much older, Izuku." Some of the details weren't really appropriate for her daughter's innocent mind and tender age.
"Oh ok. I'd like to hear it when I'm older then, Mama."
"Awfully curious, are you, Izuku?"
Then Izuku gave Inko a brilliant smile. "That's because you look so happy talking about them, Mama. I wanna know because they make you really happy!"
Inko couldn't really hold the urge that came over her. She squeezed her daughter to her side and gave her a very affectionate embrace. Izuku could be really adorably perceptive at times.
"You're right, Izuku. They are the best bestfriends that I could ever have!" Their friendship was a bit messy and it got her into heaps of trouble before but it was something that Inko would never trade for the world. Rei turned out to be a very curious girl and Mitsuki poked her nose and her quirk into anything she found interesting. Inko usually tried to get them out of trouble but, more often than not, she was swept into the trouble itself for futilely trying to reign in her two friends.
Inko broke the embrace and her gaze landed on her husband who was smirking at the sight of them so Inko decided to play a little act. "Do you know who drew that picture, Izuku?"
"Who?"
"Well, he's your Uncle Hizashi and he's your father's bestest best friend in the whole wide world!" Inko said it in the most gushing and the most cooing voice she could muster.
Shouta visibly cringed at both the statement and the tone. "That loudmouth is not my best friend and he's not Izuku's uncle either."
"Don't believe your father, Izuku. He's just very shy about it."
Shouta glared. Inko chuckled and playfully stuck her tongue at him. Shouta just sighed in defeat. And then his daughter just had to say:
"I didn't know Papa was shy."
Shouta had a not-so-wonderful conclusion: the women in his life were ruthless.
"So then, Papa, you met Mama's friends too?"
"Unfortunately" Shouta deadpanned.
Izuku tilted her head in curiosity.
"Mama's friends and Papa just started off on the wrong foot, Izuku." Inko said.
"Really?"
"That barbarian of a woman Mitsuki tried to explode me to oblivion and that ice cube of a woman Rei tried to freeze me for eternity." Shouta muttered. The grumpiness was not lost on his tone.
"Eh?"
"They kinda thought Papa was a bad guy when they first met him." Inko admitted.
It was an understatement really. Mitsuki and Rei actually thought that Shouta was a no good lecher who tried to trick and kidnap her and her two friends had attacked him with the intent of killing him or at least leaving him half dead. It was a messy first meeting but it did spark an awkward friendship between her and Shouta and eventually an even more awkward courtship. Despite the awkwardness, it turned out to be the best development and outcome for her. It did take Shouta to hear that she was about to be engaged to another noble just to have him running to Shikyuu with an engagement ring in hand but that's beside the point.
A frown wrinkled Izuku's cute little face. "But Papa's not a bad guy."
"No, he's not." Inko agreed.
"Then we should tell them." Izuku said seriously.
Inko smiled. Her daughter was really downright adorable.
"They know now, Izuku. They know Papa's a good guy."
Inko heard Shouta snort in the background.
"Oh, that's great then!" Izuku clapped her hands. "Where are they now, Mama?"
"Well, the both of them are married now. Rei is with her husband Enji-san, the Marques of Shizuoka. That's in Yuusari. And Mitsuki is in Seiryuu with her husband Masaru-san. She lives with his tribe now. They live very far but we do send each other letters frequently."
"Did they have daughters too?" Izuku asked.
"No, they had sons, Izuku."
"They're boys?"
"They're a year older than you. Rei had Shouto-kun and Mitsuki had Katsuki-kun." Inko said. Then a smile crept up to her face as she remembered the news she planned to tell her daughter during the afternoon. She could only wonder how Izuku could have found that certain box on this very afternoon. Her daughter's luck with certain things was quite mysterious.
"Would you like to meet them, Izuku?" Inko asked.
"Yeah, I do!" Izuku's eyes sparkled at the prospect of meeting new friends.
"Well, meeting Katsuki-kun would have to wait a little bit longer but you'll be meeting Shouto-kun this summer."
"Really?!"
"The kid will be coming here and staying with us this summer." Shouta informed. "There are still some details to work out though."
"He'll be coming here in Yuuei as part of his studies and he'll be spending three summers with us here." Inko confirmed. It was actually one of the reasons why her husband was busy during the week. They were ironing out the details.
"What about spring, autumn and winter?" Izuku asked.
"Just summers, Izuku. Shouto-kun has a lot of things to do at home for the rest of the year. But he'll be here the whole summer and the next two summers. Will you be nice and friendly to him, Izuku?"
"I will!" Then Izuku's eyes went downcast. "But what about Katsuki, Mama? Will I ever meet him?"
"Well, Katsuki-kun is too far away at the moment, Izuku. But don't worry, there's still a lot of time for you to see and meet him. It might not be tomorrow, it might not be soon but you'll meet him someday for sure, Izuku."
A bright smile blossomed on Izuku's face. "I hope so. I want to meet them. Shouto and Katsuki. I want to meet the both of them, Mama."
(Through the eyes of 16 years old Aizawa Izuku, Present Day, Seiryuu)
The sound of flapping wings got closer as Uraraka's pegasus landed beside my horse. Mine and Kacchan's really. It was quite the majestic sight watching the elegant flight of a pegusus under the gleam of the full moon.
"Izuku-san, I found some ruins up ahead where we could camp out. There's a stream nearby too." Uraraka said. I asked her if she could find a good place to camp out for the rest of the night. The nearest town was still a few miles up ahead and we couldn't possibly get there on time.
"That's great. Thank you, Uraraka-san. Then please lead us towards it. Fly a bit lower and slower this time."
Uraraka playfully gave me a mock salute and flew ahead. "Roger that, Izuku-san!"
I smiled at her cheerfulness. It was nice to know that someone was still cheerful after the long day we just had.
After spending some hours of rest in the village, we continued our journey towards Yamanashi and this time we had Mei and Uraraka as new companions. Uraraka rode her own pegasus, Mei was riding with Kaminari and Shinku was still chewing out Kirishima's skin. And of course, I still rode a horse with Kacchan sitting at my back. Everyone was tired after the long hours of travel especially this grumpy companion of mine and he's been making it particularly obvious towards me. One, he was getting grumpier than usual. Two, he's been using my head as a head stand and I've been feeling his chin digging on my skull for the last hour. Really. Just because he was taller doesn't give him the right to use my head as furniture. Geez.
Then I felt him shift and the next second, I felt his full weight on my back. It wasn't even a bit light.
"Kacchan, you're heavy! Straighten up!"
All he could respond to me was a growl. A primitive guttural sound that only beasts could supposedly make. So he doesn't even have the energy to act like a human anymore, huh?
Augh…
I really need to get him off this horse soon or I'll be crushed by his weight before the hour ends.
It's a matter of life and death now.
I got off the horse and then yelled.
"I am so alive!"
I don't care if it's absolutely shameless or a bit retarded but I am just so glad I'm still alive!
Then Uraraka's cheery voice joined me.
"I'm glad you're still alive too, Izuku-san!"
I happily returned the high five that Uraraka gestured. I can't really help it. I just feel so happy to be alive! To be off that horse! And to have Kacchan finally off me! I'll never take my life for granted ever again!
"Yay!" We both cheered.
"Fucking retards…" I heard Kacchan mutter exhaustedly from the ground. The moment we stopped, Kacchan let his body fall to the ground and even now, he stayed down.
Then I heard Mei's distinctive laugh from the side. She was already off the horse like everyone else and she was stretching her body for a bit. "It was a long ride. I do think we deserve to celebrate for surviving it!"
"Yeah" Kirishima agreed. "I don't think I could even feel my manly ass anymore."
"Kirishima!" Kaminari suddenly exclaimed. He looked scandalized. "You boorish, uncouth ape, there are ladies here!"
"Whoops, sorry."
I tuned out the rest of the conversation as I scanned the surroundings. Uraraka really found us a good place to camp out. Judging from the structure, it seemed to be the remains of a small church. The roof was gone but the flooring and some of the walls were still intact. This would be a lot safer than sleeping out in an open space and looking at the full moon and twinkling stars in the night sky, I doubt that it would rain. Alright. It's time to get settled down.
"Everyone! Let's split up the chores and set up camp!"
I immediately heard the enthusiastic agreement from almost everyone. Almost. Except one. Kacchan's response was rather unique.
"ARRGH! GET THE FUCK OFF ME, SHINKU!"
Oh well. I guess I better just let them roll on the ground for a few more minutes.
I turned to Kirishima. "Kirishima-san, can you-"
A scaly head nuzzled my cheek before I could get another word out. Looks like Shinku finally got off, Kacchan. He's acting spoilt again too. Then suddenly, Shinku snapped up and stopped nuzzling me. He stayed on mid-air as he stared at the forest nearby. What's gotten into him all of a sudden? And then I saw something drip down from Shinku's mouth. Was that drool?
Suddenly, Kacchan quickly stood up. There was an evil grin on his lips and a predatory gleam in his eyes. "Meat"
"What?"
"We'll be having deer meat for dinner, Deku!"
And before I knew it, Kacchan already dashed off into the forest with Shinku closely behind him. What on earth-
"Kirishima-san, please go with Kacchan. Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."
Kirishima nodded and then he dashed off after Kacchan. I stared at Kirishima's back. I don't know why but I get the feeling that Kirishima was a bit tense around me. Did I do something wrong or was it just my imagination?
"What happened, Izuku-san?" Uraraka asked.
"I don't think even I could answer that, Uraraka-san." I sighed. "Let's just focus on setting up camp tonight, Uraraka-san. Those two are quite strong so I think they'll be fine."
"Alright"
"Can you gather some firewood, Uraraka-san?"
"Sure, Izuku-san."
"Kaminari-san!" I called out which immediately caught Kaminari's attention. "Can you go with-"
"Let me go with her, Izuku-sama." Mei intercepted. "I just have the perfect baby for this kind of thing!" She had strange device on her hand. It was some kind of goggles with some kind of lamp attached to it.
"Um…ok?" Again, I so did not hesitate because I thought she was weird.
With that, Uraraka and Mei left me with the only male member of the group present at the moment.
"Looks like that's taken care of. Kaminari-san, can you help me tow the horses? Then I guess we have to prepare the utensils too."
"It will be my pleasure, Lady Aizawa."
"Thanks, Kaminari-san."
"I think that's that, Kaminari-san." No one answered. "Kaminari-san?"
Strange. Where did he go? I guess its fine. We were done preparing the utensils anyway.
Mei and Uraraka had also returned a while ago with the firewood. The two of them also made the camp fire so we already had a steady source of heat and light. The two girls were sitting near the campfire talking and I'm sure Kaminari was nearby so all that's missing now was Kacchan, Kirishima and Shinku. I swear I just heard an explosion from the forest too.
I took a step forward intending to join Uraraka and Mei near the campfire but I stopped when I felt something beneath my feet. I looked down. It took me a few seconds to recognize the object clearly because of the darkness but soon it became clear that it was a little notebook. I wonder who dropped it?
I took the notebook off the ground and examined it. I couldn't find a name on the cover so I decided to look through at some of the pages. I expected words but I found pictures instead. They were sketches of sceneries and people. They were really good too.
"AH!" I heard a yell and then I saw Kaminari hurriedly running towards me. "Lady Aizawa, that's-"
"Is this yours', Kaminari-san?" I asked, holding out the notebook towards him.
"Yes, it's mine. Thank you, Lady Aizawa." He took the notebook off my hand. "Did you perhaps see…"
"You mean the sketches? They were really good, Kaminari-san. I didn't know you were a good artist."
For the first time since I met him, I saw Kaminari flush. He was rubbing the back of his head shyly and there was a rather cute smile on his lips. Hmmm… He gives out compliments to ladies like candies but he's weak at taking them? I guess I can't really judge a person by its cover.
"Kaminari-san, have you thought using that talent of yours' as an occupation? Skilled artists are usually well paid for their services and I think you're skilled enough."
Nobles and rich merchants usually hire artists to paint portraits of the members of the family. Some even buy paintings for decorations and depending on the painting, the price could be quite high.
"It's not that I haven't thought about it, Lady Aizawa, but now, I just can't imagine myself as anything other than a knight. My reason's isn't anything fancy or noble but..." He paused for a bit. "It was a bit of whim at first. It was Kirishima who wanted to be a knight and I just went with him because he was the only friend I had growing up and I knew I'd be bored be without him. When we underwent training and I learned how to use a spear, I thought it was really fun learning the techniques. It was like sketching with a bigger pencil."
Well, he was definitely very skilled with a spear. But does he actually consider slashing his enemies with a sharp blade as sketching? Should I be impressed or should I be terrified?
"And then again, it goes back to Kirishima." Kaminari continued.
"Kirishima-san?"
"Yeah, he can be an idiot sometimes, you know. He could go overboard with some things because he thinks it's manly or something like that. He has a bad habit of charging towards the enemies first and thinking about the consequences later. That guy's pretty strong but he's not invincible and so before I knew it, I was fighting enemies off his back. He's an idiot but he's still my friend so I had to keep him alive at least." Then he gave me a playful wink. "And besides, being a knight doesn't hurt your chances with the ladies either."
I replied with a weak laugh. I really don't know about that 'chances with the ladies' thing but it was still nice to know his reasons. I thought he was just a really flirty knight at first but I'm glad there was more to him than that. I gave him a grin. "You're a good guy, Kaminari-san!"
"Um… Thank you, Lady Aizawa?" He seemed a bit confused with the sudden compliment.
"You know, you can call by my name. Mostly everybody does. And people usually use Lady Aizawa to call my mother more than me."
"Oh. Lady Izuku then, if it's fine with you, milady?"
I smiled. "Sure it is, Kaminari-kun."
Just a few minutes after my conversation with Kaminari, I gaped at Kacchan and the deer that he said he would catch for dinner. He actually did it. Then Shinku flew and snuggled up towards me. Kirishima followed behind.
"Kacchan , just how did you-"
"Believe it or not, Deku but that flying fuck actually had uses."
"Shinku?"
"I don't know how he does it but that shit can find prey like nobody's business."
Come to think of it, Kacchan did say that it was Shinku who found me. Did he think I was prey too? A shiver went down my spine. Maybe it's a lot better if I just don't dwell on it.
"Oi, Deku, hand me the fucking knives. I want to cook this shit up already. I'm starving."
Dinner was delicious and wonderfully satisfying. I had absolutely no complaints about it. We had grilled deer meat that Kacchan marinated with some sauce and spice mix he made himself using the ingredients and spices we got from the village. We had some soup too since we had some vegetables available.
"Katsuki-sama, I didn't know you were a good cook!" Kirishima said.
"Tell me about it. With Kacchan's rough attitude, I never really thought he could be so good with something as delicate as cooking!" I jested and just a nanosecond after, I froze.
Oh no. I think my brain to mouth filter just broke.
Then death just felt a lot closer. "What was that, Deku?"
Crap. "Nothing, Kacchan. Forget I said anything. Hahaha…"
He smirked. "That's what I thought."
I placed a hand on my beating heart. God, I thought I was gonna die.
"Hey, Uraraka-san, you found some stream nearby, right?" I heard Mei ask.
"I did, Hatsume-san. There was a pool upstream too." Uraraka answered.
"Think we could clean ourselves there? I'm not the neatest woman in the universe but there's only so much dust and dirt that I could take." Mei grimaced as she gestured to smell herself.
"I think I'll join you, Mei-san. I do feel a little dirty. A bath would be nice." I said.
"Count me in too!" Uraraka said, raising her hand cheerfully.
"That's a wonderful idea, ladies!" Kaminari said. "Do you maybe think I could jo-"
An explosion and something no less than a demon's glare stopped Kaminari. "What fuck was that, dipshit?"
Kaminari squeaked. "Nothing, Katsuki-sama!"
Kacchan could be so terrifyingly short-tempered sometimes. I wonder what got him so angry this time though.
"How about you boys go for a bath after we girls are done?" I suggested. "We all had a long day of travel. I'm sure you guys could use one too."
"We'll do that then, Lady Izuku." Kaminari said gratefully but I could see him giving uneasy glances to Kacchan who was still glaring at him.
After cleaning up the remains of our dinner, I took some things off my bag and hurried towards Mei and Uraraka who would be going to the stream with me. I also held Shinku in my arms. I asked Kacchan if I could give Shinku a bath and he said yes so I brought him with me. We were already half way to the stream when I heard someone huffing behind me. It was Kirishima. Strange. He doesn't look like the type to peek on girls bathing. It was more of Kaminari's thing than his.
"Wait up, Izuku-sama!" He called out. I stopped and so did the girls. When Kirishima finally caught up, he turned to me with a rather serious look on his face. "Izuku-sama, there's something I'd like to talk with you about."
"Uraraka-san, Mei-san, why don't you two go on ahead? And can I leave Shinku to the both of you for a while?" I asked, holding out Shinku towards them. By the look on Kirishima's face, I don't think he would want other people to hear it. The girls clearly understood what I meant and nodded. They took Shinku off my arms and left.
"What is it, Kirishima-san?" So what I felt earlier wasn't just my imagination at all then.
"I'm sorry if this sounds distrustful or if this offends you. I know that your tactics and directions have saved us a lot during the last battles and I know it in my gut that you're a good person but I can't really be too careful. I'd like to hear this personally from you. Izuku-sama, what are your intentions towards Katsuki-sama. You… do have Katsuki-sama's best interests at heart, do you?"
My eyes widened in realization. So this was what has been eating him.
"I know this a very rude question especially now but after…" Kirishima continued. "At first, I thought you were Katsuki-sama's consort so I trusted you to do right by him but after you cleared the misunderstanding… well…"
"So the reasons you thought I was to be fully trusted became untrue then…" I finished the sentence for him.
Kirishima turned his gaze on the ground. "Yes, I'm really sorry about this, Izuku-sama. I…"
I smiled. From the troubled look on his face, I think this was really hard for him but he's still doing it to protect his lord. He's doing it to protect Kacchan and that's something I could never get angry about.
"Kirishima-san, a knight's duty, first and foremost, is to protect your lord so I understand your reasons for asking. I guess it's also my mistake for not telling you." Kirishima lifted his head up and I continued. "To answer your question, well, the lordling you're protecting now, Kacchan, he saved my life. I wouldn't be alive now if it wasn't for him. I fell off a cliff on a clumsy mistake and he was the one who found and rescued me. At first, it was just me paying a life debt when I helped him defeat some bandits who came to his settlement shortly after I gained consciousness. For some reason after that, he asked to join me on my journey home but we met you and Kaminari-kun in Hosu. And then, I couldn't really just leave him alone. It may not be what you thought of before but I do care about Kacchan. He's my friend. He matters to me. A lot."
Kirishima's eyes widened in surprise but he wasn't the only one surprised here. Even I was surprised by how easily those words came out of my mouth and how it loudly rang true in my heart. I guess I cared about Kacchan more than I believed I did.
Then Kirishima bowed in a whole ninety degrees. "I AM VERY SORRY FOR DOUBTING YOU, IZUKU-SAMA!"
I took a step back at the sudden outburst. I think he just scared off the sleeping birds and the animals nearby. I gently put my hand on his shoulder. "It's fine, Kirishima-san. Lift your head up. You did nothing wrong. As I said, I understand your reasons and your doubts so it's fine."
Thankfully, he straightened up at my prompting.
"I'll make it up to you somehow, Izuku-sama." He looked seriously repentant.
"Don't worry about it, Kirishima-san. Just protect Kacchan as you do and I'll consider it even."
Kirishima gave me a very toothy grin. "Your kindness is so manly, Izuku-sama!"
Eh? Manly? Did I just hear it right?
"This time I vow to protect the two of you, Izuku-sama. You and Katsuki-sama. I swear it on my life!"
That stunned me for a bit. Kirishima looked absolutely determined and serious. But, I guess, I couldn't really say no with that kind of face he's making.
"I'm counting on you then, Kirishima-san." I relented.
He gave me a toothy grin and declared: "Leave it to me, Izuku-sama!"
I smiled in reply. All's better now, I think. "I think better go now. I must have kept Uraraka-san and Mei-san waiting."
When he gave a nod, I bid him goodbye and went ahead but there was one last message he wanted to tell me:
"I've wanted to say this for a while but you're really cool, Izuku-sama!"
What was that for?
He left before I could ask though. Oh well.
I relaxed in the cold water and sighed. The water felt heavenly. The water was cold but it was just at the right temperature to relieve all the stress I compiled during the day. I heard Mei sigh and I realized that she was sitting beside me all this time. I've been really absent-minded to not notice her until now.
"I'm amazed Uraraka-san could swim and move around in this cold water." She commented.
I followed her gaze and saw that Uraraka was happily swimming around to chase Shinku as she tried to get him back in the water. Mei was right. Uraraka looked practically unfazed by the cold water. I think she must be used to the cold. Uraraka came from Hakuryuu and that's a very cold country after all.
There was a splash and Uraraka finally managed to catch Shinku. Shinku didn't look happy though. He continued to struggle against Uraraka as if being in the water was the last thing that he'd ever do. I think Shinku doesn't like to be in the water much or maybe it's the coldness he's bothered about. I managed to bathe him long enough to get him clean though. I think I better tell Uraraka to let him go now or the poor guy's going to be traumatized.
"Uraraka-san, I think you can let go of Shinku now! He's clean enough, I think."
"And come over here, Uraraka-san!" Mei called out. "We're lucky enough to have girl time without those rough men in our midst so let's talk for a while!"
Uraraka waved and finally let Shinku go. Shinku flew away as fast as he could towards a huge boulder where he shook off the cold water in his body. Uraraka swam towards us.
"What do you want to talk about, Hatsume-san?" Uraraka asked.
"That one, of course, Uraraka-san!" Mei said gleefully as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Both I and Uraraka tilted our heads in confusion. That one? What was Mei talking about?
"You don't know? Oh my! What a shame!" Mei cried dramatically. "The moon is shining down on us, the water is coldly enveloping us and we are here! Together! In isolated company! What else are we going to talk about?! Love, of course!"
I don't know why but a bad feeling just sunk down on my stomach.
"So what about it, Uraraka-san? Any sweethearts back at home?" Mei interrogated, going closer to a flustered Uraraka with a sly grin.
I do admit I'm a bit curious though. I'm a girl after all.
Uraraka flailed her hands in front of her obviously flustered by the question. "I don't have anything like that, Hatsume-san! I spent most of my time training so I don't really have time for that and the other trainees are all girls so…"
"I heard about that. All pegusus knights are girls, right, Uraraka-san? The pegasi generally prefers a woman's touch and would usually deny a male rider." I recalled.
"That's right. Izuku-san." Uraraka confirmed. Then she turned to Mei. "What about you, Hatsume-san? You're a traveler then you must have a few lovers of your own."
Uraraka was right. According to what Mei had revealed to me about herself, she had been travelling on her own for a few years now and she's older than me and Uraraka. I think she's probably around the same age as Hii-kun. I guess Uraraka's deduction was sound.
Mei smirked. "So you're coming after me now, huh? But no matter, I shall satisfy curiosity, Uraraka-san."
I'm curious too, Mei-san.
Then Mei paused dramatically. "I did have them. Lovers."
"EH?!" Uraraka and I exclaimed. We were curious but we never really expected a positive answer.
Then I realized something. "Wait a minute. You said 'you did'? You don't have them anymore, Mei-san."
Mei shrugged. "As I've said before, I've been travelling for a few years now but sometimes I settle on a town for a week or so and then go back to travelling again. I sometimes go on dates during those times. It was never serious though. Just a few kisses and maybe a bit of groping but it had never gone further than that." Then Mei grinned, slung an arm around me and Uraraka and then declared proudly. "So technically, I'm as virgin as the two of you! Hahahaha!"
I don't know what to say. I really don't know what to say. But there's one thing I know:
Please! Please! I beg you! Don't talk about virginity anymore, Mei-san! My heart and what's left of my sanity can't take that kind of stress!
Uraraka's practically no better than me. Her body was downright red as if steam could be coming out of her ears any moment now.
Then it seemed as though Mei actually noticed our predicament. "So, you guys, can't take this kind of topic, huh? Then let's talk about a more innocent topic then. Kaminari-kun, Kirishima-kun and Bakugou-sama, which one of them do the two of you have the hots for?"
That's not an innocent topic at all, Mei-san!
Then I heard a gurgling sound.
Oh my god.
Uraraka just fainted.
After a few minutes of chaos, we finally got an unconscious Uraraka off the water. We dried and dressed ourselves up. We had to do the chore for Uraraka since she still hasn't woken up. Mei volunteered to carry Uraraka on her back and so I was the one who took a now sleeping Shinku off the boulder he slept in. We were trekking our way back when Mei suddenly asked.
"Izuku-sama, I wanted to ask you about this before but with all that's happened I never really had the chance. Why were you, an Aizawa, travelling with Bakugou-sama in the first place?"
It was a valid question and I guess I never really told her. And so I recounted the events up until now: my training, my accident, Kacchan's rescue and our meeting with the two knights in Hosu.
"I see… so that's what happened." Mei said and then she exclaimed. "Ah! I remember now. It's an old rumor but sometimes people still talk about it."
"About what, Mei-san?"
"About the Lady Mitsuki of Yamanashi, Izuku-sama."
"Oh… I think that's not much of a surprise. I mean, a noble lady eloping with a mountain tribe was rather unprecedented."
"That's not all, Izuku-sama. They said that Lady Mitsuki actually refused the hand of a Marques's son to run away with Bakugou-sama's father. And add the discrimination of the nobles to the mountain tribe. It caused a rather big scandal at that time. They've been saying how brainless Lady Mitsuki was to run away with a savage when there was a much better option. Fools, the lot of them. I've traveled all these years and I've met a lot of people. I've known a noble as foul as a sewer rat and I've known a mountain tribe as honorable and dignified as royalty."
No wonder. A noblewoman running away from home wasn't really unheard of but denying another noble's hand in marriage was another issue altogether. Plus the discrimination. People don't usually think much of people different than them and much more of the unknown. The mountain tribe was both. That event was something that caused great shame to both families especially the one who was denied. From what Kirishima and Kaminari told me, Kacchan's grandfather never really cared about it but what about the opposite side of the party? Lady Mitsuki-
Wait a minute. Mitsuki?
I've heard that name before. No. Not just when I met the knights. But before. I think I've heard that name a long time ago.
Then a voice from a distant memory rang on my mind.
"Well, the both of them are married now. Rei is with her husband Enji-san, the Marques of Shizuoka. That's in Yuusari. And Mitsuki is in Seiryuu with her husband Masaru-san. She lives with his tribe now. They live very far but we do send each other letters frequently."
Mitsuki?!
Mama's friend Mitsuki!
"They're a year older than you, Izuku. Rei had Shouto-kun and Mitsuki had Katsuki-kun."
Then Katsuki… Katsuki was…
"What was your full name?"
"Huh?"
"Your name. You never did finish introducing yourself to me."
"It's Bakugou Katsuki."
Kacchan…?
"Izuku-sama?" Mei called. "Are you alright? You stopped."
"Oh." I didn't realize I actually stopped but Mei already a few steps ahead of me was evidence enough. "I'm alright, Mei-san. Let's go."
Unbelievable.
Totally unbelievable.
Am I supposed to believe that these of kind of coincidences actually happen?
The camp fire flickered as I tried to concentrate reading the book on my lap. It was a book I found and bought from Hosu. It had a few advance tactics in the book so I thought it was useful to learn about them for the journey but somehow I just can't seem to concentrate. My thoughts keep coming back to that sudden realization earlier. It was absolutely ridiculous. Kacchan might not actually be that Katsuki. He could be anyone. There could another boy somewhere who lived in Seiryuu, had a woman named Mitsuki for a mother and had the exact same name Katsuki.
Why does that sound even more ridiculous?
"Arrgh! I think I better just go and ask Kacchan before I kill myself thinking about this!"
"Ask me what, Deku?"
I leaned back and turned my head upwards. A drip of water fell on my cheek and a face with a very familiar scowl was looking down on me.
"Kacchan?! You're back already?" I turned away and looked around. "How about Kirishima-kun and Kaminari-kun? Where are they?"
"Back there. Underwater."
"Kacchan, please tell me you did not kill those two while you were bathing."
"I don't want to waste time and effort killing those dipshits, Deku. They were having some kind of stupid contest and they were fucking annoying so I left.
"They're not that bad you know, Kacchan. They're quite nice actually."
He glared and I really don't know what I did to deserve it.
Then Kacchan grunted. "Roundface and shitty eyes?"
Uraraka and Mei? "They're asleep already, Kacchan. I just stayed up to wait for the three of you. And speaking of which, what's with that head of yours', Kacchan? It's dripping wet. Sit here. I'll find a dry towel for you."
I stood up and went over the bags to find a dry towel to use. I found one and so I went back to the camp fire. Kacchan sat there looking silently at the fire. It was supposed to be nothing special but it was a strange sight for me. Kacchan was always so loud and brash so seeing him so silent and pensive was quite the sight. He was just there sitting silently with the fire reflecting his red eyes and his spiky hair was burdened and dripping with water but, for some reason, at that scene, Kacchan seemed so… handsome.
I froze and I felt heat creeping up my cheeks.
No no no no no.
Stop that thought right there.
That one and this one.
Just what, on earth, was happening to me?!
I shook my head to renew my thoughts. I approached Kacchan and unceremoniously threw the towel on his head. Then I put my hands on it and proceeded to rub off the water off his blond hair.
"Kacchan, I know you're not the most diligent person in the world but could you, at least, dry your hair properly. You'll get sick." I reprimanded.
"I don't get sick, Deku."
"Now, that's bad."
"Ha?"
"You'll be the shining example or, in this case, exploding example of that saying, you know."
"What saying?"
"Oh, you know… that certain saying about colds and idio- Ouch! Kacchan, that hurts!" I swear my cheeks almost fell off before I managed to pry off his fingers. Really. He has no mercy. Towards anybody. Including me, apparently. Especially me.
"Geez. You need to be gentler with ladies, Kacchan."
"Lady? Where? I don't fucking see one here."
"You're so mean, Kacchan." I glared. "With that attitude, you'll never find a wi-"
Kacchan froze.
I froze.
Damn.
We were so not supposed to talk about that. That incident earlier was still rather fresh.
I continued to massage Kacchan's hair and the pregnant silence was getting so uncomfortable until…
"So what do you want to ask about, Deku?"
I hesitated for a bit. It was a rather sensitive topic. "I want to ask something about your mother, about Lady Mitsuki, Kacchan." I blurted out. "I'm sorry-"
"Spit it out, Deku. I don't mind talking about the old hag and I might just forget about her if someone doesn't talk about her soon. That old hag will be rolling in her grave if that happens." Kacchan turned upwards and leveled his gaze to my own. "And I know you're not stupid enough to ask about her death, Deku."
I nodded. Alright, here it goes.
Let the truth set me free and hope it doesn't kill me.
"Kacchan, do you remember if your mother often wrote letters to some friends of hers' maybe?"
Kacchan turned his eyes back to the fire seemingly trying to recall something. "Yeah, she did. Now, that I actually think about it. I think that hag must have written letters to that old man too. And I guess she wrote some shit to some friends of hers too."
I paused for a bit and then continued.
"Who were those friends, Kacchan? Did you know?"
"An ice cube and another woman."
"Ice cube?" Didn't Papa call Auntie Rei 'Ice Cube' sometimes?
"I poked my nose into some of the letters because I was fucking curious and I saw one letter with a 'Dear Ice Cube' as a greeting." Kacchan continued. "The other woman had a weird-ass name though. I think it was Inki? Inko? Yeah, I think that's it. Inko's the name."
My breath felt short and my heartbeat went fast. "Did she tell you something about them? Did she tell you how she met them?"
"Yeah, that hag did. She caught me poking my nose on her letters so after a shitty lecture of not reading her letters, she told about them. She said she met them at some shitty school in Yuuei. The ice cube had a son my age and that Inko woman had a green-haired daughter younger than-" Kacchan stopped. "Oi, Deku, why are you stopping? If you're done, then take that fucking towel off my head. Deku?"
The next moments were hazy. I froze. My hands won't move. Then the bucketload of emotions struck my head and mowed its way towards my heart.
At first, it was disbelief.
"They're a year older than you, Izuku. Rei had Shouto-kun and Mitsuki had Katsuki-kun."
No way. Because, I mean, what were the chances? What were the chances of unknowingly crossing paths with him in this huge continent and the crazy amount of people that live in it?
It was in unbelievable.
Next was frustration.
"Before we state our reasons, we would like to confirm this first. Are you Bakugou Katsuki?"
"I am Kaminari Denki and my partner here is Kirishima Eijiro. We are knights that were sent here to find you."
"We recognized, Kaminari actually, I mean he recognized you. You look a lot like the portraits of your mother, Lady Mitsuki-"
For someone who was praised for a brilliant mind, I've been quite stupid. Why didn't I notice it earlier? Why didn't I realize it sooner?
It was disorienting.
Third was joy.
"What was your full name?"
"Huh?"
"Your name. You never did finish introducing yourself to me."
"It's Bakugou Katsuki."
"Katsuki" I tried saying his name and somehow it gave me strange feeling. "Should I call you by your real name now or-"
No wonder it felt strange.
Dear fate, why, why, of all the people in this world, did it have to be him?
I'm done questioning fate anymore. This time I'm thankful. For all of Kacchan faults and imperfections, I'm actually glad it's him.
It was a delight to meet him.
I pushed away the towel and entangled my hands in his blond locks slightly prodding him to turn his head up. My unbound green hair curtained the sides as I tilted my head down and Kacchan tilted his head up.
I couldn't stop the smile that appeared on my face.
"Would you believe me, if I told you that I've wanted to meet you all my life, Kacchan?"
"What the fuck are you…"
"I'm Aizawa Izuku. I'm the daughter of Aizawa Shouta and Aizawa Inko. I'm a year younger than Shouto and I'm a year younger than Katsuki." My smile widened in glee. "It's nice to finally meet you, Katsuki."
Kacchan's eyes widened. Then his cheeks reddened. "Deku…you…"
I grinned. "It seems that it was really one hell of a coincidence, Kacchan!"
"WHAT THE FUCK, DEKU?!"
"That's my line, Kacchan!"
One second. Just one second and my chin wouldn't have survived that collision.
Who suddenly stands up after that?!
Thank goodness, my instincts of self-preservation kicked in.
I turned my gaze to Kacchan and I found him staring at me. His fist was up his mouth and his face was practically red. I approached him.
"What's gotten into you, Kacchan?"
He stepped back.
"Kacchan?" I stepped forward.
He stepped back.
"What's gotten you so flustered, Kacchan?"
No answer.
"Katsuki?"
"DON'T FUCKING CALL ME THAT, DEKU!"
Now, he answers. Wait. Did he actually look redder than before? Was he actually getting sick?
"It's your name. Why can't I call you that?"
"Just don't fucking do it, Deku!"
And now, he turned his back on me. Nice. He's absolutely avoiding to look at me.
What did I do now?
I crossed my arms and frowned. "And now, you're just being unreasonable."
Then he mumbled something softly that I almost didn't catch it. "That goddamn old hag…" He said.
I blinked. His mother? Did his mother do something?
"Kacchan?"
No answer.
He's probably gonna be like this for the rest of the night. I guess he wants to be left alone now. However, I do have one more thing to say to him.
I slowly reached for his hand. For a moment, there was a vision of a hand I couldn't reach. Then my hands felt flesh. Kacchan was here even if Shoucchan was not.
Kacchan stilled but he did not swat my hand away so I took the courage to properly hold his hand and squeezed it.
"I'm glad you're Katsuki, Kacchan."
I felt Kacchan tense up. I was about to let go when his hand squeezed mine back. He did not let me go. I smiled. It seems I wasn't the only one who was glad.
Then I turned my gaze to the thousands of twinkling stars above. It was a funny thing. Fate. Did it have me meet Kacchan because I lost Shoucchan that night?
But Kacchan's no replacement and Shoucchan's irreplaceable
Shoucchan was Shouto.
Kacchan was Katsuki.
Dear fate, would it be too much to ask to have them both next to me?
(A few miles away. A certain town in Yuusari. In a certain tavern. On a certain night.)
"-you listening? Are you listening, Todoroki? Shouto? Todoroki Shouto!"
A rather peculiar young man snapped out of his trance as his friend's voice finally reached him.
"What is it, Iida?"
His friend looked a bit miffed to know that he wasn't listening at all.
His friend, Iida sighed and retold his tale in defeat. "I know we should be heading Yamanashi as soon as possible but I've been hearing bad rumors about a town terrorized by a group of rogue mercenaries. They said they've been 'ruling' the town under the guise of protection against bandits."
"What about the Marques in the area?"
"It's that town near the border. That little town near Kirin Mountain. That mountain is home to ruthless and vicious bandits. No Marques holds power there. I'd like us to stop by there to see if we could help the town. That town is still part of Yuusari. It falls to the Iida House as the leader of the Yuusari League of Territories to protect it."
"It's your call, Iida." Shouto said simply.
Iida sighed again. "You've been thinking about her again."
It wasn't a question. It was a statement. Not that he could deny it.
Shouto lowered his gaze in his cup. The water reflected his reflection perfectly: his red-white hair, his heterochromatic eyes and the burn scar on the right side of his face.
She never did see his scar.
Not that it'll actually matter.
She'll never see him again no matter how much his heart longed to see her smile again.
(On another part of the world. Yuuei. Aizawa Manor. Aizawa Shouta's office. The following day. Mid-morning)
Kan Sekijiro, also known by the alias of Vlad King due to his quirk, was one of the noble lords of Yuuei and he was also an occasional guest in Aizawa Shouta's office. Their houses had close ties with each other and that's cemented by a few business ventures that their families had engaged together over the years. And Nishiya Shinji, also known as Kamui Woods, was also another noble lord who was recently let into the partnership. The three of them usually meet up into one of their residences to talk about business and examine the reports once in a while.
For the past hour, the three of them, including the current Lord Aizawa, have been poring over the reports, examining problems, coming up with solutions and talking about business altogether. In fact, they were almost done and Sekijiro will be free for the morning and the rest of the afternoon. Just one last spurt.
Suddenly, Sekijiro heard taps from the window. He looked up to see what it was about and saw that it was messenger bird with a letter attached to it. Sekijiro was quite familiar with that kind of bird since he also used the postal services of Kouda clan. The bird seemed to be an endemic bird from Seiryuu if he wasn't mistaken. Sekijiro glanced at Nishiya but it seems that the man was too engrossed on a certain document.
It wasn't really any of his business to know about Aizawa's postal correspondences but one couldn't really erase the certain curiosity that all humans have. Sekijiro may have been accused of being a vampire for a few times before but he's definitely and absolutely human. And so Sekijiro finds a random document and pretends to read it while sneaking discreet glances at his colleague.
Sekijiro observed that Aizawa had already taken the envelope off the bird and was now reading the back of the envelope probably to know who the sender was. He saw the man's eyes widen slightly before discreetly opening the envelope and putting its contents above the documents he was supposed to be reading. Sekijiro raised an eyebrow.
Now, Kan Sekijiro and Aizawa Shouto may be called friends by some outsider's eye but it wasn't really like that. The two of them just happened to have grown up with together with their families and all. They may be civil and a bit friendly with each other but they mostly treat each other professionally. However, it still can't stop Sekijiro from picking up a few things about the stoic head of the Aizawa House.
One of these things was that Aizawa Shouta was a serious man and therefore acted professionally and so therefore, he wasn't really one to sneak reading some letter over actual work. But Sekijiro also knew there were some exceptions. One was an urgent letter but Sekijiro crossed that out. If it was an urgent letter then Aizawa wouldn't bother being sneaky and discreet. Another exception was if the letter was from his wife and Sekijiro had seen the sweet Lady Aizawa about an hour ago so that was out. That leaves the third exception and probably the most probable one of all. The letter was from his undeniably charming daughter Aizawa Izuku. Sekijiro had known that the not-so-little-now Aizawa had been travelling the continent for a few months to complete her training and it was secretly-not-so-secret that Aizawa Shouta was a doting father.
Sekijiro continued to observe the man and he noticed how the man slumped into his chair and relaxed so the youngest Aizawa must be safe and well. Then Sekijiro noticed a slight frown forming on Aizawa's face and he kept mouthing off some words. Something must have happened and so Sekijiro tried his best to utilize his lip reading skills. Sekijiro caught the words someone, Hosu, knights and Yamanashi. Aizawa's frown deepened. That was not a good sign. Then the Aizawa relaxed again so things seem to be fine again. Then Sekijiro saw the man's eyebrow twitch and he seemed to be annoyed at something too. The young Izuku must have mentioned the King All Might. Sekijiro doesn't exactly know why but Aizawa tends to get a bit annoyed at the fact that All Might dotes on the green-haired young lady and that the said young lady happily accepts it. It must have been a little bout of parental jealousy, Sekijiro concluded. Then Sekijiro saw Aizawa almost slip into a smile. Izuku must have been showing her affections in the letter then.
Sekijiro concluded then that maybe he should stop spying and start working until he felt something deadly in the air.
Then Sekijiro heard papers falling and he turned to see Nishiya abruptly standing up looking cautiously and nervously at something. Sekijiro followed his gaze and he saw a rather horrifying sight.
Aizawa's slightly happy expression had turned downright demonic. The malicious aura slipping from the raven-haired man was no joke and the raw bloodlust in the air was practically overwhelming that it could possibly choke someone.
Sekijiro stood up and gulped.
Fuck. Since Sekijiro knew that Izuku was safe and well, he concluded that there was one possible reason that triggered this disaster. Aizawa Izuku must have met a boy or worse, an actual suitor.
Double fuck because while the young lady was absolutely charming, one should never forget the overprotective red-eyed demon she had for a father.
Triple fuck because Aizawa Shouta obviously had homicidal tendencies rumored to cremate suitors alive and use betrothal contracts as firewood.
And they are so fucked if they don't get out of the room ASAP.
Sekijiro caught Nishiya's eye and they both nodded.
1, 2, 3!
They got out of the office in record time and shut the doors behind them. Sekijiro secured the hinges of the door with his blood-controlling quirk and Nishiya used his wood arm to secure the door. Sekijiro sighed in relief. He truly believed that the barricade could at least last long enough to call over the Lady Aizawa to calm her husband down. That is until…
"Hey, Vlad?"
"Yeah? What?"
"Wasn't there a large window in the office?
"Oh shit."
Make that quadruple fucks. And actually make that infinite when heads starts rolling.
(To be continued)
OMAKE
(8 years old Bakugou Katsuki. 9 years ago. Seiryuu. Bakugou clan settlement)
"Oi! Come over here for a sec, you fucking brat!"
Katsuki grumbled as he heard his mother's call. He wanted to go play outside already but he knew she'll nag so he comes to her grudgingly.
"What the fuck is it, old hag?"
SMACK! Katsuki clutched his head. Why did his mother have to be so fucking violent?
"You ungrateful spawn, is that the way you talk to your mother?" Katsuki just glared and he saw his mother raise an eyebrow. "Anyway, there's something I'd like to show you, brat. Actually be thankful I'm even actually showing it to you."
"Well…" Katsuki stretched out his hand.
"Stop being so goddamn rude!" His mother yelled.
"I thought you fucking wanted to show me something!" He yelled back.
They glared at each other until his mother conceded.
"Right… well… remember the friends I told you about?"
"You mean your imaginary friends?"
SMACK! Fuck, she hit the same spot!
"They're fucking real, you brat!"
"So?"
"Here." His mother urged his to take a paper off her hand. "Inko sent me a picture of her daughter. The little thing is absolutely the cutest little girl I've ever seen."
Katsuki took the paper on his hands. It was a drawing of a little girl about his age. It was a smiling green haired girl sitting and holding some flowers in a flowery field. Katsuki's eyes widened. The girls he knew were whiny and crybabies but the girl in the drawing was pretty and cute. The green haired little girl was breathtaking.
"Oi, brat, got a crush on her already?" His old hag of a mother smirked.
Katsuki felt a shitty warmth creep up to his cheeks.
"I fucking don't!" Katsuki vehemently denied. No fucking way. He was not that mushy.
The bog-hag snickered. "Your face says otherwise."
Katsuki reddened even more. "Can it, old hag!"
SMACK! Fuck! That was the third time in a row!
"Don't fucking talk to me that way, you brat!"
Well, so what if he found the girl cute? So what if he also found her pretty? So what if he thinks she's breathtaking? And so what if he thinks she was like those goddesses that the elder tells in his stories? So what? He was not having a fucking crush on her. He was not fucking mushy even if looking at the girl in the picture makes his stomach feels a little bit mushy. So, no, he doesn't have a crush on her. No fucking way.
To tell you guys the truth, this chapter was supposed to be a short interlude and a break of the fighting and the action. It was meant to show Izuku's interactions with the rest of the group and to strengthen that bonds and maybe reveal some things here and there but then it turned into something else when I started writing. I really had no idea how it got so long this time but I guess it did cover the objectives. The action and the fighting will be back next chapter.
And I'd like to clear something up. The OMAKE(s) at the end of every chapter are PART AND INCLUDED IN THE STORY. They could be letters or short scenes but consider them as something that actually existed and happened in the story. If we compare a chapter to an anime episode, the entries or flashbacks at the beginning of the chapter are scenes before the opening song and the omakes at the end are short clips that sometimes follow after the ending song. I'm sorry if it actually caused confusion. I didn't realize it until a Guest reviewed about it.
To the Guest who reviewed, whoever you are, you have my sincerest thanks for pointing it out. :)
And I give a YES to Harunnah's question in her review. The 'him' in the last chapter was Shouto. I guess the hint turned out to be more vague than I expected.
I really, really enjoyed reading your positive reviews guys! Thanks a lot! They are great motivation for me!
And again, I give a big thank you to the users who put this fic in their favorite list and and the followers. It honestly surprised me when I saw that I hit a hundred of follows. It was a very pleasant surprise though. Arigatou!
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