Todoroki-kun to Koi no Yamai

[10]

While Shouto was not the type to actively seek out confrontation, he was also not the type to back down when trapped in a corner. Despite this, he was grateful to be assigned an agreeable partner for the compatibility assignment. It was far more time-efficient to have a partner like Kagome than combative ones like Katsuki or overly lax partners like a few of their classmates.

Once they were given the clear to split off into their pairs, Shouto and Kagome immediately got to work. They began by thoroughly discussing the ins and outs of their quirks. Despite previously having visual demonstrations of each other's abilities in previous training, this would be their first time hearing explanations about them.

"With my wind manipulation quirk, I'm able to convert my breath into winds of different speeds," Kagome explained, holding her pointer finger up as Shouto gripped his chin as he listened. "In my free time, I'm trying to find ways to manipulate the patterns of the wind further."

"I see..." Shouto whispered, his face hardened with speculation. "I imagine that if you were able to master that sort of manipulation, both your combat prowess and utility would drastically increase."

"Yeah, exactly," Kagome nodded in agreement, "I actually inherited my father's quirk, but it didn't manifest until after he—..."

Shouto observed the brief furrowing of her eyebrows as her forehead crinkled. She didn't need to complete her sentence. Anyone who knew who she was the daughter of knew of his fate. He allowed her to take a second to collect herself and switch gears back to her normal disposition.

"Anyway, I never got the chance to learn any tips from him," Kagome stated. "So it's up to me and our mentors here to help me bring out my quirk's full potential."

"If I may," Shouto finally stopped gripping his chin. His arms were straight at his side as he stared down at Kagome. "Because the winds that you produce are created from your breath, then I would imagine that any given use of your quirk is limited to the amount of breath that you can produce at once." He paused for a moment as his eyes evaluated her form once more. "In your case, your petite body likely has smaller lungs and less capacity than your father's."

Kagome almost blushed.

One on hand, Shouto Todoroki made an observation about her body, which means he actually looked at her.

On the other hand, Shouto Todoroki made a very Shouto Todoroki-like statement. It was factual and devoid of any ulterior motives.

Instead of blushing, Kagome giggled a bit, "You're right." She smiled widely as she admitted, "I actually have an aerobics, pilates, and breathing exercise routine that I practice every night before bed."

At first, Kagome didn't know why Shouto's eyebrows rose in response to her admission. But it didn't take long for him to tell her, "To be able to identify a core limitation of one's quirk on your own is quite commendable, Higurashi-san."

Kagome froze.

Her heart felt so light that she could float up to the moon.

But no.

She had to stay on Earth.

"Thank you..." Her voice came out softer than usual. Kagome then pulled some rogue hair behind her ear. Somehow, they escaped her high ponytail and tickled her suddenly hypersensitive skin. She dared to hold Shouto's eyes as she smiled, "So, Todoroki-kun, tell me more about your quirk. I know it's called Half-Hot, Half-Cold, but I've never seen..." The curiosity and enthusiasm in her voice faded when she saw the rare instance of Shouto's expression changing.

"Nor will you ever," his voice was in a heavy, harsh whisper. Shouto's line of sight lowered to meet his newly raised right hand. His palm curled into a tight fist, "I inherited both my mother's ice quirk and my father's fire quirk," Kagome's surprised by these words. It was not the words themselves but the act of Shouto speaking so freely and not masking the malice in his voice. "But I have no use for my father's quirk. I'll become the next number-one hero without it."

Kagome was silent for a moment as she regarded Shouto's icy glare. It was directed to something or someone who wasn't there. It had been almost ten years since they first met. His eyes were different from how they were back then. His gaze was frothier and heavier with pain.

This Shouto Todoroki put a barrier between his heart and the world.

This Shouto Todoroki lost touch with his emotions.

This Shouto Todoroki was inept at making friends.

It was because Shouto Todoroki became the person he was now that Kagome didn't want to leave him alone. She wasn't afraid of who he had become. And she wanted to become someone who could stand by his side. She wanted to become someone who he could rely on.

"Todoroki-kun," Kagome's own voice lowered and softened with the silence between them. Despite her decreased volume, her voice still brought Shouto from his melancholic reverie. "I don't know what happened to you and I won't ask if it's too painful to talk about," She broached delicately before posing a rhetorical question, "But your father's quirk is flame, isn't it?"

Shouto remained wordless as Kagome cocked her neck with a gentle smile, "And Half-Cold and Half-Hot is your quirk, right?" She cupped her hands behind her back, "It's yours and yours alone, Todoroki-kun."

Because of the venom that he previously held in his voice, Kagome expected Shouto to shirk her opinion. He was Shouto Todorki-a student recommended for entry into U.A., just like she was. Talented heroes in the making tended to view her optimism as overly idealistic and childish. Kagome knew that, but it wouldn't stop her from being who she was.

But instead of openly expressing dissent, Shouto's face reflected rumination.

Because of that, Kagome's smile didn't fade.