Musutafu, Japan
Bakugo Residence
"Okay, you two. Who started it?!"
Mom stood in front of the sofa, her gaze shooting furious daggers at us. We sat on that sofa, minor bruises on our clothes and skin. Hours ago, while Mom and Dad went out to shop for groceries, I cleaned the living room. Things were spic and span until Asano—being the lazy drama queen—left potato chip crumbs on the carpet floor.
"Hey, I just vacuumed that spot!" I turned off the vacuum and stared at Asano, who shrugged her shoulders.
"It's not my problem, Explosion Boy. You clean that up." Her smile irritated me to a breaking point.
Ever since we were born, we'd never got along. Asano would one-up me, which doesn't work, because of her attitude. Our usual gag was verbal taunts before fists started flying. Now that we have quirks, our fights damaged the house's interiors or exteriors, depending on where we were.
I cleaned the spots Asano left those crumbs and continued my spring cleaning. However, Asano lounged on the sofa, still eating snacks and watching her fashionista show. After all that talk about her beauty, gorging on pretzels and fruit snacks was acceptable. To her, I mean. "What are you looking at? Done cleaning?"
I smirked and crossed my arms, ready to get some payback. "You know, you've been gloating about your womanly body, yet you're still eating. Aren't you worried about getting love handles?"
Asano's cheeks grew rosy. "What was that!? Are you saying I'm fat!?" She stood up, the pretzels she held dropped to the floor.
The same floor I just vacuumed minutes ago!
"Aw, come on! This time, you're cleaning that up! I'm not gonna pick up your messes!" My hands shook, palms growing moist and hot.
"First, take back what you say. Then, I'll consider."
We taunted each other for three minutes, then fought for ten, and ended it when Dad and Mom returned. I knew Mom warned us several times not to fight in the house, but as siblings, we can't keep promises. She at least gave us another warning before forcing us to reorganize the living room. "If this happens again, you're grounded for a month!" was Mom's last words, as we replaced the burnt curtains with fresh ones.
Two Days Later
There's three weeks until middle school begins. I couldn't find any activities to enjoy, so I'd talked to Izuku. Unfortunately, he had nothing too important to do. "Just studying for middle school, Kacchan. Sorry." I accepted the apology, hung up, and left my bedroom. It was about time I got a workout in.
I stepped onto the grassy ground, the sunlight hit my face. September was rolling in, but today still felt like August. The weather can be confusing at times, but I'll accept any day, unless it's under 40 degrees. Winter is a pain in the ass, especially with my explosion quirk. Freezing temperatures freeze the sweat from my palms, meaning I won't ignite explosions as quick as I usually do. A few minutes of standard workout exercises, I wiped sweat off my face and neck.
My eyes caught a small bundle of mushrooms near the fence's corner. "When did these mushrooms come from?" I walked towards them, eyebrow furrowed and curiosity becoming interested. During our fifth-grade science activity, the teacher mentioned mushrooms carrying chemical compounds which could spell disastrous outcomes. It depended on the mushroom's appearance and size of their tops. For instance, the blue tops with white specks had psychedelic symptoms.
"Hey, dumbass!" Asano barged onto the yard, water bottle in one hand and the other gripping the doorknob.
"One, don't call me that. Two, have you seen the mushrooms?" I pointed at the mushrooms to Asano, who titled her head.
Oh, I should have told her. Her smirk showed a devilish plan brewing.
"Why, yes, I have seen those shitters. Mom told us not to pick them, because they'll upset our stomachs or whatnot."
She trudged up and shoved me away. I regained balance, but shot a frustrated gaze at her. "Whatever you're thinking, no. We don't know what those mushrooms will do to us." Asano plucked one huge mushroom from its steam, its top almost looked like a weird marshmallow. "How about we test it? What you did to me two days ago can't be forgotten. If you take a bite off this mushroom's top, I'll clean up after myself. For five weeks."
Was she serious? There was no way I'll chew a mushroom, which may or may not kill me. "I'm warning you, Asano. Stay back!" I extended my hands out, sparkles bursting near my palms. "Hmph, those fireworks don't affect me, Explosion Boy." She moved closer, that smirk spreading wider as she leaned forward with the mushroom. Gah, I can't fight her! Mom and Dad are in the bedroom, talking with the principal at Aldera Junior High. With a swift thrust, Asano pounced on me. We fell on the ground and Asano pried my jaw loose. "Bottoms up!"
She shoved the mushroom top down my throat. It's rough texture made me want to gag the thing out, but it slid down my throat. My tongue picked up its bitter but sour taste, which didn't suit well with me. We got up, and I coughed, my throat going dry from that mushroom. "See, it ain't bad." Before leaving, Asano threatened me not to tell Mom or Dad what she did. Not saying a word, I followed Asano into the house. What I didn't predict later was how the mushroom's symptoms would hit.
Three Hours Later
"Agh, when's dinner gonna be ready? My stomach's killing me!" Asano laid on the sofa, still watching TV.
"In a few minutes! Be patient." Mom chopped vegetables and slid them off the cutting board. They plopped into the meat broth we worked all day on.
"Katsuki? What's wrong? Your face's turning red." Dad paused near the doorway to see my weakened state.
I've been experiencing stomach cramps, fatigue, and heat flashes. My breathing felt shallow, almost as if my lungs shrunk and couldn't hold in oxygen. I put the basket full of meat buns on the dining table, hunching forward, hands on my knees. "Aw, is Explosion Boy sick or something? I'd told him to drink more milk, otherwise he'll end up as a midget." Screw her, I'm a growing boy. Even though we're twins, I'm technically taller by a few centimeters.
When Mom and I finished cooking dinner, we sat around the table and ate. Tonight's dinner was beef stew with meat buns and white rice. You could say we're eating too much carbs and protein, but I don't care. More protein meant more muscle growth. Dinner went well, but the heat flashes hit again. This time with more punch. My head felt dizzy and my vision went blurry. "Katsuki? Can you hear me?" My ears stopped working as I couldn't hear what Mom said.
I slumped against the chair while closing my eyes. The heat grew too much for me to handle. My parents's voices were the last noises I heard before blacking out. Oh, why. Why didn't I defend myself? That way, Asano wouldn't have shoved that mushroom down my throat. I would have been fine getting punishing for fighting my sister again, if that meant avoiding sickness. But now, fate intervened, and I clocked out.
"... Ugh, where am I?" As I fluttered my eyes open, my body felt cooler.
Vision returned to normal, but the first scene I saw was a white blanket. Oh, that's right. Dad would cover my face whenever I attracted a fever. The cloth helped me sleep deeper and reduce heat flashes. I removed the cloth off my face, but then I noticed something peculiar. The room looked bigger.
"What's going on?" I scanned the area, unsure what was going on.
Squeaks blared on my right, and the door opened. A green light floated near the door before flying towards me. I scooted away, my mind racing for answers. "Kacchan? You seem better." Wait, that voice. The green light formed into a familiar shape. "Izuku? What are you doing here? Did Mom and Dad tell your mom what happened to me?" He kept the green light's brilliant glow, but his body was skinny, exactly how I remembered him.
"Yes, Mom got a call from your mom, Kacchan. Your fever got worse, so they drove you to the hospital. We followed suit, worried of how you got a fever." Izuku touched his bare feet on the bed. Well, he answered my question, but the bigger question was why everything got bigger. I'd asked him, but what came out of his mouth shocked me. "The room hasn't grown, Kacchan. You'd shrunk. It's complicated, but let me explain."
"Hold on. Me shrinking, you being a personified light, and my fever. Oh, I get it."
"Oh, you already figured it out?" Izuku leaned forward with a puzzled look.
"The mushroom! The psychedelic symptoms must have had kicked in and now I'm experiencing a 'Alice in Wonderland' scenario."
Asano might call me a dumbass, but I'm more self-aware than she thinks. The mushroom she forced down my throat activated the symptoms I've been feeling. The cramps, body temperature rising, and dizziness? I let out a relieved sigh, knowing that nothing bad happened to me. Well, besides when I'll wake up, nothing horrible happened to me. Then, the room rocked, interrupting my peaceful moment. "Oh no, she's coming!" Izuku hid behind me, his knees shivering and face excreting cold sweats.
The door swung open with force and a round figure stood near. "Hey, Deku! Stop occupying with Explosion Boy. He's still sick and he'll spread that crap to you." My chest tightened as the figure entered, revealing itself to be Asano. However, her appearance looked different. She had scales on her skin, her eyes had yellow irises, almost reptilian, and her waist carried more weight. I couldn't help but chuckle out loud at Asano's fictional appearance. Her forcing me to eat that mushroom had its hilarious advantages.
"What are you laughing at, idiot!?" She spat out bits of flames, those eyes squinting in rage.
"Look at you! You're a fat dragon! That's perfect for you!" I fell on the massive bed, clenching my stomach, still laughing like a hyena.
"I'm warning you! I'll end that fever by burning your trap!" She stomped to us, clenched teeth seeping plumes of smoke.
While I continued to laugh, Izuku cowered, his light fading from Asano's enraged sight. Just as she opened her mouth to breathe streaks of flames, our parents came. "Asano! Wait outside!" Mom and Dad were giants compared to me, Izuku and Asano. With them was a doctor, who had a magnifying glass for a head. Their shadow engulfed the surface. "Hmph, fine. Just don't get sick!" Asano marched out with an agitated sigh.
The doctor smiled at me, as he held his supplies. "Katsuki? I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear?" Seeing the doctor must have been Izuku's cue to leave. Once he exited the room, the doctor announced the good news first. "A wild mushroom from your house's backyard caused the fever. Those symptoms you caught were minor and not severe. But…" He paused and walked to the counter. "It could last for two weeks. Longer even."
I became stunned by the doctor's words. I can't have this fever during my first day of middle school. There has to be medicine for this! Luckily, the doctor pulled out a syringe. "Glad I have medicine for these type of psychedelic cases. You'll be better overnight, so it's best to stay here." The doctor stood beside the bed, ready to inject the medicine into my bloodstream, but a thunderous voice interrupted him.
"This is an emergency!" A boot knocked the door open, as a familiar hero entered.
"Uh, I'm sorry, but this boy needs a shot for his fever." The doctor placed the needle close to me. I was around its size.
"Can that boy wait? My son needs medical help."
"Look here, buddy! My son has a fever. You can't barge in like that and propose the doctor to cure your son over our son!" Mom's booming voice directed itself at Endeavor, the number two hero in Japan.
"Mitsuki, please calm down. Let's negotiate." Like always, Dad talked Mom into backing down from an argument.
Endeavor laid his son next to me before intimidating the doctor into giving him the medicine. He was off duty, so he wore casual clothes, but the fiery beard still made him off-putting. Why does he do that? "I'm sorry, but I only have one syringe for Katsuki Bakugo. Perhaps buy some prescription medicine for a nearby pharmacy and—" Endeavor's serious expression scrunched upon hearing the doctor's suggestion.
"I won't repeat myself. Give my son the shot, or I'll—" He lifted the doctor's collar, his fiery beard fuming. The scene intensified, as we stood frozen. "Um…" Endeavor's son, Shoto, tossed his head from side to side. He sat up, rubbed his head, and noticed me. "Bakugo? Why are you doing here?" I'd explained what happened. He lowered his head, facing the tiled floor. "Mom and Aunt Miya tried to persuade Dad to buy medicine, but he thought a hospital had stronger medicine. He ignored them and dragged me here."
Now that explained why. I patted Shoto's back, yet it felt hot and sticky. Another doctor, who overheard the conversation next door, stepped in, holding a syringe. "Sir, I have a second syringe. I can cure your son." She asked Endeavor to let go of the doctor and carry Shoto to her room. He understood and dropped the doctor. "Thank you, ma'am." He carried Shoto off the bed and left the room without saying a word. Just a groan.
"Alright, let's inject the medicine." The doctor picked up the needle and positioned it over my right bicep.
'Man, the needle's longer than my arm. I wonder how painful the injection will be,' I thought.
It wasn't too painful, but a pang of muscle spasm spread under my skin. The doctor yanked the needle out and threw it in the hazardous bin. Suddenly, I'd felt my skin getting warmer. My vision became clearer. The room shrunk as my body grew taller. A thirty-second flash of light and everything returned to normal. I'd felt dizzy for a moment, but returned to normal soon. "Mr. and Mrs. Bakugo, your son must stay in the hospital until further notice." He and Dad left the room, which gave me the opportunity to ask Mom this.
"Asano did it. She shoved the mushroom's top into my throat a few hours ago and threatened me to keep it a secret." I folded my arms over my waist.
"Oh, did she? Thanks for the info, Katsuki. Take care. Dad will pick you up tomorrow morning."
She left the room, allowing me time and space to relax. Throughout the night, I'd been thinking of what the mushroom showed me. Izuku being a personified light, Asano turning into a fat dragon—still hilarious—and Shoto ending up doll-shaped. What did that trippy dream show me? I'm not sure yet, but maybe school will answer my questions.
The Next Day
As promised, Dad picked me up from the hospital and drove us back home. "If you're wondering about Asano, she's grounded for drugging you." Three weeks was her punishment, and that ruined her chance of watching that fashionista show she loved so much. She deserved it, but I don't believe she'll change. "Hey, what happened to Shoto and his dad?"
Dad said Shoto and his father left the hospital a few minutes before he arrived. "The doctor, the same one who helped Endeavor last night, said Shoto's fever wasn't as severe as yours. It came from over exhaustion." Oh, it was coming around. I've heard Shoto mention how his father trained him to the bone. I guessed one day broke the camel's back. "Thanks, Dad. I just wanted to know how Shoto's doing." We might not go to the same middle school, but we'll keep in touch. I hope Aldera Junior High doesn't embarrass me.