From the moment Katsuki looked into her eyes and declared his love for her, not caring about the dozens of audience members watching them, Kuri knew it was too good to be true. Nothing had ever gone so well in her life—at least not with some disaster to follow. Of course, there was a catch if she had finally found someone she deeply cared for. It was inevitable that things would fall apart.
So, what would it be: California or Katsuki?
That thought sent Kuri over the edge.
Her eyes were locked onto Katsuki's face, tears streaming down her cheeks as she pleaded with herself to come up with an answer to that question. Katsuki stared back at her with a concerned expression.
Kuri's hands shook as she reached an unsatisfying conclusion: she had no idea who to choose. Should she leave behind her family or her boyfriend? Who would be more upset? Would Kuri hurt more if she left one rather than the other?
Kuri closed her eyes as a sob escaped her throat. She didn't want to abandon Katsuki, but considering her parents, that wasn't an option.
Katsuki, not even startled by her emotional display, put an arm around her shoulders and quickly led them to the train station, muttering something about needing to get out of the rain.
Kuri kept her head down for the whole ride home as tears dripped from her face onto her lap, making damp spots on her uniform skirt. Her fingernails dug into the palms of her tightly curled fists. She wished the pain would jolt her out of this waking nightmare.
What was she supposed to do next? How could she go on dating Katsuki now that she remembered everything would be taken away from her in only a year? What route would be the best for her future success—return home or stay with him? Why did she have to make life-determining decisions as a sixteen-year-old?
Kuri was terrified of the future. Always had been. She'd struggled with that feeling since she had the first inkling that hero work wasn't what she wanted to do. Now, as she sat in a quiet train car with only the sound of rain rushing from the sky, Kuri feared for the outcome of her relationship with Katsuki. Would they power through this immense roadblock? Or would they crash and burn?
Kuri heard a sniffle, but not from her own nose. She tilted her head slightly to glance at Katsuki sitting beside her. His sharp eyes glistened with tears that he was barely holding back.
Kuri unclenched her fists and placed a hand on his knee without a word. Katsuki stiffened for a second, surprised, before sliding his hand under Kuri's and giving it a squeeze. They stayed that way for the rest of the trip home.
The rain took a while to clear, with the pouring finally slowing to a drizzle by the time they reached UA and the drizzle stopping entirely once they got to the door of the dorm building.
They rushed through the common area toward the elevator, their heads bowed and only a wave to greet the classmates who welcomed them back. The mercifully unoccupied elevator took them to the fourth floor in a few seconds, and soon enough, they were standing side by side in the hall, still tightly holding hands.
Kuri made a wet sniffling noise as she took a deep breath to calm herself. She turned to face Katsuki, prompting him to look at her instead of into the middle distance. His eyes were puffy, and his cheeks looked sticky from tears—a sight that Katsuki likely saw reflected on Kuri's face. Neither of them could muster a smile.
"Do you want a tissue?" Kuri asked, her voice a raspy whisper. She cleared her throat. "Because I think we both could use one right now."
Katsuki breathed a quiet sigh and nodded solemnly. Kuri took them to her room and let Katsuki settle down at her little table where the tissues were while she put down her bag and coat. She joined him within a few moments and wiped her face.
For a few minutes, they refrained from speaking—the silence itself said loud and clear that they were distraught. Kuri carefully considered her next move, weighing her few options.
One: after graduation, she could return to California and lose touch with Katsuki over time, her relationship with him becoming nothing more than a trivial high school romance. Two: she could convince Katsuki to move to California and abandon his family and friends. Three: she could instead stay in Japan with Katsuki and build her life up from the ground without her family to directly depend upon.
Kuri couldn't imagine leaving Katsuki, nor could she bear to ask him to leave everything he knew in Japan. Returning home seemed the safer and only realistic choice. Even though Kuri loved Katsuki more than anything and she wanted to stay with him, her parents would not care. They needed her back home so she could take over her family's hero agency; they would never permit her to immigrate to Japan just for some boy. Abandoning her parents would be really mean and selfish.
But do I really give a fuck about them?
Kuri startled herself with that thought. Of course, she cared about her family—they supported her through thick and thin! At least they provided for her physical needs. And they were nice to her. Well, Dada was nice to her. Mama and Mayu had a penchant for abrasive comments and standoffishness. And they were the ones who had pressured her for years into this stupid job that had her chasing people in the pouring rain.
Do I even like my family…?
Kuri became transfixed by the wood grain of her table, her body tense from her whirlwind thought process. She peeked at Katsuki, who seemed resigned to fate already. Kuri furrowed her brow as she stared at her boyfriend, his pretty face twisted into a frown. He glanced at Kuri, catching her stare and sighing deeply.
"I'm sorry for telling you my feelings," Katsuki mumbled, crossing his arms and resting them on the table. He kept his gaze down, sorrow and exhaustion obviously weighing heavily on him. "It's only made things difficult for you."
Kuri blinked at his statement, taken aback by the notion that dating him was burdensome. If anything, her family was the one getting in the way. Though it had slipped to the back of her mind while she was distracted by the dazzling experience of a new relationship, Kuri had always known she would one day return to California. It shouldn't have caught her by surprise; she was acutely aware the whole year she spent crushing on Katsuki that her feelings would never come to fruition because she had to go home. However, without her realizing it, Kuri had pushed that truth aside to pursue this relationship because, despite her better judgment, it felt right to be together.
"You shouldn't be sorry. I chose to date you," Kuri said, reaching over to pat Katsuki's arm. She let her hand rest there as she tried to convey her sincerest sentiment. "I love you, and we're gonna get through this, okay?"
Katsuki finally looked back at her, but he didn't seem relieved. He bit back a quivering lip and stared at Kuri with pleading eyes.
"How? How are we gonna get through?" Katsuki asked, his voice so pained it nearly sounded like a sob.
Kuri glanced away and chewed her lip, trying to be strong and clever and come up with an answer. Even if she couldn't console herself, she wanted to reassure Katsuki.
Perhaps she really could move to Japan? It's not like she had much to look forward to back home besides a sucky job and her nagging family. Sure, there would be some things she'd lose, like old friends, but moving didn't mean she couldn't visit them.
Well, even if Kuri decided to move, her parents would still be in her way…
"Ugh, I don't know," Kuri groaned, throwing her head back in anguish. After a second, she snapped back upright and squeezed out a smile that she hoped Katsuki found encouraging and hopeful. "But we're gonna figure something out! Let's continue this conversation later because I need to shower all this rainwater off."
Kuri rose from her seat, and Katsuki followed suit, gathering his little tissue pile and disposing of it before he went to the door. She stood with a hand on the doorknob, ready to see him out, then Kuri noticed Katsuki's face was still torn.
"Bye, Kuri," he muttered and nodded toward the door. Katsuki seemed so disappointed, and Kuri wondered if he, too, felt like this moment was a premonition of the goodbye they'd face in a year. She couldn't let him go like this.
Instead of opening the door, Kuri released her hand from the doorknob and wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's waist, hugging him tightly. Katsuki readily returned her embrace.
"I promise not to leave you," Kuri whispered. She gripped the back of his shirt as she tried to stop from crying again. Katsuki's hold on her felt just as desperate.
"I won't leave you either, Bunny," he said.
Finally, something either of them said felt like the pure, unshakable truth.
After a few seconds, they pulled apart, and Katsuki kissed her on the cheek before opening the door.
"Bye, Katsuki," Kuri said, able to smile for real this time. He smiled back.
"See you at dinner."
Two months passed in a blur. Their last term as second-years quietly concluded, though their practical exam for the final was a pain in the ass, and Katsuki and his classmates quickly moved up to Class 3-A.
Third-years… Only a year left until Katsuki was out of this joint. Only a year left until he and Kuri faced the decision of a lifetime.
Not that they'd discussed the issue any further. You see, although Katsuki had brought it up in mid-February, and they were already a week into their senior year, neither Kuri nor Katsuki had continued their conversation about what to do once Kuri had to leave. In the several weeks following that torrential day, he and Kuri had tiptoed around the topic whenever they talked. He never felt comfortable bringing it up and ruining the mood, but Katsuki wished they would brainstorm ways to stay together post-graduation. So far, it seemed there was only one extreme alternative to ending their relationship: moving.
Katsuki understood why they had put a pin in that issue, given they were both inexperienced teenagers just trying to make things work. He didn't think the two of them were at a point where they could make such major decisions on each other's behalf. He loved Kuri and wanted to stay with her forever, but was that a realistic thing to wish for?
After all, it was his eighteenth birthday. Now, he had to act his age and make adult decisions, which felt weird, but it was still a reality he needed to face.
If only the progression of time would slow, so he could stay in this moment: staring into the camera lens of Deku's phone as he photographed everyone around a cluster of tables with a cake laid out, candles burning on top, and Kuri standing behind him and hugging his shoulders. Everything felt right for that second. No future to worry about—just the comfortable feeling of the present.
The shutter clicked, and everyone focused their attention back on Katsuki. His classmates loudly sang to him while Katsuki sat there, indifferent, and when they were finally done, he blew out the candles on his cake. Katsuki's classmates took the extinguished flames as a cue to pick up their separate conversations while they waited for someone to divvy up the dessert.
Kuri decided to be that person, so she stopped lingering by Katsuki's side and went to cut the cake.
While she was gone, Deku passed by with a mischievous grin and flashed the group picture in front of Katsuki's face.
"Your mom is gonna love this!" Deku proclaimed before turning and leaving to fiddle with his phone. Katsuki didn't like what Deku was suggesting, but he didn't have a chance to intervene because Kuri suddenly appeared beside him, sporting a playful smile and holding a plate of cake.
"How's it feel to be eighteen, birthday boy?"
"Feels old."
"Hopefully not too old for me," Kuri laughed, leaning an elbow on the back of his chair. "It still feels strange to think I'm dating an adult."
"You're making me sound like a creep," Katsuki complained. "We're only a year and a half apart in age…"
"Sorry for teasing, Katsuki," Kuri giggled. She placed the piece of sliced cake on the table in front of him. "Here, have some. We worked really hard to make it!"
Katsuki took hold of his fork and broke off a corner of the slice. Kuri watched him with eager anticipation as he took his first bite. He'd expected a blast of sugar, but the flavor was pleasantly mild.
"It's good," he said simply. Kuri grinned at his approval.
"I'm glad you like it," she said, then leaned down to whisper in his ear. "I made sure we chose a less sweet recipe for you."
Katsuki glanced up at her in surprise, admittedly dumbfounded that she would be so thoughtful. Sure, he was her boyfriend, so Kuri should remember things about him, but it still made him feel warm to know that she cared enough to cater to his tastes.
"Thanks, Bunny," he chuckled. "It's perfect. Just like you."
"Oh, stop, just eat your cake," Kuri laughed, her cheeks reddening ever-so-slightly. "I'll be back in a bit!"
While Kuri was off distributing cake, Katsuki sat and listened to his friend's conversations, joining in now and then. He kept his eye on Kuri, longing for her to finish up and return so they could continue chatting.
How was it that only one of three of the party planners was working? Deku took a picture and dipped, and Eijirou was chatting up a storm with Mina and Katsuki. To be fair, Eijirou was providing Katsuki entertainment (and preventing him from going to Kuri…), but where the fuck was Deku?
Katsuki scanned the room and spotted the inconsiderate idiot off in a corner, typing on his phone. He scoffed at Deku's failure to help Kuri and pulled out his own phone to send Deku a threatening text.
Just as Katsuki unlocked his phone, Deku turned his off and began walking toward the array of cake slices Kuri had laid out.
Before Katsuki had a chance to glare at Deku, he saw a notification pop up on his phone and glanced down.
His mom had sent a text.
As soon as Katsuki saw the preview of it, his stomach filled with dread.
"Hey, Izuku sent me a photo…"
A wave of negative emotions—mostly terror and fury—washed over Katsuki.
God fucking damn it, Deku! Why do you even have my mom's number?!
He hesitated before opening up the message to read it in its entirety.
"Hey, Izuku sent me a photo from your party. I'm glad you're having fun with your friends. Who's that in the picture next to you?"
Attached to her message, she'd sent a zoomed-in version of their group photo, cropped to only show Katsuki and Kuri clinging onto him.
Shit…
Katsuki sighed through his teeth and typed out a coy response.
"Don't you know Kuri? You saw her during last year's sports festival. Plus, we both work at Endeavor's."
Katsuki waited for his mom's reply, nervously chewing on his lip as he watched her type.
"You two seem quite close."
Katsuki's eyes bored into his phone screen, the words lighting a fuse in his brain to a bomb that would go off in Deku's face. That little bitch was so dead…
Katsuki had spent months hiding his relationship from his parents—which wasn't difficult since they lived apart—only for them to find out through a fucking text from Deku.
Wait, they hadn't found out yet; Katsuki could still salvage this if he thought of a good excuse. But what could he even say? That Kuri was a friend trying to bother him? Katsuki looked at his face in the picture. Never mind, he'd never be able to pass that smile off as "annoyed."
Katsuki sat still, his fingers poised above the keyboard as he considered what to say. His only reason for hesitating to tell his parents about Kuri was that he knew they would be annoying. There was no doubt in his mind that they'd love her as much as he did, but Katsuki could already picture the nightmare of introducing Kuri to his parents. His mom would do everything within her power to expose and embarrass him, and his dad would follow along.
Katsuki glanced up from his phone and spotted Kuri animatedly conversing with Deku. Her bright laugh drifted toward him from across the room, and somehow seeing her smile struck a chord with Katsuki.
If his parents would love Kuri, what reason was there to stall? Katsuki clenched his jaw and set his eyes back on his phone. Fuck whatever his mom tried to embarrass him with, Katsuki needed to let his parents meet the love of his life.
His fingers flew over the keyboard as he typed a gutsy reply. It took everything within him to hit send.
"That's because we're dating."
Katsuki didn't want to look at his phone after sending that message, so he placed it back in his pocket and scarfed down the rest of his cake. Only after he finished eating did he check for his mom's response.
She'd sent two messages with a short gap in between them.
"You're joking, right?"
And then, a minute later…
"I asked Izuku because I knew you wouldn't answer me, and he told me you two have been dating for some time. We're so happy for you!"
Deku was such a snitch…
Katsuki shot off a succinct reply.
"Thanks, Ma."
His mom sent another message within seconds.
"You should invite Kuri over for dinner tomorrow. Your dad and I want to meet her."
Exactly as Katsuki expected, Kuri was swiftly welcomed into their home and invited to Katsuki's birthday celebration with his parents.
Katsuki frowned at his phone, his resolve suddenly wavering. He had an unexplainable gut aversion to letting Kuri into his home. Maybe his apprehension was because he never had a significant other at his house. Plus, the longer he imagined their conversation over dinner, the more things Katsuki realized his parents might say to tease him. Inviting Kuri over would be a disaster, so maybe he should tell them no—
"What's the grimace about?"
Katsuki turned his head to come face-to-face with Kuri peering over his shoulder. She had a slice of cake for herself, which she placed in front of the empty seat beside Katsuki.
"Oh, you know," Katsuki sighed. "Just Deku being annoying and sending a picture of you hugging me to my mom."
"Why's that bad?" Kuri asked, taking a bite of cake. Katsuki had mentioned in passing that he was hesitant to tell his parents about their relationship, but apparently, Kuri hadn't absorbed that information.
"Because now she knows we're dating," Katsuki said, exasperated.
"Alright," Kuri said nonchalantly. "Should I go meet them?"
"Well, my mom wants you to come to our house for dinner tomorrow. Is that okay…?"
"Sure, I'll go!" Kuri beamed. "I'm excited to see your childhood home."
Katsuki's eyes widened in dismay, confused about why she would want to step into such an unfamiliar and likely stressful situation. His jaw tensed, trying to think of a way to subtly tell her not to come so he could spare himself some embarrassment.
"You don't have to if it's too much trouble," Katsuki blurted. "I can just tell them you're too busy."
"Katsuki, do you not want me to go?" Kuri raised an eyebrow. She chuckled lightly, but her eyes betrayed her true feelings; a twinge of disappointment and hurt shadowed her formerly earnest expression. Guilt hit Katsuki like a baseball bat to the stomach.
"It's just—" Katsuki stammered, watching Kuri's smile fade. He sighed. "I'm sorry, it's not about you. I'm sure my parents are going to embarrass me." He looked down at his lap, ashamed. Kuri didn't make a sound. "It might even be more awkward than the call with your parents."
With that, his girlfriend laughed, and Katsuki's uneasiness settled.
"That would be quite a feat," Kuri said, loosening up. She ate another bite of cake and pondered for a minute before continuing. "I've been worrying about what it'll be like to meet your parents, but I think it's only fair I meet them since you already talked to my family."
"True, though I think that call was harder for you than for me," Katsuki added.
"In any case, I'll go because I feel like it can't be that bad," Kuri shrugged and took another bite.
"Why's that?"
Kuri grinned, a coquettish twinkle in her eye.
"Because you'll be there with me."
