The soft ticking of the flower-shaped alarm clock on Kuri's nightstand filled the silence once she finished catching Katsuki up on the parts of the argument he missed. Just going off the list in his head, it seemed like only one of their wishes was fulfilled; Kuri couldn't quit or move, but she could get therapy. She also might've screwed up by saying straight to her parents that they didn't care about her. Katsuki wanted to look on the bright side, especially because Kuri couldn't seem to stop crying, but the situation looked pretty fucking dire.
"I don't know what to do anymore," Kuri muttered pitifully, and new tears sprung from her eyes. She leaned against Katsuki and sobbed without holding back, and he kept his arm steadily around her. They stayed like that until Kuri eventually calmed again and she wiped her face using several tissues.
"Feeling any better?" Katsuki asked, though he had a pretty good guess as to her answer.
Kuri responded with a shake of her head and a sigh.
"What else can I say to convince them?" she asked, falling back onto her with a muffled thump. Katsuki followed suit and turned his head toward hers while she stared at the ceiling. Kuri's skin looked dry and irritated from the overuse of tissues, her eyes were red and puffy, and she was the most beautiful person Katsuki had ever seen.
"Would you move without their blessing?" Katsuki asked.
Kuri furrowed her brow while she contemplated the idea.
"It'd take a while to save up that kind of money on my own," Kuri said, interlacing her fingers and placing her hands over her diaphragm. "And I don't know if I should move without permission. Maybe it's silly to think this when I've resented them for years, but I feel like I'm obligated to stick with my family if that's what they ask. I can't just abandon them."
Katsuki kept his gaze intently on Kuri and chewed on his lip.
"But what about your chosen family? Your friends?" Katsuki asked, then hesitated for a moment. Kuri kept her eyes trained on the ceiling and Katsuki withheld a sigh. "Me…?"
Kuri tilted her head toward him, her eyebrows drawn tightly together, and pushed her lips flat to form a strained smile.
"You certainly make things more complicated," she chuckled half-heartedly.
"Sorry," Katsuki sighed.
"Don't be," Kuri said, turning onto her side and grabbing Katsuki's hand. "I'm the one who pursued you."
"I would've fallen for you no matter what," Katsuki grinned, interlacing their fingers.
Kuri giggled softly and squeezed his hand.
"It's lines like that that make me just want to stay with you. Sorry, parents, my boyfriend is too cute," Kuri smiled and used her free hand to poke his blushing cheek. "But, still, I haven't got the funds."
"You know, my parents would love to take you in," Katsuki said.
He shuddered to think of the things they would tell her about him, but it was a small price to pay to keep Kuri close to him.
"I can't impose like that," Kuri sighed and thought silently for a moment. "Maybe I could move in with my grandparents. Hokkaido is still pretty far, though…"
"And it's cold."
"Yeah, I like Musutafu's warm weather better," Kuri said. After a beat of silence, Katsuki shook their clasped hands and gave her a look, reminding her that she had forgotten something. Kuri first raised an eyebrow confusedly, then laughed as realization hit her. "And the people there, too."
Katsuki wondered if there was magic in Kuri's smile. With just one grin directed toward him, he felt all his stress melting like a frozen pond as the warmth of spring arrived. Seeing her muster the strength to show joy now, of all times, made Katsuki believe everything would work out. No matter what, he would find a way to preserve her happiness.
"Your parents might be pretty intense, but they love you," Katsuki said. Kuri weakly shrugged at his statement, as if not fully committing to doubting him. "Right now, that manifests as protecting you from fucking up your future—"
"But I'm not," Kuri asserted, narrowing her eyes. She looked legitimately upset, so Katsuki thought on his feet to amuse her again.
"Who knows?" Katsuki grinned. "Maybe you fell for a bad guy after all."
Kuri rolled her eyes, but chuckled nonetheless and muttered something about him being "not that bad."
"Whatever, they ultimately want you to be happy," Katsuki said, squeezing her hand. "If we keep talking it out later, they'll see that quitting hero stuff is the right choice. It'll open you up to new opportunities and stuff."
Kuri considered his input with a solemn face before inhaling deeply and letting out a heavy sigh.
"We can try," Kuri said with a hint of resignation. She rolled onto her back again to look at the ceiling. "If they still don't agree, I'm actually going to lose my shit."
"Whoa, swearing? Bunny's getting serious," Katsuki chuckled, scooting closer so that their shoulders pressed against each other.
"I've been serious," Kuri said flatly, turning her head back toward him. Their faces were so close their noses almost touched.
"I know," Katsuki breathed, his cheeks warming as he became aware of their proximity. She surprised him by leaning in to kiss him, her soft lips lingering on his for a few seconds before she pulled back.
"I just don't want to lose you," Kuri mumbled, squeezing her eyes shut.
Katsuki brushed a hand over her hair, urging her to relax, even though he felt like doing anything but that. He wished he could just run away with Kuri, but he was almost out of high school; he couldn't do crazy irresponsible shit. Katsuki took a deep breath and chose to lie to his girlfriend.
"I'll support whatever decision you make," he said, still stroking her hair. "Even if you choose to move back."
Kuri's eyes flashed open and she looked at Katsuki like he'd lost his mind.
"You'd let me leave?" Kuri asked, her voice slightly accusatory, but pained above all else. Katsuki barely masked his wince at the disappointment in her tone.
"I wouldn't force you to stay," Katsuki said, sliding his arm to her shoulder and giving it a squeeze. Kuri grabbed his hand and took it off her, sending a dagger straight into Katsuki's gut.
"I wish you would," Kuri said, tears immediately spilling over in her eyes and soaking into her comforter.
Katsuki hesitated to reach out and touch her again, because this time, Kuri didn't sob. Her silence alone scared Katsuki more than anything else she could have done. Had his words cut her that deeply?
Katsuki only realized he was crying when Kuri used her thumb to brush away one of his tears. Kuri's simple action made Katsuki burst into a sob. He was lucky she saw past his stupid facade and chose to comfort him even when her lashes were still shimmering with moisture.
Katsuki wasn't cut out to be the bigger person. He couldn't pretend it was okay for her to leave him behind. He couldn't pretend like life without her was worth it. Forget his dangerous line of work—what would actually kill Katsuki would be watching her go.
Dinner had the mercy of being much more silent than lunch, but it was almost as awkward. Kuri and Katsuki had stopped crying almost right before Mayu popped in to tell them to come downstairs and eat, so their eyes were still obviously red and puffy. However, no one mentioned their appearances—everyone had their fill of conversation at noon—so Kuri had plenty of time to go over her new plan.
While she and Katuski had been wallowing in their misery, acting like a breakup was the foregone conclusion, Kuri bolted up in bed and scrubbed the tears from her eyes. She coughed to clear her throat and slapped her hand against the mattress defiantly.
"Why am I just sitting here? You're not going anywhere yet," Kuri declared. She looked down at Katsuki, whose eyes had widened at her sudden change of heart. "I'm going to make sure we stay together."
Katsuki sat up and looked at her with a cautiously excited expression.
"You're taking me up on the offer to live with my parents?" he asked.
"Not exactly," Kuri smiled mischievously. "I just remembered something I can use against them."
Kuri had to hope this fact about their past would finally be what worked. She couldn't think of a single other thing to say that might convince them. If her parents refused to accept her reasoning, it would be Kuri's final straw.
As they helped clear plates from the dining table, Kuri gave Katsuki a determined look to indicate she was ready to face her parents again. He nodded resolutely. This time, Katsuki vowed to stand by her side, even if he didn't plan to say a word. His silent support was more than enough to make Kuri feel unstoppable.
The two of them hurried after her parents into the kitchen and placed the dishes on the counter by the sink. Kuri gathered her confidence with a deep breath before daring to speak.
"Mama, Dada, I have more to say," she said, still sounding a bit nervous, despite having played out the hypothetical conversation several times during dinner.
Her dad turned away from the pile of dishes to wash and looked down at Kuri with a hint of relief. He seemed glad that she was willing to talk at all after what transpired in the afternoon. Beside him stood her mother, looking at Kuri with an indecipherable expression. She didn't seem mad but she wasn't happy either—probably because she was tired of discussing Kuri's plans to veer off the course already set for her life.
"Do you want to go to the living room?" her dad asked.
"No, I'll be quick," Kuri said. She glanced at Katsuki, who was dutifully standing beside her, and grabbed his hand. Katsuki seemed surprised by the sudden physical affection in front of her parents, given his quiet gasp, and Kuri bet he was further confused when she held up their clasped hands at eye level. "I want to be with my boyfriend, and I'm sure you can relate. Remember when you were our age?"
Her parent's faces immediately contorted as they noticed the glint in Kuri's eye and realized what she was getting at. If her dad had moved to America to be with her mom, why couldn't Kuri go to Japan to stay with Katsuki? The situation was no different—they had known each other for the same amount of time, both developed deep relationships, and were so in love they would fight to stay together.
The last time her whole family visited her grandparents in Hokkaido, three years back, her grandma told her that they originally denied her dad's request to move to the United States. It took a year until they agreed and he finally got to be with the girl he loved. Kuri hoped she wouldn't have to wait as long as him—no, she knew she wouldn't have to wait. Kuri could see in her parents' faces that she had them bested.
Her mom pinched her eyebrows together and caught herself halfway between a frown and a… smile? Wait, why was she about to smile? Kuri's eyes darted to her dad, who shook his head in disbelief while a grin spread across his face.
"Honey, I think our daughter beat us to it," her dad laughed.
"No kidding," her mom said, cracking a half-smile. "It's like she read our minds. Might be a second quirk we don't know about."
Kuri got more confused by the second. She looked at Katsuki as if he could offer answers, but he was obviously as dumbfounded as her, perhaps more so.
"What are you talking about?" Kuri asked, lowering her and Katsuki's hands, narrowing her eyes at their suspicion.
"You just brought up exactly what your mom and I were discussing this afternoon, among other things," her dad answered. "Like you're getting at, we met in a similar way, then I moved here. It would be pretty hypocritical if we didn't let you move to Japan."
"It would be," Kuri said, the tension in her shoulders melting slightly when her dad didn't follow up his statement with a caveat. "I can see why you'd say I can't since I'm young and whatever, but I've lived abroad for two years already. Staying there after graduation would just be logical."
Kuri hoped her argument was convincing because she was just stating anything that came to mind.
"And it's what you want, right?" her dad asked, smiling softly. His eyes crinkled at the edges and he squeezed Kuri's shoulder. She blinked at him wordlessly, unsure if she should foster the flicker of hope in her heart. "That's the most important thing."
Kuri looked up at her dad in disbelief, almost on the verge of crying from the promise of happiness. What the hell had he and her mom talked about to change their minds so quickly? She would have asked if she weren't frozen in shock.
Katsuki prodded her out of her stupor with a quick squeeze of her hand. She glanced at her boyfriend, who shot her a triumphant smirk. He knew they had succeeded.
"Yeah, I want to move," Kuri said firmly, facing her parents again. "I want to stay in Japan and go to university. No more hero work."
"Alright, consider it done," her dad grinned. "We won't prevent you from living your life."
The widest smile spread across Kuri's face, like someone was pulling at each of her cheeks. The twelve years she spent training and stressing about her future as a hero had quickly and quietly come to a close. There would be things to reconfigure regarding her work study, but those issues paled in comparison to the main boss she had finally defeated. Kuri could hardly believe that the pieces were actually falling into place. She was free to do as she pleased. She was going to be okay.
At sixteen years old, Kuri Nakano could finally begin her life.
Kuri was about to jump for joy right into Katsuki's arms when her mom abruptly spoke.
"And we're sorry for never noticing that this wasn't what you wanted," her mom said meekly with downcast eyes. "If I had just known sooner—"
Kuri's mom cut herself off and bit her lip frustratedly. She had more to say but was unable to for whatever reason. Guilt or pride, Kuri guessed. Maybe both, plus a third thing.
"Then, you wouldn't have pushed me so hard…?" Kuri offered bluntly. After the words came out of her mouth, she realized she sounded a bit rude, but she wasn't sure if she should care. It was her mom's fault for doing all that.
"I'm sorry," her mom said pitifully. "Maybe I would have noticed you were miserable if I was a better mother."
Kuri's mom turned her head away from them, but not fast enough to prevent Kuri from glimpsing the tears in her eyes. Seeing her mother—the woman who had always projected a cool and thorny exterior—crying because she traumatized her daughter was a strangely heartbreaking sight for Kuri. She had never seen her mom in such a vulnerable state, nor had Kuri ever felt so uncomfortable in her life. It seemed as if she and her mother were the only ones in the room, yet at the same time miles apart.
In her mind's eye, Kuri grabbed her mom's arm and hugged her for the first time in forever. Kuri would feel very small again, like the years before she manifested her quirk when she was just a regular kid, a blank slate. They would both cry and apologize for how time had torn them apart. Kuri would remember what it was like to feel love for her mother.
But in reality, all Kuri did was awkwardly stand next to Katsuki while her dad placed a comforting hand on her mom's back. That touch stabilized her, and suddenly the tears were gone, as if Kuri had imagined it all.
"We're sorry, Kuri," her dad repeated solemnly. "There's no pressure to take over the agency either. I just thought it'd be nice to keep the business in the family."
"Thanks, Dada," Kuri smiled. "Maybe when Mayu is older, you can see if he wants to help manage it."
"That boy doesn't want to do anything except play video games," her dad laughed, instantly lightening the mood.
"Yeah, but he could make a job out of that," Kuri shrugged.
"I'd rather he go to university, just like you plan to," her dad said with a broad grin. "I'm excited to find out what you choose to study."
"Same," Kuri said with a laugh. She had a lot to figure out now that the horizon was clear! Kuri looked from her dad's cheery grin to her mom's aloof half-smile and couldn't help but wear her giddiness like a badge. "And thank you. For everything."
"We love you, Kuri," her dad said, wrapping her in a hug. He tugged her mom in, too, and the three of them joined each other in a warm embrace. Kuri could feel her mom hesitating to place her hand on Kuri's back, but she appreciated the affection. Kuri hadn't even realized she missed the feeling until then.
When their hug ended, Kuri immediately turned to Katsuki with the biggest grin and nearly tackled him when she jumped into his arms.
"We did it. I'm staying with you," Kuri said breathlessly, arms wrapped tight around him. She couldn't believe the words she spoke were true. Her long-held aspirations were tangible and somehow already achieved.
"I'm so happy," Katsuki whispered, and he said nothing more. He didn't need to, because the way he tightened his grip on Kuri conveyed everything.
Neither of them wanted to let go of the other, but when Kuri's parents started laughing at how long they had been hugging, they sprang away, embarrassed.
"I think I'll give you all some privacy to talk more," Katsuki said before quickly shuffling back to the guest bedroom.
After translating his sentence for Kuri's mom, her dad commented that Katsuki turned out to be a good kid.
"I know you had a bad first impression of him, but after being friends with him this long I can confirm that he's the best," Kuri said, grinning.
"And he clearly loves you a lot," her dad said with a soft smile. "I hope things turn out as well for you two as they did for us."
"I will admit that he turned out to be nicer than I expected," her mom concurred. "And I'd like to do something special for your last day here. Maybe make him a meal he likes."
"That'd be nice," Kuri replied. "What kind of ingredients do we have at home?"
"Actually, I was thinking we could go shopping together," her mom said, trailing off at the end of her sentence, as if embarrassed that she had made the suggestion.
"Oh, tomorrow?" Kuri asked, confused by the sudden offer to spend quality time. There was no reason to disagree, though, and she realized this was her mom's way of reducing the tension between them. Maybe a couple apologies and an offer to hang out were the only things Annabel Stevens could muster after years of pressuring her daughter to succeed. At least it was something. "That sounds fine."
"Good," her mom said, her expression still cool and unreadable. But Kuri saw a crack in her armor—a flash of excitement in her mom's eyes and a twitch in her hand, like it wanted to reach out toward Kuri.
Kuri didn't want to admit that she ached to be closer to her mom, too. She didn't want to admit that she had missed out on a fundamental relationship for many years. Instead, she wrapped the day up with a pretty bow and didn't think about her mom until the next morning.
When Kuri finally stirred awake after a rare night of good rest, it was because someone was knocking at her door. She held her head up from her pillow to glance at the figure peeking through the crack in the doorway.
"Are you ready to leave in thirty minutes?" her mom asked tentatively, a lock of blonde hair falling over her shoulder when she tilted her head.
"I guess so," Kuri answered, reluctantly crawling out of bed and going to her dresser in search of a change of clothes.
Though Kuri wasn't looking, she could sense her mother lingering in the doorway to momentarily watch her. When Kuri had finally chosen her outfit and looked up from her drawers, her mom was gone.
Kuri got ready and ate breakfast in a hurry, per her mom's request, and soon enough they were sitting in the car, headed to the store.
Her mom wasn't usually the type to make small talk, but she kept making random comments while she drove.
"The weather is nice today."
"Yeah, it's sunny."
"Are you all packed to leave tomorrow?"
"Mostly."
"Your dad and I will both drop you off at the airport. He wants to be there to make up for when you arrived."
"That's nice."
"He's not looking forward to saying goodbye to you," her mom said. She looked off into the distance as they sat at a red light. "Especially now that we know you're moving away permanently."
"Well, sorry for disappointing you," Kuri said, not quite hiding her agitation as she turned her head away to look out the window.
"You haven't," her mother said firmly, but her voice betrayed a bit of hurt. "You'll never disappoint me."
Kuri didn't respond to her mom's claim. She kept her eyes trained on her reflection in the side mirror. The more Kuri grew, the more she found her mom's features in her; same loosely curled hair, same slender nose, same cupid's bow. Kuri hoped it wasn't a sign that she took after her in terms of personality…
"But, I understand why you would think that," her mom sighed. "It seems I did a pretty poor job of loving you. To be honest, I don't think I was meant to have kids."
"So you never wanted us? Explains a lot," Kuri muttered. She had to focus on her anger to stop the tears pin-pricking at her eyes because the truth hurt more than she expected.
"What?! No, I love you and Mayu!" her mom exclaimed. "I meant I did an awful job parenting. I am happy to have you both, but I wish you didn't have to be raised by me."
Kuri glanced at her mom, who had a tight grip on the steering wheel as she pensively looked through the windshield. She furrowed her brow and exhaled sharply through her nose before beginning her explanation.
"I've never been good at handling stress," her mom said. "Since high school, everyone thought of me as the serious one and your dad as the fun one. It was more of a joke when we were young, but once we had an agency to run and kids to raise, I just…"
Her mother trailed off and bit her lip.
"I think I get it, Mama," Kuri said softly.
"I don't know how your dad does it," her mom said, shaking her head. "He'd overexert himself at work and still come home to cook dinner and entertain you two. He always knows how to keep you happy."
"Eh, more or less. Dada was oblivious to me not liking hero work."
"As was everyone else," her mom said. "We all assumed you wanted to become one because it's practically every kid's dream."
"Except for me."
"Right, you're my special Kuri," her mother chuckled fondly. "I guess your quirk made me believe it, too. You inherited such a strong, versatile ability, that I knew you would go far. I wanted you to go farther than I did."
"I'd say you've done pretty good," Kuri said. "Why do you need more?"
"I passed up a lot of opportunities when I was younger," her mom said after pausing to think for a moment. "If I had used my time more wisely as a teenager, I would have helped so many more people and become a better hero at a younger age. That's why we put you through so much training. I wanted you to have every resource available to become the best you could be and you could live without regrets."
"But what's the point if my heart isn't in it? You can have your regrets, but if hero work isn't my calling, then all that training is a waste of my time." Kuri crossed her arms and slouched in her seat. "Not that it matters anymore, since I already did it."
The car became silent again, besides the rumble of the engine and the tires running across the asphalt. Kuri glanced at her mother, confused by the sudden lull in the conversation, and caught the glimmer of a tear on her lower lashes.
"I wish I had realized sooner," her mom said solemnly. "I should have let you be free."
Kuri averted her gaze, discomforted by the sight of her mother feeling guilty, and wondered what to say that would stop her from crying.
"Well, it's not too late for me to quit," Kuri said. Suddenly, she recalled what Katsuki had said to her the day before. "Maybe I should have stopped a long time ago, but that's not important; as long as I quit, it'll open up a new opportunity."
"I guess that's true," her mom said, cracking a small smile. "Whatever you pursue next in life, I hope you enjoy it much more than heroism."
"Thanks, Mama," Kuri smiled.
Her mom hesitated for a second and exhaled a nervous breath.
"And I hope you can forgive me for all that I've done," she said. Her mom chewed on her lip and Kuri watched her with concern. A tear lost its hold and fell down her mother's cheek. "I've been a horrible mom."
"Mama, you know how I said I wanted therapy?" Kuri asked. Her mother nodded. "You should go, too."
Her mom stood still for a moment, staring at the line of cars in front of them. And then, she laughed. Loudly.
Kuri stared with wide eyes at her mother's sudden outburst.
Her mom wiped the tears from her eyes with an amused grin.
"I suppose I'm long overdue," she said. "But that's not what we were talking about. You want a new opportunity, right? University is the best place to start."
"So, you're letting me enroll in school?"
"Well, it's not like we can't pay for tuition. I just said it would be a waste because heroes don't usually go to college, but you're not going to be a hero, so that doesn't matter. You can go as long as you figure out your major, entrance exams, and potential schools immediately," her mother said sternly, falling back into her habitual nagging. "If you procrastinate on that, you better get a sidekick job lined up."
"Mama, you know I always get things done," Kuri said, rolling her eyes.
Under past circumstances, her mom would have scolded her for her dismissiveness. But if there was one thing Kuri could count on, it was that her life would never go back to the way it was. To prove that point, her mother smiled at her, and Kuri smiled back.
"I guess you're right," her mom said. "Now, what should we make for Katsuki?"
"Are you really going to hold my hand the rest of the way back?" Kuri asked, giggling softly as she investigated their intertwined fingers.
"I just can't believe you're really moving to Japan," Katsuki answered softly. He looked at his girlfriend fondly, the corner of his eyes crinkling when he smiled. "I don't want to let go, in case your parents randomly change their mind."
"Well, I think we're safe here," Kuri said, gesturing to their surroundings. "It's not like they followed us onto the plane."
"Fine, then, I'm doing this just because I like you," Katsuki grinned. "And I'm glad you're staying with me."
"Same here," Kuri smiled. "But my hand is getting pretty sweaty and I really need to use the bathroom, so I'm detaching for a minute."
"Alright, alright," Katsuki chuckled, releasing Kuri's hand so she could unbuckle her seatbelt. She shuffled down the aisle out of Katsuki's sight and he exhaled sharply.
Honestly, saying he was glad was an understatement. Katsuki was fucking ecstatic. It took everything within him to not shout for joy every time he remembered that Kuri had fought to be with him and succeeded.
When Katsuki had left Kuri alone with her parents so they could talk, it wasn't just so they could have privacy; he used that time to pace around the room and quietly celebrate on his own. He chanted words of victory in a hushed tone and tried to stay calm so he didn't shout "Fuck yeah!" for everyone in the house to hear. Tears began to stream down his face because Katsuki had more happiness than he knew what to do with, and he wiped them away with the back of his hands as he got out his phone and hastily typed out messages to the people he was closest to.
First, he texted Deku and told him that Kuri planned to move to Japan permanently. Katsuki knew that since Deku was such a gossip, he'd get the word to Kuri's friends and everyone in class, so they could share in the victory. Then, he sent his parents a very nonchalant text, telling them to expect many more visits from him and Kuri in the future because she wasn't going back to the U.S.
After tossing his phone to the side, Katsuki lay on his bed and stared at the ceiling to contemplate the future. With the horizon clear and no more obstacles in sight, he and Kuri could finally have their happily ever after. He had the lingering fear that there would be more to come because life was nothing without some challenges, but he knew they would get through everything together. They always did.
When their taxi from the airport finally arrived in front of UA, Katsuki was haggard and barely awake but he still had the instinct to hang onto Kuri. In his exhausted state, he unconsciously felt that letting go of her would mean this dream come true would fizzle away like a mirage. Holding her hand also helped because she was able to pull him back to their dorm building.
The sun had set recently, so the dark sky above only held a handful of stars and cicadas hummed lazily from the forest surrounding the school. The night air was much warmer in Musutafu than in San Francisco, and Katsuki thought to himself that he liked it.
Kuri marched down the paved pathway, tugging along both her suitcase and Katsuki.
"Come on, sleepyhead, we're almost there," Kuri said excitedly. Katsuki strained his eyes to keep them open and look ahead. She was right; they were practically on the steps of their building. "I heard dinner is waiting for us! I'm so hungry…"
"How are you so awake?" Katsuki mumbled with half-closed eyes. "It's like three in the morning in California."
"I can't help it," Kuri grinned at him. "I don't want to miss a second if I'm with you."
Her words made Katsuki straighten. He stretched his back and shook his head vigorously to energize himself.
"Me neither," Katsuki said, squeezing her hand. He nodded his head toward the door. "Let's go inside and eat together."
Kuri nodded enthusiastically and grabbed the door handle. She raised her eyebrows at Katsuki to urge him to follow suit. Together, they pulled open the double doors and the warm, familiar light of the common area fell upon their faces.
"We're home!"