Silhouette ✓ (⛔❤☁)

T H I R T Y

Purote slipped off his shoes and tucked them away as he stepped into the house. His father's car was in the driveway so he felt better. He went to his room. Origami cranes lined every flat surface. If he made a thousand, he could make his mother love him again. He did the math and he had to make three a day for a whole year to get his wish granted. He was committed. He had even started clipping them to strings that lined the walls. They were of different colors and sizes. It depended on what paper he could get his hands on. Newspaper, printer paper, craft paper, origami paper, lined paper. He pulled open his backpack and placed the paper he had acquired from Mr. Kayama. It was thin, delicate, and beautifully coloured paper. Squared edges that could easily cut through his skin were folded further and further as he mindlessly worked. The first crane was done in minutes and he let it sit, watching over him, on the desk with the others. He had about two and a half hundred on each wall. He was determined to reach one thousand. It even went over his window, he didn't waste space.

The second crane was finished and he placed it next to the other one. He flattened the last piece of paper and  started folding it, the same pattern he'd been doing for a three hundred days.  He only had  one hundred more to go. Then his mother would love him, then he'd be happy and they'd be okay. 

"Katsuki?" His father's voice called from behind the door, knocking. His father never barged in on him, never yelled at him. 

Katsuki stood from his desk and opened the door, It was rare that his father came to him. He opened the door subtly unlocking it so that it wouldn't loudly click. 

"Yeah?" 

"Can- Can I come in?"

"Mnhm" Purote moved backwards to let his father come in. The man closed the door behind himself. Purote heard the lock click and tensed. 

"I like the cranes" The man commented, moving to sit at Purote's desk while Purote sat on the edge of his bed tensely. He simply nodded. 

"Look..." The man sighed, "I know what your mom's been doing and–"

"You– You knew?"

"Unfortunately, I  just recently found out" Purote swallowed, His mother had never said anything about his father."But, I don't want you to be raised like this. I apologize for not doing anything sooner" His father's eyes dampened, his brows furrowing in frustration. 

"'S fine" Purote returned with a voice he hoped sounded uncaring. This could be a trick, a ploy to get him to slip up. He wasn't stupid. His mother probably put the man up to this. Or worse, this wasn't even his father; just a look alike. 

"Katsuki... It's not okay, and I know it'll take time, but I promise you; I'll get you out of this place"

"What's... What's your quirk?"

"My quirk? It's acid sweat. Why?"

"Who was my best friend in Primary?"

"Izuku Midoriya. Katsuki why're you asking these things?"

"What is the biggest drawback of my quirk?"

"You could go deaf. Katsuki... are you okay?" Purote launched himself at his father, hugging him tight .His father then understood what the questions were for. "Oh..." The man squeezed him back, shoulders shaking with tears he was failing to hide. 

"I'm okay, Dad"

"You're– You're nine! It's not–"

"I'm okay. Look at all my cranes. It'll be over soon" It felt odd to comfort someone older than him, but for his father, Purote would do anything. Even become a villain. Even blow up the world. He'd do anything for the man who protected him without even knowing it for all this time. Anything at all. 

"I'm almost done, Dad. Just a hundred more to go. Then I'll have a thousand"

"You're so strong" His father cried. "So, so strong" Purote knew. He knew that deep down nothing would change. Nothing should change when he finished. He would have to make another thousand. Because this thousand would be for his father to forget. For it to be normal again. For his father to be without guilt and regret.

His wish would have to wait, but that was okay, because he loved his father. He had to wait until next year. He could do that. 

Word Count: 734

((Grammar and Spelling fixed))