Cherry Bomb

Let Me Be Your Superhero

Two Years Later...

Cho excitedly brushed her hair. "Can you believe we're finally graduating?!" 

I looked at myself in the mirror. My orange eyes and turquoise locks, from my father. My heart-shaped face and upturned nose, from my mom. "No," I answered honestly. "I haven't really processed it yet, to be honest."

Next, Cho helped me pin my cap to my hair. "Has he responded?"

I shook my head. "Not yet."

Even after I lost touch with Bakugo, I watched him closely, waiting for the day he'd become the number one hero. I kept every newspaper clipping about him I could. When he rescued victims. Defeated villains. Responded to catastrophes, I took note. I watched and recorded his interviews, the footage captured of him in fights against the League of Villains, who were still growing by the day.

He broke Hawks' record. At eighteen years old, Bakugo became the youngest pro in history to start his own agency.

A part of me hoped he'd show up to express some begrudging form of congratulations. I sent him an invitation, but when months went by with no reply, I figured it either got lost in the hundreds of fan letters he received daily or he just didn't have time.

"Fighting evil is more important than going to some silly ceremony," I pointed out.

Cho gasped, swatting my arm. "No way, Hibichan! This day is super important!"

I shrugged, zipping up my gown. "I'm just glad I'll finally be able to start doing actual hero work."

"That reminds me, have you decided who's sidekick you're gonna be?"

Over the past few months, I received countless offers, from dozens of agencies. "I picked Kaminari," I replied.

"Oh, good, that'll be awesome!" She put the brush down and started working on her eyeliner. "It's so sweet that he still makes time to hang out with you. I'm sure he'll be a great boss."

I laughed. "Are you kidding? I was helping him with his paperwork way before he offered me a job."

Cho wrinkled her nose. "I'm surprised Bakugo-san didn't make you an offer," she grumbled. "You two were really close before he graduated."

I shoved down the knot that formed in my stomach. "People grow up," I responded neutrally. "Drifting apart was inevitable. Besides, he agreed to train me until I'd mastered my quirk. There was no reason for him to keep in touch with me anymore."

"Still...I think it was pretty cold of him to just cut you off like that," she prompted.

I averted my eyes. "He's a pro now. In a year he's reached the top of the heroes' popularity poll. And you know how much of a try-hard he is. He moved on."

Cho sighed. "If you're not bothered by it, then that's all that matters." She smoothed down her pink dress and zipped up her graduation gown. "Ready?"

"Give me a minute," I said, nodding. "I'll meet you outside."

"Okay, but don't take too long. Present Mic wants to get a group photo of us."

I shot her a smile as she left my room. Then I walked over to a small table I kept by the window.

Photos of my mother and father, side-by-side, looked back at me. I lit some incense and placed it between them. Served on a small dish were one classic s'more and one with matcha powder on it.

I kissed my two fingers and poked each photo. "I love you guys," I whispered. "I promise to be a good hero."

I flushed as a huge gust of wind blew from the window and knocked over the plate of s'mores.