First Sight

83: Desperate

'Okay... I'm home... but Kacchan's here too... now what?' Izumi thought. 

After they both hugged in the rain, Izumi brought Katsuki inside and they both went to take a shower, both in separate showers in two different bathrooms. 

Izumi finished her shower right away and got dressed with her hair in a messy bun and her specs still on. She knew they were going to talk about everything, but she felt her heart beating out of her chest because she was not sure what was gonna happen. 

'Kacchan has to be here to explain what I assumed was wrong, that would be the only reason he waited outside in the pouring rain. But he didn't have to go that far to make me feel so guilty about everything that's happened these past couple days!!! Arg- what's wrong with me?!?!' Izumi thought.

"Deku..." 

The greenette looked up to see Katsuki wearing a dry and clean sweatsuit and standing there. She could tell he seemed tired as his eyes had bags under them and his body stature was slightly slouched. 

"Kacchan... I mean- Ahem, sit down and let's... talk..." Izumi mumbled. 

She scooted over on the couch and he sat next to her, but he gave her some space. 

"A-As much as I want to just accept a simple hug out in the rain... I still don't know what you've been hiding from me. So I want an explanation of why you were acting so strange yesterday." Izumi said, trying to keep her voice stern but also soft.

"Right... but before I do that, I need to tell you about Camie." Izumi froze, not what she wanted to hear. 

"Okay, what is it?" 

"Hah- I met Camie back in college-" 

"I know that, she told me herself." 

"Let me finish. Back in college... she told me she liked me, but..." 

"But?" 

"I told her I didn't feel the same way and that I liked someone else. That someone else was you, so she didn't budge or try to ask who it was and we didn't talk much after that." Katsuki said. 

"So what about now?" Izumi asked.

"I didn't know she was working on another floor at my company, but because I knew she was smart and reliable, she could come to my floor. Though I knew you weren't going to stay at my company for that much longer, I knew I needed someone to take your position once you were gone." 

"So you were replacing me?"

"In a way, yes, but not completely because she's not as talented as you are." 

Izumi froze, he complimented her. It wasn't a first for her, but just hearing him say that she was talented felt like a big deal to her.

"But going back to Camie!" 

"Anyway, a couple weeks ago when you still had your cast on, you were getting more days off. And on one of those days, she tried to confess to me again." Katsuki said, she froze. 

"And... what did you say?" 

"The same thing I said back in high school. There is someone else I like and I'm not going to stop liking them anytime soon, and I told Camie that it was you." 

Izumi turned her head to look at him, he was blushing and averting his gaze from her.

"She understood that right away and told me that it made sense the way you reacted when she told you."