Blossoms of the Dark

LXXVII Shouto: Right

Why did I do that?

Why did I stay when I had no reason to?

Why did I feel hesitant to leave Hanada with Bakugou?

These questions spiral in my head like a hurricane as I shower, change into my school uniform, and leave for the train station.

I'm half-surprised to see Hanada already there. She's sitting on a different bench, head leaned back, eyes closed, hands gently rubbing the elbow joints. As I walk to my favorite bench - the one she and I used to occupy, and the one that so conveniently happens to be adjacent to the one she is sitting on - I watch her open her eyes and rotate her neck in all directions. The action brings back a memory of a joke about facet joints and anatomy. I was entertained at the time. Now I'm dejected. I don't realize I've stopped moving when her eyes suddenly fall on my shadow. Slowly, they move upward until they reach my face. They widen before looking away. Her hand subconsciously moves to her cane and clenches it like a lifeline. I walk past her.

I sit down. As far away as possible.

When the train arrives, she boards one compartment and I board the other.

From the single-window door that connects the two compartments, I watch Hanada take a seat. A guy around 17 or 18 years occupies the seat next to hers. That's creepy because the compartment is mostly empty. He could have sat anywhere else, besides next to her. Hanada seems to realize it too. She observes the guy as he makes himself comfortable and leans toward her.

She gets up and moves five seats down.

The guy gets up and moves five seats down.

I don't have a good feeling about this guy.

I consider ignoring my resentment toward Hanada for a few moments and go in there to help her. But the creep hasn't done much. Maybe because there's a woman with two kids, a man wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase, an old couple, and two friends in the same compartment as her. But to my relief, not once does Hanada take her eye off him. Her hand moves from the dragon head of her cane down to the base, as if she's preparing to defend herself with it the moment the creep tries to do anything.

Unfortunately, the creep tries to do something the moment all the other passengers exit at the next station. He wraps his arm around her shoulders, to which she immediately gets up and points the dragon head at him. At the same time, I open the connecting door and enter. Her gaze briefly rises to meet mine before dropping back immediately at the creep.

The creep looks at me with confusion and disgust. "Who are you?"

"I could ask you the same question. Just what were you trying to do with my girlfriend?"

Now Hanada stares at me for longer than a second. The question is clear in her eyes: Girlfriend? Just what are you trying to do?

I meet her stare and give her my message: Just play along.

She doesn't say anything and glares back at the creep.

"I left for a few minutes to go to the restroom, and this is what happens when I come back. I see some creep forcing himself on my girlfriend." I glare at said creep but look at Hanada soon after. "Sweetheart, I told you we should have sat in a compartment with lots of people. No creep would have the guts to assault you there."

The creep is angry. "Why you ...? Just who do you think are? Calling me a-"

Hanada cuts him off. "You're right, love. I'm sorry. But before we go, can I please hit him? Just once."

"Hey! You think you can stay stuff like that, and I'll just let you do them? Just wait-"

"By all means, go ahead," I encourage. The last thing I want to do is cause a scene, especially after the glass doors incident and when there is a surveillance camera within the compartment. But, I can't say I wouldn't enjoy seeing this insult to the male institution getting what he deserves. After all, it's jerks like him that cause so many problems for females worldwide.

She looks at her cane and then at the creep's face. "I don't want to sully such priceless silver with your essence." She proceeds to take off one of her loafers and slaps his cheek with its sole. "Consider yourself lucky that all you got was a taste of the base of my shoe," she says as she puts her shoe back on. "Otherwise, ..." Hanada creates a small blue flame in her hand and brings it just under the guy's nose. His nostril hairs singe, and he has a coughing fit, instantly. I smile a little at the reaction, but something in Hanada's expression makes that smile fade. There is a gleam in her liquid silver eyes, one that's unlike any other I've seen before. It's different from the one she gets when reading an interesting novel, talking passionately about her hobbies, or eating ice cream. It's a different gleam from the one she had when we used to banter. This is something new. It's almost ... devilish.

Suddenly I remember my fallen angel drawing of her.

But that gleam disappears as quickly as it appears. Had I not been paying close attention, I would have passed it off as a trick of the sunset light or of my imagination.

However, Hanada's finished scaring the creep, and she passes through the connecting door. I follow, my resentment having returned. "I only made that lie and helped you out because it was the right thing to do as an aspiring hero. This wasn't out of former friendship or anything sentimental. So don't look for any hidden meanings behind my actions."

"I know. And I thank you for helping me as an aspiring hero," she responds emotionlessly.

I watch her cross the length of this full compartment into the next one, which is just as full.

I return to my seat.

This time, I don't look out through the single-window door.

I suppose I got my answer.

I only stayed behind because it was the right thing to do.

But I don't feel entirely convinced by my own words.

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