Serendipity [Bakukami]

Chapter 5

"I think you might make a great king Midoriya." Denki mindlessly adds, slightly adjusting his dress before catching Midoriya's frozen state.

"Midoriya..?" Denki calls out again, he frowns seeing Midoriya flinch.

"I'm... I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have said that, your Majesty! Please don't tell anyone about this! I might lose my job and-" Midoriya starts rambling, his eyes filled with tears.

Denki jumps out of his bed and walks over to him, holding him by the shoulders. "Midoriya, calm down. I won't tell anybody about what we've been talking about. I genuinely think you would be a good leader."

Denki says with such a genuine smile that Midoriya trusts him and gives him a small smile. "I've always been ridiculed for having an opinion on how the government works..." he says softly.

"Why?" Denki asks, he never knew having an opinion would get someone bullied, that's just so stupid.

"Because I'm from a lower caste, your Majesty. I'm not allowed to have opinions and ideas, just... serve the royals." Midoriya sadly mumbles, watching Denki's face turn sour.

He then hastily continues, "But I genuinely like serving you, your Majesty. You are quite fun to work with!" He says with a grin.

"No no, it's okay. You didn't have to clarify anything. It's just that... Do you not have any dreams? Like, become something else, regardless of your caste?"

Denki always hated the idea of caste. Why would certain communities be deemed as low based on their occupations? How does that decide their participation in society?

"I- I've always wanted to be able to rule a country... I know it's dumb- but, I like the idea of having people actually understand that lower caste people like me aren't any different from them." He says with a sad smile, looking down at the ground dreamily.

Denki had never understood this concept of caste, yet he had always felt it. From his early childhood, caste played a role in friendship.

He wasn't allowed to be friends with a few children. He wasn't allowed to touch or eat with a few. But, Denki couldn't understand why, during his childhood.

So he ignores it.

That was the last time he was allowed to study in a public school. He was homeschooled when he was 4 and that's when he truly understood the caste system.

It was discriminating, inhumane and shitty.

At times like his, Denki wishes he has the courage to become a king and defy his queen.

At least things would change for good.

"I hope things change in our kingdom as well, Midoriya." Denki starts, letting out a dreamful sigh and a small chuckle, "I know it sounds weird for a crown prince to say that, but unfortunately, nothing is in my hands now. And I don't have faith that it'll ever be. I hope you get the chance to express your opinions one day."

But Denki had absolutely no trust on his mother. To put it in Midoriya's words, she was traditional. And gave more importance to the cultural aspects of their kingdom.

But Denki would also like to add - she was obsessed with power.

Denki's mom was never around during his childhood. But, her responsibilities weren't the reason, Denki knows that. She never liked him, her ignorance was all that Denki could remember from his childhood.

And as a result, everyone in the palace except the queen became family.

Soon, the dawn rolled in. But before the sun could peak from the horizon, there's a knock at Denki's bedroom door.

"It's not even morning- who's there?" Denki yawns, pulling himself out of the bed and towards the door.

It was Katsuki.

"Your Majesty." Katsuki simply bows, his hand holding a small candle that lit almost the entire room.

"It's not dawn yet, Mr. Bodyguard. What are you doing here?" Denki rubs the sleep out of his eyes begrudgingly.

Katsuki sighs when Denki calls him bodyguard, however says, "We're going to the gardens, Your Majesty."

"Now? Why?"

"To watch the sunrise, of course." Katsuki walks forward, smiling softly when Denki follows him.

"But- I didn't... How did you know that I liked watching the sunrise?" Denki questions back, following Katsuki in his night dress.

Denki tries his best to stay close to Katsuki, he doesn't want to get lost in the palace when there's no light to escape.

"Deku told me."

"Who's Deku?" Denki's face twists into a weird gesture. He couldn't understand why someone would be named 'useless'.

"Oh uh- Izuku Midoriya? Your head server, I believe. I'm sorry, I never really paid attention to where he works." Katsuki swiftly apologises.

He calls Midoriya useless?

Denki couldn't help but remember the talk they had the previous day about caste system.

But he couldn't bring himself to ask Katsuki about it. Katsuki was the first one to care about Denki, he doesn't want to mess it up by his assumptions.

"He's the head maid and my personal assistant." Denki corrects him, now opening the door to the palace gardens.

"Right. We know each other, so yeah. He told me that you liked watching the sun rise and you didn't really seem to be in a good mood yesterday. So I thought I'll bring you to watch it."

Katsuki says everything with such ease, it melts Denki's heart. No one's ever tried to make Denki feel better. They only expect him to 'suck it up' it's not like he wasn't living the most comfortable life, anyway.

"Oh... Thank you."

The sit by the rocks next to the river, watching the sun slowly rise from behind a small hill.

It wasn't the best place to watch a sunset. Behind the river was a forest, which had indigenous tree species. The palace was protected by high compound walls.

And of course, the castle grounds included a barrack. The entire area reeked of monarchy, and Denki didn't like it. He never did.

But today, watching a sunrise with the first person who seemed to even care about his interests, Denki understands that maybe this wasn't so bad?

He could live with it.