Bleeding Heart

XXI

It was rare for all of class 1-A to have time for dinner together, especially with the preparations for a school festival. It was still several weeks away, but everyone was working hard.

Kimiko cherished the time she spent with everyone, eating together and laughing. She was able to snag a seat next to Todoroki, who she hadn't had much of a chance to speak with since being back.

She had tried to get him to go with her and Bakugou to an ice cream shop to celebrate getting their provisional licenses, but Todoroki refused. She had a feeling it was because of the glaring pomeranian who had been behind her.

After dinner, when the table and kitchen were clean, Kimiko moved into the common room to spend more time with the group. Bakugou gave her a once over before saying goodnight instead of joining.

She didn't mind, he had early training in the morning anyways. Waving goodnight, she quickly grabbed a seat next to Momo as everyone began talking and laughing about random topics.

Within an hour of socializing, people were falling asleep on the couch, or going up to bed in a hurry. As the crowd dissipated, Kimiko decided to sit outside at her favorite spot. She wasn't tired just yet.

Her nightmares were less frequent and her therapist was hopeful with the progress she made regarding her paranoia. She was so happy to be alive, with her friends and Aizawa, but her heart was racked by guilt.

Sighing into the night sky, her breath visible in the chilly air, she thought about 96. He was a taboo topic even with Aizawa. Especially since she found out about his death, the guilt was too much for her.

She smiled softly as she thought about the name he had chosen for himself when they were still just children in the lab, "Towa" she whispered into the night air.

Her eyes cast upwards, looking at the stars as she tried to recall any of their time together before she was rescued. It was hard to remember everything that had happened, maybe it was her brain protecting her from the pain.

Faintly, she recalled why he chose that name. "Towa," he had said, spelling the kanji in the dirt. "It means eternity and distant"*

"So even if we're separated, we'll never be too far and you'll never forget me!" he had said, a tired smile on his face.

She felt tears rolling down her cheeks at the memory. She had forgotten him. She had built a life far away from him. And now he's gone forever.

Shifting on the grass, she reached to pull her phone out, it was nearly 10 which meant Aizawa would be done training Shinso soon.

Looking at her phone, she suddenly heard Jashin's voice in her head. "97" he said. The hairs on the back of her neck rose, he shouldn't be able to contact her.

She could practically hear the smile on his face as he continued, "come meet me, you know the place where we spent time together with 96? It can be our final battle of wills.

How was this happening, wasn't he in prison? Grabbing her phone that she had dropped when he spoke to her, she called Aizawa in a panic.

He answered quickly, "What's wrong" he asked, a hint of panic in his voice. He knew she wouldn't interrupt his training over nothing. Kimiko felt breathless as she recounted Jashin's message.

"Don't go anywhere alone," he said with authority, "wait for Shinso and I, and get a hold of Bakugou, I'm sure he'll be happy to wait with you," she could hear the mix of irritation and sarcasm in his voice.

"Okay... I-I know where he wants to meet. It's the old laboratory building." There was silence as she could hear him rustling with something on the other line.

"I know what you're thinking Kimiko, but please, don't go alone." he begged. She sighed, looking up at the night sky, the stars were bright tonight, it almost made her smile.

"Aizawa, I'm sorry, I don't like disobeying you." she said quietly, holding back tears, "but this time, I really think I have to."

Taking a deep breath, she continued, "this is my fight, I have to do it for 96, and selfishly for myself as well." She was choking on tears now, "I love you Aizawa, please don't be mad, I promise to come back." and with that she hung up.

Her thumb hovered over Bakugou's name as she thought about calling him, she knew he was already asleep by now. Pressing his contact before she could talk herself out of it, she waited until she got his voicemail.

"Hey..." she sniffled, "I don't know what all to say, you're going to be so mad at me regardless," she said. A sad smile ghosted over her lips, "you really should change your voicemail to something nicer, just my two cents," she said through a broken laugh

"I guess I just really want you to know that I love you and I may never get to say it." She began heading off campus, "I really might die tonight, and I couldn't do this without telling you. Please don't be too mad at me. I really wish we had more time together."

And with that, she hung up. Wiping her tears as she made her way to the place where it all began. Once she was off campus and had safely avoided the security bots, she reached a secret hiding place she had found months ago.

Reaching into a gap between the roots of an old, and long dead tree, she produced a bag she had stashed in case of an emergency.

It held a short sword, kunai, a change of clothes and other emergency supplies she may need. Attaching the kunai to her belt, she grabbed the short sword and took off for the laboratory.

It was dark, with clouds rolling in to cover the stars. The air smelled like rain and Kimiko couldn't help but chuckle at her luck. Not only did Jashin escape, contact her and invite her to a duel while she is now quirkless, it looked as though it was about to rain.

Really, her luck was terrible. She halted in front of a crumpled building, and despite the rubble, the frame remained intact. Catching her breath, Kimiko took a moment to acknowledge that she might die here.

'If this is how I go... I'm taking that bastard down with me,' she thought as she pushed through the broken doors, and followed the stench of mold and rotting wood to the basement.

AN: (永 (to) meaning "eternity" combined with 遠 (wa) meaning "distant, far)