𝐇𝐢𝐤𝐚𝐫𝐢 『Bakugo Katsuki』

◆Chapter 111◇

Katsuki, Miyuki, and Izuku made it back to their dormitory building safely with their classmates once they managed to get through the dense crowd of evacuees. The half-and-half girl felt grateful when she saw the lights inside were already on, providing a bit more warmth from the cool evening air that had descended after it stopped raining a short while ago.

But even if that was the case, and she felt a pressure come off her shoulders as she took in the common area when they entered, Miyuki felt like she'd come home after many months of being away. The lingering scent of Sato's baking wafting through her nostrils from the kitchen combined with the smell of Momo's tea; seeing a few of the boys' outdoor shoes strewn around the Genkan, and feeling the firm yet smooth floor beneath her feet -

It came out of nowhere - so suddenly and unexpectedly, the half-and-half girl thought as she got ready to take off her shoes. The corner of her lip tugged upwards slightly. And yet, I feel almost as if...

She exhaled quietly, a small, wistful expression coming onto her face as her mind drifted to her father and the mirages she saw of him the last few days - his voice she heard for the first time in a while. A strange lightness settled upon her shoulders as she thought of Aizawa and Mirai, especially the latter of the two when she got off her first boot. Under the bright lighting of the common area, she saw just how frayed and scorched the soles had become. Her eyes clouded over with thoughtfulness and she wondered if her father would've been happy to see her use the power he'd helped her cultivate in the way she had.

'Smile... a society without cheer and humour... will not have a bright future...'

Katsuki turned to look over his shoulder when he realized Miyuki wasn't beside him anymore and saw her still struggling to get off her boots. Something was different now, too, he realized - her brows were furrowed in deep contemplation yet there was a fading smile tugging at her mouth, and it seemed like she was somewhere else entirely as her gaze remained on her boot. She was lost in thought again. But what about, he could only hope it had nothing to do with those Commission clowns. From what he'd heard, they'd been relentlessly hunting her down over the last few days, even getting in what was left of the pros to speed up the search. That thought made his gut churn in sheer disgust and frustration.

It was a good thing those evacuees were present. If they hadn't been, then before that Zebra lady and the Spoonbill arrived, he would've blown every last one of those Commission officers and policemen to kingdom come.

Pushing those feelings aside for now, Katsuki made his way towards Miyuki to help her take off her boot. It would also finally be a good chance for him to speak with her after everything that had happened, and he'd been wanting to talk with her ever since they found her about to go up against Dictator.

Miyuki looked up when she heard a set of footsteps coming her way. Katsuki opened his mouth to speak, as did she, but the two were promptly prevented from doing so when a long, pink tongue wrapped itself around the half-and-half girl. Miyuki's eyes nearly bulged out of her head when she was suddenly yanked off of the ground and pulled away.

"Set the temp to a comfy forty-two degrees Celsius, Yao-Momo!" Mina shouted as she and the other girls dashed for the girls' bathroom.

"Heat it up, heat it up!" Toru exclaimed cheerily, bouncing as she ran in front of Tsuyu who carried a stunned Miyuki with her tongue.

Katsuki looked on, eye twitching in slight irritation as the other girls and Miyuki vanished into their bathroom, tendrils of steam already rising out from it as they shut - and locked - the door behind them.

"Most things can be fixed if you just take a bath," Denki sighed, leaning on Katsuki's shoulder when he came to stand beside him, his hero jacket tied around his waist.