Latibule

45 - ꜰᴜɴ ᴛᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ꜱᴏ ꜰᴜɴ

Previously on Latibule:

"Of course, and..." The boy smirked. "Tell a soul about that promise and you're dead."

I laughed. "I won't tell if you don't."

"As if I would."

-~:~-

Latibule — Chapter 45///Fun To Not So Fun

-~:~-

The next day, I met up with my classmates to have some fun on the island, while it was still closed to general visitors. I knew the rest of them would probably stay for the whole festival, but I was to leave the same evening (would've been lunch if my parents' work things hadn't been postponed by the fiasco the evening before) so I wanted to make the most of it.

"Where would you like to go?" Kirishima asked me. "Melissa showed the others all around the Expo yesterday so I think they have their own plans."

I raised a brow at him and Bakugou. "You guys don't?"

"Nah, not really," Kirishima shrugged, as he was always the one of the two to do the talking. "We just thought we'd hang around, go to whatever catches our eye."

"Mind if I stick with you guys?" I asked, mostly out of politeness because that was what I usually did anyway. "My parents are busy and I don't really want to be all alone in a place like this." I felt a bit embarrassed at the last part so I rushed to add, "I mean — it seems like a place that is much more fun with friends."

Kirishima nodded. "I totally agree! So, what do you guys say we check out the solar system attraction? I heard from Kaminari that you can use your quirk to light up the Sun!"

I beamed. "Alright with me! What about you, Katsuki?"

"Yeah, whatever, let's go."

-~:~-

So it happened that we spent the rest of the day walking all over the island, going to a dozen different places. Besides the solar system, which definitely took the cake, my favorites were the villain-destroying-simulation that Bakugou and Kirishima had actually gone through the previous day, and then a laboratory, where you could give a blood sample and discover how far back your quirk dated! It turned out that, through my dad's side of the family, I was directly connected to the first ever quirk-wielder, the one whose quirk allowed her to project light and energy.

"Who would've thought, huh?" Kirishima asked, scratching the back of his head. "Turns out my quirk only appeared four or so generations ago."

Bakugou harrumphed. "Can we move on already?"

I laughed, both at the fact that he was being childish and the fact that we were already walking towards the hotel where I was staying. "Aww, Katsuki, are you just sad that your quirk is way younger than mine?"

"No, of course not," he argued. From the look on our redheaded friend's face, I could tell that he didn't believe it, but I did. The air around Bakugou was simply thick with sadness.

I hummed. "Then what is it?"

Thinking about it in the time I got no answer, I figured that I was sad, too. It felt weird to be sad on such a happy and eventful day, after an even more eventful previous day. And Kirishima was happy, I could tell that much. But, it all soon made sense to me because I was standing closer to Bakugou so his emotions must've been influencing my own a bit more than the redhead's.

"Well, we're here," Kirishima announced, just in time to pull me out of an oncoming memory.

"Oh, thanks, guys!" I smiled, this time feeling a bit less genuine about it as I tried to keep the air around me from coloring from a happy yellow to a sad blue. I moved to give both of them a hug. "Really, thank you for letting me spend the day with you! You're the best friends I've ever had!"

"Right back at you," Kirishima grinned, while Bakugou answered with his usual yeah, sure, whatever, sounding even less enthusiastic this time around.

Oh, wait, I realized at the door of the hotel and whirled to look at the boys again. "See you at the training camp?"

"Of course!"

"Like we'd miss it."

I was happy to see Bakugou a bit more competitive (and thus more himself) again. Frankly, he hadn't been like that since we left the villain attraction. Hm, I wondered. Maybe he's having a bad— I started to wonder but stopped when I was suddenly reminded of the realization I came to at the beginning of chapter thirty-three.

I sighed when I arrived in my room, looking down at my phone where I'd been keeping notes on my quirk before looking at myself in the mirror. Pink and red symbolize love, the darker the stronger...

I remembered dancing with Bakugou. I feel kinda bad for lying to him. I pulled a face. He can't have a crush on me, can he? I then shook my head, moving from my place to start packing my things. It's obvious that he does, though... Which is why I lied to him, right? I can't hurt him like that... If I said I felt the same as he did, then...

I sighed again, dropping the dress, which I'd worn dancing with the very same boy I was thinking about, into my bag. "I just don't know anymore..." I muttered to myself. I thought I might've had a teensy crush on him but... It was probably just his emotions that stored up in me, right? I can't get my own hopes up, either...

I plopped down onto my bed, not caring that I didn't have time for it, and stared at the ceiling. I wish I could just turn my quirk off sometimes... I also wished there was someone I could share my troubles with.

But when my parents came back, I didn't even consider telling them. They were tired, they had enough problems on their own. Besides, I was probably influenced by their worry, too, so I obviously couldn't have been too worried to begin with. Or, if I was, it was probably what Bakugou had felt like, for he'd looked all sad and gloomy.

However, even when I got home and I finally decided to let my quirk steam out, the feeling didn't go away.

Frustrated, I stuffed my face into my pillow. This doesn't make any sense!