𝔄𝔫 ℑ𝔫𝔣𝔦𝔫𝔦𝔱𝔶 𝔄𝔴𝔞𝔶 | Katsuki Bakugo x OC

Chapter 71 - The Pain of the Past

Heyo fellow readers! First of all, I want to thank all the love and support this fic has been getting! I'm truly grateful! :)

I understand the previous chapter I'd said that we'd be done with this fic by November. Sorry for not being able to keep the promise; I hit a major writing block for MHA fics in general and was too excited with some life developments to even look at writing for a while.

But I'm back now, consistently writing for a few weeks and finally got the inspiration to dive back into MHA! q(≧▽≦q) I've decided the last 3 chapters will be posted all at once. So after this chapter, all y'all have to wait for is the final update.╰(*°▽°*)╯

I hope you all enjoy this story as much as I loved writing it <3

Enjoy reading!

-----

There was something peculiar with the way Hina said things. Like they weren't quite her words she'd regurgitate from time to time. The case wasn't in every conversation she's had with Katsuki. So it took him time to pinpoint exactly what was that difference he never noticed before.

But there was a pattern he soon started to recognize.

A pattern he once had with himself. He'd say words, phrases really, that weren't his own. He'd repeat them because of how they affected his inner self, how they'd inflict such introspection that made him feel inferior to what he was supposed to be.

His mother's voice. Her words. Her criticism.

Don't get him wrong, he appreciated his old hag. She made him who he was. She cared deeply for him, took care of him. She put him down a few pegs when he was being an obnoxious brat, spoiled by society's image of an ideal hero.

But his mother hadn't started with the harsh truths until after he turned seven. So imagine his surprise—his utter perplexment—when he realized Hina was repeating words that belonged to a reprimanding adult when she was just four years old.

The first time it clicked was when she was extra excited about being called a good girl. How her eyes grew big and her cheeks flushed in joy when her smile showed her blue stained teeth from the cotton candy at the amusement park.

You really think I'm a good girl Tsuki? She asked, her voice small yet high with jubilance. He brushed it off with a ruffle of her hair and distracted her with the plushie prizes at the arcade; but he still took note of her demeanor then.

The second time he realized this phenomenon was when they played at the park. She'd run after him, calling herself a bad girl when she accidentally dropped sand out of the sand pit. Then she'd whispered under her breath with tears pooling at the waterline, Good girls don't cry over small things. Good girls don't cry.

However, the time that really left Katsuki bewildered was when she practiced her judo stances in the in-home gym.

She was wearing the little white judo outfit, a white belt tightly fastened around her waist. She kicked the air and then punched it, exhaling a strong "hah!" with every move.

Hours had passed and she'd been continuing relentlessly. Sweat dripped from her temple, her chin, and her lips were pressed in a line. Her focus was impressive, especially for a child who couldn't even speak most words properly.

But this was starting to worry Katsuki, his patience dulling into a blunt pencil from how her little flushed cheeks were puffed with excessive breath. He watched her from the entrance of the gym, his shoulder leaning against the wall as she continued her stances one by one. He watched until she stumbled on a stance, falling to her knees and nearly on her face.