𝔏𝔞𝔡𝔶 𝔐 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔄𝔰𝔰𝔦𝔰𝔰𝔦𝔫

Oleander

━━━✦❘༻✧༺❘✦━━━

The funeral was brief, held days after the gala, on a rainy afternoon. Shigaraki dressed in a simple black suit, a calla lily pinned in his breast pocket.

What compelled him to come? He wasn't so sure. It was hard to pinpoint the exact reason, except for the slight, nagging feeling that told him there was something off about the kill. As he was heading back to the bar, Shigaraki realized that only the fingers on the left hand were cut off. In the underground, only the right fingers were collected as verification of the kill, no exceptions. Even a newly hired mercenary wouldn't make a mistake as simple as this.

Shigaraki stepped out of the rental car, noticing the Lady right away. She was dressed in all black, her gloved fingers slightly concealing her face as pearly tears dripped from her eyes. The mindless monotone voice of the priest droned on in the background as Shigaraki stood at the edge of the mass of aristocrats who attended Duke Todoroki's funeral. The flock of black umbrellas and bodies dressed in lavish dark clothes blocked Shigaraki's view of the casket.

He had to know if he was right; if the left hand fingers were missing, but he'd have to be patient.

Countless lords and ladies stood up on the podium to deliver their respective eulogies. Shigaraki thought he was going to fall asleep. He forgot how tedious and annoying funeral processions were, much less a noble's.

Lastly, Lady Todoroki stood up, gracefully making her way down the rows of onlookers, stepping up to the podium. Adjusting the microphone, she parted her pink lips and uttered a short sentence: "Shoto Todoroki, will be missed." Her voice faltered a bit at his name, tears springing up in her eyes. More tears fell down her face as she struggled to find her voice. Tilting her head down, she finally excused herself, stepping off the podium with a handkerchief clutched in her hand.

Shigaraki watched her return to her place as one of her attendants offered her an extra handkerchief which she waved away, hiding her face. From Shigaraki's point of view, he could've sworn the slight quiver of her lips was curved up into a vicious smile.

He blinked.

As if sensing his gaze on her, the Lady turned her head, looking wide-eyed and teary as she made eye contact with Shigaraki. Anguish was written all over her face, and Shigaraki hurriedly looked away, feeling guilty for suspecting a grieving widow. The guests around him started to move, each reaching for a rose offered by the housekeepers of the Todoroki Manor. Shigaraki accepted his as well, making his way toward the casket to pay his respect.

As he approached the casket, he cursed as he saw that it was closed and was being lowered into the pre-dug grave by the pallbearers. Ah fuck.

=====

Izuku never had a hard time faking tears. In fact, it was through practice that made it easy for the tears to start flowing. Izuku felt the tears roll down her face, annoyed that it was probably ruining her makeup. Oh well, it was useless with the current weather anyways. The cold ring of the Todoroki insignia underneath her black glove reminded her of her accomplishment, and Izuku allowed herself to feel a brief moment of satisfaction before neutralizing her facial expression. This was only a small step in the grand scheme, and she could not allow herself to get caught. Not until she got her revenge.

Feeling the gaze of someone watching her, she turned around, ready to catch the culprit. Amidst the aristocrats, he stood there, without an umbrella. The rain wetted his silver blue hair, half up in a bun. His red eyes widened slightly in surprise as he realized he had been caught watching her, then quickly turned away. He looked the same as that night.