𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 | 𝐛𝐚𝐤𝐮𝐠𝐨𝐮 𝐤.

✩ seven ✩

"is that the girl sir?" the dark voice of a shadow whispers across the room to the man in question. the sound of scratching sandpaper along with the soft cheers from the television.

"yeah it is," the scratching stops instantly and is replaced by hoarse laughter instead. "master will be proud of me if i retrieve that one don't you think kurogiri?"

the man watches through the creases of fingers that grip his face. the face of the blue-haired girl and a worrisome smile on her face, as she follows close behind some medics, flashes on the screen.

"i will get that girl no matter what it costs me. if it makes master pleased with me then let us follow up with our plan soon."

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"that was some match there ko." i perk up as the hoarse voice of eiji brings me from my spaced-out thoughts. when i look down at him, his neck and arms are all wrapped up tightly in bandages.

"that was a really close one eijiro. i nearly hit my limit there." i trail off thinking of the state my body was in just an hour ago. my head started pounding and my limbs felt like bricks. if it wasn't for the opening i saw, he probably would have gotten the best of me.

"hey, i told you not to hold back on me and you kept your word," he weakly smiled up at me. "and that's all i can ask for."

my stomach drops at those words. a distant voice i haven't heard in many years echoes those same words. a flash of my fathers face comes to my mind and then it was gone.

i feel my throat begin to ache at the cry that threatens to escape my lips. but this isn't about me right now. i'm here to make sure eiji's okay.

my face drops to my shoes as i stand abruptly from the chair i pulled up to the side of his bed.

i have to get out of here. i have to get a handle on my emotions right now. it isn't safe.

i take in a gasp of air to try and control the tears that are pricking the bottom lid of my eye.

"i'm glad you're okay eiji. i'll see you in a bit, i have to go and get prepared for my next match." my voice comes out colder than i wish it did. i turn to rush out the door and he doesn't move to stop me or say anything to make me stay.

i glance over my shoulder to see eiji's eyes closed and his chest slowly heaving up and down.

he must still be exhausted from our match.

i quietly pull the door to the infirmary closed and let the sigh that's been holding my lungs captive free.

i know he told me not to hold back but this guilt is making me feel nauseous. a mixture of his unconscious state and the bandages on his body makes my body shake.

then i feel the burning of bile in my throat. i begin to speed walk in search of the nearest restroom.

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dear god this is the worst. i don't know how much more of this i can do.

the thought of hurting my new classmates in order to better myself just isn't sitting right with me. not even just of hanta, but now eijiro?

the cool tile of the bathroom stall feels nice against the eternal burning of my skin. the bathroom is completely silent which is the worst case scenario for myself.

"hey miya-i mean konomi?"

"what's up eiji?"

"w-well, you've mentioned before that you don't get a whole lot of sleep. could you tell me why that is?"

he looks at me so sincerely as if he wishes to know the problem to find a solution.

"it's not really something i can control you see." i glance over at the black-haired boy who has a confused look on his face.

"well, imagine you're sitting on a bench in a bustling city. suddenly all of these people are drawn to you and they want to tell you all about their lives, sitting in the spot next to you. they normally will start off with the most significant thing that happened in their lives. like how they met their significant other or they'll talk all about their children then their grandchildren. it soon turns into how they passed away and how they haven't spoken to someone in such a long time."

"at first it's really interesting to hear their stories, since you are learning so much about other people. but then you grow tired and wish to rest. however, as you close your eyes you find that their voices won't go away. if anything they grow louder. you can't speak to them to tell them you are tired so all you can do is listen. once one spirit finishes, then another sits down and starts the whole process over again. i like to call these people, the spirits of the stars."

"once they tell you their story, they simply get up from their seat and drift away. it makes me feel like i'm helping them, and if i am to lose sleep because i am helping another. than so be it."

the memory of telling eijiro the downside of my quirk is always persistent in my mind. he is one of the only ones that knows about this side of me.

it feels ungrateful of me to nag about such a miniscule thing when i'm grateful to even have a quirk at all.

there were many spirits that i have encountered that have passed from a tragic accident they weren't able to defend themselves from. some of them didn't have quirks but the others were because there wasn't a hero there in time to save them.

that is why i am here today. because i get the chance to help save people with the hopes that i won't ever have to hear them say a hero didn't get there in time to save them.

with the new found determination in my chest, i stagger to my feet with a slight waver in my stature. i push the door of the stall open and walk to the sink.

i splash some cold water on my face in hopes it will cool me off like the floor did. i glance up at my reflection barely able to recognize who is looking back at me. the water washes away some of the makeup i used to cover the dark circles that drag my lids downwards.

my skin is still quite pale from the sickliness of my state earlier and the silver in my eyes are dull. the ones junko always told me sparkled like the stars above themselves. my brows are furrowed slightly at the sight.

i need to pull myself together. there is no time to pity myself. i need to remember why i am here.

my stomach my be empty now, but the guilt still slightly lingers there.

the stinging of my cheeks brings me back to reality. my hands must have moved on their own as i note my cheeks and skin flushing back to its normal color.

i am here to prove i can save others.

i owe it to those spirits who couldn't be saved in time.