Cat's Rule the world.... since when?!

A Stomach's Growl and a Spy's Whisper (part 2)

We're almost at the mansion when I decide to drop the real bombshell. It's a piece of information I've been mulling over ever since I overheard that conversation, and as much as I'd like to keep things normal for another few minutes, I can't ignore it anymore.

Me: "Kacchan..."

He glances at me, clearly annoyed that I'm bringing up more bad news. But this one is important.

Me: "They're planning something for tomorrow. An attack."

His reaction is instantaneous. Kacchan stops dead in his tracks, his expression shifting from irritated to alert in a heartbeat. He's tense, like a spring coiled too tight, ready to snap.

Kacchan: "Tomorrow?"

I nod, watching as he processes this. He doesn't explode like I expected. Instead, he looks me straight in the eyes, searching for something.

Me: "That's all I know." I shrug, trying to play it off. "They didn't give any specifics."

Kacchan doesn't respond right away. He just stares at me for a moment longer, his eyes narrowing as he weighs what I just said. I can practically hear the gears turning in his head. It's not every day I see him this quiet, and it kind of freaks me out.

Without another word, I turn and walk toward the mansion's entrance, as if everything's perfectly normal. My stomach's growling again, and all I want is to sit down and pretend, just for a little while, that my life isn't completely upside down. I can hear Kacchan still standing there, stunned by what I just told him.

Let him deal with it.

I push open the door to the mansion, walking in like it's the most natural thing in the world. The warmth of the place hits me immediately, and I can already smell something cooking. Not the bland slop they tried to feed me earlier, but real food this time. I barely pay attention to the details around me as I make my way to the dining room.

Inside, the others are gathered—Mina, Sero, Kirishima—all chatting like nothing's out of the ordinary. I drop into my seat, as if I hadn't just warned Kacchan about an impending attack. I hear him enter behind me, his footsteps slower than usual.

I can feel his eyes on me, but I don't turn around. Instead, I focus on the food. 

Real food, at last.

Kacchan: "Oi, Deku."

His voice is calm, too calm, which is always a warning sign with him. But I don't react, just shovel a spoonful of rice into my mouth. It's not the tasteless mush from before, so I count it as a win.

Kacchan: "You're really just gonna sit there after dropping that bomb?"

I look up at him, blinking innocently.

Me: "What? You asked, and I told you. Now it's your problem."

He scowls, but I can see it in his eyes. He's not really mad—at least, not in the way he usually is. He's thinking, which means he's already planning something.

Kacchan: "Tch. Fine." He grumbles, taking his seat at the head of the table. "But I want your opinion on this. Tomorrow... How bad do you think it's gonna be?"

He trusts me. I can tell, even if he doesn't say it outright. And that's probably the weirdest part of all this. He actually cares what I think about the situation.

Me: "Honestly? I don't know. But if they're planning to make a move, they're probably ready for anything. You should be, too."

Kacchan nods, his eyes narrowing in thought. The others glance between us, clearly picking up on the tension but not wanting to interrupt. The atmosphere in the room feels heavy, like everyone's waiting for something to happen.

But for now, I just eat.