Addicted Love

Chapter 7

The weekend had slipped by in a blur, and Arisa found herself cocooned in her room, venturing out only for meals and bathroom breaks. Bakugo, loyal as ever, had kept her secret, deftly returning the pills to their rightful containers, shielding her from her mother's scrutiny. Alone in her bed, the weight of her thoughts pressed down on her—the mean girls who had made her life miserable, the complexities of her family dynamics, and above all, the lingering image of Shinso. She couldn't shake the feeling that he must believe she wanted nothing to do with him, a notion that gnawed at her insides. How she longed for just a glimpse of him, at least to let him know she was interested.

As she laid there lost in thought, suddenly, a series of small rocks tapped against her window, pulling her from her reverie. Curiosity piqued, she peeked outside to find Deku standing there, a hopeful grin plastered across his face. "What are you doing here?" she inquired, her initial discomfort creeping back.
"I came to invite you to the coffee shop!" he exclaimed, his enthusiasm infectious.
"Why? I'm grounded," she replied, a hint of defiance in her voice.
Deku quickly explained, "I felt bad for freaking you out the other day. To make it up to you I thought you might want to see Shinso... he mentioned he was heading there this afternoon." Arisa hesitated, weighing her options. Despite her reservations about Deku, the prospect of seeing Shinso was too tempting to resist.
"Fine. Wait there," she relented, adrenaline coursing through her as she prepared to leave her sanctuary. She rummaged through her clothes, opting for something that she thought would catch Shinso's eye. A quick swipe of eyeliner, her hair swept into a casual bun with wispy strands framing her face, and she slipped into a dark green tank top paired with a sleek black jacket.
With her heart racing, she climbed out the window, the thrill of rebellion fueling her excitement. "I'm so glad you're tagging along!" Deku beamed at her, his eyes shining with anticipation.
"I'm only coming because I need to see Shinso," she clarified, her focus unwavering as they made their way to the coffee shop, each step bringing her closer to the boy who occupied her thoughts.

As they strolled down the familiar path, Deku's mind wandered back to the conversation he had shared with Bakugo.

~flashback~

"K-Kacchan! Hi," Deku stammered, his heart racing as Bakugo approached him with his usual fiery demeanor. "Stop freaking out. I don't have feelings for you; my sister started that ridiculous rumor to get back at me," Bakugo said bluntly, his tone sharp yet oddly reassuring.
Deku released a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Thank goodness! Uraraka was really upset when she heard. She was worried it might ruin our friendship and make things awkward between us," he replied, relief washing over him.
Bakugo rolled his eyes, dismissing Deku's concerns. "I don't give a shit about your personal relationship with pink cheeks. What I need is your help. I want to show Arisa what it's like to be on the receiving end of her actions. Can you pretend to be an overly infatuated love interest towards her?"
"Uh, sure... but why?" Deku asked, confusion creeping into his voice.
Bakugo's expression hardened. "If she can see how her behavior affects others, maybe she'll understand why being in a relationship isn't good for her right now. She gets her own pain, but not the pain she causes. That's why she pulled this stunt—she was only thinking about herself."
Deku frowned, contemplating Bakugo's words. "That seems a bit harsh, don't you think?"
"She's not a lost cause. She has empathy, but her desires cloud her judgment. I'm involving Shinso too. I spoke with him about Arisa, and thankfully, he doesn't have feelings for her. But he gets her struggles and agreed to help. He even has a cousin with BPD who was out of control, and he knows a method to help her gain more stability."
Deku raised an eyebrow. "And you're okay with this?"
Bakugo shrugged, frustration evident in his voice. "As long as it helps, I don't care. I'm exhausted from dealing with her daily battles. We tried therapy, but they just threw meds at her that she refuses to take. I'm genuinely worried she might hurt herself or someone else. Her quirk is too powerful for her to be this unstable."
"I understand. Okay then, I won't let you down, Kacchan," Deku said, a determined smile spreading across his face as he agreed to the plan, ready to support his friend in this difficult endeavor.