fear. || { bnha }

six.

a/n: it's been a while since i updated, huh?
i just wanna say thank you all again for all the support <3

-

By the time school ended, Valui had been asked about Hitoshi so many times that she had lost track of what questions she'd been asked and how many times. The herd of girls from before had eventually dwindled down to two — one with long, soft blonde hair named Amavi and one with shorter brown hair named Yumi. Their conversations had strayed far off the topic of Valui's hero — they continued to call him that because, according to the two girls, it made Valui's face turn red — and into more common topics.

Had Valui not been afraid of giving herself false hopes, she would have called them friends.

Whatever the small group had been talking about as they exited the school was abruptly cut off. Valui looked up in a state of confusion, though that state didn't stay very long.

Hitoshi was standing in front of the bench they had sat at that morning. He was very obviously waiting, but he hadn't noticed her yet.

Or...he's not here for you.

Valui was nudged forward. As she turned, Amavi and Yumi were looking at her expectantly as they started walking off in the opposite direction, waving goodbye as they did. With a soft sigh and a halfhearted wave back, Valui slowly made her way over to Hitoshi.

"What're you waiting for?" she asked curiously to get his attention, trying to put her depressing thought behind her.

Hitoshi turned his head and looked down at her. He didn't answer for a moment, a blank look in his eyes as if he didn't understand her question. Finally, he smiled in a teasing way. "You. What else would I be waiting for?"

Why did his answer bring her so much immense joy?

She giggled in a fairly futile attempt to erase the probably goofy smile from her face. "I guess you're right."

The smile on Hitoshi's face grew as well. He motioned slightly with his head as he started walking. "Come on."

Valui nodded and jogged for a few steps to catch up, slowing down her pace and matching his when she was by his side again. "How long were you waiting there?"

"Ever since my school let out."

She blinked. "But that's at least an hour!"

Hitoshi glanced down at her, an eyebrow raising. "So?"

There was that feeling again — why did it always come back when he said something like that? It made Valui bite her lip and her eyes lock onto her feet as her face burned. She felt nervous, but it wasn't like she was scared of him — quite the opposite, actually. Eventually, when she regained a portion of her courage, she looked back up at him. "Did you need something, then?"

There was a vague look that flickered through his eyes, and he turned his face away from her view. "Do I need a reason to want to see you?"

Had this not been her reality, Valui could have easily guessed that she was dreaming.

"N-no, I guess not." She toyed nervously with her backpack straps, heat residing seemingly permanently on her face and the back of her neck.

They walked back toward the train station, now taking a different route that took them closer to UA. They had fallen silent again, but Valui didn't find any kind of awkwardness in it. That seemed to be some kind of trend — there would be a lapse in their conversation, but it never felt uncomfortable; she never felt like she had to keep the talking going.

"I do have something for you, though." Hitoshi's voice made her look up from her feet to him. He pulled something out of one of the pockets on his uniform jacket, holding it out to her with a light smile.

It was a slip of paper. Valui gazed at him quizzically, taking it gently from his hand and holding it in both of hers. Blue eyes scanned the slip — once, twice, three times — before widening in realization.

"Th-this is a ticket to the sports festival!"

Valui stared up in awe at Hitoshi, though that only seemed to make his smile get wider. There was a certain level of amusement and joy in his eyes, as if watching her expression was something that made him happy. "That it is. I told you I'd—"

Hitoshi cut himself off, hearing a noise somewhere ahead of them — something like a yell. Probably some kid, she thought dismissively. He turned his head away from her, his gaze looking somewhere ahead of them. Valui had heard the noise as well, but didn't pay it any attention — they were on a busy street next to two schools, one of which had just been let out. Her eyes hadn't left his face; she watched his expression change from gentle happiness to something akin to shock.

Or maybe horror.

Suddenly, Valui cared a lot more about whatever made the noise.

H-huh...?

Valui turned her head to see whatever Hitoshi was looking at, but right as she did, a hand was placed gently over her eyes. Before she could ask what was going on, she was cut off. "Come on, let's go this way." His voice was gentle, but there was a sternness to it that told Valui not to argue — or, that if she did argue, it wasn't going to get her anywhere. In her newfound darkness, she could feel herself being led down a different route.

In the distance, she could hear the sounds of police sirens growing louder. Nearer.

When Hitoshi took his hand off her eyes, they were in front of a convenience store that was down a side road that connected to the main one they had previously been walking down. Valui blinked as her eyes readjusted to the light and took in her new surroundings. She tilted her head up to look at Hitoshi. He looked visibly uncomfortable — and had he gotten paler?

"Hitoshi...?" Valui started hesitantly, almost afraid to even ask. "What's wrong...?"

Hitoshi seemed to shake his head quickly, then looked down at her with a very obviously fake smile. His forehead had worry lines on it. "Um... It's nothing. Traffic. It was quicker this way."

Did he take her for a fool?

Valui huffed and pouted angrily, putting her hands on her hips, the sports festival ticket gripped tightly between her fingers. "That's a lie." She was trying her hardest to sound stern, but she wasn't sure it was working. "What was it?"

Hitoshi watched her, then sighed with a defeated chuckle. He ruffled her hair gently, mumbling something that sounded like, "How could I say no to that face?" His hand slid off her head, fingers running lightly through her hair for a brief moment. He looked away again. "You'll get scared."

Valui's expression fell, her face heating up in spite of the situation. She bit the inside of her cheek. Was it really that bad? Was it bad enough that he had to not only cover her eyes, but now didn't even want to tell her what he had sheltered her from? "No I won't."

Why did she feel that she wasn't lying?

Hitoshi gazed at her, the look in his purple eyes showing how little he believed her statement. That in itself told Valui that this was some kind of potentially serious situation; she wasn't entirely unperceptive when it came to others. "How are you so sure?"

Despite the probable gravity of the situation they were in, the corners of her mouth twitched slightly upwards. Oh right. That's why.

"Because you're here."

Hitoshi let out small huff of breath. His eyes looked away from hers. There was a long moment of silence before Valui was plunged into disbelief.

"A hero was killed back there."