Explosive Touch [Bakugo Katsuki x OC] - Book 3

Chapter 19 - Dumbass

"Move." He glared at her, eyebrows scrunched, yet eyes wide, no doubt surprised. His voice came out low, perhaps a little threatening.

"No." She glared back, stance just as stern and hard. Neither was about to back down.

"I said, move." He was gritting his teeth and his eye might have been twitching too. Clenching his fists, he took a step forward.

"And I said, no." She remained rooted in place, but her shoulders tensed, voice becoming louder. Katsuki remained silent for another second, as if to really comprehend that she refused to listen, then slowly walked forward. It wasn't long before he stood right in front of her.

"Don't you understand? This is not the time for you to be sticking your nose where it doesn't belong, Atsuhi-"

"No!" she cried back, the hands that had been outstretched as if to shield Midoriya previously, now clenched into fists by her sides. She took a step forward too, causing Katsuki to stop his advance. "This is exactly the time for it!"

Katsuki looked ready to protest but Atsuhi wasn't about to let him have the word. In fact, she hadn't considered the possibility even once – she just let her thoughts flow out.

"Why!? Why have you kept all this to yourself!?"

Am I pushing him too far? Perhaps I really should do as he says? Maybe I am only going to make things worse.

Yet today Atsuhi's common sense and her heart, overflowing with this sudden burst of emotion, did not seem to be working in sync.

"You were hurting, Katsuki-kun! And yet, you never told anyone! You kept it all bottled up inside! It didn't..." She paused to try and mask her sob – she hadn't realized when she had gotten this close to crying. "It didn't even have to be me! You could've... you could've told anyone!"

No, no. I'm just going in circles now. If I want to convince him to stop this...

Wait... How do I convince him to stop? Should I even try? Will it be better if he just takes it all out now...?

She heard the faint sound of someone inhaling sharply behind her, and forced herself to continue before Midoriya could cut in.

"Please..." She relaxed her shoulders and lowered her voice. "I am so, so sorry, Katsuki-kun..."

By this point, the tears were already falling. Funny how she was the one crying, even though she had little to do with this mess. Or she would've, had she not chosen to throw herself right in the midst of it.

The sudden change in tone (or perhaps it was the crying, she couldn't really tell for certain) made Katsuki pause, looking at her with those wide and unnervingly calm eyes again. Not the ones she'd seen the many times they'd laughed and walked together though.

Those were eye full of pain.

You've done so much for me, Katsuki-kun... And yet, the one time where it really counts... I can't seem to do anything to help you back... I am so, so sorry...

"You're right – I shouldn't be sticking my nose in your business." She glanced back at Midoriya. "I can tell that this is clearly something important for both of you. But after seeing it, how do you expect me to stand still?"

...

I can tell he's not taking any of this. It almost looks like he isn't even listening. Like he's waiting for me to just shut up, so he can release all these emotions that are blinding him right now... I don't have the right to blame him.