A Life Worth Living (Aizawa x OC)

8 - A Freaking Stone

With the help of the directions she'd received from the tired man she'd bumped into, Himari was finally able to find her way back to Recovery Girl's office, where she picked up her suitcase and informed Chiyo that she was good to go.

On the way to what would be Himari's new home on the campus, their conversation mainly centred around Himari's meeting with the principal.

The U.A.'s nurse remained mute, attentively listening to the woman next to her, who was completely immersed in her elaboration of how this super weird and definitely not normal meeting with the principal had gone, subtly pointing out that it probably wasn't the best idea that someone like him was in charge of a school, especially a school for future heroes.

Himari was so focused on her rant about everything that seemed weird about the principal that she didn't even process her environment as they crossed the campus.

But as the elderly lady came to a sudden halt, she utilized the moment to quickly scan her surroundings. They were directly behind the school building on what seemed to be the way to the training grounds, standing in front of a well-trod pathway that led to the front yard of a small cottage, the property enclosed by a white fence. Overall, it shared a lot of similarities with the home she'd decided to leave behind.

Just when Himari opened her mouth with the obvious intention to ask if they'd reached their destination, Chiyo spoke up, explaining that this would be her new home.

Apparently, Nezu's plan had been to let her live in one of the empty apartments located in the school building that mainly served as accommodations for guests, but Recovery Girl had opposed this idea, suggesting to provide the woman with a little more freedom in case she really agreed to live on the campus. Something like this would be better suited for the woman. It could turn into a safe space for her. A space to retreat to. It was specifically built for her with the intent to make her feel as comfortable as possible in this entirely new environment.

Tearing up at the thought that two strangers had been willing to build a house for her only to make her more comfortable, Himari showered Recovery Girl with expressions of gratitude, not able to find the right words for the overwhelming warm feeling that was washing over her like a wave.

With a soft smile, Chiyo ensured the brunette that it was the least they could do for her and urged her to enter her new home, ready to give her an exclusive room tour, which was something she'd been looking forward to since Himari had declared that she agreed to live here.

The senior heroine blissfully noticed that something that resembled a glint of delight appeared in Himari's moss-green eyes, a welcome diversion from the usual blankness that dominated them.

Before Recovery Girl decided to head home herself, the two women sat down in Himari's brand-new kitchen, enjoying a cup of tea while chatting about this and that.

Chiyo handed her protégée the number of a moving company, just in case she wanted some of her old furniture from home as well as a new phone with the most important numbers on it, which Himari was incredibly thankful for.

Yet, there was something else that plagued Chiyo's mind. For a while, she quarrelled with herself but concluded that the perfect moment to address this topic was probably non-existent. Knowing that this was nothing to lighten the mood, Chiyo told Himari about the cemetery where she'd find her husband's grave, recommending her to pay him a visit once she was ready for it.

After Chiyo had left, it didn't take long until the deafening silence in the house started to suffocate Himari, who tried her best to shake off this crippling loneliness that repeatedly threatened to overwhelm her by reminding herself of all the good things that had happened today.