𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐞

Ch07

An eerie, midst-like haze overtook vision completely.
Ochako could barely differentiate the air from the ground.
It was almost as if she were using her quirk, while being stationary at the same time.

Her legs were definitely on the ground, but her body had no weight.
She was so caught up in the stimulating feeling it provided, that she'd completely disregarded her surroundings.

The pitch blackness began to twist and shift, until there was a noticeable change in atmosphere.

It was looking more and more like a night sky than an endless abyss.

A cloudless, starless night sky.

Before Ochako had even realised, buildings and cities began to materialize.

Civilization was at her fingertips the entire time.
If that was the case...Then what was this feeling?

Then the buildings started to look familiar. They were the same ones in Musutafu; the same as...

Then it hit her.

She needed to get out of there...
But her legs wouldn't move.

An invisible weight cemented itself at her limbs, preventing her from moving any part of her body from the neck down.

She couldn't be there--she knew exactly what was about to take place, and that she was unfortunately going to be at the very center of it.

Then she heard the first horrified shriek.
Audible crashing, car alarms, screaming drowned put the prior city buzz from just moments ago.

The buildings were beginning to flicker to an orange-reddish blaze, cinders falling close enough to sting.

If Ochako squinted, she could mistake the buildings circling her for great pines and oaks, as if the several damaged and burning buildings could've just been a hellish forest fire.

At least if it were a forest fire, she'd be dying alone.

But now, cities, civilians of families and loved ones were involved.

But she couldn't do anything.

Without even looking around for it, she could see several persons in more dire positions then her.

A business woman under a telephone pole, a construction worker screaming for his child; it was all becoming too much.

"Look, it's Deku!"
Someone yelled with buckets of relief.

Ochako felt her ears begin to burn...

Deku, the name she'd called this boy from adolescence.
Well, he wasn't a boy anymore.

She'd loved him for a while now, but her feelings were never quite reciprocated.

What was with that?

He seemed to care about her... But as nothing more than a best friend? A sister?

But instead, he fell for the one thing Ochako couldn't surpass, nor understand.

Katsuki may have known Deku since childhood, but what else did he have on her? She was an optimist, constantly acting with Izuku's best interest at heart, and always keeping him within arms length.

But that's what she couldn't understand.

How could he--no, how dare he--fall for someone who was selfish and a bully?

Katsuki never once had Izuku's best interest at heart, and always pushed him away.

But apparently that was the most admirable thing he could've done, since he never accepted the fact that he was the best he could ever be--for neither Izuku, nor himself.