[BNHA] Fight Me! Protect Me! Love Me! | Bakugou Katsuki x OC

34. Business Trip

Kamiko couldn't stop checking out the earrings in her phone camera. She doesn't normally wear earrings because she's too lazy to put them in. When she's feeling fancy she would normally go for the hoop kind, or the dangling ones, the kind that made her look elegant. This set of black studs didn't really fit her aura, but rather resonated quite well with Bakugou. Well, it is the first gift he's ever given me... At least, I'd like to think of it as a gift.

She sat on her chair in the office, waiting for her hero to get off duty and take her out to dinner. Maybe I should have dressed up a little today. I didn't even put on make up. Her brows gently furrowed worriedly. She touched her cheeks with the tips of her fingers. Her skin was slightly rough to the touch. All that studying and getting sick really made it hard for her to take skin care seriously. Aahh! What do I do? Will Bakugou notice? She wondered.

Meanwhile the ash blonde was in the middle of chasing down a villain. He blasted his way into a dark alley, where the villain discovered he had run into a dead end. "Go to hell!" Bakugou blasted at the villain, not enough to kill him but definitely enough to knock him out. The police cars soon arrived on sight, and it was another event solved by the great Ground Zero.

"Ground Zero! Ground Zero!" Reporters started flying in to the site, sticking their microphones and cameras in the ash blonde hero's face. "The crime rates in Tsukuba City has not been going down since the Nomu attack! Do you have anything to say about that?"

"Do you see the rising crime activity as a failure on your part as a hero?"

"With society in its current state, can you confidently tell the civilians to put their trust in you?"

Bakugou glared at the damn extras blocking his way. This wasn't a problem in his younger days, but he's come to realize this more after years of working as a pro hero: the importance of media influence. With media constantly questioning the works of heroes, it's difficult for civilians, especially the ones lacking in high education, to think for themselves and build trust in heroes. Bakugou could even pinpoint media as one of the key factors to rising crime rates. 

Tsukuba City has always been a city with an average crime rate. Most of the crimes being small crimes such as robbery or underground drug dealing. Normally crimes in Tsukuba City don't really affect the lives of average civilians, leaving the people here with a generally positive outlook on heroes. Ever since the Nomu attack however, media has been turning against heroes. 

Bakugou walked away, deciding he'll just ignore them again, like he always does. He knew no matter what he said, media will always find a way to twist his meaning to their own purpose. 

"Ground Zero! It's been over five years since All Might's retirement! The masses have predicted the next Symbol of Peace to emerge between either you, Deku, or hero Shoto! Do you have anything to say about that?" A reporter caught his attention. Bakugou locked eyes with the young reporter. He looked like he was in his early twenties, spiky pink hair, large brown eyes. Unlike the other reporters, Bakugou saw hope in this one's eyes. He stared at Bakugou desperately, mouth minced into a nervous smile. Bakugou stepped up to his microphone. The man's eyes widened with surprise, as if he didn't expect Bakugou to actually come up to him.

"Symbol or no symbol, what we have to do remains the same. We're just gonna beat the crap out of the damn villains, that's all." 

The pink haired reporter's eyes glowed, tears brimming the corner of his eyes as he was touched by Bakugou's words. "Thank you! I'll be cheering you on!" he said with a big smile. Bakugou's lips curled upward, just slightly. 

He ignored all the reporters that continued to file in, bombarding him with questions. Suddenly he felt a vibration in his pocket, and he took out his phone, his eyes narrowing with suspicion when he saw the caller ID. "What do you want Deku?" he spat into the phone. Even after all these years, after reconciling with him, he still can't bring himself to talk nicely to his green haired childhood friend.