HOCUS POCUS | H. SHINSO

XVII」ITAKO AMANO

❝must be where the Todoroki's descended from❞
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According to Koroko's loose beliefs in Shintoism, humans were fundamentally good and only corrupted by evil spirits.

Complete bullshit from Koroko's perspective but who was she to contemplate the natural balance of the world? People were horrible, disgusting, selfish creatures that scared the fuck out of Koroko on a daily basis. No limit to their capabilities existed because, like it or not, everyone was capable of murder when it boiled down to it. Humans have a way of rationalizing when they're backed into a corner and their morals bend and twist to find loopholes in those situations. That's why laws were so important—they weren't meant to be based on emotion.

But laws were only as binding as the law-abiding citizens. Everyone else could wreck havoc as they pleased because the only reason people don't murder is because the vast majority agreed it was morally wrong.

Koroko wondered what people got out of harming others. Sure, she might've been something of a bitch but she'd never intentionally hurt someone in an irreversible way. The few times she had stained in her mind and she relived them constantly. Undoubtedly, her conscience would've made her a poor serial killer.

I'd been a week since Koemi encountered the alleged demon and less since Koroko confessed her feelings to her dear beloved.

Her life seemed at a standstill since Dabi warned her about the League's plot on her downfall as her investigation rapidly approached their current headquarters. She wondered if they were hopping buildings as she did, in a state of constant paranoia that they'd be found out. Not that Koroko was paranoid, she always existed in that state so it seemed like common practice to her.

The moving around was annoying and she of course had to return to work at some point. It wasn't like she was sitting around doing nothing, she still conducted her research and investigation—just from a different area. She went stir-crazy confined to her room while she waited for her comrades to find Kane Fujiwara before he murdered her.

Meanwhile she pondered if he was yet another sideshow to distract her or if he played a larger role. He could certainly afford to steak his claim within the League but what would he have to gain? How do his goals align with those of Shigaraki or was he plotting a take over?

His motives didn't make sense.

"Have you ever killed anyone, Hitoshi?" Koroko asked, leaning on the counter of the kitchen she was airbnbing.

Hitoshi furrowed his eyebrows, glancing at his girlfriend while he wondered what train of thought she decided to follow. She had a way of voicing all of her intrusive thoughts, especially the dark ones.

"Not that I know of," He glanced up as if he were thinking—a clear sign that his count was zero.

"Really? Even in your line of work?" Koroko asked, a little surprised and alienated by that though she was glad he never had to live that.

"I'm a man of God, what can I say?" He teased, referencing their conversation a few days ago, "Kidding. The quirk helps me get what I want relatively easy. Why, what's on your mind?" He knew better than to ask her count, not wanting to conjure any traumatic memories she buried deep within.

She still hadn't healed from her run-in with the serial killer brothers that captured her. While she tried to disguise it, he saw through her and noticed a minor change in her behavior since then. Her eyes seemed darker, like a spark of life dimmed within them.