Atonement [Bakugo Katsuki]

🤍 Chapter 96 🤍

Kimitsuki patrolled the streets of Tokyo with her friends, Izuku, Katsuki and Shoto along with the Number One Hero, Endeavor. It was now one week into their Work Studies at the Endeavor Agency, and aside from their unexpected detour to Otheon, everything seemed to be going smoothly. Ever since they had returned to Japan, Endeavor had assigned the four of them into a rather hefty task.

And that task was to try and catch the Villains before Endeavor did. It had been a week but every time that they tried to go after any Villain, regardless of their level of criminality, it was always Endeavor who managed to get to them first. The only one out of the students that came even close to him was Kimitsuki, but her self-confidence about it was nothing in comparison to the Pro-Hero.

"At U.A., it's hard work," Endeavor had told them on their first day with him. "And here, it's experience. Build up a mountain of that. The things all four of you need to work on can be conquered by experience. This winter, show me that you can capture a villain faster than me just once!"

That had been a supposedly simple task yet no matter how many times Kimitsuki felt like she was ready about it – everything would go awry. The fact that she was aware of the situation yet did not have the same level of confidence was what really disturbed her.

It was not that Kimitsuki was not confident in her ability to help others. It was not a small thing that out of her friends, she was the most experienced. But there was a certain gap in her mind and her body that held her back. It was not that Kimitsuki did not want to protect those seeking help.

The issue arose from the hesitation toward herself. Kimitsuki found herself wanted to completely grasp her surroundings before she jumped into a situation. That was her toxic trait – the desire to have complete control over the circumstances.

Even Kimitsuki knew that it was a hindrance that she must grow out of. She could never have complete control over a situation. Kimitsuki needed to work on that aspect of herself as a Hero.

In the world of Pro-Heroes, where every action was directly connected to the scale of damage, this Work Study had reduced to Kimitsuki simply chasing after Endeavor. It reminded of what he had said, "Learn to do in your sleep the things you need focus to do now! Once you've decided to do something, you should already be done doing it!"

That decisiveness was something that the self-effacing Kimitsuki needed to learn to do. Rather than dwelling on the thought and taking a step a second too late, it should be done the moment that she comprehended it in her head. Kimitsuki hoped to learn that well.

"Th-Thief!
Someone, call a Hero!"

Before the rest of her friends reacted, Kimitsuki went running in the direction of where the voice had come from. She had done that ahead of her friends, but she found herself slower than the Number One Hero yet again as her eyes browsed the location while Endeavor jumped above her and got to the situation ahead of her by several seconds.

Endeavor took down the Villain and Kimitsuki quickly restrained him while the Pro-Hero took the briefcase from the ground and handed it back to the man who had yelled for their help. She felt a bit disgruntled at herself but did not let it show on her face.

"We were the ones who saw him first..." muttered Shoto as he, Izuku and Katsuki arrived behind her with their own Quirks. They did not do well in hiding their own disgruntled expression.

"He beat us again, damn it!" cursed Katsuki, voicing out his frustration over being slower.

"Thank you, Endeavor!" cried out the civilian. "You really saved me!"

"Still using cash these days?" asked Endeavor. "Make sure you're being careful,"

"I will!" promised the man.