𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐘

CHAPTER 44

Days went by. Few words.

Kai spent most of her time in the guest bedroom—her bedroom—sick from the medications her doctors prescribed. Bakugo barely visited. It was only when Kai was too weak, too ill to get out of bed and get food for herself did he gently knock on the door and bring her a plate. But he couldn't meet her eyes.

Eventually, he went back to school and Kai had the house to herself. Mitsuki and Masaru reluctantly had to leave for a business trip, but Kai promised that she could take care of herself. Hardly convinced, they left promising that they'd come home immediately if she needed them.

Monday morning was the first time Bakugo had spoken more than a few words to Kai. He'd gently push open her door only to find her staring out the window. Kai could see him in her peripheral, but she didn't speak first this time. This time, she waited for him to come to her.

There were several moments of awkward silence as Bakugo contemplated on what to say. But in his hands, he knew the answer was short and simple. "I brought your phone," he said quietly, however not moving from the doorway. Kai turned her head to find her cell phone in his hands.

She'd forgotten that she ever had one. Her eyes then flicked up to Bakugo's sunken expression. Her eyebrows pinched momentarily as she studied him. He's still afraid...

"They found it in your locker at the Festival," he continued with unease. With courage, he began to make his way to her bedside. At last, their eyes met. Both had sorrowful expressions, but Kai held a twinge of regret in her gaze. If she knew this is how they would turn out, she would've kept her mouth shut.

"Thanks," she mumbled, reaching for it.

But Bakugo withheld it for moments longer, looking down at her from where he stood. Something else was on his mind.

"I'm sorry for not giving it to you sooner."

A single brow lifted in suspicion on Kai's forehead. "I-it's not a big deal, Katsuki," she huffed, reaching for it again. But still, he hesitated. "Um... Katsuki?"

His eyes fell to the floor and his lips caved in. He deeply sighed before taking a seat on the edge of her bed. His red eyes met hers again, searching, perhaps. "We had to let the media die down a little before I could give this back to you."

Kai's expression festered into a twist of confusion. "Media?"

Bakugo sighed again, now looking pained to reveal what it was that he was hiding. "After... a-after your accident, word got out that the Hasaki's hidden daughter was at U.A.," he placed the phone at her side, "everyone went crazy and the media exploded. People were afraid to have you be taught in the same classes as the—"

"—normal kids?" Kai finished, her lips downturned into a frown. She already knew about the reservations outsiders had about her existence but she hadn't realized how much of an impact it made since she'd been gone.

"No, no, 'other kids,'" Bakugo corrected, trying to reassure her. There was a long pause as Bakugo centered himself and looked away. "There was just a lot of controversy, that's all. I just wanted to protect you from it."

"Protect me from it?" Kai echoed with a snort. "You can't even look me in the eye anymore and you're trying to 'protect' me?!" Now he was facing her again, a palpable pain pooling to the surface of his red stare. Kai's hardened gaze softened when she recognized how conflicted he looked. She put him in a tough situation, one that might've been too selfish and cruel to put on someone—anyone. But she just wanted him to know that she did it because she cared about him, and at the time, she believed he needed to know. "I'm sorry... I-I just—"

"No, you shouldn't be the one to apologize," Bakugo sighed, brushing a hand over his face. He hid behind his palms, his hair growing messy in the front from how much he anxiously brushed through his bangs. "I'm just trying to work through this," he dropped his hand and turned his head. Reaching an arm, he placed it on Kai's thigh, "for us."

The line on Kai's lips drew a saddened smile. She blinked into his soft gaze, silently, as if to say, "I know."

For several moments, they held each other's eyes in comfortable silence. For the first time in a week, they could see each other. Not for what they had done, but for what they were willing to do for each other. It gave Kai hope that maybe their friendship wasn't lost after all.

Eventually, Bakugo's eyes broke away when he looked at the time on his phone. "Shit," he cursed. Typical. Kai chuckled at the usual vulgar language. Patting her thigh, Bakugo stood up from the bed and tucked his phone into his back pocket. "I gotta go but if you need anything, just call me."

Kai smiled, grabbing her phone and waving it in the air. "Now I can."

Rolling his eyes in amusement, Bakugo turned for the door. "Don't abuse my kindness."

"How is calling you every ten minutes abusing your kindness?" Kai teased.

Turning to her one last time before disappearing through the door, he grinned, "You know I don't like phone calls."

Kai watched him go, her eyes lingering on the vacant door frame for several seconds after he had gone. Only then did she realize she was alone again. Sinking deeper into her bed, she looked to her side, her fingers still wrapped around the phone she had forgotten belonged to her. Pulling it up to her chest, she pressed on the screen with her thumb.

It illuminated. A picture of the beach from when she was young and still surfed remained as the wallpaper. It made her grin. At the top, her battery was fully charged. Katsuki. Still smiling, she swiped up to unlock it. Guess I don't look too different if it still recognizes me. She thought. When endless apps appeared on screen, her attention was immediately turned to the two-hundred text notifications at the bottom. Alarmed, she opened them.

Most were from her classmates and the group chat they made at the beginning of the year, wishing her a good recovery and that they were all thinking of her. Bullshit, I know some of you wish I didn't wake up. Kai chuckled at her own musings.

But while scrolling through the never-ending contacts with unread messages, she stopped.

Under the name 'Chapstick Reject' was a message that let a ringing fill her ears and a chill roll down her spine.

"Don't bother coming back if you wake up. In that case, hope you don't. :)"

Heart thundering against her rib cage, she threw her blanket off and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Taking a closer look at the message, she tried to recall who this might be. Chapstick Reject? Who the hell is that? And... 'don't bother coming back'? Coming back to where?

Pressing a hand to her forehead, she was alarmed by how much she still didn't remember. She tried, tried so hard to force her brain to function at full capacity that her Quirk started to fire. Something big was still missing from her memories, and knowing how... difficult her connections were, it was imperative that she'd find out.

But while caught in a storm of unanswered questions, a notification brought her back to the ground.

But when she read the message, her biggest issue was now overthrown by something even more frightening. From an unknown number, the text read:

"Meet me here in one week. There is something we need to discuss."

Confused, Kai narrowed her eyes against the digital letters, wondering what 'here' meant. But just as if the person on the other side of the screen was reading her mind, they sent a location. Opening the pin, Kai zoomed out to get her bearings. The location was set to be upstate, but Kai didn't recognize it otherwise. All she could tell was that it was on the outskirts of Musutafu City and was near a bunch of old factories.

Another ding.

"Come alone and don't even think about telling anyone. Especially not that little blonde boyfriend of yours. I look forward to seeing you again, Kailee."

Goosebumps began to form all over Kai's body as she became paralyzed with fear. Whoever this was, knew she was alive. But what scared her most was that this person knew where and who she was staying with. They were watching her. Even now.

"Shit..."