Brave Heart ((TENYA IIDA X OC))

Chapter 22

The air was warm, even as the sun began to set behind the horizon in front of me.

I didn't know how to feel, and I didn't know if I ever wanted to feel anything ever again. I had been sitting in the park at the center of Aizawa's neighborhood for at least an hour and a half, curled up on the edge of the cement box encasing the bark surrounding the play structure behind me. My legs were hugged close to my chest, and my chin rested gently on my knees as I thought.

My head had been vacant since my forfeit, and I didn't know if I should be relieved or worried. My stomach fluttered with anxious butterflies, and I couldn't help but nip at the ends of my hoodie sleeves.

With everything happening, the news that Hiroe was leaving didn't exactly go well with me.

Yes, Hiroe was leaving. I was told not even fifteen minutes of being back home. I barely got the chance to sit down and breath, or to think about anything that happened at the festival before this shit was dumped on me, too. And the worst part of it all was that she didn't give me an exact reason for her leaving, which only led me to think that it was because of me. I wouldn't have cared as much if I was alone, but she's tossing me onto Aizawa like I'm his child to care for. I wasn't, that was for damn sure. I was irritated that she'd leave a burden like me on Aizawa, but I was even more enraged that she was leaving when she — by law — was now the guardian who was supposed to be taking care of me.

I didn't need to be cared for, don't get me wrong, but I thought this whole situation was fifty shades of screwed up.

I clutched my sleeve and forced the angry tears away as the sound of shoe-sole against cement caught my attention. I looked up, surprised to see Bakugou making his way up the trail toward me.

"Hey," he greeted nonchalantly. "What're you doing here?"

"Thinking," I replied as he stopped in front of me. "What about you?"

"Same," he sighed, eyeing my short hair. "And, uh, sorry about that."

He waved his hand in gesture to my head.

"Don't sweat it," I smiled sheepishly as I brought a hand up to the back of my head. "It's easier to manage like this, anyway."

"It doesn't look outdated anymore, either," Bakugou agreed, though I knew he was joking as he took a seat beside me. "What're you thinking about?"

"A lot of things," I confessed quietly. "Hiroe's leaving."

"What do you mean by 'leaving?'" I could feel Bakugou glance at me.

"She didn't give me a lot of details," I continued. "But she's leaving me with Aizawa. I think she's going to Tokyo."

"Why the hell would she do that?"

I shrugged.

"That's bullshit," the blond growled. I could have sworn he inched a bit closer to me as he spoke. "With everything that's going on, she's leaving now?"

"That's what I said," I confirmed with a soft nod. "I feel bad for Aizawa..."

"Why?"

"It's not his job to watch over me."

"I think he might enjoy it," Bakugou replied softly. Our arms were touching gently now. "I mean... you're pretty cool. He's protective, ain't he? That's proof enough that he cares about you."

"I know he cares... but that doesn't make me his responsibility."

"My joke on you being cool went right over your head," Bakugou sighed and laughed lightly. "You usually catch onto stuff like that. This must be really bothering you."