PAPER FLOWERS ( k. bakugou )

chapter 19

‘ like a phoenix ’

━━━━━

Chigusa Kohaku wakes to the sound of rain. The raindrops tumble out of the gutters and rills and coalesce with puddles reflecting the grey sky above.

He pulls the blanket closer to his chest and his bright azure eyes watch as more raindrops slide down the glass windows. He breathes, slowly. He makes his way to his closet, and with disinterest prepares for the day. When he's dressed, prim and proper, he turns the television on. The embellishments in the room are sparse. A circular wall clock next to a tiny white shelf housing time stricken weapons and below, a rickety table overflowing with fake paper bills.

The television overhead displays the weather report and transitions smoothly to that of new quirk mutations. It's typical news especially considering the modern age where they belong, new genes, new types of mutations during meiosis that lead to newer, weirder mutant type quirks and emitters that turn more far fetched as days pass.

"Today's guest for Driven is the distinguished Mizuki Akiko nee Moriyama, founder of AID and COO of Maple Industries."

Kohaku is not interested. Perhaps All For One ( oh wonderful, horrible All For One who was God and Kohaku tries hard not to shed at the tear at the thought of his beloved deity locked behind bars just for a stupid, hotheaded, blue haired catastrophe of a child ) would be. He is not a man of discoveries, but his idol had always been. Chigusa Kohaku is more of servitude. The thought of helping his mentor achieve their dreams of a place where heroes were no longer needed.

"Good morning, Mizuki-san!"

Laughter. A sound that irks Kohaku, but he lets it slide.

"Goor morning to you too, Hamamiya-san."

"You look splendid today, Mizuki-san."

"No need to be so formal, Akiko is simpler. My husband won't mind."

"No kids possibly wondering who this old geezer being chummy with their mom is?"

Another round of calculated laughter. Figureheads, tools, Kohaku thinks. Idiots that continue to propagate weakness in this world destined for doom. Tools who spread abstract labels such as heroes and villains.

"My kid died at a young age," the woman says. "Died when he was still a mere babe."

"No daughters that followed or sons?"

"Sadly, no."

"My condolences."

And labels didn't define someone.

As far as Kohaku remembered, he was always meant to be a villain. Once upon a time, his name was Sonohara Hotaru and he was just a child. But his parents thought the opposite. They served All For One just as he ended up to be and they raised him with ideals.

"Hotaru," his father says with a smile. "Look, a new addition to master's children. What a fascinating quirk!"

He looks up to see a boy younger than him, made up of black fog and lightning eyes.