Technical Support

Chapter 48

"You...what?"

It was the day of the Provisional Hero License Exam, and Ayano was seated on one of the couches in the lounge. Her work was splayed out on the coffee table in front of her as she waited for the potential heroes to return.

Upon their arrival, she immediately went to greet them. She smiled slightly at their enthusiasm, understanding that everything seemed to go well.

Well...almost everything.

Everyone was deathly silent, waiting with baited breath. They all knew that Bakugou had failed the exam. He had muttered about it when Ayano asked him, but she asked once more in her disbelief.

She stood in front of him, eyes narrowed and losing patience. Bakugou didn't look into her eyes, his head tilted down to glare at the floor. His hands were shoved into his pockets, and his mouth was turned into a frowning pout. "...I...failed..." He angrily mumbled, nearly ashamed that he had to utter those words to her.

He couldn't bring himself to look at her. There was just no way. He was afraid of what he would see. Anger? He could handle that. Sadness? Ayano wasn't the type to get sad like that. Utter disappointment?

That's what he was afraid of.

He couldn't bear to see disappointment on the face of the person who believed in him most. On the face of the only person that mattered.

Even after such a long silence, Ayano refused to say anything. In fact, she hadn't even moved. It was like she wasn't even breathing.

Bakugou didn't want to see her reaction for fear of what it could be, but that didn't mean he didn't want to know what it was. He grew more anxious as time dragged on. Why wasn't she saying anything? Doing anything? Finally, he looked up to see her.

Ayano had on her perfect poker face.

It was the same impassive expression that she normally had, but this time, it was wholly unexpected.

She closed her eyes, thinking for a few moments. She breathed slowly. In...and out...In...and out...

"...I see." She finally breathed out, her voice only able to be heard because everyone else had been so quiet. Before Bakugou could answer her, she did another unexpected thing.

She bowed to him.

"I sincerely apologize for my shortcomings." She said, still in her perfect ninety-degree bow.

...What? WHAT!??

"...Y-You...What the fuck are you apologizing for?!?" Bakugou demanded an answer, completely baffled. "I'm the one who should be doing that!!"

Ayano stood up straight, tilting her head. "Why would you do that? You tried your best, did you not? Yet, you still failed. Clearly, the fault lies with me. With my mental block, I was unable to fully improve your costume to the best of my ability. The one who's costume I worked on the most happens to be the one that fails. Surely, had I done a better job, we would not be in this predicament."

She bowed to him once more. "For that, I sincerely apologize."

No...No!!! This wasn't her fault! It could never be her fault! It was his! All him! He wasn't good enough. He wasn't strong enough. He wasn't good enough for her!

He couldn't take it. Anything but this. He would give anything for her to be disappointed at him rather than at herself.

What truly hurt was that she wholeheartedly believed him. From beginning to end, she believed in him. There wasn't a single doubt in her mind. She firmly believed that he would have emerged victorious.