MANIA - Katsuki Bakugou

show me ━

chapter 33

Bakugou raised an eyebrow at her. The light from the flashlight reflected faintly onto the features of his face. He could see the way her eyes were glazed over and clouded. She hadn't slept a wink.

"You gonna let me in or what?" He grumbled.

Shimamura blinked. "W...what?"

He glanced down at the ground to see the full dinner tray that Sayuri and Todoroki had left for her earlier, untouched. He rolled his eyes and picked it up off the ground, holding the flashlight between his teeth.

"Le ee in." Which translated to 'Let me in.'

He took a step forward but Shimamura didn't move. She stood stubbornly in the doorway, staring at him with a frown.

"W-why?"

He furrowed his eyebrows and grunted, not bothering to repeat himself again. He gave her a once over, scanning her from her feet to the top of her head.

She was still in her school uniform. Her skirt was wrinkled and her shirt was halfway untucked. Her usually neat white hair was disheveled and the two tails extending from her bun were messily conjoined into one tangled strand. She hadn't changed since their school day, but she probably hadn't looked in a mirror either.

He grunted again and moved past her easily. He bumped his shoulder against hers and somehow that was enough for her to move out of his way to avoid being trampled by him.

She watched him walk into her room and set the dinner tray down on her desk. He froze for a moment, his eyes staring at her unorganized desk. She hadn't touched it since she'd returned... but she wondered why he took notice of it.

Shimamura shook her head and closed the door behind him. Her dim blue eyes stared into the corner of the room next to the door, hearing him wander around her dorm room before a soft rattling of the bean bag was heard as he sat down in one.

Why is he here...?

She bit her lip and turned away from the door, leaning on it. She tried her best to see him through the darkness but it was difficult. She could only just barely make out his silhouette as he tried his best to get comfortable on the bean bag next to the balcony window. In truth, there were about a dozen bean bags that he could have chosen to sit in. She was almost embarrassed by the amount of bean bags against the walls—she feared she might look like some sort of hoarder.

"Why are you here?" She finally vocalized her thoughts. 

Bakugou's shadowy silhouette shrugged. He planted his feet on the ground and slouched in the seat. "Check on you. Make sure you didn't do anything stupid."

She scoffed. "You think I'm going to do something 'stupid?'" She caught his drift. But she didn't dare even try to picture it.

"No. Rather be safe than damn sorry though."

She could hear how tired he was just from how deep his voice was—raspy and cold. She glanced at the digital clock on her desk.

2:13 AM? I thought I was only 10...

She lost track of time, groveling in her thoughts. Damn it.

He noticed her distance and her distraction, but perceived it as something else. "Don't worry," he growled. "I'm not some damn messenger pigeon sent by Half-and-Half or Deku."

"I didn't think you were..." she mumbled quietly. But she was still surprised. She expected them to worry. She didn't blame them if they did, anyway.