Chapter 11

Bakugo awoke to the faint sound of people talking close by. Looking around, he noticed the familiar setting and the clean scent of rubbing alcohol. He was back in the Infirmary again. The moment he sat up from his bed, he felt a throbbing ache in his head so bad that he immediately pressed his hand against his temple to relieve it. What the hell happened to him? How did he end up here? He was about to force himself to remember when he heard them chatting again.

"The surgery was a success, but I strongly advise that you take it easy for today." That voice he easily recognized to be from Recovery Girl.

"Yes, Ma'am." That other voice…

Following the direction of the sound, he saw that there was a white curtain separating them apart, but it wasn't pulled all the way back. From there, he was able to see her on the other side through a small crack. She was sitting on the edge of the cot facing away from him, her back was completely uncovered, except for her dangling red hair and the gauze taped near her pants line. No shirt, not even a bra. Normally, that would've caught his attention, but his eyes were instead drawn to the massive scar across her back. It looked really bad. Shit… Did he do that?

She said that she just had surgery, but she didn't say where. Judging from the location of her bandage, he could guess that she had back surgery for sure. He didn't think he did that much damage to her, but seeing the other bandages on her left shoulder and both her arms, that was enough proof that he didn't exactly hold back on her. Wait! Why did he give a shit about it? He wanted her hurt…

As he continued to watch, Recovery Girl handed her a clean folded shirt and she put it on. Still no bra though.

"Are you sure you don't want to tell me about it, Dearie? I may be a healing hero, but I'm still a licensed physician for the school. You have my full confidentiality." Said Recovery girl.

Hattori's head drooped to the floor.

"Let's just say I endured a few dangerous events when I was little… I've had these scars for a long time now, but it's nothing that should be concerning…" Akane replied rather quietly.

He could faintly see her hand reaching around her shoulder, touching the scars through the fabric. So it wasn't him that did that…

"Still, we don't have much information on your health records. Any past surgeries or body trauma is something that most doctors will need to know prior to applying treatment."

"I understand."

"Well alright. You may go now."

She stood up from the bed and was instantly out of his sight. The moment he heard her footsteps fade away, he sat over the edge of his bed and groaned. Now that she was gone, his focus went back to his agonizing headache. The curtain was pulled away, revealing the nurse's short, small stature.

"Glad to see you're awake. How are you feeling, Bakugo?"

"My head is killing me…"

"I'm not surprised. You always get yourself into such rough situations." She commented. That tone may sound sweet, but it only left him feeling bitter every time he came here.

"I didn't do this to myself, Lady!"

Ow! Fuck! Even hearing himself yell was making it painful.

Ignoring his temper, she casually walked over to her medicine cabinet and pulled out a small bottle of very potent ibuprofen. She took out two pills and handed them to him with a small bottle of water. He chugged it down in an instant.

"Do you feel that you are sustaining any other injuries?" she asked him.

"No."

"Any pain at all?"

"Just my head."

"The medicine should kick in soon. You really shouldn't rush in so aggressively with each fight. If you're not careful, you could act impulsively and really hurt yourself."

"Yea-yea…" he scoffed at her. It's not like he hadn't heard this before. Taking challenges head on, that was part of who he was and he wasn't going to change that, no matter how "aggressive" it may be. It was always better to get it over with.

"If there's nothing else, you're free to go."

He stood up from the bed and walked out into the hallway with his hands in his pockets. Now that he actually had a little time to think, he thought back to their fight and how he ended up there. It didn't take long for him to remember. He managed to almost completely disable her, but she still got up. Instead of continuing to fight back, she tried to call a truce because of what happened in the gym. Her words started echoing in his mind over and over about how she felt bad and practically let him beat her as a way of saying that she was sorry. How the hell is that a solution?

His head pulsed at the frustration of it all. There's no honor in fighting if you're not willing to go all the way. She was purposely holding back on him. And that cheap trick she used when he grabbed her. A head-butt?! Seriously?! That was the oldest damn move in the book and he still fell for it, like a fucking idiot! He let his emotions get the best of him when he should've been paying attention. There was no way he could call it a real win now, it was a hollow victory. God, it just pissed him off!

Suddenly, he felt a vibration in his right pocket and went to pull out his phone. At this point, he needed a distraction. Class had been over for about three hours and on his notifications, he had gotten five messages while he was knocked out. One was to update his phone, two were from Kirishima, and the other two were from Sero and Kaminari. When he looked over them, the color drained from his face. Oh my God…

Kirishima: Hey man. U doing OK?

Did Hattori really KO u?

Sero: We may not be able to kick ur ass, but Hattori can!

Kaminari: LMFAO *Attached GIF of an animated girl smashing a guy so hard into a brick wall that it crumbled to pieces*

His grip tightened around the phone as his body shook with rage. Those bastards! How the hell did they know about this already?! That sugar freak must've told them or that Sasquatch-looking asshole. If these three knew about it, then that means the rest of the class did too. Fuck! His blood started to pump dangerously in sync with his heartbeat. How was he ever going to be able to go back and face them now? What's even worse was that today was his turn to cook dinner for everyone, so he couldn't just retreat to his room for the rest of the night. Dammit! They're all going to think he's weak. They're already laughing at him…

When he finally couldn't stand to see his phone screen any longer, he shoved it back into his pocket and dragged himself to the exit. At the end of the hall, she appeared, standing in front of Aizawa. He cursed again under his breath. He had hoped that he wasn't going to see her stupid face until he at least got back to the dorms, but then he remembered the teacher escort system the school made. Aizawa was waiting for them both. Why didn't they finish the investigation already and drop the fucking system by now? How long until her dorm is to be rebuilt so he won't have to see her again? These next three months he had to endure with her were going to be absolute Hell.

He clicked his tongue in annoyance. Whether he liked it or not, and he sure as hell didn't, he couldn't just walk away or drop out of U.A. for something like this. This was one of those days where he had a hard time keeping his motivation. He still wanted to become a hero, and heroes don't run away from a fight. Like all the other obstacles he was forced into, he had to deal with it one way or another. Once he was a few feet away, she and Aizawa turned to him.

"Bold decision to be fighting on the first day, Bakugo." Aizawa said, immediately grabbing his attention.

Oh crap! Was he going to expel him for that?

"I asked him to, sir…" Both of them jerked their heads to her in surprise.

"So it was your idea?"

She nodded. "I thought it would be productive for the group to watch me fight firsthand, like in the evaluations, and to give me tips along the way. I told Sato and Shishida to take plenty of notes on it to go over tomorrow. I chose to fight Bakugo because he's very strong, and I very much want to be able to defeat him one day, but after today, it's clear I have a long journey ahead of me… If what we did displeases you or violates any of the rules, I take full responsibility for it. Please don't punish him or the others."

"?!"

What the hell was she doing? First she lets him win the fight, then she knocks him out, and now this? Katsuki's mind boggled trying to figure out why she would even think about doing this shit, especially after all that he did to her. What was she trying to prove? If anything, it left him more confused.

Erasure looked back to him, his complexion instantly giving him chills. It was that same look as before, he was peering right into his soul, like he did every other time they talked. He was trying to read his movements, see if he was lying even though he hadn't breathed a word. Out of all the teachers at U.A., Aizawa was the most observant. Normally, Bakugo would own up to his actions, but his path to becoming a hero was on the line. He really didn't want to risk losing that, so he shut up and tried to relax his composure. Hopefully, he will go along with it.

"Alright. Let's head back."

He walked out the door with both of them following behind. Did he just-? Oh well. As surprising as it was, for now, Bakugo didn't want to question it. All three of them were silent as they made their way back to the dorm.

As soon as they walked through the front door, he felt his chest tighten again. The whole class was in the lobby. In an instant, all their eyes fell onto them.

"There they are!"

"Oh man! Look at that, they really did go at it!"

"Look at her arms. He really let her have it."

"Geez Bakugo…"

"Yea, but I hear she got him back. He was out cold when Professor Kan showed up."

The room then filled with laughter and many more annoying comments, each one shittier than the last. He grit his teeth down hard to suppress his growing panic. He knew this would happen, but he didn't expect it to bother him this much. His hands became sweaty as they started to shake a little. Dammit, he needed to get away from here. This was so humiliating…

"Alright, enough. I don't want to hear anymore gossip." Ordered Erasure, to which the volume lowered dramatically, but it sadly didn't stop them from saying that stuff.

Akane was surprised that it had gotten this much attention. She figured that a fight during training would be as normal as any other lesson that went on in school. Clearly, it wasn't for them.

What was the big deal? From the corner of her eye, she gazed at Bakugo, who was being unusually quiet. Hopefully, he wasn't still mad about the fight, or the lie she told to Mr. Aizawa to keep him from getting in trouble. As she saw him, something seemed off about him, almost as if he was… nervous?

"Hey, Bakugo. Did you use your head when you fought? 'Cuz Hattori sure did." Said the one called Kaminari with a chuckle.

Bakugo's arms tensed up as he looked down. It was getting really hard to keep himself together right now. Akane continued to observe him curiously. Was he okay? Maybe she should make sure. His silence definitely didn't appear normal. Although it was risky for her to be near him right now, she had to know. She went to tap on his arm, but thought that might be a bit rash, and instead waved her hand in front of his face. When he turned to face her, his tension paused for a second, but quickly returned with anger. If his eyes could move, they'd be shooting bullets into her by now.

"Are you okay?..." she whispered for only him to be able to hear.

It was bad enough looking at her stupid face, but that question just pissed him off more. Why the hell did she give a damn if he was okay? She was the one that caused all this! Finally, he couldn't take it anymore and brushed past her shoulder over to the hallway leading to the elevator.

Kirishima ran after him, asking the same question, but he only ignored him. He didn't want to talk to anyone. If he opened his mouth, he was sure that he was going to break down and set the place on fire with everyone in it. He just wanted to get away from everyone. The elevator dinged open and he stepped in it. Kirishima attempted to get on with him, but he pushed him out so he could finally be alone. He pushed his floor number and when the doors re-opened at last, he walked to his room, went in, and locked it.

Now that he was able to breathe, he took in a deep lungful of air and leaned his back against the door. His chest wasn't as tight anymore, but the stress pains needed a little more time before they completely faded away. He slumped down to the floor and held his knees to his torso before resting his head in his arms. His room was always his safe space. Bakugo bit his lip as he took a few shaky breaths through his nose to calm down. Why did he have to be so weak? He shouldn't give a damn about what they said, but he just… couldn't help it sometimes. And now, here he was, being a coward by shutting himself in his room, the very thing he promised himself he wouldn't do. How pathetic…

Ding!

His phone chimed, making him sit back up. He pulled it out and saw another text from Kirishima asking if he was okay. He sighed and texted back that he wasn't feeling well, also adding in that Recovery Girl told him to rest for the day, for good measure. If he didn't give a specific reason, the idiot would be knocking on his door until he let him in to talk. Like he really needed that right now.

Ding!

He sent him a reminder about his task to cook dinner tonight, but there was no way he was going to go back down there with everyone giving him shit. Katsuki replied, telling Kirishima to cover for him so he could sleep. He sent him a thumbs up and that was it. Bakugo clicked off his phone and tossed it to the side. How was he going to face them tomorrow?

Akane was confused at what just happened. It was weird that he didn't yell at her, like the last few times. Now that she thought of it, he's been really quiet ever since it happened. She wanted to find out what his deal was, that is, until she caught Mineta eyeing her chest area. Using the full amount of her quirk ruined her shirt and jacket, and the hooks to her bra had completely snapped off, leaving them useless. It was nice of Recovery Girl to provide her with a clean shirt, but they couldn't provide a spare bra. The short ball dude was such a creepy little shit that he immediately noticed it the moment she walked in and has been gawking at her ever since. To avoid this, she then went down the hallway to the elevator to go up to her room to grab a hoodie and her sketchbook. As she waited for the elevator to come down, she caught a glimpse at the red-haired guy leaning up against the wall, texting on his phone. When he finished the text, he noticed her and put his phone away.

"Hey, Hattori?" She tried to remember his name, but her mind drew a blank. He pointed to himself. "Kirishima?"

Oh! She nodded.

"Can I ask what happened between you and Bakugo?" His tone sounded concerned.

"We were just training…"

"Yea, but what happened? When Professor Kan showed up, Bakugo was completely knocked out. Monoma went around telling people about it, and that's how we found out. Did you really fight him and win?"

"I didn't win..."

"Then how did-? Sorry, I'm probably being nosy, but I'm a little worried about him." He said while rubbing the back of his neck.

"He did seem a little tense…"

"But if you didn't win, how is it that he was out cold when they found him? Did something else happen?"

She sighed, not really wanting to get back into this, but it seemed she had no choice.

"What happened between us at the gym, I guess he was so mad about it that he actually wanted to fight me one on one. After the incident, I heard that Aizawa was threatening to expel him, and I felt so bad about it. He was only standing up for his friends… So I gave him his fight and he did beat me, but I didn't exactly use my full strength… I was trying to find a way to get us even for what I did, but he didn't like that… He grabbed me and wouldn't let go, so hit him really hard in the head and he was out. When Mr. Aizawa asked about it, I got worried that we would get in trouble, so I lied and took the blame, so he wouldn't get expelled…" She explained.

"I see."

The elevator doors opened. She stepped onto it and gestured for him to follow so they could keep talking. He gave a slight smile and obliged.

"There's one thing you need to understand about Bakugo. He has a specific dynamic when it comes to fighting. If you don't go all the way, he takes it personally. To him, being a hero is all about being the best. I think that when you took him down at the gym, he realized that you were tough, and daring for choosing to take him on. That's probably why he wanted to prove he could defeat you."

"I didn't have much of a choice when I did that…"

"No, I know. It's just the way he's always been. At the tournament last year, he got down to the final battle against Todoroki. Something happened to Todoroki during that match. Whatever it was, he stopped using his full power and Bakugo was able to knock him out of the ring. But because Shoto didn't go all the way with his quirk, Bakugo completely lost it. He attacked him while he was unconscious and Midnight had to knock him out to call the match. When he woke up, he went violently crazy to the point where the teachers had to put restraints on him. It doesn't surprise me that he tried to do the same to you, but it sounds like you were able to handle him after all."

She was silent, thinking it all over. The doors opened up again and they both stepped out in the hallway.

"Hey, speaking about the gym, what was that all about? Why did you go crazy and attack everyone?" Kirishima asked. Of course, he'd be curious about it, but the question only made her nervous and fidgety.

"I don't like to be touched…"

"Oh, okay."

He figured she probably didn't want to get into it, and that was fine with him. He was actually surprised that she had talked to him at all. She's so quiet all the time.

"I'm worried about him. I haven't seen him like this in a while."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I'm pretty sure it has to do with the rumors everyone started. Anyone who talks crap about him or doubts his abilities, it annoys him. Normally, he'll yell and get it out in the open, but he didn't say a word. It's not like him."

"You're his friend, right? Why not talk to him?" she asked.

"I tried. He stopped looking at my texts when he said he was going to bed. Maybe it's best to let him cool down."

"Maybe..."

When she made it outside her door, she turned to face him.

"I didn't intend for things to happen the way they did today... I would've explained everything to him if he only listened and not act like such a stubborn jerk…"

"Yea, I know he can be like that. Then again, he's always been like that, ever since I met him. The more time you spend with him, the more you'll see that outside that tough façade is just a simple man. Trust me, it'll take a while, but he'll get used to having you around. Honestly, he's mostly all bark. It's only when it comes to the serious stuff that he actually bites back."

She wondered if he meant that metaphorically or literally. With a nod, she went to unlock her door.

"I should go change my clothes… It was nice to meet you, Kirishima."

"Diddo. Hey, if you ever wanna talk sometime, Y'know, I'll be around." He said, grinning to show those pointy teeth of his. Akane instantly felt heat forming in her cheeks, making her grip the door handle tighter. "Well, seeya."

After that was said, he walked back towards the elevator. She took a deep breath to calm herself down before opening the door, and went over to the drawer under her bed to grab her oversized hoodie. She quickly put it on. Now Mineta would have a hard time staring at her chest, the little perv. She opened her other drawer that she used to store her art supplies and grabbed her sketchbook and a pencil.

As she was about to exit the room, she felt her phone go off in her pocket and pulled it out. It was a text from her mom, saying that she would be at U.A. within the hour. After everything she had gone through today, she almost completely forgot that she was coming. This means that she would have to show her the note and talk about the stalker following her around at the mall. And if that wasn't worse, there was still the giant bandage taped to her forehead. There was no telling how badly she would react this time. It took a great deal of convincing just to get her to stay at U.A. after the villain attack, and now this? It was going to be a challenge, that's for sure.

Akane went to grab the note and proceeded to go back down to the lobby. She ignored the people still talking about the fight when she walked in. She sat down at one of the empty tables, flipped open her sketchbook, and lost herself in her drawings.

After a few minutes alone, she was interrupted by the sight of someone putting something in front of her book. She looked up to see a small bag of sour candy with a post-it note stuck to it with the words "I'm sorry" on it. She didn't even need to guess who it was before he took the chair opposite of her and sat down. There was still a lingering tension between them.

"Akane, I'm sorry for what I said. I wasn't trying to say that you were weak and helpless, but that's how it came out, and I'm sorry. I was worried about what he was gonna do to you, but I can see that I was wrong. You don't need help. You put that bastard in his place." He said with a slight smile.

"That's not exactly how it went down, Yuto…"

His smile faded. "Then what happened? I saw all the bandages when you two walked in. I told you that you should've asked to get out of that group. He went too far again, didn't he?"

"You're doing it again…"

He tensed up and pursed his lips together. She sighed through her nose and continued on.

"You heard Midnight, we can't change the groups… Besides, I don't want to change it."

"If this is because of what I said, you don't have to make yourself miserable just to prove your point. I get it now."

"Do you?"

"Ehh, you're right. I don't get it. I don't get why you wouldn't want to switch with someone else? Look at what he did to you. Why would you want to go through that? Why would you want to stay and be around someone like him?" He asked, growing more concerned and agitated by the minute.

Her mind instantly flashed back to a memory. It was the last time she saw her father face to face before he left her, his tall shadow completely consuming her child body, the crazy look in his eyes when she went against him, nearly everything about him brought up some inner bruises she had put off healing for quite some time. The thought then turned over to the image of Bakugo threatening to beat her up until their actual fight. He was so much like him… so incredibly close to his likeness that it was almost a scary coincidence that they would meet each other here at U.A. This wasn't the first time she had been thinking about this since she got up. The only thing that differentiated the two was that they were both opposite sides of the same coin. Bakugo was training to become a hero, even though his qualities were more suited towards a villain. He was just as deadly, heartless, and strong as her real father. He even looked a little bit like him. That realization is when she decided to change her mind about staying in the group.

She took her time trying to put the words together, but it was just too personal for her to share with him right now. Everyone already bothered her enough today. She didn't want it to escalate.

"That's my business, Yuto…"

"Akane-"

"Hattori."

They turned their heads over to the hall near the entrance to see Mr. Aizawa.

"You have a visitor."

She closed her sketchbook and stood up from her seat. Yuto grabbed her candy and went to follow her.

"Who is it?"

"Mom…"

She went out the front door of the building and saw her shiny black car parked at the entrance. Mae stood next to her chauffeur, both of them still in their business attire waiting for them. As soon as he glimpsed at her, Mae smiled brightly and walked up to her with open arms.

"Akane!"

They wrapped their arms around each other in a big hug.

"Hey, Mom."

They let go, to which she turned to the driver.

"How are things, Mr. Yamura?"

"Things are going well, Miss Akane." He said in his deep protective tone. Although Mr. Yamura was a bulky dude, he was the nicest man she ever met growing up.

"What happened to your face?" Mae asked, grabbing hold of her head to look at it closer. She struggled to get her to let go.

"It's just a small cut from training today."

"So you started the tournament training today?"

"Yea…"

It was nice to hear her speak positively about her studies since the attack. She desperately wished that that was all she had to say, but unfortunately, she had to tell her.

"Mom, there's something I need you to do."

"Okay?"

She reached into her pocket for the note and held her breath when she gave it to her.

"Someone's been following me off campus… He slipped me this note before he got away."

Mae's eyes widened with concern as she unfolded it to read.

"Akane-!"

"Wait! Before you say anything, please hear me out first… I've had this note for a few days now. I didn't know it was serious until a classmate told me about the man who followed me. That information, I found out yesterday. That's when I messaged you to come here. I was hoping you could use your quirk to help find them before they find me."

"You should've done something about this from the moment you found it. If they still plan on finding you, then they will come to U.A. first, like they did last time. Whenever we manage to find The League's whereabouts, they manage to escape our grasp, and when they return, they come back much stronger. Based on U.A. 's past occurrences with them, I'm not confident that they will keep you safe… I think it's time for you to come home, Akane."

Her heart immediately dropped. She couldn't believe it.

"No…"

Mae reached out to take her hand, but she smacked it away.

"Akane, I'm doing what's best for you. I want you to be safe."

"How can you recommend me here and then selfishly take me away when it's only been my first year?! I worked so hard to be here and I've come so far!"

"I'm sorry, but my mind is made up. It was my mistake for letting you come here and recommending you to ensure you got in."

How could she say that? Mae turned around to get in the car as Mr. Yamura opened the door for her.

"I'm not doing it!"

She stopped and turned around.

"What did you say?" In all her life, Akane's never talked back to her.

"I'm not going home. You think that U.A.'s showing incompetence for the dorm attack. Are you saying that even your agency knows every single crime the villains are going to commit? Even before they happen? If that's true then the world wouldn't need The Symbol of Peace… U.A. is no different from that."

"It's not the same. The League has specifically targeted U.A. on multiple occasions and on different students. Although it's true that no one ever truly knows when or how the villains will plan to attack, that doesn't rule out that there's a pattern that specifically involves this academy. For your safety, you're better off coming home." Mae explained, feeling the volume rise in her voice.

"See that's where you're wrong, Mom…"

"?!"

"You showed me the types of criminals your agency puts behind bars. In doing so, you made it very clear that if a villain's mind is set on something, they'll go to great lengths to get it. That message in your hand is proof of their goal to get me. You may think that going home is the best solution because that's what most of the other parents said when they took their own kids out… but if I do that, then I'll just be a sitting duck. I'll be trapped at home, doing nothing. If they're dead set on capturing me, that too will be the first place they will look. They've already managed to find me off campus, but I was told by my classmate that they kept their distance when I was with someone else." Akane explained.

"Then I'll hire extra security at home." She just wasn't letting up.

"What if they break through your guards? What then? Don't you want me to be able to defend myself? And what if they were to come after you?... You said it yourself, that society needs more Pro-heroes. You know I have the potential. Why else would you have recommended me here otherwise? I know that U.A. has had issues with security, but surely you must see that the new system must be working if they had to follow me outside of school… With everything you've taught me and the things I still continue to learn at this school, I'm closer to becoming a hero than ever before, one that can save those close to me, one that others can depend on, to feel safe. I know you worry about me deeply. If the same thing were to happen to you, I'd probably go crazy about it too… but if we give in to the fear that we will never be safe, then how can we ever hope to find peace again? If we do that, then that means the villains win, and we'll never be able to trust heroes again."

"Akane…" She had no idea that she felt this way.

"I've always wanted to be the person you can always depend on, especially after all the things you've done for me. I'm so grateful that you care so much… I want to be a daughter you can be proud of, and I will prove that I can be a strong hero. If you let me stay, I will work hard, so that if ever there's a villain attack in the future, you'll never have to worry about my safety again. Instead, you'll be calling asking for my help… U.A. is the only school that can teach me to get there. I promise that I will try not to worry you so much and update you every time something suspicious comes my way… Just please, let me stay."

There was a deafening silence waiting for her to respond. The longer it stayed quiet, the harder it was for her to hold back the tears. Mae was at a loss. She had heard that it was possible The League was specifically targeting the school because All Might attended it as a teacher. That theory, along with discovering that Akane was almost a victim in their attack, left her frightened for her safety ever since. She didn't want her to get hurt, but at the same time, keeping her safe was also keeping her from achieving her dream. The guilt of taking that way was something no mother wants to endure, but was she right? Did giving in to her fears mean that she was giving in to the villain's ambition? The world was already chaotic enough with ten villains to one hero. Who was she to take one away? She didn't realize how badly she wanted this. To just go against her was astonishing, but she understood that she wouldn't have done so without good reason. After giving it a long hard thought, she concluded that her reason was just.

Mae sighed a deep breath in defeat. "You really have grown so much these past few months. I've never been more proud of you for how far you've come to be where you are now… All a mother truly wants is for the happiness and well-being of her child. If you keep your promise, you can continue to stay at U.A."

Akane's heart stopped as she caught her breath. Did she really mean it? Without a second thought, she ran to Mae and gave her another huge hug.

"Thank you, mom!"

They let go, but Mae still held onto her shoulders to look at her directly.

"Now I expect you to let me know immediately when anything like this comes up again, you hear me?"

"Yes, Mom."

"Always check your surroundings, remember the danger signs and our special code in case danger follows you again, and remember to stay strong, okay?" She nodded.

After that, they spent a good long while catching up on everything else that was going on at school and the agency. Mae decided that she would make the necessary arrangements for her agency to be more involved in the school's security on and off campus to help make sure the incident doesn't happen again. Other than that, they talked like a normal mother and daughter. It had been a while since they had this kind of time together and Akane couldn't stop smiling. When Ida came out to let them know dinner was ready, they decided to say their goodbyes.