Chapter 20

"Here's your book. Enjoy and please come again." The clerk smiled with a bow as she handed the small plastic bag to Akane.

"Thanks."

Her heart was filled with relief and excitement that she finally made it in time. She was one of the select few to actually get this book before it sold out right away and now she could relax and enjoy it before the next one.

With that done, she turned away from the checkout register towards the main aisle, gazing down the several rows of books until her eyes finally landed on his soft blonde hair browsing the manga section. When she stepped over to him, he shifted his focus away from the stacked shelves of comics to her.

"Ya got it?" He asked, to which she held up the bag in response. "Good."

Bakugo went back to his selection; he figured that since he was here, he might as well pick something new to read later on his downtime. His fingers trailed along the paperback spines until he stopped at one with an interesting title. "The Goblin Slayer", it read. Just the name meant it was obviously set to be in a fantasy type world, and it's been a while since he read that kind of stuff anyways, so why not? As soon as her eyes read the cover, she let out a disappointed grunt.

Feeling her judgment, he tore his eyes away from the cover to give her a menacing glare.

"What?"

Her eyes shifted back to his. "Shouldn't you be wearing your glasses?"

That wasn't what he expected to hear, but still, the mere mention of the word forced him to grit his teeth.

"I thought I told you not to bring that shit up again…"

"Don't you need them?"

To keep him from losing his cool, he huffed out a contained breath.

"… Contacts."

"Oh… I thought you picked that one because you couldn't see well."

"Huh?"

She pointed to the book. "That one sucked."

His brow sunk lower in annoyance, but she thought it was better to explain.

"It started off okay, but then it became too… repetitive? I guess that's the word I'm looking for. It didn't have much of a story to it. Just the same events over and over with not much change…"

She braced herself for him to yell something mean, but oddly, he said nothing and just put the book back in its slot. Wait a minute. Did he actually listen to her?

"Look, just because I don't like it doesn't mean you will too. You don't-"

"If it's not worth my time, I'm not gonna bother." He looked back to her more seriously. "Besides, if you think you can pick something better, then go ahead, but it better meet my standards and have some action or else."

Akane became confused. "You want me to pick something for you?" she clarified.

"That's what I said, idiot. Get to it."

As surprised as she was, she didn't want the opportunity to go to waste. Not many people came to her for stuff like this, and to be honest with herself, it was a bit stimulating. She skimmed across each series in order by title and picked out three books, each one a different genre that she felt confident would satisfy any reader, even someone like him. It seemed like a smart decision to offer variety, since he didn't specify his choice type of comic. After handing over her preferences, he took a good long gaze at the detailed title art, then proceeded to read their descriptions on the back.

"These three are in my top five. If it's action you want, those are full of it, and not just that… I like stories with a little bit of everything, like prophecies, war, thrills, magic, murder, love, and betrayal…" she explained, her lips curling a small grin.

"I thought girls only liked the mushy romantic shit." He commented.

"I like that too, but I'm very picky… A lot of these romances are just as repetitive as that book you chose."

"How so?"

"It gets pretty boring when it's always the whole 'love-at-first-sight' thing… I get that you can be attracted to someone, but it's not really love. Something has to rock the relationship back and forth for it to be considered genuine… There's no such thing as a perfect relationship… if that makes sense?" she detailed quietly. It was still really weird that he was interested.

"I guess… This better be good. If you're done already, let's go."

With a nod, she held her hand back out.

"What?"

"The books."

"You gonna carry 'em for me?" he smirked.

"If you want me to pay for them. It's my treat, remember?"

He clicked his tongue before dropping them back in her hand. He didn't really expect her to buy them, but he saw no reason to argue about it. Once they went through the check-out line, they exited the store into the main area of the mall. It was pretty crowded with people, as to be expected on a Saturday afternoon. Out of the blue, Katsuki's stomach vibrated with a growl. Damn! He should've grabbed a light snack while he was waiting for her dumbass back at the dorms, but he didn't think about it then. At least she got her dumb book, so now she could take him to get some spicy food. With this chilling weather, it only made him want it more.

"Okay, idiot, where's this restaurant at? I'm starving."

"It's a few blocks away from here."

"Then let's go already!"

"Okay."

Together they maneuvered around the bystanders through the main aisle of the mall, slowly making their way to the front entrance. With Bakugo following beside her, he did his best to deal with the stomach growls and enjoy the somewhat bearable silence between them. It wasn't entirely horrible so far. She didn't pester him with annoying questions, like Dumb Hair Kirishima or any of his other classmates. On the other hand, that's what was so weird about her. She didn't talk much unless someone else started the conversation.

Suddenly, something caught her eye, which caused her two feet to stop moving.

"What, idiot?"

He followed her gaze that was set on the candy kiosk a few feet away. There were a few people around it, but nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary. Typical sweet tooth, huh? If she just kept on walking, they would get to the restaurant sooner.

"Can we wait just a minute? I need to check on something." Her face oddly didn't turn away from the kiosk. Whatever it was, couldn't she put it off another time?

"Y'know, I get real testy when I'm hungry." He snarled under his breath.

"I promise, it'll just be a minute."

"It better, or else I'm ditching your ass."

"Then who'd take you out to lunch?" she retorted back.

Without waiting for his answer, she marched over to the candy stand, leaving him behind, yet again, wallowing in his own frustrations. That smartass… Shitty Hair would've said the same thing. How annoying. If he weren't promised food, he would've left already, but even if he did, there wasn't much money in his wallet to pay for something adequate that would tie him over until he got home. That would be several hours fueled on practically nothing. Damn! He kicked himself for giving in to this chick's petty demands. This day was supposed to be all about him, and she had to keep dragging him around to these stupid places. It sucked…

Bakugo exhaled and relaxed the growing tension in his back muscles. Since he already made the effort to come this far, he might as well endure. After all, in the end he knew he could use it against her later. He didn't want to just stand there out in the open all by himself, like an idiot, so he begrudgingly tailed after her to see what was so important. This restaurant she planned to take him to better be worth all this extra shit he's putting up with.

Surprisingly, she didn't go there for sweets, like he anticipated. Instead, she knelt down to talk to some random little girl with lilac hair. Did she know her? Hattori lightly touched the side of her face to turn her cheek to look at it. There was a big bruise near the edge of her jawline along with a nasty scrape. Not that he cared, but now, Bakugo was curious. Closing in, he focused his ears and listened to their conversation.

"Who did that to you?" She asked her calmly.

The young girl's wide blue eyes began to glisten from holding back tears. Her breath was shaky trying to respond, but Akane only patted her shoulder and hushed her tone softer.

"It's okay… You can tell me. I'm not gonna hurt you…"

"T-they took m-my candy."

"Who did?"

"That bully Nishida! And those two dummies!" She finally let out

"What's going on? What're you doing with this little brat?" Bakugo asked.

She glared at him for being so rude, but he paid it no mind.

"I bought her a huge bag of sweets a few days ago, and it sounds like a bully's been stealing it from her…"

"So? That's not your problem. The brat should've fought back."

"She said there's more than one, so she probably couldn't…"

Akane turned back to the girl.

"Did they hit you? Is that what happened to your face?"

She wiped her nose on her long white sleeve and nodded.

"You want me to buy you another bag?"

"They m-might take it from m-me again…" Her purple bangs covered her face as her head dropped low. Akane now felt even more disheartened.

"You want me to walk you home? If we see them, I'll make sure they don't hurt you, okay?"

Hearing the suggestion instantly made the girl beam with joy and left Bakugo even more in disgust.

"Are you fucking serious?" he snapped. Akane glared at him again. How could he speak such foul language in front of a girl so little like that?

Curiously, the kid peeked over her shoulder, wiped her face, and pointed at him.

"Is he your boyfriend?"

"THE FUCK, KID?!" He exclaimed, immediately turning several bystanders' heads in their direction. His chest began to thump aggressively as he felt his whole body turn red hot. They should really crank down the damn heat in this place!

"He's just a friend..."

"We're not friends!" Bakugo corrected loudly.

"Don't mind him." Akane waved her arm to metaphorically shoo him.

"Don't ignore me!"

"What's your name?" she asked the girl, the very question instantly forcing a pulsed vein in his forehead. She didn't know her?! She, a stranger, just walked up to a random little girl and touched her face to look at her injuries?! The fuck?!

Shyly, the young girl looked to her shoulder and fidgeted with her long sleeve.

"Maiko…"

"Maiko, where do you live?"

"The church..." she whispered. Akane only continued to smile dearly.

"Do you remember the way there?"

She nodded.

"Good. Let's get you another bag, okay? Tell the lady to pick whatever you want, and I'll buy it… And I'll make sure those guys don't bother you, okay?"

Just like that, her gloomy eyes shined bright with delight, and she skipped over to the lady in uniform to pick out some candy. Bakugo just couldn't wrap his head around this whole situation. How did she know she was getting beaten up? There's no way she would have noticed that from all the way back there. Why did she care anyways? When she stood, he looked to her questionably for some answers.

"What the hell, idiot? I should be eating something by now."

"You want some candy, too?"

"No!" He threw his hands up in the air and groaned. "I wanna know what you're doing with this damn kid. If you don't know her, then why are you getting mixed up in her shit? Whatever happens to her isn't your problem."

Hattori glanced back over her shoulder to check on the girl before she took a couple steps closer towards him. She leaned in close, so that only he could hear her.

"It doesn't matter if I don't know her. She looks like she needs help."

"Yea, so what?!" he snapped back.

"Isn't that what a hero is supposed to do? Help people when they can't help themselves?"

"!"

"And not just as a hero, but as a good person?"

"Tch…"

He rolled his eyes at her for being such a goody-goody. This kind of thing is so beneath what a pro does.

"If we do this one thing, I promise to get you as much spicy food as you want." She bribed, her eyes pleading for him to give in and agree. He really hated it when she looked at him like that. It's so childish.

"I'm usually disappointed with most places. Not many of them can reach my level of spice." He replied, just now wondering if this whole thing was going to turn into a bust. She probably wasn't going to get him something that he would consider actually hot.

"This one will."

He jerked his neck to lock eyes with her.

"Oh yea? You sound pretty confident there." He smirked. "Y'know, if it's not up to my standards, I'm not gonna forgive you."

"I know…"

"Still sure about taking me out?"

"Yep."

"Oh yea?"

"Yep. Cuz' where we're going has my favorite fiery dish on the menu."

Now he was getting more interested.

"How hot we talkin'? Shitty hair can't handle anymore than a habanero, and that's practically mild to me."

She slightly cocked her head and averted her eyes elsewhere to think about it.

"Well… It's been a while and it's cold out, so I can ask to go- "

"Finished!"

Their attention immediately turned back down to the little grape colored munchkin clasping an enormous, sealed bag of sour bombs. There was so much candy, it was practically overflowing the bag in her hands. That was way too much. The greedy little shit, but Hattori didn't seem phased at all by it. It came out to be five times more than what Bakugo would even consider paying for, which only left him more puzzled at her generosity. On cue, Hattori presented her credit card to the cashier to ring up the purchase.

Once she got the receipt, the three of them followed their path until they were out the front exit. The sudden gust of icy wind sent shivers across their skin once they made it outside. They knew they'd have to make this trip quickly, so they could warm up with a good lunch.

"Maiko, how far away is your home?" Akane asked, leaning down to her eye level with a smile.

"It's not far. It's this way! Follow me!"

She grasped onto her hand and yanked her across the sidewalk towards an intersection. Bakugo's teeth chattered as he shoved his freezing hands into his pockets and dragged his feet behind them. When they made it to a stop light, they pushed the button for the crosswalk and waited amongst the other strangers to cross.

"Hey, idiot. How do we know she's even going in the right direction?"

"We don't… We just have to trust her."

"Trust a kid who's gotta be no older than ten?" He had a fair point.

"She said she knew the way… Besides, this is the same direction as where we're heading anyways."

He clicked his tongue at her carelessness, but at least it ended on a positive note that he could look forward to. He could only put off his hunger for so long. The light to the crosswalk changed and the small crowd of people broke up little by little to move across it.

Maiko continued to hold onto her hand as they walked several blocks down and took a left turn down a different street. Another two blocks down, there erected a large public playground with only a handful of kids scattered around it. The second they were about to pass it, Maiko's grip on Akane's hand tightened and her feet started to shuffle slowly across the pavement. Noticing her changed behavior, she stopped and leaned back down.

"What's wrong?"

As if to answer her question, three bodies dropped down from the jungle gym and tread over the dead grass towards them. They were much taller than Maiko, and judging by their black uniforms, they each had to be in Junior High. No wonder they picked on her, someone at her age and height would be considered an easy target.

Among the three of them, there was one child who definitely appeared to eat away his insecurities and tried to compensate it by acting like an alpha. The other two were skinny and frail, but just as tall as him. No doubt they were the followers. Once they were face to face, Maiko took refuge behind Akane, still holding onto her with one hand, the other clutching her candy for dear life.

"Well, well, well… What do we have here? A loser like you was too scared to come walking this way, so you had to get your mommy?... At least she's hot." he mocked with a grin plastered across his smug, chubby face. Akane kept her face unphased despite holding in her cringe.

"Hey baby, wanna exchange numbers?" commented the other kid, his words starting to light a fire deep in Bakugo's easily triggered anger.

He stepped up, ready to put those brats in their place, but Akane let go of Maiko's hand to hold her arm out to stop him.

"I'm not her mom. We don't want trouble…" she said in an unusually calm voice. Bakugo, on the other hand, wouldn't have taken that so lightly, regardless of them just being kids.

"Too late. You're in my territory."

"It's public property, idiot! None of its yours!" snapped Bakugo.

This damn moron thinks he's such a big shot! Maiko then gripped the edge of her leather jacket to hide the trembling fear growing within her.

"I'm the mafia in charge of this area, which means I say who gets to walk through here and who doesn't. And that also means I take what I want. Even if it means taking shit from elderly people like you."

His hand thrust past Akane to go straight for the giant bag in Maiko's arm.

SMACK!

"What the-?!"

Everyone's eyes locked onto him as his arm was held down firmly by Akane. He struggled to free himself from her grip, but he failed miserably. His two thug friends stepped forward, their eyes brimming with concern.

"Hey, let him go!"

She ignored them and gripped him harder. He cried out from the pain swelling under his skin. Now thinking that they have no options left, but to save their friend, the two kids straightened themselves. In a flash, one of their hands turned into sharp, scaly dragon claws and the other's back projected a line of bony spikes all the way down his spine. They must be really scared if they're choosing to use their quirks. How practical…

"Do it, Nishida!" The claw kid shouted.

"Yea, show this old chick we mean business!"

Suddenly, the tightness of her fingers around his arm began to expand, causing her to lose her grip. His skin had inflated, almost as if his entire body were puffing up like some bulky human balloon. Instinctively, she continued to add pressure to his arm, but found herself struggling as he leaned his blown-up self against her. He had a surprising amount of weight that only continued to grow with him. The seams of his uniform began to tear apart as his face darkened with a sinister smile.

"I'll teach you for making a fool out of me!"

The one called Nishida then raised an inflamed fist to his side, ready to strike. In an instant, she latched both hands onto his wrist and turned her body. With all her might, she pulled until his body flipped over and his back was thrown onto the pavement. He let out a cry as the forced air escaped his lungs.

For a moment, he just laid there, completely taken aback at what had happened. Maiko and Bakugo too were in awe.

"You may be bigger, but I'm stronger…" She commented, now showing an unusually different side of confidence that Bakugo didn't expect to witness. "From this moment on, you aren't going to bother Maiko anymore, understand?"

The boy receded his quirk back to normal size and groaned.

"But why? Why would you help a quirkless loser like her? Everyone knows that to be respected, you need a quirk and a good one at that. Why is someone like you wanting to save someone like her?"

Bakugo stiffened and stared at her for an answer.

"Even if Maiko didn't possess a quirk, that doesn't make her any less human than me. She deserves the same amount of treatment as any other person with or without a quirk, despite what you might believe…"

"But everyone thinks the same way. How am I any different from them? It's not my fault she wasn't born equal to me. She's nothing who will grow up into nothing."

A painful stinging shot right through Bakugo's chest listening to those words. He sounded a lot like him when he was his age… When he was picking on Deku…

Akane stepped a bit closer, immediately making the kid flinch. He was such a coward. He should know his place. Bakugo knew he was being a hypocrite thinking that, but like him, this little fucktard needed to learn.

She sighed through her nose.

"No, in today's society people are not treated as equals… But it wasn't always like that. In the beginning, everyone was born equal. It wasn't until someone decided that they were better that that changed… From someone like you…"

There was a deadly fire burning through those emerald eyes, daring him to say something about it. Chills spiraled down his spine, forcing his body to shake with fear. With that kind of strength and such determination, it was obvious that he was no match against her. He knew that if he wanted to live with his head held high, he needed to get away, now. With a little struggle, he rolled himself off the ground and stepped backwards to the safety of his thug friends, his eyesight never leaving her.

"Y-you're gonna regret what you did!" he projected, trying to conserve what little pride he had left. As if he had any to begin with.

"Yea, his dad's Yakuza! He'll find you and make you pay!" added one of his goons.

"Dude, shut up!" Nishida smacked his friend for slipping his tongue.

It was painfully noticeable to Akane that they were just a bunch of little liars, just like every other teenager in the world. They were no threat. Together, they backed away until they disappeared in a nearby alley behind the jungle gym. Their claims of war didn't matter in the slightest. At the end of the day, she won this fight.

"Yea, go on! Get outta here!" yelled Bakugo, as if he were somehow part of this.

Akane turned around and knelt back down to Maiko.

"Are you alright?"

She was silent for a moment before she jumped up and wrapped her skinny little arms around her neck.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!"

A smile formed from her lips as she patted her back.

"Y'know we're not supposed to use our quirks outside school, right?" he clarified to her.

She straightened herself up from the ground and went back to hold the girl's hand.

"Did you see me turn red?"

"No."

"Then I didn't use my quirk…"

She turned back to Maiko.

"Is it true, what they said? That you don't have a quirk?"

The girl's shoulders collapsed as she frowned. "I do, but not a good one…"

"What is it?"

She hesitated, but eventually came to and pulled her sleeve to get her to kneel back down to her level. Maiko extended her arms out and wrapped them around Akane in a hug. A few moments passed by waiting, but so far it didn't seem any different than a regular hug. Just then, a strange feeling erupted from deep within her chest. The sensation bubbled through her muscles and under her skin, eventually consuming all of her body. Strangely, it felt warm and comforting, as if she had just taken a dose of some kind of chemical drug, and it seeped into every molecule. This had to be her doing…

Akane leaned back to face her.

"Oh wow, how did you do that?"

"I can make people feel different things whenever I want… And sometimes, I know how they're feeling even if I don't know them."

"Can you feel when someone is injured too?"

"Uh-huh."

"Maiko, your quirk is amazing!"

Her little blue eyes widened with surprise.

"There are people out there who could really use a quirk like yours. You can make them feel better, and help them even when they're really hurt… That bully is an idiot for thinking that's nothing special. You're not nothing. If anything, what you have can't be compared to someone as arrogant as him."

"But he's so strong… I'll never be able to get him to leave me alone." She whined.

To her, it didn't matter if it was a good quirk because no matter what, he'll always be around to put her down, even if she used it to defend herself.

"Listen, those who look down on you are never ones you should look up to. You don't have to compare yourself to others. Everyone masters their quirk at their own pace. It's not something you have to force yourself into just to keep up or get ahead… Focus on you. I know that if you took the time to hone down your natural skills, you'll be stronger than that scumbag Nishida…"

She slid off her small tote bag from her shoulder and felt around for her sketchbook and a pen. She then ripped out a piece of blank paper, jotted down a few digits, and handed it to her.

"But until that time comes, if he ever gives you problems or if you feel like you need help, you can call on me, and I'll handle it."

Maiko took the note and looked at the numbers. It was her personal cell phone number with her name right above it. For once in a long time, Maiko felt relief in the fact that she would be safe and was overcome with joy. Her cheeks puffed a bright smile as she hugged her again.

"Thank you."

"Now let's get you home."

"Finally!" Yelled Bakugo, and with that, they continued to follow Maiko.

After taking another block down, they crossed to the other side of the street, where she stopped outside what appeared to be a white building with arched painted windows, each one depicting an event of an old religious story, and a wooden cross erected in front of an outdoor shrine. There was a large sign where above it spoke a verse from the Catholic scripture, and below that was the name of the church. Motomachi Catholic Orphanage.

Akane felt frozen after reading it, as if there was an unusual heaviness placed upon her shoulders. Bakugo narrowed his eyes at her changed look.

"You're an orphan?..."

"Father Kogen is like my father. He takes care of all of us here." She replied happily.

Akane's expression softened to know that she wasn't lying, which gave comfort knowing that she seemed to be okay living here, even without having parents. Maiko then let go of her hand to give her one final hug before she skipped down the path leading up to her home.

"Thank you again, Big Sis! And thanks for the candy!"

She opened one of the white double doors and disappeared, leaving the two of them alone once again. That was it. It was quiet, which didn't really bother Bakugo at first, but when it dragged on for a while, it started to get on his nerves. The idiot just kept on standing there pointlessly, when she should be getting him food by now. They already wasted so much time.

"Let's go, idiot."

He took a few steps back to the sidewalk but stopped short when he realized she hadn't moved. What the hell was going on with her?

"Hey!"

She jolted and gave him her full attention. Eventually, the realization hit her. She had almost forgotten what they were doing before this.

"Right. Sorry…"

"'Sorry' doesn't get me fed! Now c'mon, and no more getting sidetracked!"

"Yea-yea…" She grumbled, moving on past him to lead the way. "It's a few blocks back from where we came."

As she said, he followed her a good ways back, and it was thankfully only a ten-minute walk. Unfortunately, nothing could prepare him for what he was about to see, and just when he thought all the weird shit was over with. Hattori stopped outside the paved walkway that led to not a restaurant, but a residence, and Bakugo was confused as hell. Why of all places did she bring him to a place like this? Did she get sidetracked again and take a wrong turn? Was it an accident? He just couldn't understand it.

"What the hell, idiot?"

"What?'

"What is this?"

"The place where we're gonna eat at." She answered plainly. So that wasn't it, but his brow furrowed lower.

"What do you mean? It's someone's house!"

"Just come on…" She said, not really wanting to explain every little detail to him. What's the point if he was only going to be dramatic about it?

Once again, she didn't wait for him and continued to walk down the unknown property. Bakugo growled at her unsatisfying answer and despite all the consequences that could go wrong with them being there, he decided to just go with it. She hasn't really done anything that made him consider her untrustworthy.

Looking around, the building didn't come across as any different than a regular house. The yard looked ordinary and so did everything else, including the front porch attached to the house. There was a bamboo wind chime dangling from the porch ceiling playing a tune to the icy wind. Overall, it didn't look dangerous, but that didn't mean that whoever lived inside would be the same way. Hattori then reached for the golden handle knocker and knocked three times before pushing the doorbell. She took a step back beside Bakugo and waited.

"I can't believe this. Why would you want to come here? You could've taken me to a public place. For all we know, this could be a villain's house or some weird-ass psycho." He commented matter-of-factly. It only made sense that he would think that, but it offended her a bit that he would assume she'd do that.

"He's not a villain… Don't worry, I've been coming here since I was little."

"I'm not worried! I'm just saying it's fucked up."

"He's the best chef I know." She muttered to him. Curiouser and curiouser…

"Hmm…"

They soon heard the sound of footsteps shuffling behind the entrance. The lock clicked and the door creaked open, revealing a middle-aged man with a scruffy beard and a capped head. He was quite built for his age as his long-sleeved white shirt snug tightly to him as well as his long black sweatpants. The look on his face definitely signified that he wasn't expecting company at this time, but it soon melted away into a warm friendly smile when he noticed Akane.

"Little Ryu."

He stepped out on the porch, to wrap her up in a tight bear hug. Unable to contain her smile, she embraced him back just as hard. Perhaps, a little too hard. He let out a pained grunt before he broke away and leaned back to look at her.

"You've gotten stronger."

"It's good to see you, Takami." She said,

"And who's this?" he gestured over to Bakugo. "Are you-?"

"He's a friend, his name's Katsuki Bakugo." She interrupted. It was actually getting a bit too awkward with everyone assuming that they're dating. "I brought him because he wants to try Ryu's Fire Special."

"Tch… We're not friends." Bakugo growled, wanting her to shut the hell up about it already. How many times was he going to have to correct her?

"Really now?" He raised a brow at them and let out a chuckle. "Well come on in and I'll get cooking."

He stepped aside to allow them in. The first thing they saw when they entered was the living space, complete with a couple of couches set with decorative pillows and a coffee table with a flower filled vase. Takami closed the door behind him and gestured for them to follow through a nearby hallway that led into the open kitchen area.

Bakugo's soul lifted from his body when he noticed that it wasn't an ordinary kitchen, not what you would find in a typical home. All the appliances were updated with a sleek chrome finish and there were pieces of expensive, top-notch equipment that he was sure he had only seen on cooking shows with famous chefs. Even the countertops, chairs, and backsplash were modern or commercial grade. Taking it all in, Bakugo started to rethink what he said about coming here.

"Please, have a seat at the bar." Gestured Takami, to which they obliged by placing their heavy jackets on the back of the chair and relaxing themselves.

Takami then adjourned to his refrigerator and pulled out three whole fish. He washed his hands, took out his knife and cutting board, and began to butcher them right before their eyes.

"It's been a long time, Little Ryu."

Bakugo questioned the strange nickname, but idly continued to watch and listen.

"Almost two years… How's Chiyo?" Hattori asked him.

"She's doing a lot better now. She isn't sick anymore and has actually been able to go back to work at the enterprise, so now I can finally start working towards getting my restaurant back. I'm sorry to say that she won't be back until later tonight." He explained as he finished scaling the fishes.

"That's okay. You could just tell her I was here and thinking about her. I look forward to being a regular customer of yours again."

"Why haven't you come by after all this time?" he asked.

Hattori paused and took a quick glance over to Bakugo. Thankfully, he was too occupied with Takami's knife skills to pay her any mind.

"I've had a lot on my plate… I got into U.A. High, and I've spent the year training myself for the upcoming Sports Festival."

"You got into U.A.? Shame on you for not telling me! I would've honored your success with a celebratory dinner."

He pointed the knife at her playfully with a smile.

"But I'm happy for you, Little Ryu."

"Why do you keep calling her that?" Both their heads turned to Bakugo; a bit surprised that he joined in on the conversation.

"Little Ryu?"

He nodded.

"Because when I first met Akane, she was just a little girl that wandered the streets and ended up outside the first restaurant I worked at. I found her out back in the cold rain, thinking she was lost, so I took her inside and the child was so hungry she pillaged a box of produce we had on the counter that was filled with our weekly supply of hot peppers. She must've not eaten in days because the poor girl was hot and sweaty, practically crying, but she fought through and ate them all… She reminded me of the fabled dragon Ryu, so I've called her that ever since."

Once he fileted the fish, he pulled out a soup pot and filled it with water. When he placed it on the stove, he turned on the heat and went to gather his vegetables to chop up. Among the produce was an array of different species of peppers.

"Speaking of which, how hot do you want your special today?" he asked.

"Scorpion hot."

"What does that mean?" asked Bakugo.

"Well you see, each pepper is ranked by their measurements in what is called – Scoville Heat Units. The hottest pepper for legal consumption is the Carolina Reaper. Just under that is the Trinidad Scorpion Pepper, so when I ask her how hot, she simply tells me the pepper and I go from there."

A devilish curl started to shape his lips when he reached through his produce and pulled out the real thing.

"Are you sure he can handle it, Little Ryu?"

His pulse quickened at such an uncanny remark.

"I'm not some weakling! I can handle it!"

"Feisty one, aren't ya? Well alright. If that's what you wish, I'll get to it."

Akane nodded and stood from her chair.

"Do you mind if I use your restroom?"

"Sure, you remember where it is?"

"Yea, I haven't been gone that long."

With that said, she walked back down the hallway until she was out of sight. Now that she left, there was an awkwardness in the air around them, which seemed normal since they didn't know each other well. From what he could gather, the guy was simply a man who worked as a chef to try and form his own business, but had to put it off for a while, probably because he had to care for that sick woman named Chiyo. He didn't know if that was his wife or what and frankly he didn't really care about that. What he was more interested in was how she got her nickname. What did he mean by her wandering around the streets as a kid?

"How do you know Little Ryu?" Takami asked, instantly drawing his attention off cloud nine.

"I go with her to U.A., and I've been chosen as one of the few to train her for the Sport's Festival." Explained Bakugo.

"So you're a few grades ahead of her then. You seem a bit familiar. Weren't you in the Sport's Festival last year?"

"Yea…"

Bakugo wrinkled his nose, remembering that shitty day. He was just one victory away from being number one, and that Half n' Half Bastard had to ruin it!

"You must have a lot of experience, and such a fearless attitude too."

Takami sharpened his knife and proceeded to quickly slice and dice the vegetables. Each one came out perfectly sized with such incredible speed that it definitely gave definition to his experience as a chef.

"I must say it's quite a surprise to see you here."

His brow furrowed to him.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, aside from her Mother, you're the first friend she's ever brought here. To be honest, I didn't think she really wanted any friends, but it's nice to see a positive change since the last time I saw her."

For once, Bakugo didn't feel the need to correct him again. It only festered more questions.

"What did you mean when you said she was wandering the streets as a kid? Was she lost?"

"I wanted to believe that, but when I asked her about it, she didn't answer. After I fed her, I went to call the police, but she left before I could reach the phone. Since then, she came by every other week, and I would continue to feed her and ask about her. It took maybe three months before she said a word to me. For a while, I came to the assumption that she-"

He instantly closed his lips when he looked away.

"She what?" Bakugo asked before his eyes quickly averted to her stepping quietly back through the doorway towards the bar. She didn't seem phased, and probably didn't hear that they were talking about her, but in that moment, he felt a bit panicked that she appeared so suddenly.

"What're you guys talking about?" she asked as she resumed her spot at the bar top.

Takami and Bakugo quickly exchanged glances before turning back to her.

"I was just asking how you two knew each other." He answered, which puzzled Bakugo that he wasn't exactly telling the entire truth.

She stared at Takami for a bit before she nodded, and he shifted his focus back to his cooking. That was weird. Why did he care that she was in the room? His thoughts then trailed back to all the things she did whenever she was confronted with a personal question. Maybe she did the same thing to those who knew about her past and wanted to keep it a secret. Curiouser and Curiouser…

The conversation died down to a minimum at that point. Neither one of them thought to turn it back on the subject, at least for the time being. Not that he cared before, but this was getting strange and frankly annoying. Maybe it wasn't a big deal, and he was only overthinking shit, like he always did whenever he was uncertain. If he didn't get answers, it would only drag on until it was all on his mind, distracting him from his life. At some point, he would have to figure this chick out.

After some time had passed, two beautifully plated dishes were set down right in front of them. They clapped their hands to thank for the food and went to dig in. It had been a long time and his stomach had been looking forward to it. Even if it turned out to be subpar, he was too hungry to care. Using his chopsticks, he picked up a perfectly seasoned slice of fish and placed it on his tongue. His taste buds were instantly tingled by the intense heat behind the savory spices. It kept rocking back and forth between heat and flavor, almost like a great battle where the two were evenly matched and he was the referee. He combined the curry with his rice and allowed his mouth to envelop the wonderful taste. He almost couldn't believe that a guy as talented as this was forced to put off his restaurant business until now. Something like this should be shared with the world.

Before long, the brutalness of the Scorpion pepper warmed him up to the point where he thought his insides were boiling. When he scarfed down his last bit of food, he snatched his large cup of ice water and gulped it down in an instant. Both Akane and Takami chuckled at him, but he was in too much pain to care. Hattori took several minutes longer to finish her meal, but sadly ended up clasping for her water just the same. Takami couldn't stop himself from laughing at the two teens.

"How was it?" he asked.

"Amazing as always." She said, tugging on her shirt to try and fan herself.

"Good. And it just so happens that I've made a whole batch of mochi in my deep freezer, if you'd like some?"

"Sure, Takami."

"Great, I'll be right back."

He dropped their dishes in his sink and adjourned to the hallway where he disappeared from sight.

"So tell me, did the food meet your incredibly high expectations?" she smirked, instantly causing him to become stiff. He hadn't even thought about it until now, and it sucked that she was right. He hated to admit it when others were right.

"I guess it was adequate…" he growled under his breath. "I didn't take you as the type who'd go as high as a Scorpion pepper."

"I don't eat spicy food but once in a while, otherwise I get terrible acid reflux… But yea, my mouth can take some punishment."

The air became dense as the heat formed back in his cheeks. He wasn't sure if it was still some lingering spiciness or what, but at that point, he couldn't bring himself to look at her. For fuck's sake, why did she have to say it like that? This was getting tiresome, making him embarrassed like this.

"Does this mean you forgive me now?"

"Don't get too ahead of yourself, idiot… Y'know, you didn't have to bring me here. You could've taken me to a regular restaurant."

He didn't know why he was saying that to her again.

"You wanted the best, so I gave you the best. Besides, none of them are as good as Takami's… And I kind of like privacy, I guess…"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not much of a party person. I'm not comfortable in big crowds."

"Hmm… So you're a loner huh?"

"If you can't be content with yourself, how can you be with others?... If our classmates saw us in a public place together, they'd probably think we're dating, just like Maiko and Takami…"

Where did that come from all of a sudden?

"You're such a damn idiot. If they assume that, I'll blow 'em to pieces!"

Her gaze drifted down to the blotches in the granite countertop.

"Would that really be such a bad thing?..."

He could feel the sweat starting to form in the palms of his hands along with the rest of his body. Bakugo wanted to say something but found himself paralyzed thinking about it. What did she mean by that? Was she just messing with him? If so, he definitely wouldn't let her get away with it. Oddly, she didn't smirk or laugh about it. She only continued to stare at the counter, as if somehow it was going to give her the answer she wanted. Now he couldn't stop himself from wondering if maybe –

"Alright. Here we go. Two vanilla bean mochi ice creams." Takami said as he proudly displayed the container by waving it in the air.

"I don't want any. I'm going home." Bakugo said bluntly as he stood up from his chair to put on his coat. Without another word, he treaded down the hallway, leaving them behind dazed and confused.

"Bakugo, wait!" Akane immediately stood and grabbed her coat.

She took a few steps to the doorway but stopped short and turned back to Takami. Quickly, she took out her wallet and handed him a couple of big bills.

"I don't know what's gotten into him. I'm sorry, Takami, I'll have to try them another time. I'll see you again soon."

"A-alright."

Before he could take a second glance, she was gone.

"Stay safe, you two!"