33 | To Restore Corruption

                                    

                                          
Katsuki Bakugou


                          
The nearing deadline to reveal whether I will allow myself to be supposedly usurped by villainy has been cut in half. Three and a half months remain before my answer is required, but in that time, quite the aggregation of events has transpired. The day I received Todoroki's jarring letter was also the day that Uraraka was reported missing. Deku searched relentlessly for her, expending the majority of his efforts in dedication to attempting to find her; his efforts were futile.
                          
Given that today is the halfway point to the deadline, I've concluded that it would be wise to begin sorting out my thoughts and organizing the impacts of both possible answers. Prior to that, however, I am currently debating on whether or not to wake up the nerd sleeping in the middle of my dorm floor, wrapped tightly into a sleeping bag similar to the one that Aizawa frequently uses. Since it's the weekend and the grumbling clicks of falling raindrops is humming softly in my ears from the window, a part of me wishes to remain lenient and allow him to rest. However, since it's also noon and we have class to attend tomorrow, I make the decision to awaken the celery stick on the floor.
                          
Crouching down beside the sleeping Deku, I glance up to Kirotoshi, who's reading a book on his bed. "Oi, Kiro. Do you think I should wake 'im up?" With a sulking frown, I recall once more the consecutive days that Deku has woken up and begun weeping.
                          
Kirotoshi slides a small white slip of paper into his book and crawls down onto the floor with me. "Would it be all right if I woke him up? He didn't have, well, the calmest reaction when you last woke him. I would prefer him to take any residual, soured emotions out on me."
                          
Well, you're not wrong. He just about accidentally slapped my face. He did apologize, but I could tell he felt horrible afterwards. "Go ahead," I sigh, a part of my heart twisting in my chest.
                          
Why do I feel like this? I ponder, watching intently as Kirotoshi rests his hand on Deku's shoulder. Do I envy their relationship? There's no way. Sure, I consider the nerd to be my friend, I guess, but my heart belongs only to Shouto. Despite that, seeing them so close...it just boils my blood for some reason. I don't have a single damn excuse for feeling like this, either. My love is steadfast with Shouto. I won't take anyone but him.
                          
"Kiro?" Deku mumbles groggily, scrambling to grab his phone and check for any messages regarding Uraraka. "Have you...heard anything?" Dejectedly slipping his phone back into his pocket, his perfunctory blinking gradually evolves into rapid blinks to prevent his tears from falling.
                          
Kirotoshi shakes his head. "I'm so sorry, but no," he whispers, extending his arms to Deku, who squirms into his arms and rests his head over his shoulder. "I'm sorry." His fingers gently traverse through Deku's hair and slide along his shoulders.
                          
It's evident that he prefers seeking comfort from you as opposed to me, I think to myself. But why? What does he have to offer that I don't? Are you holding a grudge against me? If so, I ain't gonna say I don't deserve it, but I've done everything to make you happy and to repair what's been lost. I shouldn't be bothered by this—something that should be frivolous—but I am. Who knew the unknown could make you feel so damn worthless?
                          
"She can't be gone!" Deku gasped, his knees buckling beneath him after hearing word of Uraraka's disappearance. "I know she wouldn't just leave without a reason. She'll be back, right?" Translucent streams of tears crept down his cheeks.
                          
Despite the fact that all of 3-A had been together during the announcement, I nonetheless kneeled down to the nerd and took his clammy hands into mine. "Oi. Of all the people here, you should be the one that's the most gung-ho on finding her. You've got a lot of chutzpah to be wallowing in misery right now. Spend less time dedicated to those damn tears and more time gettin' information."