Text"Ten more minutes?"
"No."
"... Five?"
Chuuya sighs, a headache already forming at the back of his skull, "Who knows when Aizawa will turn up, so just get ready now."
Shortly after the meeting yesterday Recovery Girl had given Dazai one last check up, one Dazai wasn't pleased about getting, to confirm he's physically alright to go back to the dorms. Of course, she had made it clear that if he wasn't mentally recovered then he was welcome to stay
Chuuya had to bite back a laugh when she said that, if that was the rule then that fishy idiot would never be able to leave. Even now, with how Dazai teases and pouts, he isn't completely 'normal'.
They don't have time to wait for such an impossibility anyway.
It takes a few minutes, and a lot of complaining, but Dazai does eventually finish getting ready. While the clothes Recovery Girl lent to them were nice and all, Chuuya much rather prefers being back in his Mafia uniform. They're just more comfortable, both in a sentimental and physical way. Some of the clothes Chuuya has seen so far at UA seem incredibly cheap, that hero shirt he had to wear included.
Dazai sighs dramatically before sitting down at the edge of the bed, "Stupid Chuuya, making me get ready so soon."
Somehow, Chuuya is able to resist the urge to throw something at Dazai's head. That bandaged idiot would be singing a different tone if he had actually felt the quality of the hero shirt he was wearing. There have only been a scant few times Dazai has gone within his bandages with Chuuya in his presence, both times he made a point to complain how itchy and uncomfortable his clothes felt. In the end Chuuya had bought him a long sleeve shirt made of the most comfortable material he could find just to keep the idiot quiet.
"Hey, Chuuya, how good do you think Recovery Girl's Quirk is anyway?"
Chuuya glances at him suspiciously, that change of topic was not smooth at all, "She said it heals injuries at the expense of energy, I guess if you were real fucking tired then it wouldn't work all that well but if you weren't…" There has to be some sort of limit to what she can heal, the question is what is that limit? She can fix a broken bone, but what about an amputation? A gunshot wound maybe, but what about a gaping hole? If she could revive the dead then Chuuya is sure he would have heard about her or her Quirk before, like with that one Ability user. It's good to keep eyes on healers like that.
"I was just curious, I wonder what she could do for, say," Dazai gives Chuuya a pointed look, "Internal bleeding."
Internal bleeding? What does tha-
Oh. Corruption.
That… Huh. Chuuya is usually drained as hell after Corruption, so her Quirk probably wouldn't work straight away but, after some rest, it might help with the recovery time. It would be nice not spending upwards of a week confined to bed each time he uses Corruption.
Although, that does raise the question of when that sort of situation would even happen. Chuuya has absolutely no plans to use Corruption on this mission, especially not now that the HSCP has shown an interest in his Ability. It's too risky to expose that part of him, the Pros may be tolerant so far but who knows how they will react when seeing what he's truly capable of.
Maybe they could kidnap Recovery Girl? She doesn't seem like a combatant, nor is there anyone hanging around to protect her. Although, that walking stick syringe does look like it could hurt…
Chuuya shakes his head to clear his thoughts, "Why are you bringing this up anyway?"
Dazai doesn't respond, which is pretty fucking suspicious. What the hell is this guy up to and, more importantly, how worried should Chuuya be?
"Dazai?"
Dazai huffs and, unlike other times where he avoids explaining himself at all costs, replies, "I thought it may be interesting for Chibi to know."
It takes a second for Chuuya to catch on but when he does all his suspicion fades away. "Not your best work."
Dazai scrunches his face up, not quite a glare but something close, "That doesn't sound like my problem."
Chuuya turns away, instead focusing his attention on holding the spare clothing Recovery Girl had given them, "Idiot. I'll be expecting something more than this, just so you know."
It takes a few moments for Dazai to relent, "Fine, whatever."
With that, the room falls into a comfortable silence. Like he said, Chuuya isn't completely satisfied with this 'apology' of Dazai's. Sure, knowing Recovery Girl could aid in the aftermath of Corruption is helpful but, ultimately, not very practical. It's like he was thinking earlier, he would either have to use Corruption here or bring Recovery Girl back to Yokohama.
Despite that, Chuuya does appreciate the thought behind it. Dazai is one of the few that get to see just how wrecked Corruption makes him, while he doesn't sit by Chuuya's bed side like some forlorn lover Dazai does tend to stick close when Chuuya is recovering. He knows how difficult that can be sometimes, so to bring up a possible way to make it better…
Chuuya still feels a little pissed off when he thinks about the argument but he's sure that'll pass soon enough.
A knock breaks that comfortable silence, one that signals the end of their stay in this room. It has to be Aizawa coming to collect them, or so Chuuya hopes anyway. He wouldn't mind seeing Yamada, but anyone else would be a pain to deal with right now.
"Come in." Chuuya is glad that he stood firm on Dazai getting ready earlier, now it means he can't pretend to be asleep and leave all the conversation to Chuuya. One might assume that, given Dazai has to be awake to head back to the dorms, he wouldn't be able to pretend to be asleep and avoid all conversations before leaving for the dorms. One would be wrong.
Dazai, having also noticed this, slouches down from where he's sitting on the bed.
The door opens and in walks Aizawa who, for a moment, seems surprised to see Dazai awake. He looks between the pair for a moment before nodding in greeting, "It's good to see you both, how are you?"
Chuuya shrugs, "Fine."
Dazai waves his hand as if in agreement.
"That's good. When you're both ready I'll take you back to the dorms. Class 1A already knows to expect your arrival," Aizawa glances at Dazai before continuing, "If possible, I would like to speak Dazai before we head to the dorms."
Ah yes, the apology talk. Chuuya, admittedly, has been looking forward to Dazai having to listen to that whole spiel again. This time he can't pretend to be asleep either, so he'll actually have to respond to Aizawa.
Chuuya gets the feeling Dazai will come up with an excuse to avoid that particular conversation so, before the idiot fish can say anything, Chuuya speaks up, "We're about ready to leave, I'll step outside so you can speak with him."
Aizawa gives him a grateful look, one that is immediately contrasted with Dazai glaring at him.
Chuuya bites back a smile, after this he'll forgive Dazai for the argument.
-
Dazai, rather unsurprisingly, does not want to be here for this conversation. He's already heard it once, even if he was pretending to be asleep, so there's no need for him to go through it again. Not to mention Chuuya, that annoying Slug, decided to abandon him.
Aizawa doesn't seem to be acting any differently than normal though, which is reassuring in a way. If he had come in here clearly racked by grief and regret then Dazai would not have entertained him this long.
Dazai knows how he's going to be treated over these next few days, he's already had a preview of it with Recovery Girl. While the pity will be good for the plan, Dazai just can't be bothered dealing with it.
Aizawa sits on one of the chairs by the wall, likely in the same spot as when he gave Chuuya this conversation. After a moment he asks, "How have you been doing?"
Dazai resists the urge to roll his eyes, "Fine."
"Not too tired or anything?"
That catches Dazai by surprise, did he just make a joke? Dazai doubts it, likely Aizawa is just concerned or curious, but still, the idea that he did intentionally make a joke like that…
Despite his internal amusement Dazai responds in a bland tone, "...No."
Aizawa's eyes search him for a moment before nodding, "That's good, well, what I really wanted to say is this; I'm sorry."
Part of Dazai appreciates how quickly Aizawa has gotten to the point, brief small talk aside.
"I already said this to Nakahara, but I haven't been acting the way I should have been," Aizawa continues, "As a Pro Hero, as a teacher, I should have been looking out for your health and doing everything I could to make sure you were ok, instead I ended up passing that job onto Nakahara."
Dazai nods, but otherwise mentally tunes out. He's already heard his conversation one time too many, what use is there in listening to it again? Instead, Dazai find himself ranking which Quirk's from class 1A would be the best for committing suicide.
Mina's would be effective but very painful, Todoroki and Bakugou's could offer a nice quick end, Yaoyorozu's is the jack of all trades really, so hers would definitely work.
Dazai is debating if Tsu would be able to strangle someone to death with her tongue, or use it as a noose, when he somewhat tunes back into Aizawa's little speech.
"Even if Nedzu asks me, I won't-"
"Won't ask for information about Yokohama," Dazai interrupts, his patience for his conversation having drained completely. Thinking about suicide was nice, but Dazai honestly just wants to head back to the dorms already.
Aizawa seems taken aback for a moment, clearly not expecting Dazai to predict what he was going to say. That shocked look only lasts a few seconds though as realisation eventually dawns on the man's face, "... You were awake when I spoke with Nakahara."
Dazai nods before jumping up from his spot on the bed's edge, "Yep, now, can we go to the dorms already? I'm sick of this room." Which is partially true, while he's used to being in one room for extended periods of time, getting constantly checked on by Recovery Girl has been hell. Heading back to the dorms, even if that means dealing with whatever 1A has undoubtedly cooked up, is far more preferable than staying here any longer.
Aizawa stands as he sighs, "Alright."
-
Todoroki can tell the exact moment Dazai and Nakahara walk into the dorms, even though his seat is facing away from the door.
All chatter from his classmates fall away into silence the second the door opens, only to be followed by the more extroverted 1A members jumping up in their haste to greet Dazai and Nakahara.
Todoroki gets up and turns just in time to hear Aizawa-sensei gently scold his classmates.
"Don't forget what I said earlier."
At that, the extroverts significantly quiet down. Earlier, in class, Aizawa-sensei had informed everyone that Dazai and Nakahara would be returning to the dorms. He had also made it clear what would happen if anyone was insensitive or pushy about what happened.
Aizawa-sensei, seemingly satisfied, nods before turning to the two teens beside him, "Do you two need me to stay?"
It is then that Todoroki turns his attention to Dazai and Nakahara, the duo standing just behind Aizawa-sensei.
Nakahara, dressed in his usual suit, stands definitely with his hands in his pockets. Unlike others that might find themselves in his situation, Nakahara does not cringe away from any looks. Instead, he meets them head one with a steady gaze of his own, one that dares you to say something.
Dazai, opposed to his usual habit of lounging on Nakahara's back, is stood right next to his partner. Just like Nakahara, he's dressed in his usual suit outfit, just like the last time Todoroki saw him. Interestingly, his single eye seems to be jumping from one person to the next in quick succession. Perhaps he's trying to take in as much information as possible, trying to figure out how people will react to him being back. His face is otherwise apathetic.
Nakahara glances in Aizawa-sensei's direction before shrugging, "Nah, we'll be fine."
Aizawa-sensei nods, "I'll be in my room if anyone needs me." He gives certain extroverts one last warning glance before walking through the living room area and towards his room.
with Aizawa-sensei's departure the class falls into silence.
It seems that, despite all the planning and ideas on how to interact with Dazai and Nakahara going forward, no one had thought of what to say in this situation.
Typically, this sort of thing would go to the class extroverts to deal with. However, it seems Aizawa-sensei's earlier warning causes said extroverts to doubt themselves, now instead of welcoming chatter they just exchange awkward looks.
Nakahara seems content to let the class flounder for something to say, if his slightly amused facial expression is anything to go by.
A few more moments pass, long enough that Todoroki begins to debate if he needs to be the one to break the silence, when someone steps forward.
Yaoyorozu, with a welcoming smile, says, "Dazai, Chuuya, we're glad you're back."
Nakahara nods in her direction, "Yea, hi."
After a second he turns his attention to the class as a whole then, Todoroki can see once he notices it, the mess of blankets and pillows behind the class.
A wide range of ideas were proposed when deciding on what would be the best way to welcome Dazai and Nakahara back. Some of those ideas were more outlandish than others but, fortunately, it had only taken a few hours to settle on a choice.
Film night.
Tokoyami, the one who proposed the idea in the first place, had brought up the fact that watching a film as a group is one of the best ways to learn about someone and bond with them. Not only do you learn things such as genres they like, but you can also have the shared experience of, as Tokoyami put it, "braving the man-made horrors of entertainment."
Kaminari, Mina, Sero, and Kirishima had been quick to suggest a blanket/pillow… structure for this film night to take place in. Apparently, Dazai had taught them a few tricks on how to keep such structures from falling down and they wished to return the favour.
Iida hadn't looked very pleased at the idea, but a majority of the class agreed it would be the best way to all be comfortable when watching a film in the common area.
At one point Iida had looked to Todoroki, as if wanting back up. Todoroki had simply looked the other way, in truth he never got to experience making a fort of any kind as a child- let alone with other kids his age. Part of him was excited by the prospect.
Eventually, the 'Comfort Kingdom', as dubbed by its creators, was built.
Todoroki had found the structure rather impressive however, as it seems, Nakahara does not share the same thoughts.
Eyes squinted, Nakahara asks, "What the hell is that?"
At the mention of the 'Comfort Kingdom', its creators snap to attention. With a new topic to talk about the words seem to spill from their lips.
"Well! We prepared some stuff for you both, Sato made some snacks that we think you'd like, oh and me, Mina, Kaminari, Kir-"
"We didn't know which movies you'd be into so we got a bunch-"
"Look, we used the techniques you taught us so the-"
Chuuya's voice cuts through the chatter, "One at a time, please. What is going on here exactly?" He gestures at the mass of blankets and pillows behind the class.
A few people glance around to see who will answer, after a moment Yaoyorozu once again steps into the position herself, "We have prepared a film night, complete with various snacks and a 'Comfort Kingdom' for you to rest in."
At Nakahara's still confused look, Yaoyorozu continues, "We realised that we haven't been very good classmates to you both thus far, this is something we all want to change. This film night isn't much but, hopefully, you'll be able to enjoy it."
Todoroki is glad Yaoyorozu was the one to speak, he isn't sure his other classmates would have been able to word it as she did.
Midoriya nods, "We want to get to know you both better, so whatever film you want to watch we can."
"The 'Comfort Kingdom' is only the beginning," Mina adds with an excited grin, "we have a lot more planned to prove how good classmates we are!"
Dazai and Nakahara share a glance, one that Todoroki does not think bodes well.
Lo and behold, a moment later, Nakahara turns his attention back to the class, "And why would you do all this?"
This time it's Midoriya who steps forward, "It's like how Yaoyorozu said, we haven't been very good classmates to you both, we want to change that starting now."
Beside him, Uraraka chimes in, "Yea! You guys are here for rehabilitation, so you deserve to be treated like anyone else." Her hands grip into determined fists, a habit Todoroki has noticed far more these past few days.
"Right, right, now which one of you said we should 'rot in jail', or however it went?" Dazai chimes in.
Todoroki doesn't quite understand the significance behind that but, based on the delayed awkward looks certain classmates exchange, someone must have said within hearing distance of Dazai or Nakahara.
An uncertain silence descends upon the class.
Todoroki can see how his classmates cringe away from the pair, unsure on how to recover from their blunder. He can see how Dazai and Nakahara share a glance that surely means 'That's what I thought, now let's leave.'
Todoroki moves faster than they do though, he made a promise to break down those 'walls' and he intends to keep it. Besides, even putting aside his own goals there is another major thing he needs to speak with the pair about.
"I need to speak with you both," Todoroki gestures to the kitchen, "alone, if possible."
Nakahara sighs but, thankfully, nods, "Yea, alright." He spares one last glance to the makeshift 'Comfort Kingdom' before walking off to the kitchen, Dazai still following close behind.
Todoroki gives one serious nod to his classmates, one he hopes conveys his intentions to make progress with the pair, before turning and entering the kitchen. He isn't nervous, not when he's been in far more intimidating situations. The USJ, the fight against Midoriya, Stain, even facing his own Father. Dazai and Nakahara are dangerous, true, but he knows they won't attack him. He trusts that they won't, not then they haven't done anything to hint at it.
Dazai is leaning against the counter when he walks in, an apathetic look still in place. Chuuya has his arms crossed, perhaps interested to hear what Todoroki has to say but still cautious.
Well, there's no reason to delay this any further.
Is what Todoroki would say, except he has little idea on how to actually verbalise his thoughts. He knows, vaguely, what he intends to say but the words are hard to find. He feels somewhat foolish for asking Dazai and Nakahara to speak like this and then not actually having anything to say.
Nakahara, thankfully, takes pity on him, "That night, you were the one to find him, right?"
Todoroki nods.
"Well, thank you for that," Nakahara's tone is sincere as he speaks, "I can't keep an eye on him all the time, so I'm glad someone was able to keep him from actually killing himself."
Dazai slouches further onto the counter, "You talk like I'm not here." Nakahara gives him an unimpressed look, one that effectively causes Dazai to pout a tad and look away.
Nakahara turns back to Todoroki and continues, "How much did you see?"
"When I opened the door it was hard to see much of anything," Todoroki admits, "I turned to call for you the moment I realised what happened."
Nakahara seems pleased by that, something that gives Todoroki the confidence to bring up his own topic of conversation. "Recently, I realised that you both are still being treated as Villains."
Nakahara raises an eyebrow, "Yea, what about it?"
"Given that you are here to be rehabilitated, continuing to treat you both as Villains would be counterproductive," Todoroki explains, "That is why we invited you to the film night, we wish to treat you as any other member of class 1A."
Todoroki thinks back to when he did not engage with the class, to how he would hear his classmates making plans to hang out or joking in ways he thought he could never join in with. His anger at his father had clouded his vision during that time, he hardly made note of anything that he didn't deem important to his end goal of becoming a better Hero than his father. Even then, though, being separated from his class had left a bad taste in his mouth. A taste that reminded him all too much of his childhood.
Some people may enjoy being by themselves but, Todoroki acknowledges, that does not mean class 1A should still treat Nakahara and Dazai like Villains.
Neither Nakahara or Dazai have said anything, which allows Todoroki to continue speaking.
"I understand that, in the past, neither myself or my- our classmates have made much of an effort to connect, but we would sincerely like to change that," Todoroki resists the urge to glance over to the door, to where his classmates are waiting, "I understand neither of you trust us yet but we aim to change that, no matter how long it takes."
Nakahara shares a look with Dazai, one that then causes Dazai's nose to wrinkle, "Why does everyone want to be friends all of a sudden?"
Todoroki wasn't aware anyone else had said something similar but he nods nonetheless, "I was once isolated from the class by my own choice, since becoming friends with Midoriya and the others things have gotten much better for me. We, as a class, wish to help you both in the same way."
Neither of the pair seem very convinced by that but that's alright. Todoroki will just have to show them the benefits of having a group of friends that care about you.
Who knows, maybe Todoroki will be able to learn a few things from the pair while he's at it.
Nakahara and Dazai seem to have a wordless conversation for a few minutes, one that Todoroki has no hope in deciphering.
Eventually, Nakahara levels Todoroki with a questioning, almost testing, gaze, "Dazai still hasn't apologised for taunting you, nor has he apologised to Bakugou, or Shinsou, or anyone else he's intentionally pissed off."
Todoroki thinks about his words carefully before answering. Nakahara and Dazai will likely see through any lie he tries to come up with, not that he's all that good with lying anyway, so being honest is the best way to go around this. With that in Mind, Todoroki responds, "For this rehabilitation to work we must be forgiving and lenient, I'm sure an apology would be appreciated but for now we wish to focus on building trust."
Nakahara holds his gaze for a few moments, his eyes hard and analytical. A moment later, he sighs, "You're welcome to try, I guess. But we're not doing film night, no way."
Dazai smirks at that, which Todoroki elects to ignore. Instead he nods, "Next time then."
"We'll see," Chuuya gives him one last look before grabbing Dazai's arm and making his way out of the kitchen.
Todoroki leaves soon thereafter, his classmates seen a little disappointed at the news Dazai and Nakahara won't be joining film night. They cheer up a bit when Todoroki shares the news that Nakahara has welcomed them to try and build trust, something that pushes Midoriya into a mumble spiral about different ways they could do such a thing.
-
"Chuuya just didn't want to watch a film because he'll cry."
"Shut it."
-
Koharu wakes the moment her front door opens, the small censor next to her bed buzzing with urgency. Some (Akuma) may call her paranoid but she knew such a thing would come in handy one day, you never know when someone may attack.
Although, based on the echoing sounds of stumbles, whoever this intruder is mustn't be very well trained. Even without the censor she would have woken to this racket.
Koharu slips out of her bed, easily picking up a taser on her way to the bedroom door. This particular model is made to take down even the toughest mutant, whoever is out there will be down before they can even think of attacking back. It may be overkill to use such a thing but Koharu would rather fry some intruder than risk her brother getting injured.
Her door, with its well oiled hinges, does not creak when she opens it. Her feet are feather light as she trials down the hall, not a single noise coming from the wooden floor.
There isn't a door to the living/kitchen area, rather just a corner archway that leads right in. Koharu positions herself on the corner and waits, she listens as footsteps stumble and bump into things. As whoever dared to break in mutters swears under their breath with each failed attempt to navigate the space.
One particular swear catches her attention, or moreso the way it's said. Sharp but with an odd inflection, like whoever said it has never heard someone actually speak before.
Koharu does not lower her taser but she does sigh and step around the corner, with a quick movement the lights flick on to reveal the intruder.
There, in the centre of her living room, is Akagi Harue. Her hair is, somehow, even more dishevelled, and her face is contorted in a manor that just screams stress. Small flower petals trail behind her on the floor, a fact that makes Koharu want to tase her anyway.
"Why the hell are you here?" Koharu doesn't bother to soften her words, she does not want to give the wrong impression that Harue is at all welcome here. There is a reason she has not once disclosed where she lives to any co-workers.
Harue's head snaps in her direction, "Koharu!" She lurches forward before stumbling over her own feet and crashing to the floor.
"Be quiet!" Koharu snaps, it's the middle of the night, she had assumed that Harue would at least have enough manners to respect the fact that people are sleeping. Clearly, that was the wrong assumption to make.
Harue doesn't seem to pay much mind to her warning, instead she quickly pulls herself back up and rushes over to Koharu.
Koharu takes a step back.
Harue doesn't seem to notice, instead pinning her with a serious look, "Koharu, we need- we need to leave, now."
Koharu's nose scrunches up, "What nonsense are you on now?"
"The mission we- that kid he was aff- no, no, it was the rat- they're going to-" Harue's voice cracks and shifts each time a train of thought cuts off, flowers bloom and die along her arms in time with her frantic breaths.
"Whatever your problem is, I don't care. Get out," Koharu has no interest in dealing with whatever metal break Harue is going through right now.
Koharu grabs onto Harue's arm and begins dragging her to the front door, which has been left open. She ignores whatever drivel comes out of Harue's mouth, that is until a certain phrase catches her attention.
"Listen! They're gonna hurt you!"
She pauses, irritation still bubbling below her skin. Koharu turns to Harue, who seems to be partially more stable now. "Explain, now."
Harue nods, a little too desperately, "The mission, it- it failed."
What? Koharu is sure her half of the mission went well, there's no way for it to be classed as failed.
"The- the rat, umm, Nedzu! Nedzu complained, said that your boy got all messed up or whatever," Harue's gaze hardens, a look of clarity compared to her crazed expressions previously, "They're going to relocate us."
Now that gets Koharu's attention. Being relocated is just a step above being fired, something she cannot allow to happen. She needs the paycheck that comes along with her current position.
"How are you so sure?" Koharu's mind fills with plans, ideas on how to get out of this situation before it even happens. If Harue is telling the truth then getting something on the go now might just be her saving grace.
"I was in Fukuoka, I heard higher ups talking about it. They're gonna relocated us to the middle of nowhere and keep us trapped there, keep us locked away so we don't cause any problems," Harue's looks around as she talks, like she's scared said higher ups will jump out any second.
Harue has problems, that much is obvious, but the question is if she would make something like this up. Would she break into Koharu's home on an assumption?
Perhaps if Koharu uses her Quirk she'll be able to figure out if Harue is genuinely scared of being relocated, which would prove her claims, or scared of her lies being found out. Koharu sighs, wishing none of this had happened in the first place, before going to active her Quirk on-
"Koharu-nee?"
Koharu feels herself tense up, dammit, things just keep getting worse.
Harue is quick to snap her head in the direction of Akuma, that panicked look coming back to her face. Koharu tightens her grip on Harue's arm.
"Who-" Harue starts, only to be cut off by Koharu.
"It doesn't matter," she snaps, "ignore him." It feels hopeless saying such a thing, in all the time Koharu has known Harue she has never just let something lie. Especially when it comes to Koharu and her life beyond the HPSC, when even the slightest piece of information comes to light about that topic Harue has always latched onto it like a feral animal.
Finding out Koharu has a younger brother, one who she has kept secret for so long, must be like a gold mine to Harue. Well, it would be if she was in the right frame of mind.
As it stands, Harue flips her head back and forth between Koharu and Akuma as if trying to see the resemblance. It should be rather obvious, given how Akuma shares the same pale blonde hair and face shape as Koharu. The major differences are height, weight, gender, and, of course, Akuma's eyes being hidden away under a mushroom hair.
Koharu pulls on Harue's arm, hard as she can, "Focus. You still have some explaining to do."
That seems to snap Harue out of her little trace, although it seems that she is, once again, too far gone to be coherent, "Your brother- they're gonna- he'll be hurt just like, no, no, it's you who is-"
Koharu's patience is wearing thin, which is dangerous given how thin her patience is on a good day. Turning to Akuma she says, "Go back to your room. I'll deal with this."
Akuma seems conflicted for a second, for a moment Koharu fears he'll argue back like he is typically prone to do, thankfully he nods and leaves without any further fuss.
Now back to the real problem.
Harue is still babbling some nonsense, something about a tree? Or a cat maybe? Koharu doesn't have time for it either way.
Slap.
Harue freezes, both body and mouth falling still after being slapped across the face.
"Explain now before I kick you to the curb," Koharu levels Harue with the most serious glare she can muster.
For a moment Harue says nothing, perhaps still in shock after being slapped. Then, after a shaky breath, she says, "That Nedzu guy complained, we're getting taken off the mission, relocated to some middle of nowhere branch. I heard… I heard… Yano! Yano Kouga and Tsuda Norio talking about it."
That…. That doesn't make Koharu feel very confident. Harue, for all her annoying tricks and stupid ideas, has never named a higher up like this before. She never drags anyone else into her mess, likely scared of what might happen if they hear about it.
Not to mention that Yano Kouga and Tsuda Norio aren't exactly known for messing around when it comes to work matters.
Koharu resists the urge to swear, looks like Harue's rambles had some truth to them after all.
Mentally she begins running through the possible ways to get out of this. Koharu could go to the HPSC and plead her case, if that backfires though it will be far harder to escape their clutches. She could just go along with it, but being relocated comes with a pay decrease, which is not something she can accept, not with how expensive Akuma's Quirk suppressants are. Not to mention packing up and moving to some new place all while keeping Akuma hidden from the HPSC would be near impossible.
Well, there's only one thing to it then.
Koharu begins assembling a list of the essentials she'll need to grab, Quirk suppressants, birth certificates, passports, photo albums, Akuma's game consoles, etc. If Koharu moves fast enough then she might just be able to slip under the HPSC's radar, if that does work then she can get a new job elsewhere while keeping Akuma safe.
Unfortunately, it seems Harue has a similar idea. "I- I know someone, we can go hide there! It might be a little cramped but-"
Koharu cuts her off, "What makes you think I'll be going with you of all people?"
"Because! Working together means a higher chance of success, we can watch each other's backs and- and-," Harue glances to the hall where Akuma once stood, "You're gonna need someone to protect him right? I can do that!"
Koharu would not trust Harue with a pencil, let alone her beloved baby brother. Akuma is well behaved, sure, but rather weak. He would not be able to protect himself should Harue decide to hurt him.
…
Then again, if Koharu is out looking for work it's not like she can protect him either. The HPSC won't just give up looking for them, leaving Akuma alone would be a risk Koharu does not want to take.
There's no one else who could look after him either, no family friends or other siblings, certainly not the parents who took one look at him and gave up on the idea of raising him. The only one Akuma has is Koharu, not a single other person has ever looked at Akuma and seen horrors but stayed nonetheless.
Harue is a risk, but is she more of a risk than leaving Akuma alone?
"Go home," Harue attempts to interrupt her, but Koharu continues to speak, "Go home and get whatever you need. Be back here within the hour."
Thankfully, Harue wastes no time in scampering off to get her stuff.
This may be a mistake but, as it happens, there is hardly anything else Koharu can do.
She promised to protect Akuma all those years ago, promised to keep him safe no matter how bad his Quirk got. When everyone else looked at him and only saw their own insecurities and fears reflected back, Koharu had looked past that and at the young boy who needed someone to be there for him. She had seen her baby brother.
In order to give Akuma the life he deserves, Koharu needs money for Quirk suppressants and a safe home for him. If running away from the HPSC will ensure those things then so be it