Capítulo 47: Do You Want To Be A Hero? (28) | The Same Question
~~~ AUTHOR NOTE / WARNING: Cheesy, Soap-Opera-Like Drama Incoming ~~~
The sun was setting behind her, casting a brief shadow as her silhouette darkened.
However, the streetlights around her flickered to life... and now, her figure was illuminated by the light spilling down from the tall streetlamp above.
Izuku himself stood under his own spotlight... as if they were both actors on a stage, about to perform the final act of an intense drama.
He saw... her visage, etched with a hardened glare aimed directly at him—her one and only green-haired classmate... her childhood friend.
"K-Katsuki...?" Izuku muttered, his voice carrying a hint of disbelief.
He hadn't expected to see her here... not yet, at least.
He'd been certain that she was still under medical care from the exhaustion she must have suffered during the sludge villain's rampage...
But here she was—standing tall and... furious. The tension in her expression alone was enough to make Izuku uneasy.
Even so, he couldn't help but notice the bandages wrapped around her arms and shoulders. It seemed she had received some form of medical attention, at least.
Katsuki, however, didn't say anything more after her initial shout to get his attention. That menacing glare of hers remained, unblinking, fixed on him like a predator eyeing its prey.
And then... she began to advance forward—toward Izuku. Each of her steps was purposeful, her gaze never wavering, the full intensity of her glare locked on him...!
"Y-yo! Kacchan...!" Izuku stammered, attempting to sound casual but failing miserably.
The slight nervousness was evident in his voice, even though he tried to play it cool.
"Uh... Oh yeah! I-I just saw the news, Kacchan! Are you okay...? S-shouldn't you be resting—"
"Cut your crap, Izuku!"
"Wha—?!"
Katsuki immediately lashed out, closing the distance between them in an instant! She grabbed the collar of Izuku's Gakuran, yanking him forward with surprising strength. He had no choice but to face her, forced to meet her furious eyes head-on.
"K-Katsuki, what are you talking about—"
"Don't play dumb with me!" she barked, her voice sharp and accusatory. "I know it's you! I know you're that damn green vigilante!"
"...!"
Izuku's voice caught in his throat. He fell silent, his expression shifting into something more guarded as her accusation hung in the air.
Katsuki's glare never softened, her eyes boring into his as if daring him to deny it.
Izuku tried to avoid Katsuki's intense glare by glancing over his shoulder... only to realize that All Might, who had been standing right behind him just a moment ago, had mysteriously vanished.
"Eh...?"
He blinked in confusion, his eyes darting around the dark empty space behind him that was not lit by the street lamps, baffled by the hero's sudden disappearance.
But then, he caught sight of something—or rather, someone.
From behind a nearby electric pole, a husk-like and ghostly figure was sticking out—it was All Might, still in his weakened form, and he was... eavesdropping?
Izuku blinked again, his bafflement only growing as he took in the sight of the Number One Hero awkwardly spying on their conversation...
And the worst part was that he looked like some vengeful ghost creeping out from the shadows...
"Hey! Don't ignore me! Look at me, Izuku!"
"...!"
Katsuki suddenly yanked his Gakuran's collar once more, startling him as he was forced to look back at her livid expression.
"Tell me the truth, Izuku! You're that green vigilante, right?!"
"..."
Izuku remained silent, only staring back into the furious eyes of his childhood friend. His expression maintained a poker face in contrast to Katsuki's own... but there was a slight frown forming on his lips.
Katsuki's anger only grew with each second of silence that Izuku chose to uphold... but eventually, he lost the staring contest, letting go of his poker face as he let out a somewhat tired sigh.
"Are more people gonna keep popping off and finding out about my secret double life...?"
"Huh?!"
His mumbling only served to both confuse and anger Katsuki as she struggled to understand what he was saying.
However, Izuku then looked back at her, startling her for a moment as his expression turned serious.
"... That's right, Katsuki. I'm the so-called 'Green Vigilante.' Nice to meet you."
"...!"
Katsuki's grip on his Gakuran's collar tightened along with her glare. However, Izuku remained impassive, seemingly unaffected by the intense anger directed toward him...
And eventually... this time, it was Katsuki who faltered.
She hung her head low, hiding her expression from his gaze. Her grip on his collar loosened... but she never fully let go.
Izuku only stared back at Katsuki's sudden shift in demeanor, confused... but also curious.
"Why..." she whispered under her breath.
"Hmm?"
"Why..."
Again, her whisper could not be heard.
"Katsuki...?"
But then finally, she lifted her head, revealing her frustrated and saddened expression...! It was the same expression she'd shown him before, one that had been plaguing his mind...!
"Why do you not want to be a hero...?"
Izuku was taken aback yet again by the sudden shift in her expression.
That look...
It was the same frustrated and saddened expression she had shown him... and even the same question as well...
His own attempt at a serious demeanor faltered, and he could only frown... struggling to face the raw, unexpected vulnerability she was showing him.
Her grip on his collar slightly tightened, but it was almost trembling... as Katsuki herself was struggling to keep her own emotions in check.
Just like before... the intensity of her confrontation wasn't rooted in rage anymore... but in something more... melancholic. Something more... achingly unresolved.
It was something that even gnawed at Izuku's own heart—an unfamiliar weight that settled in his chest as she tried to pry a genuine answer from him now that she knew his secret.
For a moment, a long silence stretched between them. The air around them felt heavy, as if the world had paused just for this moment.
But eventually... Izuku's gaze softened, and then finally... he opened his mouth and spoke Katsuki.
"I don't see myself as a hero."
~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~
Author note (and shameless shilling, I guess):
Well, here goes another chapter. This is a start of a pretty cheesy moment, so prepared yourself for an almost cringe-worthy drama experience.
Anyway, as always, check out my:
P@treon(dot)com/demonkingakuma
for early access to chapters and such.
Stay tuned for more and I damn hope that could actually release more chapters soon.
Estado de energía semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Piedra de
Poder