Broken hearts.

Exiting the podium, and the assembly grounds, I returned to the dorms.

As I entered the dorms, I felt a hand grab my shirt, tugging at it.

A wave of shyness could be felt in my psychic radar.

Turning around, I saw nothing.

Or rather I saw the blood and guts and organs of someone.

Focusing on the figure, it turned out to be Toru.

"Hey Toru. What's up?" I asked.

"Can we talk," she said, "in private?"

"Sure!" I replied, following her as the rest of the class returned in small groups.

Spotting me leaves with a girl, Jiro, Deku, Uraraka and Kaminari got intrigued and followed.

Toru led me to the roof, just as the morning sun was covered by the winter clouds, the atmosphere a pleasant mix of warm tiles and cool breezes.

Toru twirled about her heels amidst the faint smell of flowers, the ones we had planted the day I proposed to Himiko. They'd grown over the past month with the class's daily care.

Now the rooftop was a veritable garden, with fruits and veggies and flowers of all kinds.

The girls even held their tea parties here on good days.

Behind the door, I could feel the four eavesdropping rapscallions hunched over, watching with bated breath.

"So, Toru, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" I asked.

"I ...." she hesitated, shuffling about on her toes for a handful of moments.

Then she walked closer to me and with predictable accuracy, grabbed me by the head, and landed a deep smooch, right on my lips.

"I love you, Haru Shikimori!" She moaned.

Immediately, I pushed her away.

I coukd have stooped her entirely, but then I wouldn't be able to guilt trip her later and where was the fun in that.

Besides, I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it one bit.

"What the....Hagakure-san!" I exclaimed, "I have a wife! Soon-to-be wife sure, but a wife nonetheless! Man! Himiko'sgonna kill me for this!"

Toru looked at me with a sad, but glad smile.

"I know, but..I couldn't wait!" She said.

"What?" I asked.

"The day after tomorrow, we leave for battle. This war, the sense of impending doom, I just couldn't wait any longer, knowing that by the end of the week, I could very well be ... dead."

She walked over to the railings and leaned on them, facing me.

"From the day we met, in the mall, I couldn't stop thinking about you.

All my life, I have been invisible to people. Sure they see my clothes and hear ny voice.

But in all my years no one has ever looked me in the eyes, seen me for ... me. You know, really seen me. No one except you Haru!

I know you have a fiance, and I have no right to come between the two of you, but, as a soldier about to risk my life on your words, please, at least grant me this mercy?" She said, her voice quivering, shaking like a leaf in the wind.

Tears welled up in her eyes, as she continued.

"When I saw you here, in school, I wanted to come up to you and just grab you, tell you how much I love you, the twinkle in your eyes, the charm of your words, the genuineness of your laugh.

But it was never to be. I figured, I'd wait, that it wouldn't be too late to confess in a couple of months once I got closer to you. Maybe you would think of me as a weird girl if I just up and confessed on the first day of school.

But by the time the second day rolled around, I knew it was already too late, when I saw her at the gates.

Everyday since, I've cursed myself for not giving you a call right after the day we met. I could have found you out any time I wanted, if I'd just put in the effort, if I'd just had the courage.

But I was stupid, stupid stupid stupid stupid!" She said, slapping herself across the face with both hands, until I ran over and grabbed her hands gently, pulling her into a hug.

"Don't.." I said.

"I waited too long. And now, I've lost the one guy who could see me, for me, the one guy I truly loved, to someone else! And it's all my faaauuuult!" She cried, grabbing me tight.

"It's not your fault!" I said, patting her back.

"You didn't know!"

"I should've!" She cried.

"There was no way someone like you wouldn't be snatched away this early.

I should've done something."

I grabbed her shoulders and brought her eye to eye with me, staring her down for a moment.

"No!" I said.

"Firstly, I'm not property to be snatched away. I'm my own person, the same as you.

And secondly, you don't need to. Sign up for the draft, I mean.

You could always skip it. It's not as uf you'd be much use there, amidst the gunfire and smoke, where giants will battle legends...it's no place for you.

And if you stick around, maybe someday, somewhere, you'll find someone like me again!

I'm sure of it!

And hey, I am having a baby boy, who'll likely inherit my quirk.

If you wait around long enough, you never know~" I teased.

She slapped me away, crying and giggling at the same time.

"You're such an asshole Haru!"

"Coulda been worse!" I replied.

She looked up at me, and stared deep into my eyes, the wind blowing her cherry red hair in her face, like wisps of smoke.

Cherry colored smoke, but beautiful nonetheless.

Her eyes shone with resolve and consolation and sighed a deep, genuine, sigh of relief.

"I love you, Shikimori Haru, and I can't help it.

But I won't hound you for it, because I suppose, that's what it means to love someone, doesn't it?

To let them find love, with or without you."

She wiped the tears from her eyes and stood up straight, with her hands behind her back.

She turned to face me one last time, and smiled like a spring morning, as if born anew, shedding her tethers.

"I hope you have a long and lovely life with your wife. She seems ... nice!"

"Just remember, I'll be here, waiting for you!"

And with that, she skipped away, down the stairs, her back worn with her fears, now strutting straight, as she smiled mischievously at the eavesdroppers, before kicking the door away, leaving them to collapse in a pile at my feet.

"Uh...h-h-hi Haru-chan? Nice weather we're having eh?" Deku stuttered.

I looked at them in disappointment and sighed.

"You guys never learn, do you?"

"Sorry!" They said, looking away.

"Just, don't spread it around okay?" I requested.

"What? We don't know nothing about nothing!" Kaminari said.

"Both, your stupidity and this incident.

Your lips better be glued shut or I'll make them be, got it? And not a word to Himiko-chan!" I said, cracking my knuckles menacingly.

They nodded vigorously and ran off, scuttling back to their rooms.

Fuck!

What a shit day!

I hate to do this!

If only this was a more peaceful world or I, a better man.

So many ifs. So many regrets.

Not enough time. Never enough time.

Truly, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Or rather, people are just shit creatures and maybe it's not the nature of power being as such.

Power after all, is a tool to be wielded. No more, no less.

But I will not jeopardize my plans for such trivial bargains. Not this late in the game.

Not that this sits right with me either, but so's the deets! Nothing to be done about them.

I ran my hand through my hair and looke dup at the overcast winter sky.

Tch!

First I get to send a whole bunch of young boys and girls to their deaths and now this!?

What's next, a meteor shower?

As if to mock me, in the distance, a series of bright streaks of light burned.

A meteor shower.

A fucking meteor shower!

At 10 in the fucking morning!

Man, fuck you world!

Fuck you and your stupid anime logic!

I turned around and stomped back down the stairs, right to my room, and fell asleep.

This was gonna be a long tiresome week and I needed all the sleep I could get, especially after an all night fuckathon yesterday with Himiko.