Chapter 21: Sweet Potatoes

Warning: Self-harm and suicide. Reader's discretion is advised.

***

"Would you like me to fire him?" Yaoyorozu Momo offers as she takes a bite out of the freshly roasted potatoes they just bought from the park vendors. Immediately, she regrets her decision and spits it out upon realizing it is still too hot for human consumption.

"That's an abuse of power, Momo," Todoroki Shouto eats his share without even flinching. He hands her some tissue, which she takes but with heavy judgment.

"Ever since we were young, you've always had this commendable tolerance for heat and cold." She notes, "Oddly enough, it also reflects your personality. Sometimes, you're inferno hot and furious while on the other you can be ice cold. That's why we named our first business venture after you."

Currently, the two of them are sitting on a bench in the middle of Tokyo Park. Surrounding them are naked trees that are probably good as dead (not really, more hibernating), while the ground is lushed not with green grass but with layers and layers of dead leaves of yellow, red, and orange.

Heterochromatic eyes look up at the pale autumn blue sky, a smile faintly curves on his lips. "You know, Midoriya made that Katy Perry joke before, too."

"I told you someone will get it!" She beams.

"It's horrible, Momo, we both know atrocious your naming sense is."

Yaoyorozu makes a strangled noise, clutching her ample bosom. What makes it even more painful is that Todoroki said it in his usual deadpan.

"Until the end," He continues, kicking on the leaves underneath his shoes. "No one knew about my real identity in Café Perry. Not even him."

"At least he knows you're Endeavor Shouto," Momo points out.

He glances at her, smiling. "Yeah, at least he knows that."

"Though now that I think of it," She crosses her legs, rubbing her chin. "would he have done that to you knowing you're the co-owner of the place he's working in?"

Todoroki scoffs. "That's irrelevant."

"It does have heavy implications, Shouto!" She is all but whispering. Good thing no one is at the park at that moment. Then again, who was dumb enough to hang around in a park in the middle of autumn's prime? "He forced himself on you--"

"No, Midoriya didn't," Todoroki says through gritted teeth, slamming his clenched fist on the bench. "I was the sobber one, and I didn't--"

A gloved hand wraps itself around Todoroki's tensed one. His eyes widen and he turns his gaze towards Momo, who was currently leaning closer to him, biting her lips.

"Don't blame yourself, Shouto-kun." She whispers, taking his hand before placing her fingers between the spaces of his.

"I'm not blaming myself," He says, yet he doesn't take his hand back. "I'm just... I'm just--"

"Confused, I know," Yaoyorozu whispers soothingly, untangling her hands from his in order to wrap her arm around his shoulder. "I know, darling. I know."

And just like a child, Todoroki allows himself to melt under the warmth of her embrace. "He was saying someone else's name, Momo..." He calls her but he was muttering it more to himself.

"It must've been a great shock to you,"

Yeah, it was such a great shock to him that Todoroki couldn't bear going back to Café Perry anymore. It's been a month since the incident, and it took him just today to gather up his courage to tell his best friend about it.

Ever since that incident, every time he lies on the bed, Todoroki can't help but recount what happened that night. Even if he tries to shoo all the thoughts away, the scene plays in his mind like a broken record as if taunting him that Midoriya was whispering at his ear, "Kaachan...! I'm coming, Kaachan!" as he blows his load in between his thighs while stroking Todoroki's cock until he reaches his.

Just thinking about it gives him a headache.

"It's not too late to ask our parents for an arranged marriage," Yaoyorozu says in a sing-song voice.

Todoroki backs away, dumbfounded. There's a pregnant pause.

"Your jokes are borderline scary, Momo."

She doesn't smile back. "I don't want you to die alone."

Todoroki scoffs. "You're thinking too far ahead."

"You're the man who refused to have another pet ever since your pet goldfish died when we were 7," Momo points out. "I wouldn't be surprised if you have given up all romantic interaction after Midoriya."

"Koi was a good goldfish," Todoroki says absentmindedly.

Yaoyorozu shakes her head, laughing.

Before Todoroki could argue with her non-compliant reaction, something vibrates inside his pockets. He gives her an apologetic look, Momo smiles and gestures for him to answer it. He fishes out his phone from its confinement, checking the caller ID. He furrows his eyebrows.

"Uraraka-san?" He answers.

"Todoroki-kun," Her quivering voice is enough for him to know that this isn't a pleasant phone call. "Please meet us right now in front of Midoriya's apartment. He hasn't been feeling well lately, and the last 2 say he isn't attending work anymore. He was still replying to me a while ago but just now he gave me this cryptic message and then he--"

She broke down sobbing. Somewhere nearby, a deep voice tells her to inhale and exhale. It's obviously Iida.

"What did his message say?" Todoroki says calmly but his hands are sweating bullets underneath the comfy autumn gloves. Momo grabs his shoulder reassuringly.

"Tell Todoroki-kun I'm sorry."

For some reason, her words feel like a cold bucket of water doused all over him. Slowly, Todoroki sets the phone down while Uraraka frantically speaks. He faintly hears her say that Midoriya can no longer be contacted and some more sobbing. The words sink inside his mind, already knowing where this is going.

He knows.

Todoroki Rei has done this numerous times.

"I'll be there." He ends the call without waiting for her reply. "Momo, can I borrow your chauffeur for a while? I need to go somewhere."

Momo calls her chauffeur immediately. She didn't ask any more questions, and for that Todoroki is thankful.

"Would you like me to go with you?"

He would normally say no, knowing how hectic Yaoyorozu's schedule is. She probably cleared a really important meeting today just so they could eat sweet potatoes in the middle of Tokyo Park. But Todoroki knows, that if Midoriya has done what Todoroki hopes he didn't do, he might not be able to take it.

He might not be able to take it.

Todoroki nods.

It only takes a few minutes for them to arrive at Midoriya's apartment complex. They head towards Midoriya's apartment, thank God Todoroki could still remember his room number, and they immediately find Uraraka and Iida, banging on his door.

"Please, Midoriya-kun!" She cries, slamming her fist on the wooden door. It's noticeably sore and red. They must've been doing it for a while now. "Please open up the door for us!"

"It's no use," Iida clicks his tongue. "We have to break the door!" Todoroki is absolutely dumbfounded that Iida would suggest something so violent.

"Should we contact the apartment manager for a spare key?" Yaoyorozu suggests. Uraraka and Iida stop hurting the door just to stare at Todoroki's companion.

"They refused," Uraraka buries her hands in her palms, crying once more. "They said they'll only give it to a relative or something."

"But this is an emergency!" Todoroki says desperately.

"I'll talk to them," Yaoyorozu takes her phone out from her pocket and dials a number. "Hello, this is Yaoyorozu Momo. I would like to..."

In less than 3 minutes, a man wearing a crisp dark suit and heavy black shades appears. He hands a key to Yaoyorozu and exits almost as fast as he came into sight.

"Here," She hands it to Todoroki.

Iida and Uraraka would've gawked at her if the situation allowed them to do so. Sadly, it doesn't. They hurriedly unlocked the door, revealing an absolutely dirty and disarrayed room. It looks nothing like the apartment Todoroki saw a month ago. They enter the apartment, not bothering to remove their shoes. The only place where the light is open is inside the bathroom.

It isn't difficult to find Midoriya.

Yaoyorozu gasps, taking a step back. Uraraka screams, falling down to her knees. Iida, surprisingly unfazed, heads towards Midoriya. While Todoroki could only stare, all logic and common sense seemed to have disappeared the moment he saw Midoriya.

Empty medicine bottles of different kinds scatter all over the floor, and pills of different colors decorate the marble tiles like some sort of twisted design. And as if it isn't enough to satisfy him, Midoriya lies on the bathtub, with slashes across all his pulse points, swimming in his own pool of blood.