Dawn and Fireflies

76. Heroes in Training: Separate Paths

Musutafu Station was crowded with U.A. students on this chilly January morning. Winter break was over, and it was time for many of them to begin their internships at various hero agencies. The air buzzed with excitement and nervous anticipation as friends said goodbye and departed in different directions.

Emiko stood on platform three, hands clutching the handle of her suitcase. She wore her school uniform under a beige winter coat. Her strawberry-blonde hair was braided into a practical ponytail, and the silver bracelet Katsuki had given her gleamed on her wrist.

Next to her stood Katsuki Bakugo, his face wearing the usual grim mask he used to hide his feelings. He, too, wore the school uniform, with his orange-and-black scarf loosely wrapped around his neck.

"Don't forget what I said about that damn pervert," Katsuki growled, his eyes darting to the opposite side of the station, where Minoru Mineta stood with Sero, Kaminari, and Ibara Shiozaki – Emiko's future teammates for the internship with the Lurkers.

Emiko smiled, amused and touched by his protectiveness. "Don't worry, Katsuki-kun. I can take care of myself."

"Tch." Katsuki rolled his eyes in annoyance. "You're too nice to that disgusting scum. He's more persistent than you think. Just tell him to his face to go to hell if he gets too close."

A soft laugh escaped Emiko. "That sounds more like your style than mine." Her eyes drifted to Midoriya and Todoroki, waiting some distance away and trying not to look too obviously in their direction. "You shouldn't keep your friends waiting."

"They're not my friends," Katsuki snorted reflexively, though the edge that once accompanied such statements was clearly gone. "Just annoying losers I'll crush on my way to becoming Number One."

Emiko felt time slipping away, the moment of goodbye drawing near. Something unspoken hung between them, a feeling that had grown steadily over the past few weeks. Since New Year's, since that magical night at her parents' house, something had changed. A new depth, a silent understanding.

She took a deep breath. Now or never.

"Katsuki-kun," she began, her voice softer than intended. "Could we... maybe take a picture? Together? I mean... I'd like to have something to look at when..." She trailed off, suddenly embarrassed at her own boldness.

Katsuki stared at her in surprise. His eyebrows knit together, and for a terrible moment, Emiko thought he might refuse.

"A selfie? Seriously?" His voice sounded incredulous, but not dismissive. He shook his head slightly, as if unable to believe what she was asking. "What a stupid idea..."

Still, he pulled his phone from his pocket, his expression a mix of embarrassment and reluctant agreement. "Hurry up before I change my damn mind."

Emiko's face lit up like someone had flipped a switch. With a joy so pure it made Katsuki almost recoil, she stepped beside him. He raised the phone, arm outstretched.

"Closer," he muttered, pulling her in, his free arm wrapping around her shoulders.

Emiko swallowed and allowed herself to be drawn closer, placing her hand on his chest without thinking. The warmth of his body, a side effect of his Explosion Quirk, seeped through her clothes.

"Don't smile like an idiot," he grumbled, but his own lips twitched into a grudging smirk.

The camera clicked, capturing the moment – Emiko beaming, cheeks flushed, and Katsuki with his usual grim smile, pulling her close.

He handed her the phone. "Send it to yourself. I don't need sentimental crap like that. I won't forget what you look like."

Her fingers moved quickly, as if afraid he'd change his mind.