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No matter how hard she tried, Ochako couldn’t feel 100% happy that day. She knew it was selfish. She knew how hard Shouto’d worked to gain the title of No. 1 hero and that he deserved all the attention he could get, but still a dark thought in the back of her mind prevented her giving it to him – because the day they got the news was the same day her boyfriend had gone missing three years ago.
It happened during their third year at U.A. Katsuki, Shouto and Deku were helping with a disaster and her two best friends could save the people who were entrusted to save by them – Katsuki didn’t. After the case, no matter how hard Deku tried to reassure him that there were people who couldn’t be saved, Katsuki had gone missing that day and they hadn’t heard anything about him ever since.
”Ochako! If you don’t hurry, we’ll be late!” The girl heard her roommate’s voice from the other side of her door. ”The boys are already here!”
”Sorry, Mina!” Ochako yelled back to her friend. ”I’m almost ready,” she assured her and a few minutes later, she stepped out of her room.
Seeing her friend, Mina’s eyes widened. The brown-haired girl wore a white dress, having her hair up in a bun.
”Wow! You look beautiful!” She praised her and Ochako blushed.
”Ah, you are much prettier than me!” She said waving her hand. It was true – Mina wore a deep red dress, which highlighted her pink skin.
The girl smiled at her, then wrapped her arm around hers and the two of them walked towards their living room arm in arm.
Since she had met him for the first time, Todoroki Enji had never failed to surprise Ochako. The fact that he could organize a gala, which was a masquerade at the same time, to celebrate his son’s success within one day was something really remarkable.
”Wow, your dad is really something, isn’t he?” Kirishima asked Todoroki as the five of them walked in the huge room with their masks already on.
”If you have enough money, you can do anything,” Todoroki answered, but Ochako could tell he was a bit amazed as well.
”W-we should go and thank it to him, don’t you think, Shoucchan?” Midoriya asked his boyfriend, who only rolled his eyes – but they took their way towards the podium where the huge man’s figure could be seen nonetheless.
”We go and grab some refreshments, okay?” Mina asked, but didn’t even wait for the other girl’s reply, she walked away towards the table with her boyfriend in tow.
’What should I do now?’ Ochako thought to herself.
Having no better idea, she turned her attention towards the dance floor. She walked a few steps closer and immediately found herself face to face with a man, who asked her for a dance.
They had been dancing for five minutes then – the man wasn’t so bad – when a hand grabbed the girl’s arm, yanking her out harshly from the other man’s arm. The stranger turned her around and pulled her flush against him. Her back was pressed against the other’s chest and it made Ochako feel quite uncomfortable. When she felt the man’s breath on her neck, a shiver ran down on her spine.
”Do you know what’s the best thing about masquerades?” A low voice whispered in her ear and Ochako felt her blood run cold. ”They don’t require you to show your face.”
Ochako glanced back from the corner of her eye. She saw black hair and black eyes – a wig and some contac lenses, she supposed. However, she could recognize that voice anywhere.
”K-katsuki?” She breathed out and saw a small smirk appearing in the corner of the other’s mouth. He spun her around in his arms, so she could look up in his eyes.
”Did you miss me, Round Face?” He asked too casually for someone who had just met with girlfriend, whom he hadn’t seen for three years.
”Where were you?” Ochako asked, her voice rising slightly. ”We’ve been looking for you for more than a year!” She knew her voice was desperate, but he didn’t seem guilty at all.
”After that day, I couldn’t go back to U.A., so I had to find another solution to make myself stronger,” he said matter-of-factly and Ochako felt her stomach drop. She knew well what solution Katsuki talked about.
”H-had you found what you were looking for?” She asked, hiding her face into his chest. She didn’t want him to see her tears.
”Well, almost,” he said, lifting her head back up by taking her chin between his fingers. ”There’s no way you would join me, right?” Ochako averted her eyes and shook her head. Katsuki let out a long sigh.
”Sorry!” She mumbled and Katsuki pulled her closer.
”’ts okay,” he murmured, kissing her head lightly. ”You became a hero to help your parents after all!”
”Ochako-san!” They heard Deku’s cheery voice and Ochako felt Katsuki’s body stiffening. ”Can I have your next dance?” He asked on reaching them.
Katsuki swirled her around and pushed her into Deku’s arms within a blink of an eye. There was no use for Ochako to look over her shoulder – the man was nowhere to be seen.