NeonHorizon: A special chapter from Misora's point of view.

"Yawarakai-san, it's a real downpour out there. I don't how much business we'll get today." Kita, her only employee, observed the torrential spring rain through the large front windows of the shop. He was sitting at a table near the front counter with various textbooks and a laptop; studying again for his entrance exams.

Misora came from the kitchen area with a plate, a hopeful half-smile taking form on her face. "You know we can't close up early. Some people depend on us. Here you go! I thought this up last night so let me know how it is."

He looked down at the sandwich, mouth already watering. "It looks great, but are you sure? You can take it out of my pay, if you want. I don't mind. We haven't had any customers today and you have to make money somehow."

She held up a hand and shook her head. "No way. You've been around for too long for me to treat you like a stranger. I wouldn't charge Kurogiri so I'm not going to charge you. Just consider this work; you're taste-testing a new potential menu item."

Mentioning Kurogiri made her glance toward the front windows. He had made a habit of visiting the café every day in the morning. Always with the same order; two coffees and a few particular pastries. He had visited every day for the past three weeks, even when the café was closed. However, today he had yet to make an appearance.

To say she had a crush on him would be strange. Misora felt like the term "crush" was reserved for girls in high school or younger. Besides, she knew so little about his background. Even his age was a mystery. Yet, somehow, the idea of not seeing him made her chest feel tight. What she felt for Kurogiri went much deeper than a simple crush.

When he was around, Misora felt like she was floating on a cloud. She felt weightless and almost giddy. He was so well-mannered and he was considerate. He was great with Michiko, too. Honestly, he was nothing like her ex-husband.

As she looked toward the front windows with hope blooming in her chest, Misora caught sight of someone. Though it was not the man she had hoped to find. This still sent her heart racing, but not in the same excited, warm way.

Standing outside of the café on the sidewalk, in the heavy rain, was a slender young man. Despite the somewhat cold rain outside, he was just wearing a pair of black pants, a black hooded sweatshirt, and bright red sneakers. He was just standing there in front of the café with his hands hidden in the pocket of his sweatshirt.

Misora's magenta eyes locked onto his scarlet ones through the window and she went into action. "Kita-kun, can you grab a towel from the back? And the old blanket from the storage room?" She hurried toward the door, seeing the young man shiver a little.

"Wait! Yawarakai-san, something seems kind of "off"! Hang on!"

"He's going to catch a cold out there! Please do as I say!" The young woman used her "mom" voice and turned to give Kita a stern look. "Now, please."

"R-right." He hurried into the back to obey, leaving her alone.

Misora kept her eyes on the young man outside as she approached the door, keeping her guard up a little. At the same time, her maternal instincts had kicked in when she saw him standing out in the rain looking into the café. He could not have been much younger than her, but he looked like a lost little kid.

She opened the door and held it open. "Here. Come in out of the rain, okay? It's like a typhoon out there." Misora offered him a smile.

He could be there for a number of reasons. He might have planned to meet someone there and he was too shy to go inside by himself. He might be lost and just saw that the place was open, but he was hesitant. He might even have been planning to try to rob the place. However, from the way he stood and the way he stared into the café, she was sure he was just lost.

The young man stepped inside without a word. No "thank you". No questions asked. He stood there, rain dripping off him onto the tiled floor as she closed the café door behind him. Not even taking his hands out of his pocket.

"Yawarakai-san, I brought the towel and blanket-" Kita went silent when he saw the visitor's face and he paused in his steps. "Ah…um…"

"Here. Let me have those." She took the supplies from him and set them on a table near where the visitor was standing. "It's pretty cold out there, huh? You want something to warm you up? Free of charge since I kind of dragged you in here," she tried to joke, trying to get a smile out of him.

He was pale. As if he never went out in the sun. There was a scar on his lower lip and another running down from his right eye. His lips themselves were a little ragged; as if they were severely chapped or like he chewed on them. His sharp, scarlet eyes narrowed when she gently pushed back his hood, but he stayed silent.

Misora took his silence for shyness. She was becoming convinced that he was lost. It happened sometimes; people wandered around the area looking for a shop that might have closed without them realizing or they just had a bad sense of direction. As she reached up to towel-dry his hair, she flashed him a smile.

"Hey, our hair colors almost match," she commented. There was a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth and his hands moved out of his pocket. "Do you want to take off that hoodie? I've got a dryer upstairs. I can dry it for you and you can wait out this rain. We've got this blanket you can use to warm up while you wait."

"Fine. Give it to me." His tone was demanding and his volume was quiet. It was so peculiar.

"Alright. I'll grab a cup of hot chocolate-"

"Coffee."

"You'd prefer coffee?" She had started toward the counter to give him a bit of privacy to take off his hoodie, but paused to glance back at him curiously. She had to wonder what sort of person made demands like that when someone was trying to help them.

He had already peeled off the soaked hooded sweatshirt and now he was scratching at the side of his neck as he stared at her. "Kurogiri gets coffee. He always brings coffee from this place. I recognized the name. But today he had to do something. So selfish. He should've brought my breakfast before he left."

Misora's heart skipped a beat at the mention of Kurogiri. "Oh! You're-! Okay, okay! Sure thing! I'll make you the usual coffee he orders. Kita-kun, can you run his sweatshirt upstairs and put it in the dryer?"

Kita seemed a little reluctant to leave her alone with the stranger. Even if he did know Kurogiri, this man was nothing like Misora's friend. He was demanding and he was glaring at her as he approached the counter, the blanket wrapped around his shoulders and still not saying "thank you".

As she set a hot cup of coffee and a plate of pastries on a table for the stranger, she felt conflicted. On one hand, she was seeing another aspect of Kurogiri's life. This could only be the young man that he had said he acted as caretaker for. On the other hand, she had expected someone much younger and disabled in some way. This person just seemed a little socially awkward.

"Here you go. This is what Kurogiri always orders." She smiled as she watched him blow on the coffee, still expecting some sort of gratitude. It never came. Instead, he just started drinking and eating.

Misora ran a hand through her wild blue hair as she went back to the counter, feeling glad that Michiko was at school. As cool as it was to meet someone close to Kurogiri, she was sure that this young man would terrify her. Another glance toward him made her smile fade.

It had to be difficult to take care of someone like this. Demanding, angry, grumbly. Any time he spoke, it sounded like he was grumbling. She could only imagine the sort of demands he probably made every day. How busy he kept Kurogiri. Now it made sense why his visits had been so sparse before.

She was glad that the young man liked her coffee and her cooking, though. Since he enjoyed them, it gave Kurogiri an excuse to visit her. Even if it was just for short periods of time, she enjoyed every visit they had. He treated her a way that no one else had before and it left her feeling so light and blissful.

"So do you know where Kurogiri is today?" Misora decided to attempt to make conversation with him, hoping he might be able to tell her more about Kurogiri. She knew so little about him so any new details would be greatly appreciated.

He lifted his glare from the food in front of him and directed it at her. "He has errands. I don't know exactly where he went. Why do you care anyway? You're just a waitress."

She had heard this before. Sometimes people made this mistake and assumed that since she was so young, she was just an employee. "I'm the owner of this café," she explained, half-grinning. "And I care about all of my customers. I just thought it was weird that he hadn't stopped by yet today."

He scratched at his neck a little before picking up a pastry. It was now that she noticed that every time he handled the coffee cup or food, he was keeping his little finger extended. It was odd, but not so odd that she was going to question it.

"It's storming outside. Why would anyone risk their life over coffee? You shouldn't even be open. It's a waste of your time. No one's stupid enough to risk their life for something like this," he grumbled.

Misora trailed her fingers through her long, wavy, pale blue hair and grinned. "Well you did," she pointed out. "So you proved yourself wrong."

He tensed and glared at her again before he started to eat the last pastry. When she took his plate from him, he said nothing and instead checked his phone. Misora brought him a hot chocolate when his coffee was finished and he still failed to thank her.

She had to wonder what kind of upbringing this young man had. He was dressed like one of the men that would normally stop in during their weekly run to the comic store, but he was acting like a spoiled brat. She was glad when Kita returned with the young man's hoodie.

"Here we go. Oh! Your hair is still a little wet. Let me just…" Misora grabbed the towel to try to dry it a little better, ignoring the way he grumbled to himself about it. When she was done, his pale blue hair looked kind of fluffy and she had to bite back a laugh. "There we go! That's better, right?"

He said nothing and shed the blanket to put his hoodie back on. Outside, the rain was actually falling harder than before and thunder boomed in the distance. Both Misora and Kita looked outside in time to see lightning light up the entire street before throwing it into semi-darkness again.

"Yawarakai-san…uh…do you mind if I-?"

"Ah. Go ahead, Kita-kun. Take some tea with you, okay? There's a fresh kettle of chamomile in the kitchen that I started earlier. It should be ready now." She patted him on the back, urging him to hurry. Misora knew he was terrified by the sound of thunder and sending him to the back room would make him the most comfortable.

Once he was gone, her visitor scowled at the sight of the thunderstorm outside. "Your employee's useless."

"Hm. Not really. His quirk just makes him sensitive to certain things." She went to pour a cup of hot chocolate for herself and stayed behind the counter, watching the downpour through the windows.

When her husband had left, Misora had been overwhelmed working in the café by herself. Kita's appearance was like a gift from heaven. Not to mention that he got along so well with Michiko. He was like a younger brother to Misora at this point and a kindly uncle to her daughter. Without him, she was sure that the café would have had to close. However, despite knowing her for so long, he always insisted on being so formal when he addressed her.

"What kind of idiot is afraid of thunder?" the stranger continued. "If I wanted to rob you right now, what good would he even be?"

She rested her chin in her hand and smiled. "But you won't."

"You don't know what I might do. If I wanted to destroy this place-"

"But you won't," she repeated. "Because if you did, you couldn't drink my coffee anymore or eat the sweets that I make."

He opened his scarred, chapped lips to argue with her, but he was interrupted as one of Kurogiri's portals opened near the door. The tall, shadowy man stood there for a moment, taking in the sight of the young man sitting at the table and Misora standing behind the counter. "Shigaraki Tomura, I've come to take you home."

The young woman raised a pale blue eyebrow curiously. "Kurogiri-?"

"We need to be going soon. Allow me to compensate you for the food and drink, Yawarakai-san." He approached the counter and set some money in front of her before turning toward the younger man. Not once meeting her gaze.

"Oh…th-thanks." She frowned as she tucked the money into her apron pocket. Misora watched him usher the blue-haired man toward the portal, a heavy feeling settling in her chest. He had never acted quite so cold toward her before. Normally, he would have at least asked how she and Michiko were that day. If Michiko was there, he would make polite conversation with the little girl and act interested in whatever she had to tell him. This Kurogiri was nothing like the man that Misora had fallen for.

"Have a nice day," she called after them.

The younger man went through the portal, presumably going home. Kurogiri paused half-way through and turned toward her. His dark, misty head seemed to nod and his glowing eyes finally settled on hers. "You as well, Yawarakai-san. Please take care."

She closed the shop early and walked Kita home before she went to pick up Michiko from school. The whole time, Misora felt that heaviness in her chest increasing. The usual light and airy feeling she got around Kurogiri was replaced by a crushing weight on her heart.

Michiko hurried up to the apartment ahead of her and went to take care of the kitten, leaving Misora alone to make dinner. She pulled her hair back with the white ribbon Kurogiri had given her, a frown curving her lips. He had treated her like a stranger. After everything they had been through, Kurogiri had acted as if she was just a casual acquaintance when she was sure they had become more than that.

"Mom, I made this at school! Will Kurogiri-san like this? Do you think he'll like it?" Michiko dug around in her backpack and held up a crayon drawing that made Misora's chest feel tight.

Something so similar to family portrait. It showed Misora, Michiko, and Kurogiri in the café. Misora's warm magenta gaze took the image in and she felt a faint heat rising to her fawn-colored cheeks. "I think he'll like it," she answered. "It looks really good, Michiko."

Her daughter beamed and took the drawing to the table. "I want to give it to him the next time he visits! I want to see if he likes it!"

The young woman winced. She wondered if he would visit them again. He had begun to visit every day and his visits were the highlight of her day. She loved talking to him and he was always so kind, so patient with everything. The thought of not seeing him again gave her a pain in the center of her chest.

She pushed the feeling down as she finished making dinner and brought it over to the table. Michiko needed her mother's full attention and she was going to give it to her. She listened to Michiko talk about her day in kindergarten, but felt a lump form in her throat when she mentioned Parents' Day.

Misora knew that her ex-husband would decline a request for him to go to Parents' Day. He was living overseas with his girlfriend. He could barely spare the time for an occasional phone call; let alone to fly back to Japan for a visit. The last time she even spoke to him on the phone was before Christmas.

Sitting in her room on her bed, long after Michiko had gone to sleep, she ran her fingers through her hair and sighed. She wanted her daughter to be happy so she would need to call him. The thought of talking to him was painful, though. Between that and Kurogiri's distant interaction with her, Misora's happy mask was beginning to slip.

She heard a very soft knocking and jumped. The young woman quickly stood, adrenaline kicking in as she thought of a possible burglar in her home. Thinking that Michiko may be in danger. She grabbed the bat she kept propped against the wall beside her door and swiftly opened the door, ready to smash the bat over someone's skull if she had to.

The apartment was so dark that Kurogiri mostly blended in with the shadows. His glowing yellow eyes stared back at her as he took a step back and there was a rustling sound at his side. "Misora. I apologize for the intrusion."

Magenta eyes blinked rapidly and she dropped the bat. "Kurogiri? What-?" She covered her mouth with a hand as he drew something into view from behind him. Her pulse quickened as she saw the red roses and she felt heat spreading across her face. "Kurogiri?! You didn't have to-!"

"I wanted to apologize for any trouble that my charge may have caused you today. May I come in?"

"Of course! Oh! We need to stay quiet, though; Michiko's asleep." Misora moved aside to let him into her room and closed the door behind him. She was getting that feeling again. Like she was floating on a cloud.

He took just a moment to look around her room. It was rather simple; a bed big enough for two, a dresser, and a bedside table with a lamp. The only decorations were photos of her and Michiko, with the exception of one photo that included Michiko's father.

Holding out the half-dozen roses to her, he bowed slightly. "Once again, I wanted to apologize for any problems that Shigaraki Tomura may have caused your café today. I was unaware that he knew the name of the café and I had intended to get his usual order after my morning errands, but they ran long."

She accepted the flowers and half-smiled. "He wasn't really any trouble," she assured him. "He's more a danger to himself than to me. When I first saw him, he was just standing out in the rain. He'll be lucky to not catch a cold."

"Yes, I believe you may be correct." Kurogiri paused and turned away from her, as if collecting his thoughts. "Misora, I also wanted to apologize for the way that I treated you this afternoon."

Hearing this made her heart feel heavy again and she shook her head. "No, no! It's fine! I just-!"

"At the moment, this…relationship…could be considered dangerous. My actions this afternoon were an attempt to protect you. My employer can't know too many details about this."

She had mixed feelings now. On one hand, it was clear that he was fond of her. On the other hand, the way he worded it made her seem like she was his dirty little secret. She almost wondered if he was actually married a female relative of the younger man. Worse yet was the thought that she might be an embarrassment to him.

"It's okay," she murmured, placing a hand on his arm over his sleeve. "I'm just relieved I didn't offend you or something." Misora flashed him a smile before turning to set the bouquet down on her dresser.

Her stomach did flips as she sat on the edge of her bed and ran her fingers through her wild, pale blue hair. "Kurogiri, can I ask you something?"

"Yes? What is it? Is everything alright, Misora?"

Hearing him say her name that way made her heart flutter and her smile turned a little sheepish. "Our relationship. What exactly is it? I said before that I wanted to be friends because I was afraid you'd think I was too forward. I know what I want, but what do you want?"

The dark, misty gentleman sat as well, but left some space between them. "I see no reason to keep it a secret from you any longer. Misora, I have grown extremely fond of you since the day that we first crossed paths. Honestly, I never expected for this to turn out the way that it did, but I must confess that I'm glad it has."

Her smile grew and she leaned toward him. "I'm glad, too." Misora cautiously lifted a hand, lingering just beyond the surface of his dark mist where his cheek would be. A shadowy hand lifted and took her wrist. Instead of pulling her hand away, like she expected, he pressed it through the mist to his solid cheek.

Misora's breathing hitched as her palm came into contact with his cheek and she fought the temptation to activate her quirk to make the mist dissipate. Instead, she went with another urge. Her free hand gripped the front of his vest and Misora leaned up, pushing her face into the mist and pressing her lips against a strangely cold pair of lips buried beneath his shadowy exterior. When he pulled her closer, she felt him hesitantly kiss back and her quirk subconsciously activated.