Chapter 6: He Loses Her Again

High-pitched electronic ringing wakes up Todoroki Shouto from his dreamless slumber. Long thick lashes flutter open, eyeing his digital alarm clock drowsily. Around him, he can see sunlight passing through his semi-covered window, seeing the small particles that seem to dance under the intense morning light. Brownian motion, he remembers them being called. He shakes his head, focusing his eyesight on his alarm clock, he waits for it to blink in order to reveal the current date today. And it does.

Sunday.

Today's a Sunday.

At last, He mumbles absentmindedly to himself.

It has been a rather busy month for Endeavor Shouto, his mystery detective writer alter ego. It has been 2 months since he initially passed his final draft to his editor-slash-guardian, Aizawa Shouta. The majority of the hours in those 2 months were consumed with editing the final draft, while the remaining time was about answering interviews anonymously (he uses a pen name for a reason) and going on tours to promote his book.

Needless to say, the latest volume of The Midnight Detective is a smash hit. Critiques say that the latest installment evokes turmoil of emotions from its readers. The chemistry between Detective Greene and The Fool is absolutely electrifying; their first encounter is overflowing with unresolved sexual tension that seriously got fangirls and fanboys buzzing on their seats. Surely, Endeavor-sensei continues to wow Japan with his skills that never cease to improve over time.

And it's all thanks to Midoriya Izuku.

Ever since that day, they have been spending more time with each other's company. With the older man's help, Todoroki is able to bring the humanity in his characters and made them more relatable, which used to be the flaw in his writing: the lack of realism. Midoriya was such a great help in improving his interpersonal skills, and due to his number of connections (it really isn't that much, but for Todoroki, it's a great amount), Todoroki was also able to broaden the number of people that he talks to. He was introduced to Uraraka Ochako, the bubbly short-haired waitress in the café that openly ships him and Midoriya together (much to their chagrin), to Iida Tenya, a son of a well-known company which automatically made them click since they were both brought up in similar environments and to Satou Rikidou, the resident patisserie that always gives him free cakes in exchange for unadulterated review about his latest creation.

Life has dramatically improved ever since he confessed to Midoriya as being the inspiration to Detective Greene. He never knew that spending time with another living being would be so emotionally taxing. But in a good way of course (he also didn't think it was possible). Listening to Midoriya talk about all sorts of random things is like attending a college lecture: each interesting bit, he juts down. But in his case, he includes it in his story so that it will forever be engraved in ink and paper. For example, he found out that Midoriya: has an intensive (not basic) background in martial arts due to his stepfather working in the army when he was young, it was taught to him not simply because of his stepfather's occupation but because Midoriya was bullied when he was younger, is an only child, and some other interesting stuff that Aizawa told Todoroki to remove because it simply doesn't help the plot ("So tell me, Todoroki. What can the readers get knowing the fact that Detective Greene's favorite food is katsudon?")

But for some reason, the more Todoroki delves into Midoriya's life, the thicker the walls between them grow. Does that make sense? No, of course, it doesn't. He really can't explain it, really. Even if he feels like they're closer, for some reason he feels like Midoriya is forming a distance between them. It's as if he created an imaginary line, telling him that this is as far as he can go.

For a writer, Todoroki is such a disappointment, don't you think?

Yes, I am. He says, swinging his legs off the bed.

He heads towards his closet and picks out his newly bought clothes that Midoriya (with Iida and Uraraka) chose. It would be more precise to say that it was Uraraka who did the choice, to be honest. But this was not the case, like a boy, which he is, Todoroki is excited to show these newly bought garments to his mother. Not because they're new and he used his own money to buy them (a little bit of the former, really), but because these pieces of fabric are a symbol of his newfound friendship. His mom would be so proud of him to know that he has once again, broken his self-imposed limitation. Todoroki is no longer the timid boy the Todoroki manor brought up. He's now a new person, a grown man, if he may.

But the Japanese law begs to disagree.

Due to his hectic schedule, his weekly visit to his mother at the hospital is momentarily postponed. His mother knew that he followed in her footsteps as a literary genius so she knows about the heavy obligations that surprisingly come with the so-called 'laidback' profession, still, Todoroki is pained by the fact that he couldn't see his beloved mother due to work. He calls her every now and so often when he was away for his nationwide book promotion, and Aizawa-sensei visited her for him (but Todoroki knows that his editor visits his mother almost daily even without his pleading).

But of course, he would've preferred to see her himself face-to-face.

Todoroki heads to the bathroom and starts freshening himself up.

And today is that fated day.

Todoroki arrives at the hospital via taxi (thank God for Japan's orderly taxi system). Even though his father was a godforsaken bastard, Todoroki Enji at least had the common decency to place his mother in a high-caliber hospital. It is considered one of Japan's largest medical facilities, having multiple wards equipped with well-trained medical professionals. His mother's ward, the inpatient psychiatric ward, is at the leftmost part of the hospital, beside it is the children's ward and the open garden slash playground where terminally ill children can frolic and play like normal children, unknown to the fact that, in fact, they aren't. The much stable patients from the psych ward also visit the place for its world-class garden for destressing or simply just for fresh air.

Since Todoroki is a regular visitor at the hospital, there is barely any hassle with coming in. They needn't explain the protocols to him since he basically had that engraved in the back of his mind ever since he was a kid (or at least, until the doctors finally deemed it safe enough for him to visit his dear mother). He heads to his mother's private quarters without any issue.

As soon as Todoroki slides the door open, he is greeted by the most magical being his eyes has laid upon. A woman with shimmering platinum hair and stormy grey eyes features that Shouto inherited, sits on her hospital bed with a rather dazed expression on her face.

Todoroki Rei is the embodiment of the fabled yuki onna. Even with her increasing age, one glance at her and you can easily decide that she is gorgeous. Shouto will beat the fuck out of you if you beg to disagree. Soft velvet skin was as white as snow, no one would've guessed she was already in her 40s because Time completely left her unharmed. She looks like the carbon copy of his sister, Fuyumi, except with longer hair and a full-blown head of snow. Grey eyes look at his son, softening upon noticing his presence. Shouto couldn't help but smile back at her until he hears the words that escape from her mouth.

"Enji?"

Immediately, his left hand covers that part of his face that resembles his father and he turns away to emphasize his other half. The expression on Rei's face contorts to puzzlement before changing to familiarity.

"Shouto?" She calls at last.

He removes his hand and walks straight towards his mother's bed. "Yes, Mother, it's me."

"I missed you, my son." She spread her arms up, and he obliges and gives her a tight hug. "My, you've grown so much."

"Mother, I've only been away for two months."

"Yes, I know." She chuckles, "I don't mean physically, of course. I notice that the air around you has greatly changed. Also," she gestures at his new polo. "that's a wonderfully expensive-looking polo you have there. Is that a self-reward for the grand release of your new book? Shouta-kun told me when he visited a few days ago that the sales of your new book created an all-time record in Japan."

Shouto smiles at how observant his mom is. And he's only been there for less than 3 minutes. She pats at the chair right in front of her bed, he occupies it with a respectful bow. This is his cue to tell about his day, or rather his 2 months while he was away, and he takes it without missing a beat.

"So you told this boy, Midoriya-kun, that he's the basis for Detective Greene?" Rei asks through peered eyelashes, looking rather amused. "Ever since you've made closer interaction with him, your field of socialization has increased and you've created bonds that you think wouldn't be possible if it weren't for him."

"He's more of a 'man', mother." He awkwardly clears his throat, for reasons he doesn't know himself. Isn't he 22 or something? "But yes, that basically sums it up."

"Is he handsome?"

Heterochromatic eyes widen. "Uhm, I don't really know how to answer that question. But yes, I guess so. I notice a lot of the female-- Well, and also some male---customers eyeing him curiously in Café Perry so I believe he's physically appealing if that's what you meant, Mother."

"Such an innocent young boy you are, Shouto," Rei giggles, he is vaguely reminded of Uraraka whenever she teases them around. "I didn't expect you to swing that way, honestly."

"Swing?" He repeats, then he looks down at his body to see if is making any unnecessary swaying movements without his knowledge.

He doesn't.

"But whatever makes you happy, my boy. There's such thing as 'artificial insemination', thank God for modern technology, and it's an easy feat for us to find a surrogate if ever you need one."

Shouto's face flares up like the left side of his hair. "Mother!"

She chuckles, her voice resembling soft metal chimes under the ministry of the summer breeze. Her kind feminine features make him calm down, making him forget his initial embarrassment with the implications of her words. God, he wishes that they'll stay like this forever. Her, acting like her normal beautiful self, and he, a child listening to the wistful words his mother breathes. And then the magic fades as if he himself brought the jinx to disillusion him back to reality.

Rei reaches out to cup his face, Shouto tenses. Using the pad of her thumb, she gently strokes the smooth healed burn scar surrounding his left eye.

"Shouto, what happened here?"

The light slowly flickers off from Shouto's eyes, he just smiles at her and he rests his face on her palm like a cat seeking affection. Rei blinks but allows him to do whatever he pleases.

He loses her again.

"Look at the time. It's time for your walk in the garden for some fresh air," Shouto announces, abruptly standing up from his chair before turning around to get her cane. She remains silent, looking completely bewildered by what's happening.

"Enji?" Rei is absolutely disturbed. "What happened to your face? Should I call the doctors?"

He loses her again.