' the conqueror king '

━━━━━

Life was a walk in a garden, she learned that day. When the clouds were a nimbus black and dispersed in the sky like waves upon waves of smog . Life was a trek through fragile flowers, careful to not crush the stem and crumple the petals, viewing the flowers and admiring their beauty, enduring thorns that grew from tangles of roots and letting your feet bleed to water the plants. You walked through life, appreciate the good things and bear the bad things.

But sometimes there were people who had more share of thorns than flowers and often times, no flowers and only a garden of thorns where they demanded to be watered with blood for every waking moment.

The conversation started early in the morning, a Saturday where Yuko roamed through the town to do short term jobs that would help lessen her monthly payments. She could walk dogs, tend to gardens or even watch stores. Even if it reeked of boredom, she would make it fun- she could make it fun!

"Your name is Yuko, correct?" the woman asks with a careful, curt smile. Her eyes are kind, her hair a beautiful white snow. Even whiter than Yuko's hair. Where Yuko was the artificial white that tended to bend more towards grey, the girl had hair as white as untainted snow. Well, almost. Yuko hadn't failed to notice the red streaks embellishing the expanse of the older woman's hair.

"Yes, I'm the one who called you in regards to the dog walker you were looking for," Yuko answered with a bright smile. She hoped that using the telephone booth and spending that money was worth it.

"Thank you for coming so quickly," the woman said and from what she could gather, she was probably older than Yuko by seven or six years. "My dog, no, he's more like our family dog, is really really grumpy and capricious. There are times when he just sits there and stares then there are times when he's barking so much. I have to visit my mom in the hospital today and my siblings aren't really up for the challenge so I entrust him to you."

She hands Yuko a wad of paper bills. "If it looks like you need to feed him, don't hesitate to buy something- he almost eats anything except for the food that's not suitable for dogs. Also when he's really restless, just take him around the park for a walk."

"I understand," Yuko said.

"I'm glad," the woman said and as if something had startled her, she stood up and held her mouth. "How rude of me. I haven't even introduced myself. My name is Fuyumi."

Yuko is still all smiles, cupcakes and rainbows and dandelion wishes. "Nice to meet you, Fuyumi-san!"

They head to a vast old style Japanese house but the dog is already waiting by the gate, collared with a black leash and just as Fuyumi had said earlier, the dog was still, its honey flecked eyes looking straight ahead and didn't even bother acknowledging its owner.

Fuyumi crouched down to scratch its furry ears. "Roki," she said with a warm smile. "Be a good boy, okay?"

The dog merely responded with a bark and Fuyumi handed the leash to Yuko. "For starters, just take him to a walk around the park, and then don't forget to feed him. If you encounter an emergency, you're free to come here. I'll be back by three in the afternoon, but I guess it'd be easier if swap contacts."

Yuko blinked dazedly at her, free hand scratching the back of her head. "I don't have a phone, sorry."

"Oh..." Fuyumi said, taken aback and Yuko was grateful that she didn't see pity or spite in those beautiful eyes. "I see. I'll be leaving in a couple of minutes. And before I forget, please don't forget to make him hydrated."

They bid their goodbyes and when Fuyumi had gone back to her house, Yuko decided to take the dog- Roki - for a stroll around the quaint park near their neighborhood.

It was a quiet stroll at first, Roki was a silent dog and when the dog refused to move for their next circle around the park, she decided to carry him into one of the park benches.

His fur was soft, and Yuko really didn't like the smell of dogs but Roki, Roki smelled like jasmines at bloom and she envied how they could afford sweet smelling shampoos for a dog, when Yuko, Yuko had to use stupid alternatives (i.e. soap).

He felt like a pillow too, soft and warm. Oh and how comfy and without meaning to, she drifted off to sleep.

Of course, the moment she came to, the sun had peeked from behind the nimbus clouds and Roki was missing. A scream welled itself up in her throat as she jumped to a standing position, head looking left and right to find the white furred creature.

Some of the joggers on the park turned to look at her and realizing how embarrassing the action she did, gave them a nod and muttered apologies.

"Roki, come here boy," she called as she circled around the park, eyes inspecting every single hiding place or anything remotely similar to a dog.

"Roki, boy!"

Seconds piled up and turned to minutes and yet the dog was still nowhere to be found. Something in Yuko broke as she continued to circle around the park. Fuyumi trusted her, trusted her to take care of that dog and yet- beautiful, wonderful Fuyumi. Their family dog.

"Roki, where are you?"

And Roki, the capricious dog whose fur was so soft and smelled like blooming jasmines. His ears and fur and barking. Where was that dog now?

"Roki, you beautiful beautiful dog, where are you?"

That dog with his bark.

His bark. His bark!

Something was barking and when Yuko turned around to identify what the source of the sound was, she saw the dog- that godforsaken dog- with Katsuki.

He was clad in a black camisole revealing biceps where sweat trickled. Partnered with black pants and rubber shoes. He was holding Roki's leash and overcame with the relief that the dog was safe and she had found it, she leaped towards Bakugo and wrapped her arms around him.

"Let go of me, you fucking bitch!" he screamed as he thrashed around her grip.

"Thank you so much, Katsuki!" she yelled and asked for the leash.

He shoved the leash unto her palms, that sneer on his face still evident. The dog barked and Katsuki fished something from his pocket and threw it at the dog who gladly chewed the biscuit up.

"What was that?" Yuko asked, fiddling her thumbs behind her back. She fought hard to hold the flush of scarlet that begun to crawl to her cheeks. She just hugged a boy.

"Dog biscuits. Bought them since this thing seemed to be starving," he answered gruffly and when Roki barked again, the blond began feeding him again. "I didn't peg you for a pet owner."

"I'm not-"

He cut her off, scratching the head of the dog and she swore she saw the closest thing to a smile on his face. "Good," he said and began feeding the biscuit to the dog using his palm. "You'd be the shittiest pet owner."

Yuko responded with a mirthless chuckle. "I guess," she said. "I can't even feed myself. What could I do for this dog?"

He froze, his back turned to her stopped. "So why do you have a dog?" he said.

"It's my job," she said and added. "For today."

"You're lucky they're paying you," he said and fed Roki another batch of the dog biscuits. "What with you being so fucking careless."

"I hope they still do," she said. "I'd be starving if they don't."

The last bit was a joke, but it was the plain truth. Yuko had survived for years doing this, covering painful truths with saccharine and making them appear like jokes.

Katsuki clicked his tongue and Yuko looked at him with some sort of contemplation. "Come on," she said with a gruff groan. "Can you at least appreciate my jokes?"

"I don't fucking see someone starving and eating crap as fucking hilarious."

"I see," Yuko said and clenched her fists at the sides. "Other people find it hilarious though."

"Then they're fucking witless," he said and Roki barked as if agreeing. "And stop parading your woes. It won't make you richer you know. If you're miserable, stop whining and do something about it."

Yuko didn't say anything, confused as to what retort she could come up with. People always found it funny when she disguised her woes as jokes. And in a way, it protected her from all those pitying gazes. But she'd been so used to it so much that she forgot how hurtful it was.

No, Yuko never forgot. She just kept it buried underneath the deepest darkest chasm in her soul.

"Oi, weak woman," he said and held his hand out at her. "Give me the leash."

"But-!"

"The fucking beast wants to go for a walk," he answered and with evident reluctance, Yuko gave him the leash.

"But Katsuki, he's my responsibility," she argued although that it was more than futile now since she had already relented by handing the leash over.

"Then follow, just don't get in the fucking way," he answered and stood up.

With nothing better to do and knowing that waging war with U.A.'s ticking time bomb was already a lost battle, Yuko did as she was told. "Why do you even understand what the dog's talking about?" she murmured. "I guess a bitch really is a dog. Bakubitch."

"I heard that you fucking bitch!" he yelled over his shoulder with Roki wagging his tail almost as if to tease her. Yuko couldn't even comprehend how he got so energetic all of a sudden because from what she could recall of the furry dog, he barely moved.

She followed the dog and Katsuki silently, watching as they waltzed through the pavements as if they were kings. And Yuko was just a servant, forever doomed to follow and silent little thing, thrive on their shadows.

Roki barked and when she caught sight of what the dog was barking at, Fuyumi's earlier words rang on her skull. "Katsuki, wait!" she called and produced a small feeding bowl from the leather satchel she had strapped on her shoulders. The blond watched her as she crouched down to the level of the dog and lay the bowl in front of it.

Dashing towards the nearest store, she bought three bottles of water (using Fuyumi's given money) and poured the first one on the feeding bowl. Roki lapped it with ferocity and a small smile tugged at her lips when something warm blossomed in her chest as she saw the whole scene.

She gestured another bottle of water towards Katsuki. "For you," she said. "You've just finished training, right?"

He grumbled something incomprehensible at her and accepted the water bottle. Yuko's eyebrows crossed again. "What did you say?" she asked.

"I said..." he began loudly only for the next words to shrink to a whisper her ears couldn't catch.

"What?" she asked and although she had an idea as to what he was about to say, remained under the guise of confusion. The smirk on her face only did little to support that facade, but Katsuki seemed to buying it for he was still trying to say it properly.

"...you," he finished.

She hummed a little, still looking up at him from her crouching position and trying hard to prevent the smirk on her face from getting even more evident. "I can't hear you, Katsuki."

"I said thank you," his voice was still low but she could hear the words. But it wasn't enough. Besides, he just called her weak woman earlier, and knowing how he tried hard to showcase that strength and superiority, she wanted to test him. If he was strong, saying two measly words were easy.

"Still not hearing," she said.

"Then you're fucking deaf," he grunted.

"How mean..."

He clicked his tongue in distaste, gripped the water bottle tightly and crumpled a bit of its plastic container.

"Thank you!"

Life was a walk in a garden. There were times when you trekked the path filled with thorns that demanded your blood for watering their roots. But in rare instances, even among the tangle of thorns, you could see beautiful flowers.

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