Chapter Text
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Akai-Gake-no-Bansho was a mediocre privately-owned danchi that the Bakugou family had the 'pleasure' of living beside. The old housing style had fallen out of fashion long before the age of quirks, most people preferred to live in condominiums or independent houses. This caused quite a few people to rent out the apartments as cheap storage, and the Bakugou family was not an exception. With the newest addition to their family, Katsuki, there suddenly wasn't enough space to fit all their fabrics and completed designs and old sketchbooks.
Now, certain rumours were surrounding Akai-Gake-no-Bansho, the sort that made skeptics scoff and spout 'logical' answers and made believers steer clear of building number two entirely. The story was that a specific apartment, number 2-204, or the fourth apartment on the second floor of the second building, was haunted (or cursed, depending on what version of the tale you had heard). The point was that something strange and unnatural was supposedly going on down in the apartment. There had been murders, sudden but 'natural' deaths, possessions, unearthly noises and other such things. Nobody in the past three years had rented it out; the people before then had all barely lasted a month, and its price was rock bottom.
Bakugou Mitsuki wasn't the superstitious type whatsoever - however - when a sweet-looking young woman with dark emerald hair and eyes of the same hue moved into the apartment with her family of three, she felt the need to tell the poor woman what was going on. The poor thing probably hadn't been made aware of the apartment's history and was duped by the danchi's money-hungry owners.
And so, on a Friday after rummaging through their apartment-turned-storage unit for some old designs to take inspiration from, Bakugou Mitsuki and Bakugou Masaru exited apartment 2-203 and knocked on the door to 2-204.
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When Midoriya Inko was still Addams Inko, she used to live in a wonderfully haunted and delightfully cursed traditional Japanese home, complete with murderous oni and vengeful onryo . Inko had loved it dearly, for it was as much part of her family as she and her parents. Unfortunately, it had burned down under mysterious circumstances and took her parents with it (may their Beyond be plentiful and may they seance often); she and her small family had to find another suitable place to raise her son.
When her devoted and loving husband had told her that he had found a lovely, quaint haunted apartment in Musutafu, she had her doubts about the whole thing. The internet was full of liars and uninformed people, after all. Many people lied for attention or misinterpreted things and came to the conclusion of supernatural explanations; beloved Midoriya Hisashi had not been as lucky as her to have grown up in such a serendipitously unholy environment, so his judgement may have been off. Inko loved her husband the same way she loved the darkness and its hellish crusade, but he had been wrong about such things before.
Oh, well. Even if the place didn't turn out to be cursed or haunted or both, it was a cheap and dreary place to stay while they found a suitable home.
She was these thoughts and memories over in her head, sipping a piping hot cup of tea with cyanide when there came a sturdy knock at the door. Gracefully, she set down her teacup and rose to her feet, gliding to the door and pulling it open as she cradled Izuku in her arms. A young woman and man, about Inko's perceivable age, stood in the doorway. The man held an unfortunate-looking pastel package while the woman carried three sketchbooks and several armfuls of clothing. They both had very spiky hair, but the man was a brunet while the woman was blonde. The woman seemed spritely and energetic and loud, while the man was quiet and calm. Inko could tell by the matching rings on their fingers that they were husband and wife, and her speculation is confirmed when they introduce themselves as such, Bakugou Mitsuki and Masaru. How darling!
"Hello," Inko said to them quietly, "are you our new neighbours?"
They smiled at her politely and shook their heads. "No, we aren't, but we've lived in this neighbourhood for several years. We rent out the apartment across from yours as storage space, but we live just down the street." The blonde, Mitsuki, tells her. She is much more outgoing than her husband, it would seem.
"We thought it would be rude of us; to know that you've moved in and not come to greet you and give you a housewarming present!" Masaru chimed in softly, but there was an odd note to his voice; it was almost as if he was afraid. Inko didn't know what he was frightened of , but she hoped that it followed him into his dreams so that he could become more familiar and comfortable with it.
Inko smiled at him, although she eyed the parcel suspiciously. She dearly hoped that it is not a book or some modern decore piece; she'd hate to tuck away these lovely people's gifts, even if they did have terrible taste.
"That's very kind of you. Would you like to come in?" She offers. Izuku opens his beautiful little toxic-emerald eyes and coos at them. Mitsuki and Masaru look down at him, surprised and most likely noticing him for the first time. He's so young, and his lurking skills are already coming in! He's such a precocious little urchin already; Inko is sure that he'll be brilliant. Mitsuki looks like she wants to wiggle her fingers at him or touch his soft, dark green curls but could not as her arms were full. (It was for the best, as Izuku tended to bite finger-like things clean in half.) Masaru looked slightly more uncomfortable, torn between focusing on Inko and Izuku or the apartment behind her.
"We appreciate the offer, but we really can't stay that long. My wife and I are in the middle of a project, you see," Masaru apologized with a strange stiffness, gesturing to the items in his wife's hands, his gaze flitting between Inko and the apartment behind her. "We just came to pick up some things, give you this and talk to you about something," he continued as he passed the box over to Inko and nudged his wife out of her soft-hearted staring contest with Izuku.
"Hmm? Oh, shit!" Mitsuki exclaimed, most likely remembering why she had come over. She looked over at Izuku for a moment, most likely contemplating if it was alright to swear in front of a baby before shrugging. Inko wouldn't tell her otherwise, even though Izuku could probably understand her. It was important for one to learn about all sorts of words and people, after all!
"I don't know if you know the history of this apartment," Mitsuki began, "but I'll assume you don't because you moved in without much hesitation. We've lived here for years, ya know? This apartment has been empty for the past, what, three years? Anyways, the reason for that is that the apartment's history is really fucking weird."
Inko tilts her head and gestures for the woman to continue, and Mitsuki complies. "It's got a track record of break-ins and murders, and a lot of people have died suddenly of unknown but supposedly natural causes. People seem to be driven to madness real fucking fast, too. They say things about possessions and weird noises and furniture moving on its own, so lots of people think it's haunted or cursed. I don't really believe in such things, but it is a bit shady, so I thought we should let you know."
Oh, how wonderful! It seems that Hisashi was right this time around, and they wouldn't have to move. This didn't explain why the place was so cheap, even though its history was rich and provided an excellent environment for living (and dying) in, but Inko wasn't about to complain about a great deal.
Her shoulders sagged in relief as a soft smile came to her face. "So the rumours are true? I'm so glad; I was worried that someone was making them up! A house without dangerous curses or active spirits is really no place to raise a child, in my opinion. For a moment, I thought that I would have to search for a veridical haunted house!"
Mitsuki smiled, although she seemed a little bit confused. What a kind woman, going along with Inko even though she wasn't well-rounded enough to understand what Inko meant. It was no problem, though; Inko would round her out over time. She had a powerful feeling that the two of them would become close friends. Masaru was looking winsomely pale and clammy, so Inko knew that he understood and was happy for her too.
"It was so kind of you to come along and tell me this, you two. I hope to see you again, perhaps in the realm beyond this one," Inko said sweetly, and Mitsuki smiled broadly and nodded, a lot more confident than she had been earlier.
"I'm sure we will. In fact, my and my husband have a boy around the age of yours; we could set up a few playdates for them!" Masaru seemed even paler at his wife's words. Inko could relate; it is rather exciting for her son to have a new friend so soon!
"That sounds like an exceptional idea! I'll contact you soon, and don't worry about giving me your phone number. I have my ways, so be on the lookout!" Inko giggled.
"Well!" Masaru exclaimed suddenly, "This was nice, but we really need to go soon. Our babysitter's paid time is almost up, isn't that right, honey?"
He took his wife's elbow and dragged her away as he marched down the hall to the stairwell. "Enjoy your next few hours!" Inko called to them.
"You too!" Mitsuki hollered back. Yes, Inko knows that this place will bring many good things her way.
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