Solstice and Eclipse: Part III

Chapter XVIII: Ghosts from the Past

The doors to the anteroom closed behind (L/N), silently sliding open on their well-oiled rollers. The feint 'click' of the doors settling into their frame was followed by silence, the heavy steel fully blocking the noise of the still ongoing examination. Rows of green fabric hardback chairs had been set against the walls, spaced intermittently in groups inconsistent in number, each group accompanied by a large table. Against the wall opposite the entrance was an arrangement of refreshments that was mostly water with a few dozen bowls of assorted fruit.

A breath he didn't know he'd been holding escaped him and his shoulders relaxed a little as he reveled in the silence. His respite, however, was short lived, as just seconds later another examinee arrived in the waiting room. The opening of the doors was accompanied by the far-off sounds of the exam that carried across from the venue's main stadium. 

"Oh, wow!" The newcomer practically shouted. "I didn't think anyone else would pass the first trial so quickly! You must be really strong!" 

(L/N)'s brow furrowed into a shallow V and his lips pressed firmly together as the other student's voice rattled his skull. He could recall the young man, or rather his shouting, from earlier that morning when everyone had still been gathered outside.

"Hey, I recognize you!" He exclaimed excitedly. "You're from UA, right?"

"Uh, yeah." (L/N) answered hesitantly.

"I remember seeing you at the Sports Festival! You ended up finishing in third place!"

"Yeah." (L/N) said again, wondering why this person was stating something they both already knew.

"It's an honor to be talking to such an amazing student! Please, allow me to introduce myself." His feet snapped together and his hands smacked the outside of his pockets. "My name is Inasa Yoarashi!" He shouted and planted his forehead in the concrete tile.

Unsure how to respond, (L/N) instead started walking away, retrieving his folded-up cane from within the robes of his hero costume as he went. Standing back up, Yoarishi fell into step closely behind (L/N).

"What's your name?" Yoarashi asked, shouting into (L/N)'s ear.

"Er, (F/N) (L/N)." (L/N) answered, staggering at the other man's voice.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, (F/N) (L/N)!"

Wincing, (L/N)'s hands reflexively moved to cover his ears before he stopped himself. Meanwhile, his cane fell to the floor with a fragile click.

"Are you feeling alright?" Inasa asked, concerned but still just as loud.

"Fine." (L/N) replied shortly. Opening his palm, his cane flew back up into his hand. "I just have a bit of a headache."

"You should drink some water, then!" Yoarashi advised, clearly not taking the hint. "You're probably dehydrated!"

"Right." (L/N) said through gritted teeth, thanking God as he heard the door open again. "I'll do that."

Yoarashi turned around to greet the new arrival and (L/N) took the opportunity to quickly walk off, eager to put as much distance between himself and the student that had apparently swallowed a megaphone.

[My Hero Academia]

The room slowly began to fill as the minutes ticked by. Sounds from the arena would drift in through the open doors a few seconds at a time as more and more students who had successfully completed the first phase of the exam slowly trickled into the waiting room. A buzz of idle chatter gradually came to life as the students struck up awkward conversations with each other, and still Inasa Yoarashi could be heard from all corners of the room.

(L/N) sat in his own island of chairs, tucked away in one corner of the room where he rolled the neck of his cane between his palms. He had so far managed to avoid being approached by anyone, quite simply by looking like someone who didn't want to be approached. Thankful as he was for the fact, he was starting to get bored. Silently, he wondered to himself when Yaoyorozu would be the next person to walk through the sliding doors. His ears perked every time he heard them open, hoping that it might be her he sensed, but so far, he had been left disappointed.

He felt a little bad for having left his classmates behind. His counterattack wasn't one that was thought out, rather it was simply meant to prevent any of his classmates from being eliminated. His passing the first phase had been an unintentional result. Despite having secured himself one of the coveted one-hundred spots, he had long since decided, even before knowing about the provisional license exam, that passing meant absolutely nothing to him. But it did mean something to Yaoyorozu, and even though the thought of using his quirk in a combat setting still filled him with a sense of dread, he truthfully wished he was still out there. He had been planning to stay by her side and ensure she found herself counted amongst the one hundred who would be moving on. He felt like he owed her. He wanted to help her just like she had helped him. Her hand was always so warm and soft, and her perfume wasn't overpowering but instead reminded him of the scent of blooming cherry blossoms, like the tree atop the hill he often sat beneath. He wasn't sure how those facts were related with his want to help her during the exam, but somehow, they were.

As (L/N) mulled over that particular relationship, one of the other students from across the room slowly began to make his way over to where (L/N) sat. The young man had been leaning cross armed against the opposite wall, eyeing him for the past fifteen or so minutes as he struggled with the decision of whether or not to approach. Having seemingly made up his mind, he decidedly pushed himself off the wall.

"Excuse me." The unidentified student said as way to announce himself. (L/N) turned his ear in the direction of the voice. The young man took a nervous half step back. His mouth had suddenly gone very dry at the knowledge he had his audience's full attention. Wiping his sweaty palms on the front of his pants, he tried, unsuccessfully, to swallow the lump that had formed in the back of his throat. "Uh, y-your name is (L/N), right?"

The fabric of (L/N)'s blindfold shifted as his brow pinched together. "What's it to you?"

"It is you, then?" He asked apprehensively. "Uh, you... probably don't remember me." He started slowly, struggling to force each word from his mouth while his heart beat in his throat. He swallowed again. "My name is Kazahana Akiharu." He blurted out before he could stop himself, or rather, before his nerves could stop him.

(L/N) inhaled deeply, followed by a heavy sigh. He wasn't sure if the name 'Kazahana Akiharu' was supposed to mean anything to him. If it was, it didn't. As far as he was aware, he'd never met this person before in his life. Then again, he'd never made it much of a point to remember people's names. For (L/N), there had never been a reason to. They all left in the end.

"What do you want?" (L/N) asked tersely, realizing this 'Akiharu' person was waiting for him to respond.

"I... I came to apologize." He said, bending at the waist into a deep bow.

"For what?" (L/N) prompted.

Unable to look at him, Akiharu kept his gaze focused intently on the floor. "I... caused you great harm." He explained with a shaking voice. "Four years ago..."

(L/N)'s head angled ever so slightly to the side as he tried to remember who this person was, and how he could have hurt him. He had to admit, after hearing him speak a bit more, this Akiharu's voice sounded vaguely familiar. But he was unable to place it. Unable to remember where he'd heard it before. Akiharu's next words answered the question for him.

"...at Shonien's."

(L/N) jumped to his feet, upsetting his chair so it clattered to the floor. A few people nearby looked curiously at the sound's source, and Kazahana, head still stooped in a deep bow, flinched at the noise. (L/N) gasped as if he had been hit in the stomach and stumbled backwards into a nearby table. His hands which now burned with a dim light gripped the wood so hard it splintered as memories he had long since tried to bury began to creep to the forefront of his mind. Memories of a warm summer night and a young girl's frightened crying. Of his tormenters' abuse, their scornful sneers and taunting laughter.

And Akiharu's voice rang loudest of all.

Because you're a freak. And freaks like you don't have friends. You're going to spend your entire life alone. Unwanted and unloved.