"honesty and grace" (Mezo Shoji X Reader)

Chapter 15

The question his teacher asked him had taken him so off guard, all Shoji could do was stare and blink. He was not expecting a question like that after having explained such a sensitive topic to him. However, Aizawa took note of his student's confusion and began to elaborate.

"About nine years ago, there was a powerful villain by the name of Compact that the authorities finally got a hold of. Though he was originally from America, he was still a threat to us heroes in Japan because of his strong quirk. They tried to keep him out of the media as much as they possibly could, but only because he was one of those power crazy villains. He had similar motivations like that of Stain. He believed that all heroes were only famous for the purpose of getting rich and popular and thought that they were just a disgrace to humanity." The teacher's voice is cold and tired, as if he's explained this hundreds of times before. Shoji barely absorbed the information before he continued. "When the man was finally caught, he had apparently been a villain in secret for years. His wife and seven year old daughter had learned everything the hard way. I had heard her name a few times around the funeral, but it didn't occur to me until you just explained everything." His voice was low, eyes lowered to the ground as he tapped his index finger against his chin.

From in front of him, Shoji stands with his body stiff. "Why are you telling me all of this?" Something in the boy's voice caused Aizawa to look up, almost in shock.

"Honestly," he started, adjusting his footing to face the door, "I don't know. It just came to my mind and I decided to share what I know with you. If you insist on hanging out with that girl, so be it, but please be careful." His fatherly tone takes him by surprise.

"Are you sure?" Unsure of what to think, the teenager crosses his arms as he turns to his teacher. "I mean, that's a lot to take it all at once." He speaks softly from a mouth on his left, extending towards Aizawa with a serious expression.

"I'm positive. From what I've heard from the media after his capture, they ran all across America trying to find a better life. They were eventually out of places to go, so coming to Japan was just an option that seemed to work. That girl probably just needs someone or something to keep her grounded." His black hair waves slightly as he turns for the door. "Just please be careful and don't get yourself killed. You may know a lot right now, but that is nothing compared to the information she has stored in that mind of hers."

With that, he leaves the room without another word. The time right now had been about six o'clock, and the sun was just beginning to find its way to the horizon. In his mind, Shoji wanted to do so many things, but he knew that none of them would benefit anyone other than his own curiosities. Instead, he pulls out his phone and stares at the blank black screen for a moment, so many questions in his mind. "Now I have to be careful." The air suddenly feels tight, as though his breathing was being restricted. He didn't know how to feel about all that was told to him, nor what to do with the information.

Within a second, his phone was on and it was calling (F/n), the familiar tone playing as he pressed the device against his ear. For a second it felt as though she wouldn't answer, as if it was going to go straight to voicemail. Though, just as Shoji was about to lower the phone and put it away, a familiar voice came from the other end.

"What's up?" The girl asks, her voice distant in the room.

At that moment, Shoji hadn't thought of what he was going to say, or why he had even called to begin with. He took a pause before answering the question. "Nothing, I was just calling to make sure you got home okay." He says softly, standing in the center of his room with his eyes facing towards clean windows.

There was a slow laugh from the other end, as if she had struggled to get it out. "Well, I got home just fine, thank you for your concern." (F/n)'s words were brief, taking the boy by surprise. Normally on these phone calls she would talk his ear off.