𝑅𝐸𝐽𝐸𝐶𝑇 ┊ 𝐻𝐼𝑇𝑂𝑆𝐻𝐼 𝑆𝐻𝐼𝑁𝑆𝑂

𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗡

Hello, this chapter will contain quick depiction of abuse. If you feel that you might be sensitive to this, you can skip ahead to when the words turn italic. Thanks for reading and please proceed with caution.

———

Y/N pulled up her window and slipped back inside her bedroom. She had spent hours out with Shinso and hadn't expected to come home to awake parents, but when she clicked her window shut, she saw the lights flicker on.
"Y/N."
Her fingers froze on the window frame, hearing her mother's usual cold voice hiss her name.
"Tell me where you were right this instant."
Her eyes remained wide, not knowing what the hell to do. The footsteps behind her were getting closer.

"You aren't wearing shoes. I can see your palms are burned. You look like a mess."
The smell of steam wafted around her. Her mom's bony fingers took her arm, digging into her skin and turning her around.
"Tell me where you were."
Y/N's lip quivered, her face down as to not look her mother in the eyes.
"I-I was out—with—I went to the park."
"With who?"
"No one. Just myself."
Steam was surrounding them, curling around through the air in large clouds. A quick slap to Y/N's face and she was on the ground.

"You're lying to me, Y/N. Tell me right now."
"No one! No one you'd care about! Believe me!"
Her mom picked her up by her collar and began to drag her. She clawed at her throat.
"Tell me the truth, Y/N," she repeated as Y/N was roughly dragged across the wooden floors.
"It's no one! No one! I don't have friends! No one wants to get near me!"
Y/N felt her legs dangle off the stairs, so she began to scratch at the floors, desperately trying to get away.
"You were always such a disappointment," the voice above her sighed. Y/N tried to wrangle out of the grasp.
"Even before I had to watch your face be spread across the news."
"Please! Oh god please! Please stop!"
"You just couldn't accept second-best. You just had to prove yourself."
"That's not—! Please let me go!"

Her mother lifted her up and squeezed her face.
"You are nothing but a monstrous little girl."
"Mom—!"
Y/N screamed as she was then thrown down the stairs, the sharp edges of the steps bashing into her arms and legs.
She landed at the bottom, pain thumping throughout her body. The lights above them flickered, but Y/N found herself rejecting the heat that drew near her.

"Fucking devil child," her mother from the top of the steps mumbled before walking away.
Y/N closed her eyes, holding onto herself while her entire body ached.
She began to cry, begging and wishing to go back and time. Begging and wishing to be with her friends again. Begging and wishing to kiss Jin or Tomo again. Begging and wishing to go back to the day that changed everything.

She wished she hadn't done what she did. Maybe then, things wouldn't be this way.

"Y/N, Y/N, Y/N, Y/N!"
"Hm?"
The finger that was poking her cheek pinched at her instead.
"Owwie, that hurt Jinji."
"Sorry, Sorry."
Jinji tied his hair up, before continuing to eat his lunch.
"I was wondering if you could help me out during study hall tomorrow."
"Doing what?" She asked, rubbing her cheek.
"I want to practice for the hero course final, but I need someone to help me. It'll work better with another person in the room."
Jinji, who Y/N considered as the most humble from the hero course, was very insecure about his quirk.

She knew that he had trouble with it, especially since it was all about balance. He was basically a magnet, able to push and pull himself anywhere he wanted, but he'd have to latch onto an object first.
"You're the only one I trust to watch me."
"That's sweet, N'ji, but I'm not sure I'd be much help."
"You'd be plenty just by supporting me. My classmates tend to be rather harsh when it comes to my mistakes."
Y/N sighed, knowing how much Jinji struggled to even just apply for the course. He wanted to be a hero so badly, but not many people supported him in doing so. His athletics were the one thing keeping him from falling behind.