Solstice and Eclipse: Part I

Chapter VIII: Class Representative

She was intelligent and more than capable of leading, something she had proven when she had taken charge of organizing the group presentation and dividing the work. More than that, she was the only person amongst Class 1A who didn't write him off immediately. Though he would have much preferred she left him alone like everyone else, he couldn't deny he was impressed with her persistence. He was even more impressed by her empathy. Her hand was still placed gently on his shoulder, offering a comforting presence.

"So, (L/N)?" She asked, taking her hand away. "Class Representative sound like something you might be interested in?"

"No." He responded curtly. "You?"

"Oh, well, it might be nice." She said thoughtfully. "But I don't know if I would be the best person for the job."

"You're a better choice than anyone else here." (L/N) said.

He hadn't meant it as a compliment. It was just his honest opinion. Nevertheless, she blushed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Ida walked around and handed out slips of paper for everyone to cast their vote. Mr. Aizawa said he'd tally the votes and write the results on the chalkboard, just as soon as he had finished with his nap. Pencils immediately began scratching against paper as most of the class wrote their choice for class rep. The majority probably bore the caster's own name. To his right he heard Yaoyorozu set down her pencil and fold her slip of paper in half. Rolling the wooden pencil between his fingers, (L/N) couldn't help but be reminded of another girl he once knew. She reminded him of her. Intelligent. Self-possessed. For a moment he briefly wondered what she was up to now. It had been years since he had last seen her.

After having spent five years at Shonien Children's Home, most of the other children had learned to steer clear of the strange kid in the blindfold. Even though he had been on the blue and white capsule for three years, the older children remembered his episodes and knew he was someone to avoid. His strange appearance and aloofness were enough to keep the newcomers at bay long enough for their elders to warn them to stay away. No one wanted anything to do with him. Even the staff kept their contact with him limited.

Then one day in November, a nine-year-old girl by the name of Kendo arrived on Shonien's doorstep. She was an only child whose parents had died in a car crash during the first snow of the year. Despite her circumstance, she was an extremely optimistic girl with a smile that could melt even the coldest of hearts. Many of the boys developed a crush on her, and trying to win her favor, warned her of the kid who slept in the boiler room.

"Why does he sleep there?" She asked.

"He's... different." One of the boys told her. "He used to have these fits at night, saying it was too loud even though it was completely silent."

"He's not normal." Another boy told her. "It's like he can see, but no one's every seen him take his blindfold off. Ms. Sasaki said it's because of his quirk. But I think it's the drugs he takes."

"Drugs?" Kendo asked.

"Yeah. He disappeared for a few days, and when he came back, Mr. Saito had these pills for him. Mr. Nakamura said they help control his quirk, but I heard from some of the older kids that the scientists that studied him did some weird experiments on him. We all stay away from him."

"So he doesn't have any friends?" She asked. "That sounds lonely."

"Hey, don't go trying to make friends with him, okay. Trust us. He's dangerous."

Given how much he was isolated from the other children, which was both his choice and theirs, (L/N) rarely knew when someone was adopted or when another child came to the home. Over two weeks had passed since Kendo had arrived and he was none the wiser. But one day he walked out of his room to find a plate of cookies sitting outside for him. He listened for someone's presence, but there was none. He assumed Ms. Sasaki had left them. A few days later he returned to his room after his private evening lessons to find a book of fairytales on the floor. "Odd." He thought to himself. He had headed for his room immediately after his classes, so there was no way Ms. Sasaki could have left this for him. He picked the book up and brought it in his room, setting it on his bedside table as he wondered who was leaving him these small trinkets.

Over the following weeks he found more trinkets left before his door. More sweets someone saved for him from the kitchen. A small stuffed bear too nice to have belonged to the home. A carved wooden figure which he recognized as a pawn from a chess set. He wished he knew who was leaving these things for him, but they always seemed to come when he was either asleep or in his lessons. So, one night he decided he would wait for them. He placed his wooden chair next to the door and waited for the sound of footsteps. No one came. Maybe the next evening? Perhaps the day after. He spent the next week alternating nights between sleeping and keeping watch, and on the sixth night he heard the soft sounds of someone walking barefoot just outside his room.

He waited for them to get closer, and when he heard their footsteps stop just outside the door, he stood and opened it. The person yelped in surprise and fell back onto the floor.

"Ow, that hurt."

(L/N) was surprised to hear the voice of a child.

"Don't scare me like that." They said.

"Who are you?"

"My name's Kendo." The girl said.

"Why have you been leaving things outside my room, Kendo?"

"Uh, I, uh..."

"Do you know who I am?"

"You're (L/N). The other kids told me about you."

"If they told you about me, then I'm sure they also warned you to stay away."

"Yeah, they did." Kendo nodded. "They said not to talk to you, but that seems mean."

"Maybe I don't want people to talk to me." (L/N) suggested.

"But isn't that lonely?"

"I like being alone."

"Mmm, no." Kendo said, shaking her head. "I don't think so."

"What?"

"No one likes being alone." She told him. "That's why people have friends."

"I don't."

"You don't what?" She asked.

"I don't have friends." He answered.

Kendo frowned. "Hmm. Oh, I know!" She said excitedly. "I can be your friend."

"I don't want to be your friend."

"That's okay. I have other friends, so you don't have to be my friend if you don't want to. But that doesn't mean that I can't be your friend."

Kendo hadn't let his personality stand in her way, nor did the blindfold scare her away like it had the other children. She was always happy, always kind, and despite his best efforts, she was his friend. His only friend. Which only made what happened hurt even more. It wasn't long after that when she was adopted. He hadn't seen her in almost four years. But when he thought about Yaoyorozu, he could almost see a bit of Kendo beaming back at him. His lips upturned into what was almost a smile. Placing pencil to paper he cast his vote.

Momo Yaoyorozu.