Y/n was currently at the bathroom washing her face in order to calm herself. The first day at U.A. was already over and she almost didn't believe she was able to survive it.
She dried her face and looked at her reflection on the mirror, sighing upon noticing that dark bags were starting to form under her eyes. Since she learnt she'd attend U.A. she haven't had a good night sleep.
"Yosh... Let's do it."
Gaining courage, she left the bathroom to meet her teacher and pro hero Aizawa Shota.
A few minutes after she was back to her classroom, where he had asked her to meet him. The door was closed so she had a second to calm and prepared herself before knocking.
"Shitsurei shimasu... (Excuse me...)".
Slowly, Y/n opened the door and peaked inside only to see Aizawa standing behind his desk with a bunch of papers in front of him. He immediately raised his head and locked eyes with her.
"Come in."
With her heart on her throat she walked in, her hands shaking when she closed the door and her legs with the consistency of jellies as she moved in his direction. When Y/n was a meter away she stopped and waited.
That was one of the most frightening moments of her life. She didn't fear the first time she had to face a villain. She didn't fear her own death. But Aizawa Shota was another story. She feared what he'd say, what he was thinking, what could happen after that conversation. She feared his currently intense eyes and cold demeanor.
But most of all, she was afraid he would never forgive her for what had happened.
"You..." he murmured after a few seconds, appearing to be at a loss for words.
Who knew one day she would be able to make Aizawa Shota speechless? If they were in another situation she'd have laugh and praised herself. But at that moment, Y/n only gulped and faced the man meeting with his dark eyes.
"Aiz-zawa..."her voice shook. "I..."
"Doushite? (Why?)" he asked back in a low tone without giving her time to process.
"N-nani? (W-what?)"
She stared at him confused.
"Doushite?" he repeated in a harsh way and Y/n felt a twinge in her chest.
Not "how" but "why".
He didn't want to know how it was possible for her to be alive. He wanted to know why. Why she lied to them all. Why she faked her death. And now, after 27 years, she was back with the same appearance as before. That was what he meant.
That moment she knew how much pain she had caused him and tears started to form in her eyes while the hole in her chest seemed to deepen.
"Aizawa-kun... gomen ne. (Aizawa... forgive me.)" Y/n whispered with a broken voice and her tears flowed without blockage, blurring her vision.
She didn't dry them, she just let them go. And then, gaining courage, she told him the real truth of what happened 27 years ago.
27 years ago, on the day of June 19th, a tragic incident took place at Musutafu. A series of blocks in a residential area were destroyed, burned to ashes. Ten brave heroes and twenty five citizens lives were lost that day. Amongst them were the great Time Hero Kronos and his daughter Kumogami Y/n, a young student of U.A. and a hero in training. They all died in a cruel fight with All for One. Some bodies were recovered, including The Time Hero's one, but his daughter were nowhere to be found. Due to the blaze and unstable conditions, all searches were canceled and the lost bodies were never recovered. The following day, a huge ceremony was held at the city park in memory of those whose lives were lost.
That was what all medias broadcasted at that time. It wasn't the real truth but they believed it was. Y/n was one of the few who knew what really had happened.
The truth was she was being hunted by All for One because he desired to steal her quirk so she spent her last year awake hiding, running, training and fearing one day she would wake up and realize that everyone she loved was dead because of him. Everything that followed was just a consequence. Her lies, her sudden disappearance from U.A., the tragedy of June 19th and her fake death.
That day Kronos and the other heroes together with twenty five citizens did die, but despite what the media believed Y/n wasn't amongst them. She was far away from where the tragedy occurred, safe, though trapped in a suspended animation in which time never changed. A state caused by Kronos who did that to ensure her survival and safety. What the media also didn't know nor All for One did was that the Time Hero was steps ahead since the beginning. He previewed what would happen and took the required preparations, however, at a great cost. Lives were still lost and he had to sacrifice his own and part of Y/n's life in the process.
And, surprisingly, it worked.
She was alive, she was safe.
However, she could never say a true farewell to him. She couldn't attend his funeral. She didn't graduate or saw her friends getting old and becoming heroes. She didn't saw All Might defeat the one who was the reason of her fears and nightmares...
Y/n missed all those important moments because she was trapped in a time bubble from which she only woke up 24 years later. Despite not aging, time outside never stopped and she lost all those years of her life.
After waking up from her deep slumber she almost had a mental breakdown when she learned what had happened. Luckily, her current tutor Torino Sorahiko, or Gran Torino as he is also known, was there to help her. Sorahiko was an old friend of Kronos and the one he chose to entrust the truth and be her guardian after he was gone. From that day on she had to learn how to live in that new and foreign reality while dealing with demons of her past and a malfunctioning quirk. She then spent three years training with him to get back in shape and learning how to adapt to the new world before restarting her studies at U.A.
And that's how she ended up there right now.
Y/n was already used to her new reality, though it still felt like something was amiss. That was one of the reasons she didn't want to announce her presence to the world, at least not yet. She knew time has changed and new heroes arose, though there were still a few who knew her and would remember her. So she coming back to life, specially after so many years, would shock them. Also it would open old scars she wasn't ready to face.
For this reason, she chose to keep her true identity a secret and assumed Sorahiko's last name, becoming Torino Y/n. It wasn't in her plans, however, to come across an old face so soon. Specially one who was so important to her.
Aizawa listened to her story quietly, his intense gaze never leaving her eyes as she spoke. In the end, Y/n's face was soaked in tears and her legs had given up so she was on her knees, head down and facing the floor.
"I didn't want to lie to you... But I couldn't put you at risk so I did it... " her sobs echoed on the walls. Luckily, the door was closed and the corridors empty so no one but Shota could hear her.
"...And three years ago, when I w-woke up, I wanted to contact you... T-to tell you everything..though I was scared! I was a coward! Such a coward..!"
She cried in anger and some drops fell from her eyes marking the floor with round wet shapes.
Y/n then put both hands on the floor and bowed until her forehead was touching the cold surface in a dogeza* position.
"Kimi wa yakusoku wo mamorenakatta... Gomen ne Aizawa-kun! (I couldn't keep my promise... I'm sorry Aizawa!)" she cried clenching her fists. "Hontou ni g-gomen..! (I'm truly s-sorry..!)"
"Yamero. (Stop it.)"
He replied immediately, not giving her time to process, his voice sounding surprisingly close. A second later she felt his hand on her shoulder which startled her.
"Atama wo ageru. (Raise your head.)" he requested, his voice sounding soft this time.
Taken aback, Y/n stopped talking and rose slowly to meet his face. There wasn't anger or confusion on his features, only sympathy and sorrow.
"You don't have to apologize. I do. For not being there when you needed the most." he continued in a softer tone, way different from before. "Also you didn't break your promise. You're here now, aren't you?"
She stared at him, disbelieved with his words, and soon more tears rolled down her cheeks as she launched herself at him, hugging him tight. For an instant Aizawa was startled by her actions, though he soon gave in and, with a smile, embraced her — an act which didn't match his personality, but that felt right in that moment.
"S-shota.." Y/n whispered-sobbed against his shoulder, now realizing how much she'd missed him.
When they both were teenagers he used to be her best friend and so she was afraid their friendship would now be ruined. If there was another person she wouldn't bear to lose, that was him.
Y/n took some time to regain control of her emotions but Aizawa didn't mind. He stood beside her, patting on her back in a comforting way.
"Gomenasai, N/n. (I'm sorry, N/n.)" he said after a while, calling her by her nickname. Hearing it brought back old memories and a warm feeling grew in her chest.
"You don't have to say that..." she replied in a quiet tone, her voice steadier now.
"But I owe you an apology." he kept talking. "That day I also promised I'd never abandon you. But I ended up breaking my promise."
She blinked and the last tear fell.
So he does remember that day...
A true smile appeared on her lips and she closed her eyes.
Baka Shota... (Idiot Shota...)
*dogeza: a form of bowing in Japanese etiquette which the person kneels on the ground and bow while touching their head to the floor. It is used to demonstrate respect to a person of higher status, but also as a way to deeply apologize or to ask for a favor.
ヒーローファイル
(Heroes Files)
• Shota wasn't so shocked to know Y/n was alive because he never truly believed that she'd died. His intuition always told him there was more to it than met the eye.
• Even if she didn't told him the truth of everything that happened, Shota would have forgave her. He would never risk losing his best friend again. (he usually don't show his emotions but he cares a lot about Y/n ^-^)
• Y/n hates crying in front of others. Aizawa seems to be an exception.
End of Files