\\ Original Timeline //
\\ At Elementary School //
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A few weeks had passed since that day I met Shinso, but to catch you up, we met the next day and played at the playground like we said we would. Then once Monday morning arrived, we insisted on going to school together and found out Shinso had been placed in my class.
Ever since then, we fell into a happy rhythm of going to school, doing homework in the evenings at each others house, and playing at the playground on the weekends. All was right in our little world. Until one day we had an assignment to show our family tree.
I did my family tree a little differently and extended it so my aunty Midnight could fit since I love her and she was technically my aunt. My classmates were stunned and really excited to know I had a Pro Hero as my aunt but one classmate. . . Or rather I should say bully Setsuna Tokage, didn't seem impressed.
And during lunch I got approached by her and her group of friends.
Setsuna had a quirk she called "Lizard Tail Splitter" and I used to hang out with her, but when she realized I didn't get my quirk she stopped associating with me then began picking on me about being quirkless. I told my mom of course, and our parents got involved, so she stopped. But I guess her seeing me hanging out and playing with Shinso - actually having a friend and being happy for once - made her angry. That and my family tree seemed to rub her the wrong way.
While I waited for Shinso on the benches outside with my lunch box on my lap, Setsuna and her three followers walked up to me with devilish smiles on their faces. The teacher wasn't nearby, nor were any other classmates, so Setsuna confronted me with a shove and caused me to drop my lunchbox. Everything tumbled out onto the ground and I frowned before looking up at her.
"Why are you still here? I thought quirkless kids got homeschooled," she scoffed, and her three friends laughed.
"I'm not quirkless," I tiredly supplied.
"Oh really now? What's your quirk then?" she crossed her arms and replied.
At her question, I looked down at my ruined lunch and sighed.
"I can't tell you."
Setsuna and her friends laughed at my answer before abruptly pulling me off the bench. I hardly had a second to react before they pushed me over and caused me to fall directly into my scattered meal.
"Sounds to me like your lying! If you really had a quirk you'd show us! But you can't because your a quirkless nobody!"
Her friends laughed and called me names as she continued.
"And what was with your family tree? We were only supposed to show our grandparents but you just wanted attention by adding your aunt, didn't you? Your so pathetic!"
As she stood over me and spat harsh words, I rolled onto my side and stared at my ruined uniform. Food bits were squished on my chest and belly and I frowned at the sight.
"When you were gone for a week all those months ago, I thought your mom and dad finally made you switch schools. It would've been the best choice since your literally worth dirt," she continued tormenting me.
The words hurt, to say the least, and tears began to prick in my eyes before ultimately betraying me and rolling down my cheeks.
"Oh wow are you crying? Your such a loser. Right girls?" She asked her group of so-called friends.
"Yeah!" They mindlessly giggled in agreement.
As their giggles chimed in my ears, I suddenly felt the familiarity of the situation and furrowed my brows. I remembered it from my vision. The shove, the harsh words, and. . .
"Hey! Get away from her!"
Shinso.
"Oh look, it's the new boy," Setsuna crossed her arms and laughed.
Shinso ran past them and came to my side, looking me over with a concerned expression on his face. He ignored the girls laughs and comments as he helped me up. This made Setsuna scowl.
"Are you stupid? Why are you hanging out with her? She doesn't even have a quirk! Your wasting your time hanging out with a loser like her!" She continued to mouth off.
But Shinso had heard enough.
"Your the stupid one if you think she's a loser."
"What did you-"
Suddenly, Setsuna froze. Her eyes were vacant and her mouth slightly fell open.
Shinso had her under his brainwashing.
"Turn around and walk to the principal's office," he ordered.
And just like that, she turned around and started walking away. All I could do was stare.
"Hey! You can't use your quirk! That's not allowed!" Her friends began to complain and point at him.
"A hero uses their quirk to help save others from villains. And you guys are acting like villains," he stated.
"What-"
"We're not-"
"Villains-"
Suddenly, he had them all brainwashed.
"Now do what your good at and follow your dumb friend straight to the principal's office."
One by one they all turned and did what he said. They followed Setsuna and disappeared around the corner, heading for the principal's office just as he ordered them to do. Although he helped me and did a good deed, I knew what came next.
"Rini are you okay? Did they hurt you?" He asked while helping pick some food off my shirt.
"I'm fine. . . But they're gonna come back with the principal and your gonna get in trouble for using your quirk," I sniffled.
"I don't care. They said mean things and hurt you," he countered.
"I'm used to it," I muttered while staring at my overturned lunchbox on the ground.
"What? What do you mean?"
At his question, I rubbed my arm where Setsuna shoved me before picking up my emptied lunchbox.
"Well. . . She picked on me all the time because I didn't get my quirk when everyone else did. But I told my mom and dad and then they talked to her mom and dad, then we all talked with the teachers. . . And she stopped. . . But I guess she doesn't want to stop bullying me."
Shinso was about to reply but the girls came back with our principal in tow. And not only them, but a small crowd of our other classmates.
"He used his quirk on us!" Setsuna bawled with fake tears, her three friends joining in too.
"He called us stupid!"
"And dumb!"
"And he called us villains!"
Our principal, taken aback by the girls claims, looked at Shinso with a deep frown on her face. But before she could get a word out, Shinso quickly defended himself. And me.
"I said you are acting like villains. And you guys were the ones that called me and Rini stupid just because you think she's quirkless. AND you picked on her! You pushed her on the ground and ruined her lunch box! And then you pushed her into her lunch and now her uniform is messed up!" He progressively got louder as he talked, so I grabbed his hand to calm him down.
When he finished, our principal ignored the girls cries of protest and studied me, my ruined lunch, my ruined uniform, and then my tear stained face. All the signs were there, so she sighed and briefly closed her eyes.
"Setsuna, did you bully Rini and lie to me?" She asked in a stern voice.
Setsuna instantly went quiet, including her gang, and stopped tugging on her skirt for attention.
"Setsuna?" She prompted while staring down at the girl.
"I. . . I didn't mean to-"
"My office. Now."
With those three words, Setsuna gaped at her then looked down at the ground. As she turned to head back to the office, she sent me a glare and I blankly stared at her in return.
"And you three, go to my office as well," our principal added with a clipped tone.
The three girls hung their heads low and followed after their friend. None of them looked at me or sent a glare the way Setsuna did, but I could still sense the animosity.
When they disappeared around the corner, our Principal, Mrs. Hanako, kneeled and got to my level to comfort me. Using her thumb, she wiped away my tears before resting a loving hand on top of my head.
"I'm sorry about her behavior, Rini," she said and I gave a nod.
Then she looked over at Shinso.
"Even though your not supposed to use your quirk, I'm going to let this slide."
Shinso gave a nod before glancing down at our intertwined hands. When he realized that we were holding hands, a tiny tint of blush spread across his cheeks but he didn't let go.
"I'm going to have to talk to all of your parents about this though. . ." She added, causing my stomach to drop in fear. "But for now, let's go get you cleaned up and find you a new lunch," she stated before standing up and offering her hand for me to take.
I sniffled, gave a nod, and took her hand. But since Shinso and I were still holding hands, I tugged him along too, causing Mrs. Hanako to notice and quirk a brow.
"I'm guessing your coming along too, Hitoshi?"
"Yeah," he quickly stated with an "I go wherever she goes" look on his face.
Mrs. Hanako shook her head and smiled as we walked like a chain beside her.
Soon enough we made it to the nurses office and she checked me for any injuries. I only had a tiny scrape on my palm and a bruise forming on my knee, but it was enough to make Mrs. Hanako sigh thinking of the meeting we will surely have with our parents later.
After I got my injuries wrapped, I changed into a temporary uniform and Mrs. Hanako bought me a new lunch from the lunchroom. Since Setsuna and her gang of friends were waiting in her principal's office, she excused herself and told Shinso and I to eat in our classroom and continue class as usual. She then briefly said that Setsuna and her friends will be in time out for the rest of the day until their parents arrive after school. . . Including me and Shinso's parents.
When Shinso and I understood her, we gave nods of understanding and did as she said. But as soon as we got back into our empty classroom - our teacher stepped out to eat in the teachers lounge - we complained about our situation.
"Why is Setsuna such a bully! All she has to do is mind her own business and be nice, but she can't, can she?" Shinso grumbled before taking a bite of his curry.
"I think she can be nice. . . But I don't know why she's always picking on me. . . Actually, now that I think about it, she picks on everyone else too but not as bad as she does to me," I quietly replied before munching on my onigiri rice ball.
A soft silence fell over us as we munched on our lunch. With the quiet environment, an idea popped into my head.
Because I was a little more mature thanks to my mental leap into the future, I thought in a mature manner and considered something was going on in her home life. I wondered if her family was going through a rough patch, or if she didn't get enough attention, or worse. . .
With those ideas swarming in my mind, I thought of a way to investigate her situation using my quirk. I figured I'd have to get close to her, or even hang out with her after school to get a glimpse of what she experiences.
"Rini? Why'd you stop eating?" Shinso then snapped me from my thoughts.
"Oh, sorry I was just thinking. . ." I trailed before quietly adding, "What if Setsuna isn't happy at home?"
Shinso looked at me with clear confusion on his face. I didn't hold it against him since kids our age don't think twice about other peoples circumstances or lifestyle. But to help him understand, I quietly explained what I meant.
"What if her mom and dad neglect- I mean, don't give her enough attention? Or what if her family in general is going through something rough? She could be acting out and bullying other kids because of what she's going through at home. . ."
"Wow, I didn't really think about it that way. . . You could be right, Rini. But what can we do?" Shinso asked.
"Maybe. . . Maybe we try to get to know her and be her friends. . ?" I replied with a hesitant tone.
"What? Why!? She bullied you! Even if we tried I'm pretty sure she'd never want to be our friends!" He immediately protested.
Suddenly, I closed my eyes and remembered what I saw from my vision. I recalled our current conversation, and then the meeting we all would have with our parents later, and later down the week Shinso and I hanging out with Setsuna.
So everything was already falling into place the way I saw it.
"Rini? You okay?" He asked.
"We become friends. I know because I saw it in my vision," I declared after recovering from my mental reminder.
"Oh. . ." Was all he could say.
I gave a small nod before cradling my head and looking down at the table.
"Well. . . I can't say your lying since you can see the future," he sighed. Then he added with a tired tone, "I guess we have to be nice to her to become her friends?"
"Yup."
Shinso sighed heavily before taking a harsh and defeated bite of his curry.
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\\ The Next Day //
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After Shinso and I had our chat during lunch, we continued the rest of our school day as usual. Some classmates came up to us and asked what happened and why Setsuna and her three friends were in timeout, but our teacher would tell them to leave us alone and get back to doing our work.
When school was over, our parents arrived and we had a big meeting with Principal Hanako in our classroom like she said we would. My mom came and my dad couldn't because he was at work, and both of Shinso's parents came. Setsuna's gang of friends, Miko, Kairi, and Chiyo, sat in silence when their parents arrived promptly to learn that their daughters were involved in such ill-mannered behavior.
As for Setsuna, her parents didn't show.
All of the adults were silently stunned. But sadly enough, Setsuna didn't look surprised.
After fifteen minutes passed and there was still no sign of either of her parents or a single phone call, Mrs. Hanako pulled the little girl aside. The woman revealed that her mom answered her phone call earlier that day and said she would show up, but she wanted to ask if she knew anything. In other words, she wanted to know the same thing I suspected, that she was being neglected.
Despite them being a distance away from the rest of us, I still managed to make out what they said.
"They probably got in another fight. They always forget about me when they do," she revealed.
"Oh honey, I'm sorry. I'll try them again on the phone," Mrs. Hanako replied.
And that she did. But still no answer.
With all of our parents waiting, Mrs. Hanako decided to begin and could only hope that Setsuna's parents arrive in the middle of the discussion.
The meeting began and Mrs. Hanako reminded everyone why we were there while Setsuna kept her eyes on the floor the entire time. My minor injuries were then pointed out and my mom comfortingly held my hand while sending disappointed looks at Setsuna. The three girls' parents made small comments to apologize for their daughters actions and promised they'd discipline them properly. And then the topic of Shinso using his quirk arose and he was immediately scolded by his mom and dad before he apologized to the girls and their parents for his actions.
Finally, by the end of the meeting, Setsuna's mom arrived. She walked into the classroom with a blank expression on her face before setting her gaze on Setsuna. Then it morphed into one of annoyance and disgust.
All of the parents silently judged her as she sat down and joined the discussion while Mrs. Hanako brought her up to speed. When she finished, Setsuna looked pale in the face as her mothers hardened gaze settled on her.
With her mom now present and the meeting coming to a close, Setsuna had said her apologies and made promises that she won't do it again. Her mother reassured the other parents that she would discipline her daughter, work harder to raise her with respect, and formally apologized to my mom for her daughters actions.
Setsuna seemed like she wasn't paying attention.
Once everything was said and done, we parted ways and went home. But I couldn't help but think about Setsuna's home environment. And when we got home, I let my mom and dad know.
They said they would try to look into it and help where they can, but they also said digging into another family's business isn't good so I should be considerate of their privacy. I left the conversation at that though and figured I'd dig anyways if it meant helping someone in need.
So, here I was twenty-four hours later trying to befriend my bully.
It was snack time when I attempted to talk to her. She was sitting by herself since her friends were probably told by their parents to stop hanging out with her. I decided to head over and Shinso stayed at my side with a not-so-happy look on his face. He was still upset with her but he was doing his best.
"Hey Setsuna. . ." I started by tapping her shoulder to get her attention.
She slowly turned around in her chair and acknowledged me but didn't say anything. Her eyes spoke for her since she had a "what do you want" look in them.
"I wanted to ask. . . Can me and Hitoshi sit and eat with you?" I offered with a smile. She looked taken aback by my question, so I quickly added, "I brought some gummies so we can share if you like."
Before she could respond, I sat down next to her and Shinso begrudgingly took the seat next to me. I opened my cute cat lunch kit, grabbed my snacks, then put it in the center of the round table. Shinso did the same with his lunch kit but with a minuscule pout on his face.
"Why. . . Why are you being nice to me?" She finally spoke.
I glanced at Shinso before offering her a warm smile.
"I don't think your mean. You act like it, but your not."
"B-But I hurt you yesterday. . . And I p-picked on you for so long. . ." Her bottom lip trembled as she spoke.
"I forgive you," I said firmly.
Suddenly, she gave way to tears.
I contained my own as she silently cried. Shinso sat wide eyed next to me since he wasn't expecting her to start crying. And our teacher didn't notice so I comforted her with a hug.
"I forgive you," I repeated for good measure, making her sniffle.
"I-I don't u-understand. . . How? Why?" She replied with confusion laced in her tone.
I knew what she meant by those one worded questions. How did I know she was hurting and was going through something rough. Why did I forgive her so easily after all that she did to me.
"Because you were hurting and nobody noticed. But I noticed. And I want to be your friend so you don't have to feel hurt anymore," I said with a mature and considerate tone.
Setsuna pulled away from our hug and looked me in the eyes. I offered a comforting smile and she rubbed her teary eye with a thankful smile on her face.
"Thank you for noticing."
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