Recommended songs: why me- by Zevia
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One month. It had been one month since Akimitsu Yoshiko's life decided to stab her. One month since she lost her brother. Three days till the U.A. entrance exam. The timing was awful. She wasn't in her right mind. She couldn't think clearly through her fogged brain. Plus, she had zero motivation. Nothing mattered anymore.
Yoshiko was buried under a heap of blankets, away from all light and sounds. But when she closed her eyes, she still saw him. Her older brother. Her brother, whom she loved so much. He didn't deserve to die the way he did. He didn't deserve to have a bullet hit his head. But death doesn't check who deserves what, right?
"Yoshi." She heard a knock on her door. It was her mother. "Yoshi, Kenzo is here to see you."
Yoshiko got out of the blankets at the mention of Kenzo's name. Her dog, Bear perked up when she got up from the bed. Like a loyal companion, he stayed with her through it all. In all of this mess, Bear was the reason her last two strings of sanity didn't snap. She opened the door, not caring about the nest her hair was in. Behind her mother's shoulder stood her boyfriend, Kenzo.
"Hey, Yoshi," Kenzo said, looking at her and then her mother.
"Come in," Yoshiko said, holding the door wider.
"I'll leave you two to talk." Her mother said. Something on her face said that she had been talking to Kenzo before she bought him up to her room. Talk? Yoshiko thought. Did something happen? Oh God, she hoped all was well. Her heart couldn't take more.
Kenzo entered her room and closed the door behind him. He took a moment to take in her the state she was in. Her black and white hair was in a mess, freckled cheeks stained with tears, bags beneath her eyes and the clotted blood on her lip from biting it. It hurt to do this to her now of all time, but he didn't want to break her heart when it healed. She needed to know the truth. Yoshiko stepped towards Kenzo and buried her head in his chest.
"I'm so glad you came." She said in a muffled voice. Kenzo sighed and patted her head. This was going to be difficult. But it had to be done. He talked to her mother in advance before talking to Yoshiko. Her mother did get angry at him, but she agreed that Yoshiko needed to know.
"Yoshi, please sit down. I need to tell you something." Kenzo said. Yoshiko looked up at him with concerned silver eyes. The usual fierce glow was gone. In fact, she wasn't herself after her brother's death. She lost her explosive personality, replaced by a sad girl. Normally, she was loud, angry and cheerful. But it was all gone now.
"Is everything okay...? It's creepy when you say that." Yoshiko said, sitting on her messy bed.
"It's..." It's not okay, Yoshiko. It's not. "Just listen to me calmly, okay?"
"Okay." She breathed, nervously waiting for what came next. She bit on her lip, opening the wound again.
"Yoshiko, this is the worst possible moment... but you deserve to hear the truth." He raked his fingers through his hazel hair, searching for the right words and the courage to say them. "We've been a couple for two years. I'm not blind to that. But before I met you, there was someone else who had my heart, even though I never thought she would notice me. And then you came into my life, and I pushed her out of my mind. But lately, she told me she felt the same way about me and... I realized I never stopped wanting her. Please don't misunderstand. I thought I loved you. But I've been in love with her for longer. Besides, I just came to realize that you're not my type."
Yoshiko stopped biting her lip as she listened to her boyfriend's words. She'd been in love with someone who didn't love her back. Were all those "I love you's" he whispered to her a lie? Her colour paled. Why? Why was he telling her this after two goddamn years? Why did he take two fucking years to realize she wasn't his type? Why did it have to be now out of all times? Why, just why?!
"Kenzo... you took two years to realize I wasn't your type...?" Her voice raised slightly, her eyes glimmering with anger. Kenzo hadn't seen that in a while.
"I just... I just thought we had a chance together, y'know? You were attractive and cheerful. But you're also really..." Kenzo searched for the right word without making her snap. "Angry... I know that's just the way you are and that you still love me despite how mean you can be. To be honest, that's what I fell for. For your fierce and fearless personality. But I don't think I can keep up with it forever."
Yoshiko kept her composure, trying not to yell and cry at the same time.
"We've both got completely different interests. And lately, it's been feeling boring." Kenzo continued. "You haven't been calling me, texting me, or even bother meeting me. And when we do meet up, you remain silent."
"Kenzo, my brother just died!" Yoshiko snapped. "Do you expect me to laugh and yell like I usually do?! Like I didn't just lose the most important person to me?!" The tears came rolling out. Fresh and hot. Bear let out a small growl, his protective instincts activated. Yoshiko patted his head, calming him.
"See?! This is what I don't like! You snap so easily! It sucks!"
Yoshiko wiped her eyes and shook her head. He was the one that was in love with another girl. Why was he ending it like it was Yoshiko's fault?
"Stop making it sound like you're breaking up with me because it's my fault." She hissed. "You've said what you wanted. Leave. I hope Hikari is the sweet girl you've always wanted."
"Hikari... how did you know it was her?!"
"Hitoshi warned me plenty of times. I should've fucking listened."
"You don't have to swear, y'know?" Kenzo sighed and squinted his olive eyes at her. "And can we please stay friends...?"
"Leave," Yoshiko said firmly. Her silver eyes seemed so dangerous then. Like she'd kill him if he didn't leave. He couldn't believe these were the very same eyes he loved.
"I wish you the best," Kenzo said, standing up from the chair. "Good luck with the entrance test. I hope you forgive me." He closed the door behind him, and that's when she lost it.
She got up and ripped the necklace he gave her a year ago on her birthday. She activated her quirk and burnt it to ashes. She then proceeded to remove the earring he gave her and threw it out of the window. She threw the chair he sat on, on the wall. More tears blurred her vision, and she screamed, pulling on the roots of her hair. The universe was against her. The universe wanted to take away everything and everyone she loved. First her father and then her brother. And on top of everything, she still had an entrance exam to worry about. Bear barked, pouncing on her, bringing her to the ground. He licked her face and whined as if saying 'dont cry'.
Her mother slowly opened the door to see her daughter in a sobbing mess. She didn't deserve it. She went to her daughter and patted her back, pulling her closer to her chest. Her heart couldn't Bear seeing her daughter like this. Although the death of her son was weighing her down, she remained strong for Yoshiko's sake. Seeing Yoshiko break in front of her eyes broke her heart even more.
"There, there, Yoshi." She whispered as her daughter sobbed into her chest. "Everything's going to be just fine. I'm here with you."
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*The day of the test*
Yoshiko brushed her tangled hair after what seemed like days. Her mind was still blurry. She put her hair black and white hair in a high ponytail. She wore a black tank top and black cargo's that matched it. Downstairs, Shinsou Hitoshi, her childhood best friend waited for her.
"Hey." He greeted. "How are you feeling?"
"Shit." She replied. Shinsou didn't reply. According to him, she wasn't in a state to attend the exam. The two teenagers got out of the house and sat in Yoshiko's mother's car. She would be driving them to U.A. Yoshi's mother, Akimitsu Yoko, was the pro hero Sunbeam. She could convert light energy into fire. The number 9 hero in Japan. Yoshiko came from a long line of heroes. It was only natural she wanted to be a hero too. Her brother, too, had died while he was on his way to the agency he worked in.
"Ready?" Yoko asked, looking at the two teens in the rearview mirror. The purple head nodded, and Yoshiko just absentmindedly looked out of the window. It was a short and quiet drive. Yoko dropped the two outside U.A. and wished them luck.
Yoshiko dragged herself beside Shinsou, where they listened to a loud blonde teacher explain how the test would work. Normally she'd be pumped up. She'd listen carefully and strategize so she'd be the best. However, she had no motivation today. Shinsou noticed this too and nudged her to listen.
However, they both failed miserably. One failed because his quirk was useless against robots. And one failed because she had no idea what was going on, and ended up not defeating a single robot. All she did was get in people's way.
The next day, when Yoshiko found out she failed it was no surprise for her. Her mother worried about her daughter's lack of enthusiasm and called Shinsou.
"Where is she?" Shinsou asked, taking off his shoes. Bear pounced on Shinsou, happily wagging his tail. Bear was a giant dog with long brown fur. A newfoundland dog. Yoshi named him Bear because he looked like a mini Bear.
"Locked up in her room." Yoko sighed. "I heard you failed too."
"Yes." Shinsou sighed. "Mind control doesn't work on robots. I'm enrolling in the general studies for now." Shinsou walked upstairs and to her bedroom, followed by Bear. He knocked on the door. "Yoshiko, it's me."
He heard her groan from the other side of the room. She opened the door and let him in. The envelope with the message was thrown on the floor, burnt to ashes.
"How long are you going to sulk about that stupid arse?" Shinso asked, watching as she sat on her bed, paying no attention to him.
"I'm not sulking."
"You clearly are." Shinsou frowned. "Look. I know it hurts. But will you really let what he did to you control your life?"
"It was two years." She bit her lip again, tears forming in her eyes. Bear put his head in her lap. "Two years I spent loving someone in love with someone else."
"He was shit," Shinsou said. "I never liked that guy. But hey. You didn't deserve him. You deserve far better. Don't you know that too? Just forget about him. He isn't worth your tears."
Yoshiko sniffled and wiped her tears away with her arm. "You're right." She said. As much as she'd hate to admit it, she knew her thoughts kept wandering back to him, and that's why she failed. She wasn't going to allow some shithead to ruin her dreams.
"What do I do now, though." She sighed. "I've fucking failed."
"You could enroll in the general studies with me?"
"That's boring," Yoshiko replied, thinking of a better option. "I heard Isamu has an entrance exam in a few days..."
"So you wanna enroll in Isamu?" Shinsou asked.
"I guess so. I could transfer to U.A. next year." She replied. Yoko, who was listening outside, walked into Yoshiko's room.
"That's a good idea," Yoko said.
"And this time..." Yoshiko stood up and walked to the center of the room, looking up and taking a deep breath. Bear followed her, running in circles around her. "This time, I'll kick ass."
"There she is." Shinsou grinned.
"My badass daughter," Yoko smirked.
From then on Yoshiko always smiled through the pain.
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