It was a few days into your stay in this new world, and you'd finally managed to get your hands on the magical device known as a cellphone.
"How does it work?" you asked, eyes wide as you looked it over from all angles. You tapped on its screen, but nothing happened. "Mine doesn't light up the way the others do. Did they sell us a faulty product?"
Izuku giggled. "It'll turn on, don't worry. You just need to plug it in so it can charge, like this... and you hold down the power button for it to start up."
He fiddled with a cable that plugged directly into the device on one end, then into the wall, through what Izuku had called an "outlet". You weren't familiar with any of this stuff, so it may as well have been sorcery to you.
But true to Izuku's words, the phone's screen eventually lit up, and all sorts of vibrant colors and patterns soon graced your eyes.
"Wow!" you gushed. "How does it do that? It looks so cool!"
"This is just where technology is at in this world," Izuku shrugged. "Cellphones used to be a lot more basic, just for making calls and sending texts, but now they've become mini computers. They can do a lot of really sophisticated stuff."
"What's a computer?"
"Ah... right. I guess I should have expected that." He pointed towards the end of his room, towards what looked to be another screen, but way bigger than the cellphone's. "Computers are devices that are really smart. They're programmed that way. You can look up all kinds of information with them, play games, watch videos... there's really no end to the possibilities. Cellphones are really convenient because they act like computers, but they're portable, so you can carry them around with you wherever you go. It's pretty neat, huh?"
"This is life-changing," you mumbled breathlessly.
Izuku laughed. "Yeah, you could definitely say that. Here, I'll teach you how to use your phone. It sounds more complicated than it actually is, I promise."
That was what he said, but it sure didn't turn out that way for you. There were so many different little features on screen. Some of them did things when you tapped on them; others didn't. Izuku was doing his best to show you how everything worked, but it was such a staggering difference from what you were used to that it was just too much to take in all at once.
Not only that, but you quickly realized you had another problem.
"For the time being, I'm going to add myself as a contact," Izuku said. He tapped on the screen a few times-not that you could really make sense of it-then eventually passed the phone back to you, smiling brightly. "See? You have your first contact now. That's my name right there."
You blinked. "What does it say?"
"Hm? What do you mean? It's my name. Midoriya Izuku."
"No, I mean... I can tell there's something written there, but I can't read it. The symbols don't make any sense to me."
Panic was quick to creep onto Izuku's expression. "You can't read kanji? Or hiragana? But... you've been speaking in fluent Japanese this entire time."
"I'm not even really sure how that happened either. It might be a side-effect of the spell that brought me to this world, but I was able to understand the language pretty quickly just by hearing it a few times. I definitely don't know how to read or write, though."
"Oh, well... that's not good," Izuku swallowed, and it was clear that he was putting it lightly. For better or worse, this country, Japan, was your home now. You were kind of screwed if you didn't have the ability to grasp written forms of communication.
Izuku pursed his lips, clearly lost in thought, then grabbed a blank piece of paper and placed it front of you. He'd brought some pencils as well.
"Try writing your name," he suggested. "If you were able to understand our language just by being exposed to it, maybe it's the same with reading and writing too. Maybe it'll come to you much quicker than you think."
You decided there was no harm in trying, so you did just that.
"This is how you write my name," you smiled proudly, lifting up the paper so that Izuku could see it better.
Regretfully, he just looked even more worried than before. "I-I've definitely never seen anything like this before," he stammered. "I'm pretty sure there's no language like this anywhere on Earth. Then again, I guess that's not surprising, since you're literally from a whole different world..."
You frowned, then took another peek back at the contact Izuku had saved on your phone. No matter how hard you tried, you failed to understand how the symbols he'd inputted were meant to translate. You were lucky to have grasped the spoken language right away, otherwise you would've probably been speaking in gibberish on the streets and people would have thought you were insane. Unfortunately, as for reading and writing, it looked like you were going to have to learn it the hard way.
"I'll do my best to teach you the basics," Izuku reassured. "But, um... while you're here, I think it'd be good to consider going to school. You'll learn everything you need there. And there's a limit to what I can teach you all on my own."
"School sounds fun," you beamed.
"Have you been to school before?"
"Not really. My parents hired various tutors to teach me academics back at home."
"R-Right. I guess royalty have a different way of doing things. But," he perked up, "I'm sure you probably received a really solid education, so you'll have no trouble picking things up here. It might seem intimidating at first, but you're smart, [Name]. I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out."
"How do you know that I'm smart?" you asked.
"Well... aren't you?"
"Am I?"
You both stared at each other for a good while. Clearly, this was a stalemate.
"Anyways!" Izuku continued. "I'm going to start with the foundation of all the basics. And you can learn to write your name while we're doing this. It'll be a good first step."
You gripped your pencil tight and nodded, eager to learn.
*****
Japanese was hard. Actually, you supposed you should say that learning a new language from scratch was hard in and of itself, but based on what Izuku had told you, Japanese was one of the most difficult languages to learn in this world-especially for a non-native speaker.
So, yeah. That was great.
Even so, you weren't deterred in the slightest. It wasn't like there was much you could do about it, after all. Moving to a different country all of a sudden certainly wasn't an option, plus, you weren't willing to sever your connection with Izuku either. This was your home now, and you had a good feeling about this place. You just needed to put in the effort to make it your own.
Izuku did what he could to teach you, but attending school was obviously the most efficient approach. Actually getting into school, however, was a different matter altogether. You'd initially been thinking that your stay with Izuku would be a temporary one, but you were already afraid of being separated from him. You didn't know what you would do if you were left alone. Teenagers like you weren't allowed to live on their own, so most likely, you would end up being placed in an orphanage since no one was around to take care of you.
Frankly speaking, you hated the thought of that, so you decided to pull out all the stops and come clean to Inko.
"I'm from a different world," you blurted all too suddenly over dinner. Izuku's food quite literally fell out of his mouth from shock, and Inko gave you a funny look, although she didn't seem too worked up over it. She probably just thought you were saying silly things as a joke.
"Is this some sort of reference I'm not getting?" she frowned.
"N-No," you said sheepishly. "I'm really telling the truth. I didn't want you to try and contact the police or anything because I don't even have a family to return to. At least, not in this world. I ended up here one day, and Izuku was nice enough to help me out when I had nowhere to go. I was thinking of keeping this a secret because I figured I would only be staying here for a little while... but I'm honestly scared to leave. I don't know where I'll go."
Inko probably still didn't believe you, but her expression seemed more solemn now.
"[Name]," she said gently. "What's going on at home? You can tell me. No matter what it is, I'll do everything in my power to make sure you're safe."
Ah. She still thought you came from a complicated family, and probably assumed you didn't want to go back home to be around your parents. If you went with that story, though, at some point, you worried she really would get the authorities involved.
No. Even if it was a long-shot, you needed to convince her. She was Izuku's mom, and he already knew your secret. You just hoped that even though she was an adult, she wouldn't dismiss you as some troubled teen making up excuses.
"[Name], wait," Izuku mumbled, but you'd already stepped out of your chair and begun moving closer to Inko.
She watched, looking confused beyond measure, as you opened up your mouth and revealed your teeth, which sharpened into fangs. You knew it would probably take more than this to convince her, but it was a start, at least.
"I'm a vampire," you said. "I need to drink blood to survive. My world is very different from this one, filled with all kinds of creatures and different species that don't exist over here."
Inko swallowed uncomfortably. "[Name], I'm not sure where you're going with this, but I really, really want you to be honest with me. You don't need to make up stories. What exactly is going on with you and your family?"
"I wish it was a story," you sighed heavily. "My parents aren't with me. They're back in my old world. Vampires like me are pretty strong and heal quickly too. Don't you think it's weird how fast my injuries healed up? I got hurt pretty bad, two days in a row, but I'm already as good as new."
Instead of giving you a direct answer, Inko glanced towards her son, who had gone awfully quiet.
"Izuku," she frowned. She seemed to be searching his expression for some sort of explanation. "[Name], what is she-?"
"She's telling the truth," Izuku mumbled. "Mom, I know it all sounds super ridiculous, but I don't like to lie to you. [Name] doesn't even know how to read or write. Not just in Japanese, but in any language, for that matter. She has no clue about how technology works either. You could ask her when the second World War took place, or even what it is, and she wouldn't have a clue."
Inko's bottom lip trembled. "What the... t-this is all sounding very strange, you two. Izuku! Are you sure your friend is alright? This a serious matter, so I'm begging you, don't play games with me."
"It's not a game, mom. We're serious."
"About vampires? But that's just not possible."
"I could show you if you want," you offered. "Izuku's let me drink his blood before, back when I really needed it."
Oops. Perhaps that wasn't the best thing to say to a mother, especially when it involved her own son, but Izuku backed up your statement with a hasty nod-all the while blushing profusely.
"My parents don't exist in this world," you continued, looking a bit more dejected now. "I promise I'm not lying. I didn't even know about Quirks or any of that until Izuku explained them to me. You could call just about all the police in the country, but I can guarantee that nobody will be able to register me anywhere. It's a crazy situation, and I know how it sounds, but it is the truth."
She'd gone completely silent, and you were actually a bit worried that she was going to turn you in and have you committed to some sort of mental institution, but thankfully, Inko really was Izuku's mom. She was kind to a fault.
Her shoulders sagged. "Goodness... I-I don't even know what to say. Okay, then. Let's say for the sake of argument that I believe you. I would still want some sort of proof."
"Hm... you could wait it out for a little while and see how close I'll get to dying if I don't drink any blood?"
Both Inko and Izuku stared back at you in abject terror. Okay, so that suggestion was a dud.
"I could hurt myself really bad and then show you how quickly I heal up once I do drink blood?"
Strange. They didn't seem too keen on that one either.
"In that case, I'm fresh out of ideas," you shrugged.
"Mom, we're really telling the truth," Izuku insisted. "I don't even know if it can really be proven, but [Name] knows nothing about our world. It just doesn't seem like something that would be possible unless she wasn't actually from here. She has nowhere to go. If you call the cops, social services, or whatever... she'll be alone. And afraid. And I really don't want that for her."
Inko stared at you for a few good moments. Out of nowhere, she gripped you by the shoulders and squeezed down tight.
"I'll only ask this one more time," she said sternly. "Your family... they haven't done anything to make you too afraid to go back home? Enough that you would make up a crazy story like this to convince me to let you stay?"
You smiled. "Nope. I'm not scared of my parents. I can't say they're as nice as you, but I didn't leave home voluntarily. One day, I'm going to find a way to get back to my world, no matter what it takes."
Inko let out a shuddering breath. "It... really doesn't look like you're lying. At the very least, I can't see it in your eyes. Or maybe you're just a terribly good liar and have me completely fooled. Oh, alright. If you really have nowhere else to go, and since you're the first friend Izuku's had in a long time... then, yes. You can keep staying here with us."
It hardly took a second for you and Izuku to break out into cheers.
"Yes!" you exclaimed, rushing towards your friend and wrapping him in a big hug. He reacted with a nervous little squeak and a bright red flush, the way he always did, but he too seemed to share your enthusiasm. "We get to stay together," you grinned. "I don't have to leave and find somewhere else to live! I'm so happy!"
"Y-Yeah!" he beamed back. "This is great news! Thank you so much, mom! Thank you for helping us out."
Inko smiled warmly. "It was worth it just to see the looks on your faces, if nothing else. I still don't even know what I believe... but I can tell [Name] is a good girl. For now, that's more than enough."
"Oh, right," Izuku blinked in realization. "She needs to attend school. That's the whole reason she wanted to tell you the truth. If she goes to school with me, she can learn a whole lot more about our world this way. I'm trying to teach her as much as I can, but it's harder than I expected."
"School? Well, I can try enrolling her into your middle school, but I'm pretty sure I'd have to be her legal guardian for that to work." Inko nibbled on her lower lip. "It'll be difficult to obtain those documents, especially if there's no record of [Name] to begin with. I'm not sure how it'll go."
"It's worth a shot," you grinned, completely unbothered.
You were on cloud nine right now, and it was going to be damn hard to dash your spirits. Which was why, the very next day, you dressed up all pretty in one of your new outfits and made a prompt visit to Izuku's middle school, which you would hopefully be attending soon.
Both Inko and Izuku had come along with you, naturally, and you found yourself face to face with the school's principal.
Currently, he was staring down at your admission documents with a puzzled expression. "Different last name, I see. Mrs. Midoriya, do you have legal guardianship of this child?"
"N-Not yet," Inko stammered out. "But she's been staying at our home for the last little while. I can provide proof of our living conditions, and she's been properly taken care of."
"Well, can you get in contact with the child's family?"
"My whole family's dead," you chimed in-a bit too eagerly, perhaps. "Izuku and his mom are, um... very, very, very distant friends of one of my late relatives, so they took me in."
The principal gave you a look of disbelief. "Uh-huh. Well, my hands are tied here. It sounds like a complicated situation, but I can't very well allow someone to enroll a child that they don't have legal custody of. Sort out the matter in court first, and try to transfer in later."
From what Izuku had told you, these legal matters could take a long time, and quite frankly, you didn't feel like waiting. There was also the issue of getting other people involved. You didn't need anyone poking their nose into your business and realizing how many things about you just didn't add up. It would raise a whole lot of undue suspicion. Worst case scenario, the authorities would take you away from Izuku by force.
There was no chance you were going to let that happen. But thankfully, you had an idea.
Admittedly, a reckless one.
You turned towards Izuku and Inko with a smile. "Do you two mind waiting outside for a minute? I just want to try and talk to this nice man on my own."
"Sorry, kid," the principal sighed. "No matter what you say to me, my answer will be the same. I'm not looking to get in trouble with the law."
Your smile didn't drop, and although Izuku and Inko were staring at you with visible confusion, you still gestured for them to leave the room first.
Once you were finally alone with the principal, you leaned across the desk. "Sorry about this," you mumbled quietly.
"Huh? What are you-?"
You grabbed him by the arm before he could get a proper reply out, then sunk your fangs into his skin. He briefly yelped out from the pain, of course, but you didn't drink very much blood from him. You didn't need a lot. After all, you had a different purpose in mind.
"You're crazy," he winced. "Absolutely crazy. I'm really going to call the police now."
"Don't you dare," you ordered, and the man's hand dropped right as he reached for his phone. You could feel your head throbbing, the way it always did when you tried to use this technique, but at least it seemed to be working. "Here's what's going to happen," you smiled. "You're going to let me attend this school, and the same class as Izuku, too. You're not going to stir up a fuss and demand that Inko shows you the paperwork, and you're also not going to tell anyone about what just happened. You're going to forget I ever bit you, actually. All you need to do is approve my enrollment, and that's that."
You snapped your fingers, and just like that, the hypnosis came undone.
"W-What?" he blinked, glancing all over the place in confusion. "I was just... what did I...?"
"You were just about to celebrate the fact that I'm starting classes tomorrow," you beamed. "Right?"
He stared at you for a few moments, with a vague look of understanding, but eventually nodded his head, suddenly much more sure of himself.
"Oh, yes!" he beamed. "That's right. [Last Name][Name]... ah, perfect. Yes, it looks like everything I need is in order. And you can start classes as early as tomorrow, you said?"
"Yep! I'm super excited to meet everyone and make tons of friends!"
"That's a good attitude to have. I'm thrilled to welcome you to your new school, [Name]. I'm sure the other members of our faculty will feel the same way once they find out."
"Awesome! I'll get plenty of sleep tonight, so that I can be ready for school bright and early," you grinned. "Thanks so much for everything, Mr. Nice Principal. It was lovely to meet you!"
The principal chuckled softly and waved you off, up until you left his office. Only once the door fully shut did he allow himself to wince, then rolled up his sleeve and furrowed his brows in confusion.
"Are these... bite marks? How in the world..."
Back on your side of the door, Izuku was all over you, fretting incessantly. "[N-Name], are you okay? It sounded like he got angry with you for a moment... we thought we heard yelling. As expected, it's a no-go, huh?"
"What are you talking about? He approved my admission."
"Eh?"
Both Izuku and Inko were staring at you in bewilderment. Your head was still aching quite a bit, and it would probably continue to do so for a little while, but it was worth it. You normally hated putting people under the effects of your hypnosis after drinking some of their blood. It felt like a slimy thing to do, and it kind of was, but you really wanted to go to school with Izuku. It was just this one time. Just this once.
"Don't worry about it," you grinned. "I have my ways."
You said that, but you'd been lucky that it had even worked, since you weren't very good at using hypnosis to begin with. Maybe this was fate, though. There was that saying that everything happened for a reason, after all.
Izuku peered over at you while you walked through the halls, his eyes slowly narrowing. "Um... [Name]. That's not blood on your lips... is it?"
"Hehe. Oopsie."
"What did you do?!"
*****
It wasn't at all uncommon that Katsuki found himself in a bad mood, but he'd been in an especially bad mood these past couple of days.
And it was all your damn fault.
Finding out that Izuku had somehow made a friend was already irritating enough, but to make matters even worse, you'd gotten on his damn nerves and challenged him to a fight. A fight that hadn't gone as planned, as much as he hated to admit it. He'd underestimated you. Clearly, you were a lot stronger than you looked, which begged the question as to why you hung out with that goddamn loser.
Then again, you seemed to be one hell of a weirdo yourself. Katsuki still shuddered every now and then when he remembered the way you'd greedily slurped up his blood. Seriously, who did that?
My shitty mom screamed at me for hours after I got back home looking all beat-up like that... fucking hell. If I ever see that bitch again, I'm gonna make her regret messing with me.
Katsuki rubbed at his bruised face and grimaced. Class was as damn boring as always, and it didn't help that he could see that shitty nerd fidgeting in his seat out of the corner of his eye. What the hell did he have to be so restless about? It was fucking creepy.
"Ahem," the teacher said, clearing his throat all of a sudden. "It's a bit unexpected during this time of year, but I'd like to take a moment to introduce a new student to our class. Everyone please be sure to give her a warm welcome. You can come in now, by the way!"
The door slid open, and Katsuki yawned loudly, tears prickling the corners of his eyes. As if he could care less about whichever extra was joining the class.
"Hi, everyone!"
Katsuki's eyes widened. That voice. He knew that voice.
A pathetic wheeze left his mouth, and he couldn't help the way his jaw dropped nearly all the way to the ground. There was no way. There was just no way.
And yet there you were, grinning and waving at everyone, with so much as a care in the world.
It was only until your eyes locked with his that your expression changed, but it didn't shift into discomfort or fear.
Instead, you openly smirked at him.
"You fucking bitch!" Katsuki roared, slamming his palms down on the table loud enough that everyone turned their heads.
The teacher gave him a cross look. "Come on, Bakugou. Let's not start this early in the morning. Be nice to your new classmate."
"That's right," you kept on smirking. "I'm excited to be friends with everyone, including you. Don't you feel the same way?"
Katsuki officially had a new person on his shit list.