I think I am a better ghost
than I am a human being.
(©Unknown)
Ambiance; Sendrai Strawberry Latte
by Mister Decaf & Disruptive LoFi
◣▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ ⌘ ▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁◢
You always got along better with the moon than the sun. You felt at home in the night, thriving in the pale lunar eye cradled by a waterline built of clouds. It was more than likely the reason why your bedroom was always dark. You used blackout curtains to block the morning light from bouncing off the walls and waking you. Despite the darkness inside, you kept it relatively clean. The only one that came in your room was your sister, anyway. Your parents didn't care to step inside.
The door handle turns, and a small stream of light pierces the darkness, forcing the shadows into the corners. A head of dark blue hair pokes inside.
"Nere."
There's no answer.
"Nere." The speaker steps into the room, leaving the door cracked behind her. "It's time to get up, you're going to be late." Her voice is soft, but that doesn't make it any less annoying.
"Get out of my room, Mizuki." You mumble under your breath, attempting to pull the blankets up over your head.
"Ah, ah, ah!" She clicks her tongue, ripping the blanket from your grasp and ignoring your mutilated groan. "We haven't gone to school together in three years, get your ass out of bed before I drag you by your hair."
You still don't move. You hate the mornings. You wished that the break never ended. You never wanted to go to university, anyway. Unfortunately, you couldn't become a hero without it. You feel her hands dig into the fabric of your pillowcase. You tighten your grip on it so she can't pull it out from under your head.
Suddenly, you hear water and this makes you sit upright.
"Don't. You. Dare."
Mizuki dismisses it and lets her hand fall back to her side. The other props up on her hip. "Hurry up and get dressed. I just finished breakfast, and I don't want to be late." Your mom would've made breakfast, but her and your dad were out on a business trip.
"Fine. I'll be down in a second." You sigh and rub your eyes with the palm of your hands. She leaves your room with a satisfied smile, heading back down the stairs towards the kitchen.
You wait until she's vanished down the hallway before clambering out of bed and heading to the closet. Inside, hanging front and center is your new school uniform. You found it irritating that you had to wear it seeing that you weren't in high school anymore, but shrugged it off. This was the most prestigious hero school in all of Japan. It wasn't easy to get into by any means, and you had your parents expectations to live up to.
It wasn't easy living in Mizuki's shadow, even if you were the most comfortable there.
Despite the crispness of the outfit, it's surprisingly comfortable. You flatten the tie against your chest and scowl briefly at the skirt. None of this was your style. You tried to see if you could get some trousers instead, but your parents weren't willing to negotiate with the school anymore as they already had to get you in it. You were pretty sure you only made it into class 1-A because of your last name. If it wasn't for that, you wouldn't have made it anywhere, unfortunately.
You finish your morning routine and meander down the stairs to the kitchen. Mizuki is sitting at the table waiting for you. She hadn't started eating yet. You sit down across from her, not willing to disrupt the assigned seating your parents had created when on the first night you arrived. She doesn't say anything about how long it took you to get ready, even if it was twenty minutes. You're surprised that your food isn't cold by the time you dig in after thanking her, but don't think about it for much longer than a split second. Mizuki always makes good food.
After breakfast you clean up the dishes and place them in the dishwasher, starting the load while Mizuki gathered your bag and hers and waited for you at the foyer. Her uniform is identical to yours, though her figure fills it out a lot better in your opinion. It's difficult for you to remember that she's a few years older than you due to her childish nature. You met her at the door and slipped on your outside shoes, letting her ensure the front gate was closed before you began making your way down the sidewalk. You do your best to keep pace with her but let her lead you all the same. You linger quite literally in her shadow, out of the sunlight. She's been to the school thousands more times than you ever had. You knew she wouldn't steer you wrong.
"So..." She begins, stunning white irises clashing with your own indigos. "Are you excited about going to U.A.?"
You shrug, breaking away from her gaze and looking down the road again. "I guess." You weren't sure what to be excited about. More schooling? More training? More exhausting nights full of studying? None of that sounded appealing to you. "I'm not sure what to expect, though."
"You said you're in Class 1-A, right?" She tried to clarify. When you nodded, she smiled. "As I expected of my amazing little sister! That's the main hero class, which is great! I think Eraserhead still teaches that class, too." In your peripheral you see her fan herself with her hand. "He's fine as heeeeeell. If he was the 3-A teacher I'd ask for one-on-one tutoring to keep my grades up."
She snickers when you roll your eyes at her joke. With her you can never actually tell if she's being serious or not. She didn't have a specific type when it came to men. Not hair color, eye color, quirk, anything. You found it strange how she immediately treated everyone she knew like they had been her best friend for a long time. She waves at a man across the street and you cock an eyebrow. Did she even know him? The poor guy looks confused and slightly raises his hand as an awkward gesture.
Mizuki was a strange girl, but you loved her all the same. You wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for her anyway.
"Eraserhead, huh?" You echo her thoughtfully. You'd never met him, but you'd heard about him before.
Eraserhead wasn't a very well-known hero. He worked primarily at night and ran better in the dark. During the daytime you didn't even know he was a teacher at U.A. He was difficult to find in newspaper articles, so you guessed that he didn't like the media. You found yourself drawn to him after learning what his quirk was. Now that you knew he was going to be your teacher, all of the dots were beginning to connect. How many fights broke out at the school? How many students lost control over their quirks? Teachers? How many criminals lingered about? Would you lose control of—
You startle at Mizuki's hand waving in front of your face. "Earth to Nere~" She catches your attention in a sing-song tone before smiling brightly. "We're here!"
You had a terrible habit of losing yourself in thought and not paying attention to where you were going. If you were alone, somehow you'd arrive at your destination unharmed. Had Mizuki not been there to guide you, you probably would've gotten lost. She finally steps out of your way, blue hair waving as she did so.
Behind her is a tall, tan fence with small sections of clear glass panels at the top. Front and center was a wide, blue gate with a U cradling an A at the peak of it. Once through the gate there were trees lining the walkway and what appeared to be grassy yards on either side. Arching high over the path heading towards the front steps is one concrete that mimics the blue gate. On either side of the path are three statue heads and two, tall, red...lanterns? Counting up six statues and four lights total. The school itself is humongous, covered in windows that reflected outwards so you couldn't see in. It was four tall buildings connected halfway with two floors each. You were curious if those were pathways and how the place was set up entirely.
In front of you are three large red doors and are numbered. You'll go through door one, obviously since you're a first year. Mizuki would go through door three. Would you have the same lunch as her? What would your classmates be like? Only 1 in 300 got in, and there were 19 others in 1-A. Five of them, including you, got in on recommendation alone. There are students dressed in the same attire as you and your sister heading towards the inside. Are any of these other people your peers? All of them, technically, but—
"So, what do you think?" Mizuki's voice interrupts your train of thought yet again. She has a tendency to do that.
"It's..." You weren't sure what to say. "A lot larger than the high school ever was." A gentle morning breeze ruffles your hair; it's calming.
She laughs. "Yeah, this place is like one hundred times bigger than that place." Suddenly, she takes your left arm in hers and starts dragging you inside. "Come on! I've still got time to help you find your classroom!"
"You really don't need to help me, you know." You sigh. You're worried about what she has planned, or what she'll do when she really does find your classroom. It's almost like luck was on your side for once when you hear someone call her name. She halts in her tracks and suddenly turns to you.
"Actually, there's been a change of plans. Do you think you can find your class on your own?" Her hands are on both of your biceps and she's asking you firmly. Her white irises bore into violet.
You lean back slightly in an attempt to try and get some of the pressure off of you. "Y-yeah, I can do that no problem."
"Okay, great!" She throws her hands up in the air before enveloping you in a death hug. "I love you a lot, Nere! Good luck making friends and I'll see you after class!"
"Love...you." You're desperate for air.
When she releases her grip and marches away, you're too winded to identify who she's with but you don't care. You already know that it's probably Togata, Amajiki, and Hado. You take a deep breath and focus on scurrying away before they notice that you were there. Whenever they picked Mizuki up from the house, they always invited you along. Sometimes you went but you always felt like the black sheep of the bunch, no matter how welcoming Togata was.
Navigating the school was easier than you thought. It would be quick for you to memorize within a few days. After swapping your shoes you didn't struggle to find your class. The halls were on the outskirts of the building, classrooms towards the inside with large windows on the opposing wall to show the weather. You appreciated the atmosphere, but didn't particularly enjoy how bright it was at the moment. The morning sun was high enough to not shine directly through the glass, but it was low enough to make it almost unbearably warm. Above each door was a small tab with a number and a letter. It's almost pointless because each door had the class number in humongous red letters. You travel down the line until you find the one that says 1-A.
In front of it is a boy with wild, dark green hair. He's taller than you, wearing bright red shoes and a yellow backpack. He kind of stuck out like a sore thumb. You stop a little bit down the hall and watch. He must be one of your classmates. He seems hesitant to open the door, but when he reaches for it, he notices you. You flinch against your will. His eyes are as green as his hair, and he's got freckles smattered across his cheek bones. He looks harmless.
"Oh." You can already see him getting nervous. "Are you...in 1-A, too?"
Hesitantly, you nod. He lowers his hand back to his side before it reaches up to grasp the strap of his backpack coming over his shoulder.
"Right. It's nice to meet you, I'm Izuku Midoriya."
It would be rude to stay back now that he's introduced himself, so you join him at the door. "Nereza Hokama." When he reaches his hand out to shake yours, you point at the door with your finger. "Are...you going to open that?"
"Oh, right!" He turns back towards the door quickly. "Sorry, class is about to start anyway." He reaches out for the red handle and despite its size, it opens like it's made of paper.
You're immediately overwhelmed by the situation unfolding inside.
"Get your feet off the desk, now."
"Huh?"
A boy with dark hair and eyes, glasses, and pointy eyebrows is standing over another boy with unruly blond hair and piercing red eyes sitting at a desk. The blond has his foot up on the desk he's sitting at, leaning back in his chair.
"It's the first day of school and you're already disrespecting this academy by scuffing up school property, you cretin."
The guy with glasses must have a stick up his ass, in your opinion.
"You're kidding me, right?" The blond leans forward and laughs, hands stuffed into his pockets. "Your old school put a stick up your ass or were you born with it?"
Midoriya's face falls, and you press your lips together to subdue your instinctive reaction to laugh.
The kid with glasses opens his mouth to react but seemingly changes his mind. "Let's start over. I'm Tenya Iida from the Somei Private Academy."
"Somei, huh?" The blond replies snarkily. "So you must think you're better than me. I'm gonna have fun tearing you a new one."
Iida gasps. "You would threaten me? Your own classmate? Are you sure you're in the right place?"
The blond scoffs and looks away. Suddenly, his ruby irises narrow in on the doorway where you and Midoriya are standing. Iida looks too.
"It's him." He comments, and the rest of the class turns as well.
Immediately, you want to cower and hide. You can tell right away that they're all looking at Midoriya, but some of their eyes travel to you when they realize that you're standing somewhat behind him.
"Uh, hiiii." You can tell he is internally panicking. You don't say anything.
"Good morning." Iida is marching towards the doorway now. "My name is Tenya Iida from—"
Midoriya throws his hands up. "Y-yeah, I know. I'm Izuku Midoriya, it's super nice to meet you."
Iida hasn't seemed to notice you standing next to the green-haired boy. You feel your heart soar in relief and slip by him, sneaking into the class and locating your seat. The far back corner seat next is taken already by a girl with long brown hair placed up in a nicely done ponytail. You take the desk in front of her and let out a gentle sigh under your breath. That shouldn't have been as nerve-wracking as it was.
Now that you're out of the way of conversation, you focus back on what Midoriya has to deal with. Iida has been venting about the others superiority when another voice adds to the mix. This time, it's a girl. She sounds nice from what you can tell. It's also obvious that Midoriya might have a crush on her with how his face turned pink. Two seats ahead of you is that blond that Iida was arguing with before.
He's glaring nastily at your flustered classmate. You can't help but feel your curiosity wonder as to why. Did they go to the same high school together? Did they know each other personally? How was their relationship? From what you could tell...it wasn't a good one. Maybe they were rivals? No...that didn't seem right. The blond looked like a bully, especially when his eyes darkened and he turned away from the door.
"If you're just here to make friends you can pack up your stuff now." There's a disembodied voice coming from somewhere outside the classroom.
All three students at the door stop and turn towards the user.
"Welcome to U.A.'s Hero Course."
Their faces fall in either disgust or fright, like they don't know what they're looking at. You can feel the shadow of someone taller than them elevating, like the owner was standing up from the floor.
There's a zipper being undone. "It took you eight seconds to shut up. That's not going to work." You see a flash of yellow as it falls to the ground, and he finally steps into the classroom.
You come to the conclusion that the girl, Iida, and Midoriya are facing off with Class 1-A's teacher: Eraserhead.
"Time is precious. Rational students would understand that." He turns and faces the rest of you, confirming your theory. "Hello, I'm Shota Aizawa, your teacher."
Some of the class seem shocked by that answer, which makes sense. This guy doesn't look like much of a teacher at all, nor a pro hero. He picks up the yellow sleeping bag off the ground and pulls something out of it. They look like gym uniforms, all colored red, white, and blue with the school logo.
"Right, let's get this over with. Put these on and head outside."
——— Track 2; CHAOS by Luna Aura ———
Once outside, you stand in a sports field with the rest of your classmates. All of them have descriptive features that you take note of for later identification once you know their names. One of them piques your interest though. He's a boy with dual-toned hair and he looks about as sick of this shit as you do. Just...bored.
"A quirk assessment test?" The class asks.
"But, orientation." The girl from before complains. "We're going to miss the welcoming ceremony."
"If you really want to make the big leagues you can't waste time on pointless ceremonies. Here at U.A. we're not tethered to traditions. That means I get to run my class however I see fit." Aizawa is standing with his back to you and looking over his shoulder.
Was he purposefully trying to be dramatic?
"You've been taking standardized tests all your lives but you've never been able to use your quirks in physical exams before. The country's still trying to pretend that we're all created equal by not letting those with the most power excel. It's not rational. One day the ministry of education will learn."
The class doesn't say anything in response, so he speaks up again. "Bakugo, you had the most points at the entrance exam." The guy with blond hair straightens up. "What was your farthest long-distance throw with a soft ball in high school?"
"67 meters I think." He replies dutifully.
"Right." Aizawa comments. "Try doing it with your quirk."
He hands Bakugo the softball and allows him to approach the throwing range.
"Anything goes, just stay in the circle." Your teacher directs, having a laid back stance in front of you and the rest of your class. "Go on, you're wasting our time."
"Alright, man. You asked for it." Bakugo warns as he stretches his arms in preparation.
The sun is unbearably hot on your skin. It's draining your energy. How did Mizuki find this scruffy man appealing?
Meanwhile, Bakugo uses his quirk to increase his throw. You thought the energy he released was fire at first, but the effects of it display an explosion. That was interesting, and not good news for any of you in the class. He was going to be a pain in the ass to deal with when it came to fighting. As the ball begins to plummet, Aizawa speaks up again.
"All of you need to know your maximum capabilities." The ball lands and he turns back to the group, displaying the distance on his phone. "It's the most rational way of figuring out your potential as a pro hero."
705.2 meters.
The class takes over in a cacophony of excited voices. You're dreading the score you'll get on this quirk test.
"So you think this is fun, huh? You have three years here to become a hero. You think it's all going to be games and playtime?"
No one answers him. You lower your gaze. You can feel his shift in energy. His shadow flickers.
"You idiots. Today you'll compete in eight physical tests to gauge your potential. Whoever comes in last has none and will be expelled immediately."
Your heart plummets into your stomach. You may have just shit your pants, too. That was a drastic response to failure. You do your best not to panic but you can feel the sweat building at your hairline. You only got in here because of your parents and your sister. If you got expelled on your first day of class, they'd disown you. You couldn't let that happen, even if your chances of success right now were slim.
Your quirk was almost non-existent in the daytime. You can't produce anything in the sunlight. If you were in the shade, maybe. This courtyard had no cloud coverage.
You're fucking doomed.
Your heart couldn't decide whether it wanted to be in your throat or in your core at that point. Mizuki had told you of a rumor about Eraserhead expelling a whole class of students who didn't live up to his expectation. Would your class be round two for him? Your quirk struggled in the daytime. You could produce enough to probably survive by the skin of your teeth, but your stamina would drain so much faster than normal. If it was nighttime, you could probably fight for hours.
Would you be able to outdo the weakest person here? You weren't sure.
"Like I said, I get to decide how this class runs." Aizawa pushes his hair out of his face with his hand. "If that's a problem you can head home right now."
A huge test on the first day? I suck at tests.
"You can't send one of us home! We just got here. Even if it wasn't the first day, that isn't fair." The girl who you know as Uraraka thanks to Midoriya complained.
"Oh, and natural disasters are fair?" Aizawa shot back. "Power-hungry villains? Catastrophic accidents that wipe out whole cities? No. The world is full of unfairness. It's a hero's job to try and combat that. If you want to be a pro you're going to have to push yourself to the brink. For the next three years U.A. will throw one terrible hardship after another at you. So go beyond that. Plus Ultra style."
The class was at a loss for words. You weren't even entirely sure yourself if his speech was motivational or not. You could just feel a mix of dread and apprehension tickle at the back of your neck. Mizuki survived his class somehow. Would you be able to do the same?
"Now, show me it's no mistake that you're here. We're just wasting time by talking. Let the games begin."
The first test was a fifty meter dash. The class ran in pairs against one another. A robotic referee stood on the sidelines and cued the start for each duo. Another stood at the far end of the lane to mark times. Everybody was beating their limited scores by large margins. You only hoped you could do the same. Iida was a fast runner with those engines in his calves. His competitor, Asui, bounded through the lane like a frog. You liked her quirk, it was practical for many uses.
You noticed Uraraka tapping at her clothes, a small gleam of pink happening each time she did. You tilt your head to the side in observation. Her run wasn't anything spectacular, but she still ran faster than ten seconds. She didn't beat the sandy-haired Ojiro with a tail.
"Good job." You told her when she returned to the cluster of students.
"Oh." She was surprised when you spoke to her, like she hadn't noticed you. "Thank you. What's your name?"
There's a blond boy with purple eyes, but a much lighter shade than yours. His were closer to an amethyst color than indigo. He projects a beam from his belly button when it's his turn to sprint. He doesn't last long and loses to the pink girl sliding on her feet.
"Nereza Hokama. You're Uraraka, right? Midoriya told me your name."
"Midoriya's kinda funny, isn't he?" She giggled.
You tilted your head to the side. "What do you mean?"
"Well, look at him. He looks like a nervous wreck. Do you think he'll be okay?" She motions towards him with her hand.
He does seem to be freaking out. He's a lot more bold about it than you are. Perhaps he just doesn't know how to contain it, but he's shaking like a chihuahua. How old was this guy? Isn't everyone here at least eighteen or about to be? He's standing at least 5'10" tall, much like the other guys in your class.
"I think he'll be alright. We won't know who's going to be expelled until the end...right?" You shrug helplessly, unsure what to do about the situation. You didn't know Midoriya very well, and even if you did, you aren't good with emotions or comforting other people.
Uraraka only nods in response, and you don't blame her. You aren't sure why she looks nervous for him, but you don't question it. It's none of your concern. As long as you can do better than somebody and not be in last place, you won't be expelled and that's all that matters. You've got big shoes to fill following Mizuki's successful path.
Midoriya races next. Unfortunately for him he's up against Bakugo. The blond towers over him by at least two inches. Why are all these guys so huge? It's uneventful as well, which just makes you even more nervous. Who would you be racing against? It wasn't technically a competition...but it was all at the same time.
When your turn is up, it's you against the boy with dual-toned hair. Upon closer inspection you realize his left eye is blue and his right eye is brown. He sticks out more than Midoriya, but his quiet nature seems to draw you in. His shadow seems different than the others but you can't quite place it. It feels more like your own than anything else. He glides across the lane with ice, beating you by a margin. You bring your shadow to life in order to minimize your energy output and use it as a springboard to launch off of as a head start. You finish in 6.3 seconds.
Next was grip strength. Each student got their own device for individual recordings, and each got three tries. The strongest grip would be the one marked down. You wrapped your shadow around your dominant hand and gave it your best go. On your first try you got 120 kilograms. Second try was 111 kilograms and your third was 116 kilograms.
The third test was the standing long jump. You did similar to what you did in the fifty meter sprint, except used it as a launchpad instead of a springboard. You had enough momentum to launch yourself over the sand pit. 9.2 meters. Test four was repeated side-steps. You split your shadow into two and used them like the walls of a bouncy-house.
Midoriya was practically horrified with the possibility of expulsion. You were, as well. You just didn't realize how bad he had it.
Test five was the ball throw. Bakugo was skipped since he already threw his as a demonstration before it began. He didn't seem to care since he was blowing nearly everyone out of the water with his scores. His ego was inflating and you could feel it. His shadow was gaining mass, as well. It was almost overwhelming. At least you knew that you could use it against him if you needed to. Uraraka outdid everyone there, though. It was then that you realized her quirk was Zero Gravity.
She sent that thing to the atmosphere...
That was useful, and cool. When it came to your turn, you used your shadow to increase your momentum from your dominant arm and got 571 meters. After you received your score, Midoriya stood at the throwing range. He stared at the ball in his hand.
"If Midoriya doesn't sharpen up soon, he's the one going home." Iida commented with his arms over his chest.
Standing next to him was Bakugo, Aoyama—the belly button boy— Uraraka, and then you.
"Huh?" Bakugo turns to Iida. You weren't sure if you liked the explosive blond or not. You figured you haven't gathered enough information about him to make up your mind. "Of course he is, he's a quirkless loser."
You turn your head at this, and so does everyone else. Midoriya was quirkless? If he had, how did he get into Class 1-A in the first place?
"He has a quirk." Iida argued, lowering his hands to his sides. "Did you not hear about what he did at the entrance exam?"
You notice Aizawa eavesdropping into the conversation. You understand why. Student rumors can reveal a lot about the gossiper and their intention, as well as the dynamic of a classroom. It was an integral part of any school.
"Huh?" Bakugo said, again.
Was he deaf? You purse your lips. You turn your head when you notice Midoriya reeling his arm back. His right forearm glows red, like he's supercharging it. When he throws the ball, it doesn't go far. It was pathetic for how much effort he put in: 46 meters. He seems shocked by the result. So are you, honestly. What had happened?
"I erased your quirk."
Aizawa stands between Midoriya and the rest of the class. His hair is standing, and the long white scarf around his neck is floating as well as he holds it away from him with a hand. You can feel your heart speed up in excitement. Now you really got to see why he was called Eraserhead.
"The judges for this exam were not rational enough." He straightens up. "Someone like you should never be allowed to enroll in this school."
For some reason, that statement triggers your blood to boil. You can feel your hands tighten into fists at your sides. Bakugo notices your reaction, but doesn't say anything. He doesn't care. He thinks you shouldn't care either, but he doesn't know you.
"Wait, you did what?" Midoriya asks for clarification. "You erased my...those goggles. I know you. You can erase someone's quirk with a single glance. The erasure hero: Eraserhead!"
"Oh I know him." Asui says with a finger on her chin. The others agree, most saying that he wasn't talked about enough.
Aizawa wraps his scarf around Midoriya and yanks him forward. It's a capture weapon, you now realize. That's especially useful since his quirk wasn't good for much other than support or a surprise attack. You can't hear them anymore, as your teacher has lowered his voice. Something tells you that you don't have to worry about being expelled from Class 1-A. Your intuition tells you that your throat isn't being feasted on by your teachers' canines right now like Midoriya's was. You felt bad for the boy. You almost had a desire to save him. Your nails are digging into your palms. It stings but you don't feel it when your knee twitches. You won't move. If you make any step towards intervening, then it would be your head on the platter. You aren't willing to have your hide skinned from you today, maybe not ever.
Just as abruptly as it began, it ended. Eraserhead released Midoriya from the capture weapon, letting his feet touch the ground. He says one last thing before returning to the class.
Iida has his chin in his hand. "I wonder if our teacher gave him some advice."
"Probably told him to get packing." Bakugo replies with his hands on his hips.
You roll your eyes. What was this guy's problem with Midoriya? It wasn't any of your business, but you liked knowing the details of things that didn't pertain to you. It made you feel included, almost. It was more curiosity than anything else. The two of them were so far apart personality wise that it made for an idiosyncratic relationship. You wanted to know more. Bakugo's attitude was the main thing rubbing you the wrong way. Midoriya came off as a harmless fly, so why did this ass have his panties in a twist?
You watch Aizawa use a small bottle of eye drops before looking back to Midoriya. You follow his gaze. You wonder what he's thinking when he looks at the green-haired boy.
Midoriya tries again. This time, you notice he's not throwing with his whole hand. He's letting go of the ball early and rolling it across his finger. His right forearm alights in red and it looks like electricity crackles across his skin. The ball flies with as much inertia that Bakugo had demonstrated just a bit earlier. Midoriya's pointer finger is discolored and crooked—obviously broken. His ball lands, and his score is given. He turns to your teacher and says something. You can't hear him and you're terrible at reading his lips.
Nevertheless, that was the first time you saw him use his quirk. It was a good throw, but it had an obvious drawback. Did he break a part of himself every time he used it? Would he be able to overcome it with more endurance training or what? You'd have to keep a close eye on this kid. He was...interesting to say the least. Your classmates around you are observing vocally, unlike you.
Bakugo looks like he's in shock. Then, it turns to anger when he rushes forward towards the green-haired teenager. "HEY! TELL ME HOW YOU DID THAT DEKU, OR YOU'RE DEAD!"
Before Bakugo can get too far, Aizawa intercepts him with the capture weapon. The blond turns back towards the teacher. "Why the hell is your scarf so damn strong?"
"Because it's a capture weapon made out of carbon fiber and a special metal alloy. Stand down. It would be wise to avoid making me use my quirk so much. It gives me serious dry-eye." He releases Bakugo and looks away. "You're wasting my time now. Whoever's next can step up."
Midoriya shies away from the explosive blond and returns to the class. Uraraka asks if his finger is okay, and their conversation begins. You watch Bakugo. Why was he so upset by the others' display of power? Did he see it as a challenge? They must have some sort of rocky history for him to have an outburst like that. If only you could have been a fly on the wall in the past.
The next few tests were simple: sit ups, a seated-toe touch, and a long-distance run. You were absolutely drained by the end of it. You hated the sun. It almost felt like it leeched the life out of you, as if it was a mosquito thirsty for your blood. You wanted to shower, badly. You help Midoriya up off of the ground after the long-distance run.
At the end of it all, the class gathered in front of a projector. Aizawa explained that he would show the overall scores all at once compared to informing you all individually. You can feel the apprehension in the air, like a thick layer of fog was settling over your classmates shoulders. You feel the same as them when Eraserheard clicks a button and the projector opens up. All twenty names appear in order.
You got 19th. Your entire body burns in dismay. That was embarrassing. Getting in on recommendations and receiving such a low placing made you want to drown in mud. You lower your gaze to the white gym shoes on your feet. At least you aren't Midoriya. Poor thing was mentally packing his bags already. The dread on his face was apparent. You understood where he was. He only used his quirk on one test and it still didn't pay off. You couldn't say that you did much better than him, though. Any way that you used your shadow would only last you a few seconds. The only reason you survived the long-distance run at the end was because you pushed yourself beyond your limits. You'd probably sleep like a baby tonight.
"Also, I lied. No one's getting expelled." Aizawa explained as he dismissed the scoreboard.
A silence fell over the class.
"That was just a rational deception to make sure you gave it your all during the test."
Midoriya looks like he needs an exorcist.
"I'm surprised you all didn't figure it out." Yaoyorozu speaks up with a hand on her hip. "I'm sorry, I guess I probably should've said something."
Everyone gives her a pointed look, the same thought running through their heads: 'yeah, you should have.'
"That's it, we're done for the day." Aizawa says with a wave of his hand. "Grab a syllabus from the classroom and read it by tomorrow." He begins to walk away, but stops next to you and Midoriya. "Midoriya, take this and go see the old lady in the nurses office. She'll patch you right up."
"Right, thanks." The broccoli-haired boy replied nervously, taking the slip from him.
Aizawa's beady black eyes focus on you. "Hokama, I need to speak with you before you leave."
The hairs on the back of your neck stand upright. "Sure." You reply meekly. He analyzes you for a second before continuing on. "Tomorrow will be much tougher, so make sure you're prepared."
The class disperses into boys and girls and the two groups file into the locker rooms. The others around you are bumbling with conversation about the quirk apprehension test. Most are complaining about the scare that Aizawa threatened you all with. You keep your opinion to yourself when you change back into your school uniform and make your way back to the classroom.
Students are meandering their way through the halls, seeing that the day is over. The afternoon sun is warm in the hallways, but the air conditioning machines pump a cold breeze through the vents that helps you cool off. Your peers are leaving the classroom with their syllabus in hand, so you step inside to grab one yourself. It seems like you're the last person in, as there's no one that steps inside after you. You did take your sweet time getting back up here. You weren't sure whether you were procrastinating from seeing Aizawa or having to meet up with Mizuki outside the front gate. You didn't want to have to tell her how your first day went.
As you turn to leave the class after putting your syllabus inside your backpack, your teacher opens the door. You stop in your tracks.
Shit.
"Ah, Hokama. I was hoping to find you here." He closes it behind him.
You haven't been to public school in at least a year and a half. You do your best to mind your mouth, no matter what he says you really gotta watch what you say. "What can I do for you, sir?" You keep your voice level and maintain eye contact in order to prove you had manners.
"Your score on the Quirk Apprehension Test was lower than what I would expect for a student who got into U.A. by recommendation." God, he really didn't beat around the bush when it came to confrontation, did he?
Your saliva catches in the back of your throat when you swallow. "My quirk doesn't do well in the sun."
"Neither does Tokoyami's but he was in the top five." He shot back quickly.
Your hands tighten into fists at your sides and your shoulders tense. There was a difference between your quirk and Tokoyami's. A teacher at U.A. should know that no two quirks are exactly alike.
"His quirk thrives in darkness, but it isn't darkness itself." Your response falls off of your tongue easier than you want it to. You look down to the floor for a second in reprieve.
Aizawa's lips flatten into a thin line. "So you can only do shadow-work in the sunlight? Did you not go through training? Are you not a Hokama?"
You open your mouth to reply, but no words come out. How were you supposed to respond to that last question? You find yourself at a loss, so your answer comes out robotically. "Yes, I am." It never felt right to say that.
Aizawa didn't speak for a moment, only staring. You weren't sure what he was looking for, or what he was thinking as his face was blank. It made you uncomfortable, not knowing what to expect next. He put you on edge. In a moment like this, you'd forget that he was a hero you were a fan of for being discreet with his work.
"When it comes time to get your hero costume, put in a request for a dark place to hide your hands. That will help you during battle training and class." He tilts his head to the side after he's finished, waiting for you to absorb what he had just said. When you don't say anything in response, he flattens his lips again and turns to leave the classroom. "Have a good rest of your day, Hokama."
You're left standing speechless when he closes the door behind him. Had he just given you advice? You knew that it was something normal teachers did; helping their students. You hadn't experienced it in so long, being looked down on by your parents. Even your past teachers didn't see much potential in you. You figured Aizawa would be another one seeing how you performed today.
When you make it outside the front door, the afternoon breeze is muggy on your skin. You can't wait to get home and change out of these clothes. Violet eyes scan the walkway. Mizuki isn't anywhere to be seen. You begin to make your way down the steps when you hear her call your name.
"Nere! There you are!" You look over your left shoulder to see her coming out of the Third Year door. You don't get a chance to say hello before she envelopes you in a bone-crushing hug, quite similar to the one from this morning. "How was your first day? You gotta tell me all about it!"
You take a deep breath of fresh air when she releases you. Would she ever not greet you like that? "It...was good." You reply with a soft smile. It could have gone better, but you don't want to get into the fine details. What she doesn't know won't hurt her.
"Yay! I'm so happy for you. Do you like your new classmates?" Her smile is blinding.
"Yeah, they're pretty cool I guess." You're trying not to be boring, but you can't live up to the energy output she exudes.
"That's even better! You'll fit right in." She placed her hands on her hips. "I won't be able to walk home with you today. Nejire needs my help planning a classmate's birthday party coming up, so I'm headed to the dorms. I'll be home by dinner, though, okay?"
"Oh, okay." You figured that Mizuki would have wanted to spend as much time hearing about your day, but it didn't bother you that she was busy. If anything, it was more time for you to gather your thoughts about this new school you were attending. You weren't sure if you could handle the stress already, but it was only the first day. "I'll see you at home, then."
"Awesome! I'll see you later, love you!" She gives you another hug before turning and heading away with a goodbye wave.
You wave back at her before pulling your phone out of the side pocket in your backpack. Your address is already stamped into your GPS, so you tap the small house icon on the screen and begin to follow the directions home. Hopefully within a few weeks you would have the route memorized. You were curious about how many of your classmates were staying there already and who decided to stay at home for the time being. You would've stayed at the dorms if it were up to you, but each year was split into different buildings by class, so the two of you wouldn't have been in the same room anyway.
You're lost in thought when you come around the first corner on the main road and bump into someone. When you snap back into focus, you realize that it's Midoriya. He's standing at the crosswalk, waiting for the light to turn.
"Oh, sorry." You apologize. "I should've been paying more attention to where I was going."
"It's alright, it's my fault for standing in the middle of the sidewalk." He replies calmly. "Do you live this way?"
"Yeah, I'm just a few minutes down the road." You answer his question politely. You don't want to give too much away about yourself. You were a private person more than anything else.
"Well..." he scratches at the back of his neck with his injured hand, viridescent eyes nervously looking around. "Do you want to walk together?"
You think about his suggestion. You could tell he didn't mean any harm by it by his body language. His anxiety was palpable in the air. You only ever walked home with Mizuki, so this would be something new if you agreed. It would probably be best for you to try and make at least one friend here, anyway.
"Sure, why not."
Your walk home with Midoriya was pleasant to say the least. It was quiet primarily, but not in a bad way. Perhaps he found it awkward and tense as he shuffled his feet a bit more than what a normal person would. You ignored it in order to not make him feel any more uncomfortable. You would have tried to engage in idle conversation but you weren't sure what to say. You didn't have very good social skills. When the two of you arrived at your street, you stopped on the corner and said your goodbyes.
By the time you finished making dinner a few hours later, Mizuki still wasn't home. The sky was already gray as the sun vanished over the horizon, the dark blue and purple hues blending from the background and leaking into the stars peaking out above your house. The city lights illuminated the waking darkness that flooded the streets. Your neighborhood was safe and quiet, but you hadn't spent a night alone ever since you were a child.
Even though you felt most at home in the dark, the empty dinner table was the opposite of comforting. The full moon glaring through the kitchen window felt more like an omen than the welcoming light it used to me.
If only you knew that this was only the beginning.
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words; 7,959
Welcome to Turbulent!
This story will follow the main plot line
a lot closer than anything I've written
before. Please bear with me regarding
the length of chapters as I don't seem
to know when to cut myself off.
Thanks for reading!
~evixtus