Ch.19 - Eight Months
The closing ceremony of the sports festival was filled with happy cheers of the audience as the winners of the second year were announced. The golden blonde haired Juba waving happily as she was presented with a metal from Hawks. Kasumi and Sadow clapping for their classmate, despite having aimed for the first position themselves. Even so... Juba was the best in class and had only managed to do so by all the hard work she did. Thus, she deserved the title of the winner a second year in a row.
You started to exit the stadium before anyone else. Sighing sadly as you thought back to last year. The year prior it was Juba and two of Momo's students on the podium. Afterward, the pair of you teachers had gone out for tea. But alas, Yuuto was only about two months old right now, thus Momo had her hands full with caring for the baby. Todoroki even taking time off to make sure this period was going by smoothly.
So for today... you were left without your old friend. Though, you were in no way alone. The baby tied to your chest thanks to the fabric wrap was happily calling out as the noise of the stadium grew louder. You couldn't help but question if it was normal for Katsuko to become so happy when there was so much noise. And then cry when it was quiet... she was a strange baby.
But a cute one... so it was all good.
Katsuko was aggressively grabbing at your shirt, making you pause and look at her. Her big scarlet eyes looking at you and her mumbling incoherent baby words when you gazed down on her. Her little wisps of ash blonde hair were getting longer by the day, and thus to keep the hair out of her face (and to prevent her from crying from accidentally pulling her own hair) you had put in an orange ribbon.
"Hungry?" You asked, seeing as it was nearly time for her to get some baby food.
Katsuko happily giggled as a response, seeming to find the button on your hero attire much more interesting than what her mother was saying. You shook your head, moving along towards the empty classroom where her baby things were.
You had an hour to feed her and prepare for your students coming back. The sports festival may be over... but you needed to warn them that come next week, it would start to be prep for their end of term exams.
Katsuko was content once more, babbling and chewing on one of her pacifier rings you had stuck into the baby wrap. Looks like you even got some weight training today thanks to the baby wrapped around your core.
Your footsteps were light, using your quirk a bit to levitate towards the classroom and thus burn off some mental energy. As you watched your daughter happily playing with whatever she could get her hands on.
"What happened? You are supposed to make something of yourself... and instead, you lose to some girl with fire hair?"
The voice caught your attention and you slowed down. While you were not one for eavesdropping... the tone being used, made your gut tighten in annoyance. It was an adult male speaking, and it was clear he was talking to a student.
And the student who had lost to Hotaru in the first round of the top sixteen was... Onishi.
"I can't use my quirk if my hands get hurt... and Hotaru knew that." Onishi muttered back, guilt laced in his voice.
"Well, maybe you should have inherited my quirk then." The man sounded angry, only to chuckle. "Though I can't blame you for not knowing how to use your feminine power... she went and died before you could even ask."
You turned the corner at that point. Something about the way the man was speaking making you upset. Maybe it was because you were a mother yourself, or because you wanted to protect your student. Or maybe because you didn't like the attitude this man was spewing.
"Oh? Looks like the nurse is here to look at your hands, Aito." A man with orange hair the same as Onishi's pointed towards you.
Onishi turned to look, a confused expression passing his face as he saw you approaching. But then again, he knew where this idea was sprouting from... and he knew better than to correct the man before him.
"Onishi, is everything alright?" You spoke, sounds of a baby making both males look at you. One in worry, the other in confusion.
"He's fine. Just heal his hands already." The man snapped at you.
You deadpanned. "Sir, I do not have a healing quirk. If Onishi's hands are hurt... why have you decided to scold him rather then take him to get healed?"
The man rose a brow before chuckling softly. "Oh I get it, you're some concerned spectator, huh?"
He threw his hand over Onishi's shoulder, the teen looking unhappy about this. "Don't worry beautiful, you learn from your pain. I'm sure that you understand with raising a kid and all."
"Oh. I understand quite well. Seeing as I'm Onishi's teacher and a pro-hero as well." Your eyes narrowed, slowly starting to understand what was going on here.
The man blinked. "Teacher?"
He turned to Onishi, smile fading. "I thought you said Ingenium was your teacher..."
"N-No, dad... I said Ingenium was our temporary teacher. Kazarashi is our homeroom teacher..." Onishi muttered, voice small.
He looked uncomfortable. He looked... afraid. This was unlike the student you had known for over a year. And it seemed like it was all because of his father who was the type to speak without a filter.
"Well... maybe you should take a look at that baby you got there, sweetheart and think about what's more important for you to be doing..." The man spoke, adjusting the cufflinks on his suit and then looking towards Onishi.
"Oh, you're right. Silly me!" You feigned an airheaded voice, waving your hand towards Onishi.
The male levitated off the ground and came towards you. Onishi looking at you in shock, all the while you kept eye contact with his father. His father looking ready to say something else, but you cut him off.
"I should be getting your son medical attention." You smiled forcefully. "And if you have any complaints about my teaching, feel free to make a parent-teacher meeting between myself, principal Nedzu, and yourself."
You waved goodbye, using your quirk once more to move Onishi with you. The well-dressed man not saying anything or going after either of you. Onishi glad about that but also looking at his teacher with sad eyes.
She defended him... but what did he even do to deserve that?
After a few minutes, you, your baby, and your student arrived back in your classroom. You motioned for Onishi to take a seat. He did so and watched as you approached him with your bag. Katsuko screaming out in glee overseeing someone she recognized from her father's office as she squirmed around her little baby hammock.
"Katsuko... you're making this difficult." You sighed, taking out a few bottles.
Your eyes widened suddenly and the next thing Onishi knew, he was holding a small baby who looked too much like her father whom he idolized. You working on mixing a few of the creams and ointments from the bottles together.
"S-sensei!" Onishi cried, not sure if he should be trusted with this overly precious baby.
"How bad are the burns?" You asked him, ignoring his panic.
"T-they sting a little... but it doesn't hurt." He spoke, seeing how Katsuko was now happily sitting on his lap and touching the white lines of his UA gym uniform.
"Okay... let me see one of your hands then." You instructed him, only to see him tense up.
"I-I can't unglove my hands, Sensei... I can't control my quirk very well if my gloves are off and I touch someone skin to skin..." He admitted, looking shameful of himself.
"That's why I use a brush to treat my burns." You smiled towards him, showing a brush. Onishi's face looking shocked you had a burn treatment in your bag. "What? Did you forget I spar often with my explosion using husband? I'm pretty much an expert in treating burns now thanks to that."
Holding onto Katsuko with one gloved hand, Onishi held out his other to you. You removed his glove and started to apply the cool cream.
"Hotaru..." You sighed. "I'll have to scold her later for this."
"It's fine." Onishi turned his head. "She was smart... and I know flame users always have burn risks when in fights. It's only a first degree."
You only hummed lightly. Onishi watching as you worked. The baby in his arms cooing, attempting to grab a handful of your or his hair, but not getting any. Onishi's eye falling as he knew it was finally time to say something.
"S-Sensei?" He muttered, and you looked at him as you finished.
"Yes?" You spoke, taking Katsuko back from him and letting the eight-month-old have free range to crawl around the classroom.
"I-I'm sorry... for my dad." He choked out, tears prickling his eyes.
You paused, looking at your student. Onishi was always so strong and stubborn, so seeing him so low let you know this was beyond his father simply being a rude asshole to you.
"There's something more, isn't there?" You asked, seeing Onishi nod. "Talk to me if you wish then, Onishi."
"My dad doesn't exactly think highly of women... as I'm sure you saw." He bit his lip. "And because I got my mom's quirk, he's been especially harsh on me trying to act like a man so I wouldn't be seen as weak because..."
You nodded your head. "Because he alludes women to being less than men?"
Onishi nodded. "My mom died of pancreatic cancer when I was six... a year after I got her quirk. And my father left the picture. I was raised by my mother's parents. But when he found out I was going to UA... he came back into the picture. Constantly telling me to make a legacy as a true hero... like Ground Zero."
"So... your father sees my husband as the symbol of true masculine strength huh? And growing up, it was always that lesson, right? And that's why you like my husband... because your father had told you that you needed to be like him."
Onishi nodded. "I-I still idolize Ground Zero for being an amazing hero... but ever since I came to UA... my original thoughts and ideas have been changing. But even so... I still can't tell my father to fuck off because he's... well, he's my dad."
You sighed, nodding slowly. "I understand. Believe it or not... my relationship to my mother is similar. She left me at a young age, and while we still talk... she has never had an interest in my life. Even now... she is unaware Katsuko exists."
Onishi's eyes widened. "Sensei... h-how do you deal with it?"
You chuckled. "Well... I just decided back when I was in UA... that this was my origin story... and therefore I should choose the path I take for the future. My mother didn't want me... but UA did. My father did. My friends did. And-"
You took out your phone, showing Onishi the lock screen. The male's eyes widening as he saw a picture of Ground Zero sleeping peacefully with a newborn Katsuko on his chest. Covering in messy food stains and his hair more of a mess than usual.
"And... the boy who I had a big crush on wanted me too. And now, I look back and am happy that I decided to let myself write my story and no one else. So Onishi... are you going to write your origin story? Or are you going to let your father?"
Onishi blinked, a few stray tears running down his face. He wiped them away furiously. And then nodded to you.
"I-I'll write my own!" He stood up from his seat.
You were about to reply when he moved over to Katsuko who had found the stuffed bear of her father in your bag. The baby happily waving the toy around and then looked excited as Onishi approached her.
"Ground Zero may be a strong masculine hero in my father's eyes... but Katsuko-chan is proof that he also is complex.... So, I'm still going to idolize Ground Zero... but now I'll idolize him for the person he is, and not just the hero I think he is!"
You sighed. "It's always about my husband, huh?"
Onishi's face brightened up pink. "S-sorry sensei! You are great too! But... I'm interning for-"
"I'm kidding, Onishi." You laughed. "Now, go and change back into your uniform. Class starts in twenty minutes."
"R-right, Sensei!" He called out, running out of the room to get ready.
Katsuko watched with a confused expression as the boy left, but was soon happy when her mother began to take out the baby food. You chuckled to yourself once more, thinking of how your baby had adjusted well to being taken to class with you now.
And how... some students were also adjusting to their own goals, morals, and drives as well.