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The hoards of brown boxes in May Kataoka's apartment grated on her fragile nerves. She squeezed through doorways and between stacks without grace, stubbing her toe every so often. The exhaustion of lifting and bending over caused her back to ache, her body thoroughly unhappy with the process of unpacking.
Maybe if she hadn't spent all the previous day lounging around and binging the latest medical drama, it wouldn't have gotten as bad as it did. Even if none of it was plausible, it was fun to watch. May had laid on her couch in the dark, shoving her face full of noodles with a soft blanket cradling her body. She adjusted periodically. Any sudden movements and the delicate balance of box towers would crumble around her.
Her lazy night placed her schedule behind. It did nothing to ease the mounding stress in the back of her head. The alarm clock blared at six in the morning, reminding May of the work left to do and her day ahead. The piles upon piles of boxes never seemed to end. The hours that ticked by on the clock created an impending sense of doom.
The place that Director Nezu had selected for her to live was modern and sleek, with a color palette of stormy greys and light blues. Almost every wall was a window, with automatic shades and brand-new appliances. Her little minimalist heart pitter-pattered at the visions of her home after she finished unpacking.
If that was ever going to happen, she thought.
In regards to Nezu, she had never seen such a strange little character. His beady eyes and snow-white fur caught her off guard. May had a hard time believing he was in charge of a hospital. Not that being a mouse-like animal restricted his career options, it was the absolute last thing she expected. But he knew his stuff.
During the interview, they had terrific conversations surrounding her scientific passions. Nezu engaged in everything from arterial reinforcement to mobile casts. May remembered how it felt to speak to others with such high intellect. He even made her feel a tad dumb. Her brain hurt after his endless barrage of questions, which was a rare feat to accomplish.
May needed to be at the private hospital by nine o'clock. Her thoughts loomed with clouds of stress. She didn't get to see it or tour it. This was unusual when it came to job offers. A tour of the facilities occurred during the interview, not after the applicant had accepted.
She tried not to look too deep into it, partly because she was the first of her classmates to receive a job. Her worries quelled during her fellowship, which was out of this world. She was able to learn so many new techniques from talented professionals.
It was a dream come true to her. That little mouse must've pulled strings for me or something. May managed to clear most of the boxes, finally seeing the dark mahogany floors below. Sweat gathered on her forehead, jumping ship and dripping down her neck.
Secretly, she wished she had a speed quirk. Maybe even a super-strength, so she could carry many boxes at once. It would be quick and effective. Her thoughts were wandering as her fingers curled around the bottom of the box, her muscles shaking and struggling. When did I become so weak?
She set the box down, and her bottom hit the floor. She used her hands and her hips to move forward, kicking at the plastic tub full of reference books with her feet. And when did I get so many of these?
Nezu mentioned May would be taking care of a lot of pro-heroes. The thought of pro-heroes never gave her butterflies, and she didn't keep track of them as most people did. The only exposure to pro-heroes she gained was from the news or any talk show she would flip on while studying.
She felt like their heroism was never without victims.
The only hero that would be impressive to her was All Might. Since he was, you know, the Symbol of Peace and Justice. That was a rare possibility, though.
Midnight was one of her role models a couple of years ago when she was what she considered a 'wild' college girl. May was never one to slam shots at a party or dance until the night ended.
Her idea of wild was staying up past ten o'clock in the evening and having a glass of wine. She remembered her bland freshman college dorm having a deep violet poster of the scantily clad woman. She thought it was edgy enough to grant her cool points among her peers.
The real appeal wasn't with the heroes, however. May had dollar signs in her eyes, and Nezu seemed to play on that. The experience with various quirks and traumatic injuries was a plus. But she was in debt up to her ears. Working at a blood donation clinic and a ballet studio wasn't enough to pay it all off.
The apartment was, in fact, the first time May had actual air conditioning. The cool breeze against her exposed neck gave her a boost of energy. So much better than having every single thin fabric shirt she owned stick to her skin.
She was sweating, even in the crisp spring air. The thought of walking up to a patient with a damp shirt gave May a headache. After guzzling some water, she decided it was time to prepare for her first day.
After a shower and pulling out her designated outfit, she adjusted her look in the mirror. May had scoured the thrift shops for some new items, which gave her a boost of self-esteem. I look like a working woman! She thought while inspecting herself in the mirror.
May couldn't believe she had made it this far. She was going to be an actual doctor and provide for those that saved others. Even if they did cause more destruction than necessary, yeah, that's the way she should look at it. Right?
Leaving the mess of her apartment behind, May felt her confidence levels shrink. Ugh, so many boxes. I may vomit.
No, with the way her stomach curled, she was going to vomit. Nezu said that she was going to be the chief of the medical staff. She was only a resident, so it felt like a huge jump. After May had questioned this fact, Nezu started speaking circles around her. She ended up dropping the subject. It did hang around in the back of her mind, giving a gentle poke every so often.
May felt her stomach twist into more knots. With the packet in hand, she began toward the directions he had given to her. It seemed a little weird. He never gave her the name of anything or what he did for the hospital. Nezu only referenced himself as 'Director.' That could mean many different things.
She hoped she wasn't getting scammed because she already signed the employee paperwork. The paperwork! The feeling of the thick stack of sheets between her fingers didn't faze her like usual. Nezu had kept her distracted while signing, inquiring about her research studies. She scribbled away her signature, blabbing about stem cells.
You're so stupid, May. Father taught you not to sign anything you didn't thoroughly read!
Finding a job right out of the starting gate thrilled her. Nothing could stop her. She remembered calling her parents, her friends, everyone she knew.
I should've thought about it more. May's nerves were extending through her veins, rushing up to her shaking hands. She gnawed at her fingernails. Though she knew it was unsanitary, the desire to do her nervous tick overpowered any medical knowledge.
How dare you call yourself a doctor, didn't you learn anything?
The closer she got to the location, the more intense her jitters became. Terrifying scenarios infiltrated her brain, her thoughts spiraling downward like bathwater sucking into the drain.
May shakily pushed up her glasses, realizing she didn't put in contacts. Ah! Damn! They're so clunky, and if they fall off my face, it's game over!
Then, out of the corner of her eye, a flurry of white appeared. It was Nezu, the mouse-man. Was that what he was?
May pondered about how he classified himself. His exact words fleeted from her thoughts. It was a mixture of several animals. Too many to name, too many to remember.
The grey cloud of anxiety became more of a storm, overtaking any ambiguous terms he had described. Nezu's suit shone in the golden sunlight, the black a sharp contrast against the pure white of his fur. He waved May down on the street corner as she jogged to catch up.
"Good morning, Dr. Kataoka," Nezu said in a cheerful tone.
"Afraid I would get lost?" May asked, a high-pitched laugh slipping out at the end.
"Of course not, we know you're smarter than that."
Nezu paused and walked alongside her for a minute.
May's jaw was rigid. The spinning in her stomach inhibited her ability to speak. She would open her mouth to say something but nothing would come out. The battle between opening and closing thoughts happened at least five times. When her courage finally mustered, he began talking again.
"But I must warn you. I didn't exactly tell you the truth."
"You're not a scam, are you?" May blurted, whirling back to face him. The worst of her fears surfaced among her chaotic thoughts, escaping through her voice.
"No! You would already be dead or in a foreign country if that were the case." His smile was suddenly sinister. May's panicked thoughts crept onto her expression. "Anyways, you won't be working at a hospital as we said."
May stopped in her tracks, securing her bag over her shoulder. The buildings around her grew taller, casting shadows along the street. The sky swirled above. The whole world slowed down to her. Dazed and disoriented, it took a second for the words to escape her lips. Of course, to Nezu's entertainment.
"Wait, what— I won't?"
"No, in fact, I'm surprised you didn't plug my name into a search engine before accepting the job. I'm the principal at U.A. High School, the top hero academy within Japan."
I'm having a nightmare, that's all. That's all this is. It's just a nightmare with a little mouse insinuating I'm stupid.
May's head pounded. The ambient noises of the shoes scuffling along the street became louder than before. She stumbled, pressing her fingers into her temples. Her pulse was bounding.
"I... I... um."
"It's alright, Dr. Kataoka. I didn't tell you because I knew you wouldn't accept it otherwise. It was a little extraneous detail, and I figured you wouldn't mind. You've already signed a legally binding contract telling me you'll work with us for at least two years."
May's soul left her body. I went to medical school to be a... school nurse?
Her skin turned a sickly pale color. May's jaw slacked. She could see visions of her father screaming about how much dishonor she would bring to the family. May doubled over, fighting down her flipping stomach. She was drooling a little at the mouth and creating a spectacle in the middle of the street. Luckily, no one seemed to care or notice.
"Dr. Kataoka? I thought this would happen." He paused between his next statement. "Which is why I decided to meet you and break the news. Besides, you need some time to recover before you meet the pro-heroes you'll be working alongside."
This is a nightmare. All my schooling down the drain because I couldn't pass up an extensive check. I'm a greedy... good for nothing... I... I signed my soul to a mouse for two years of my life? ... I... who am I?
May gripped her hands together. It was an attempt to ground herself within her breaking reality. Was she still real? She had a hard time believing so. A couple of pinches later helped convince her. May's feet felt like cinder blocks, and lifting them was impossible. Her eyes were glazing over until a little paw patted her leg.
"Take your time. The staff meeting doesn't start until eleven o'clock. We'll go into more detail about your job soon." Nezu's voice held soft points of comfort.
"Good news is, we've already set up a license for you to use your quirk."
Why would I need my quirk? I'm a Medical Doctor. Wait, is that the whole reason he chose me—
May craned her neck away to look from the ground, putting her hands on her knees. Her eyes washed over his expression, which was wholly unchanged. She drew a deep breath in and exhaled before responding.
Throughout medical school, the instructors encouraged students with quirks to use them and gain licensure. May was one of the only people who decided to brave the challenges without it. She held some pride because of her choice. So much for that.
"With all my training, I should be able to heal without it."
"Yes, there's no doubt."
They started walking again.
Nezu's voice helped May recover from her internal crisis. She focused on the up and down tones, ignoring the stabbing pain in her belly. The warm temperature outside didn't help.
"But, some of the injuries will take weeks to heal without your quirk. You'll have to show me how it works."
May's quirk was, well, not easy to explain. It was the worst quirk of any healer she had ever heard. The way she had to use it made her sick when she was younger.
She didn't learn anything about it besides the underlying mechanism. She refused to use it. Her parents encouraged her to try to make a life for herself without it, even urging her to act quirkless if she so desired.
"It's kind of gross, to be perfectly honest," May said, wringing her hands. "It scares everyone. I don't think anyone would allow me to use it without sedation unless I find some other way around it. I may end up with more sick patients. For other reasons."
Nezu's eyes sparkled, and he chuckled to himself. The revelation caused him to grip his hands into little balls. May saw the wheels in his head turning, his shining black eyes filled with excitement. "Oh, Dr. Kataoka, how you bring me such joy! I cannot wait for the rest of the staff to meet you."
May was in a trance at that point, numb to the idea of being a school nurse to a bunch of wild aspiring pro-heroes. To a bunch of teenagers and reckless pro-heroes alike, actually.
She swayed, the woozy feeling coming back with a vengeance. Nezu kept a hand near her leg, almost to guide her to the location. Silence fell on the rest of their walk. May's thoughts spun into more despair.
I could barely speak to my surgical instructor, let alone pro-heroes! Her desire to help the everyday person dashed with a simple signature.
May didn't have a choice in the matter, though her thoughts immediately fled to ways of escape after the initial depression. The massive stack of paper should've been a red flag, but it wasn't.
The stupid smile on her face and the way Nezu stared at her burned in her mind. She assumed he thought something along the lines of: 'this absolute sucker.'
May figured it was formalities. That's what paperwork usually is. Maybe not. She had a lot of thinking to do.
There was no possible way she could get out of the contract without risking her reputation as a doctor. Who knew how much power Nezu had? He could blacklist her completely. May had a sneaking suspicion that Nezu had no problem with passive-aggressive threats.
His little smile became less like a reassuring one and more like an expression of sadistic enjoyment. Her body was beginning to reject what had occurred, even if May's mind tried to get used to the idea.
She had to accept her fate and move on. It would take a second. Maybe a little bit longer. Scratch that, a lot longer.
The shining arch to U.A. High glinted in her glasses. At that moment, May knew. She was going to vomit right there in the bushes. And she did.