"I talked with the head of your Provisional Hero License Course, and the bastard won't bend. I hope you realize that you're reaping the consequences your foolishness!" Endeavor scolded.

"Indeed, I am," Shouto replied curtly.

It was late Friday night. Shouto was sitting cross-legged on the floor, eating his soba and ignoring his father's lecture. Endeavor paced back and forth in the living room, while Fuyumi cleaned dishes in the kitchen. He was still wearing his hero suite, having just arrived home from another day of working overtime—which was now everyday. Despite this, he still had enough fire in him to reprimand Shouto. On the other hand, Shouto had no desire to expend any energy wrangling with his hot-headed father. Keeping his irritation in check alone was taxing enough.

"How are your grades? Are you still on the watch list?" Endeavor asked gruffly, his voice somewhat calmer than it was minutes ago.

"No, check this week's report card if you want," Shouto responded nonchalantly.

"Hm. Yaoyorozu, wasn't it? Fuyumi said you two have been spending a lot of time together. What gives?"

Crap, he noticed, Shouto panicked. The last person he wanted getting overly interested in Momo was his father. A week had passed since the U.A. gym showdown and their confession. The two decided to keep their status as couple a secret from anyone who didn't have a legitimate reason to know. For Shouto, his father fit perfectly in that list.

"We train and study together," Shouto answered before his father took notice of his delay in response time.

"I see. Her family's a big name in the supports industry. I remember her father started off a sidekick around the same time I did. It's a bit disgraceful that he chose to abandon the path of the almighty, although I suppose he couldn't have gotten too far with that quirk. Perhaps it was a wise decision in that regard. His daughter could certainly take a hint. It's no wonder she got into U.A. by recommendations given how easily she was beat at the Sports Festival."

Shouto's grip on his utensils tightened a bit. Although he wanted to go on about Momo's amazing qualities—her leadership, her intelligence, her determination—Shouto she would've approved of it if it just drew out more conflict. Additionally, Shouto was fairly convinced that his father was incapable of change, either in personality or in perspective. Don't feed the fire, Shouto reminded himself.

"Well, she's improved a lot since then," Shouto stated calmly.

"Still, her quirk can be hindering in battle. Unlike our quirks, which we can use instinctively and instantaneously, her quirk requires thought before execution, which delays attack. Plus, it makes her vulnerable to abrasions, injuries, and extreme conditions."

Although Shouto's gaze was fixed at the noodles before him, he knew Endeavor was glaring into his side, waiting to see his reaction. Since Endeavor started keeping a closer eye on Shouto, he'd taken a point of interest in Shouto's new connection, much like he'd done so with Izuku after the Sports Festival. Is toying with me? Shouto wondered. Even so, he knew that Endeavor's analysis was objective, and Shouto couldn't be provoked so easily. Calming himself, he simply swallowed his soba and stated, "True, though I doubt she'll let that stop her."

"I see. I hope you choose wisely who you surround yourself with. I don't know what that green-haired kid said to you at the Sports Festival, but I'm glad he got you to accept your duty."

"My duty is up to me," Shouto retorted, somewhat more irked than before.

"You're a real piece of work. You keep talking about choosing your own path instead of the one I've set for you, but how's it any different? Frankly, it doesn't matter. We're getting you to the same place. Let's choose a straight, clear-cut path instead of one that twists and turns."

With that, Endeavor marched out of the room.

The last question that Endeavor posed resonated within Shouto. It was a question he'd been asking himself repeatedly over the years, and increasingly more since the Sports Festival. Previously, Shouto believed that his path would be distinguished from that of Endeavor's by rejecting his fire quirk. However, now that Shouto had accepted that as part of himself, he wasn't so certain anymore. Was his path really that markably different than that his father had chosen? It had to be. This answer wasn't a result of Shouto's inability to forgive his father's abuse but an inherent truth. He just hadn't figured out the details yet.

"Swearing at otosan silently, again?" Fuyumi asked as she gestured for Shouto to hand her his empty bowl.

"Actually, I've got more important things on my mind," Shouto responded nonchalantly.

Indeed, he did.

After handing Fuyumi his bowl, Shouto bolted up to his room, closed the door, and flipped open his laptop. Shouto had been cautious in covering up his tracks, and studying with Momo had been a fortuitous alibi. Neither his father nor his sister were aware of his unauthorized visits to the hospital. During his last meeting with Anri, she had detailed how her patient returned seemingly unharmed. To most, he seemed perfectly normal—well, as normal as a psychiatric ward patient could be. However, to Anri, he seemed slightly more disheveled and aloof. Anri's narrative aroused Shouto's suspicions, and consequently, he scribbled down his email for communication. The chances that something besides ads, fan mail, and hero news would appear in his inbox were slim, but he had to check.

SUBJECT: Read this - Anri

Shouto clicked the "open" button repeatedly. As Shouto read through the email, he felt a pit in his stomach form.

Todoroki-kun,

I did what you asked. Security and higher-ups looked into the matter and said that there was nothing to be worried about. Also, I won't be able to sneak you in anymore. They caught me, and I've been fired.

Take care,

Anri.

Yeah, so this chapter kinda just introduces a theme I wanna play with. The beginning chapters of P2 are gonna be a bit slow, but it'll speed up later on. I don't intend on making it as long as P1 (which got longer than I expected, lol).

I've been a bit busy with traveling, so I haven't been able to update as frequently as I'd like to. However, I'm determined to finish this before school starts!

As always, please review 3