Chapter 1
Midoriya's POV
They say I have been dealt a pretty bad hand in life, in some ways I understand it is the truth, and no matter what word which hurt, pierce and cut through me like a knife, I always struggle to persevere through it all. Despite all the cruel insults created to humiliate and shame me, I try to not let it affect me. It affects me. I smile through it and treat my bullies with respect and kindness no matter what. No matter how much they intimidate and domineer over me, I won't let them break me. I'm too far in, dealt with it for years, for as far as I can remember, giving up now would only be admitting to myself that they were right, correct in thinking I'm weak. I am not weak. Yes, you are.
It doesn't hurt me. Yes, it does.
They are wrong. No, they are not.
Get over it. You can't.
They don't mean it. Yes, they do.
They don't believe in what they say. Yes, they do.
I'm not lying to myself. But you do, you're doing it now.
It's the beginning of the final year of Junior high, I had arrived early to avoid bumping into anybody on my journey to school. I walk through the gates of Aldera and enter the building traipsing towards my homeroom, I listen to the sound of my footsteps to the ground and calm me down, the sound anchors me, reminds me that I'm still here, I've made it, just one more year. Before I know it, I reach the room and slide the door open. I scan the room before stepping in. I take a seat and take out my 'Hero analysis for the future' notebook and take a look over my notes and see if there is anything I can add on to it while I wait for class to start. I listen out for the people entering the room and continue to keep my head down, hoping that people just walk past me and talk to their friends. I can hear giggles from the corner, they're laughing at you, I wonder what they are talking about.
I look up and watch as the last of my classmate's file into the room, and finally, my homeroom teacher enters the room with a girl whom I have never seen before, she had an incomparable beauty to even the most well-known and popular of models, yet to those who observe see beyond that and see her eyes are tired and empty, too old and weary for the young bright container they are in. "Introduce yourself to the class." The teacher instructs and the girl complies to his request turning to face the class and just before saying something looks across the class.
"Good morning, I am Seikatsu Arisu pleasure to make your acquaintance."
She smiles at the class and takes her seat in the desk next to mine, as it was the only one left, and a few of the boys look at me in jealousy, no doubt from her good looks. I stare down at my desk a desperately try not to let the stares bother me. I hope that no-one bothers me about this.
Time passes and before I know it lunch has come around. I hear a couple of people snicker as they leave the classroom and I feel someone approach me from my side and my breath hitches, I am unsure of who it is, but, I hope it isn't Kacchan. I slowly turn around to realise it was Seikatsu.
"Uh, hello" I stutter out confused at her presence
"Hello, I as you know I am new to the school and I was wondering if you could show me the way to the lunch hall?" she replies in a hollow tone almost as if she were demanding me, "What is your name?"
"Midoriya Izuku, and are you sure you want me to show you around." I answer worried about how others will react to seeing her with me like hurting her too. I don't think I'd be able to handle being the cause of someone else's pain.
"I don't see why not." She says bluntly, and turns around before I can get another reply in "Well come on then, or do you want me to get lost." She continues in a cold tone and I follow her out of the classroom and awkwardly guide her to the lunch hall while trying to avoid as many people as possible. Looking at her I see she holds herself in a graceful manner, too perfect, to a terrifying degree. Not to mention her eyes which look right through me and everyone.
The contrast between us is large, and I can feel myself shrink next to her, she is confident and calm, everything I am not, she's too good for you to even stand next to. She strides through the doors and lines up with the rest of the students. She turns to me and says in a cold yet almost apologetic way "Thank you, for helping me, despite the fact you were uncomfortable with me." I blush and try to explain myself, hoping that I didn't make her feel bad with the way I acted around her.
"I-I'm sorry it's j-just I didn't r-really think t-that a-anyone would want to b-be seen next to me i-is all." I stutter out and then under my breath mumble "because I'm me."
I look down towards the floor and feel Seikatsu's stare impale me like a sword. She almost seems angry and confused as to why I would say that but doesn't comment on it, as if she were stunned into silence, not knowing what to say. It feels like an eternity until she realises she is at the front of the queue and starts to collect her lunch, as I do the same. As soon as I am done, I scoot away from the awkward situation to escape it and head to an empty table. Unexpectedly, she joins me at the table, and I dread the uncomfortable situation.
"Why would you think that?" She asks catching me off guard.
"Huh?"
"I said, why would you think that? I don't see anything wrong with being seen with you." She states plainly.
"W-well, that's because y-your new, no-one here would w-want to be seen with a quirkless person like me." I say again
"Why would I think that, do you truly believe I am that superficial to think that way?" she inquires.
"What! No, it's just either people don't want to talk to me because I'm quirkless or are too afraid to be outcasted by others by talking to me." I reply, hoping that she wasn't offended by what I accidentally insinuated about her.
"Why am I not surprised." She states before mumbling incoherently to herself and I subconsciously wonder if that is what I sound like when I ramble on about heroes, albeit less grumpily and more excitedly. I feel myself get more comfortable and almost happy that someone has shown me some semblance of kindness this year, maybe it won't be as bad as before.
However, all my hopes are dashed when I notice one of Kacchan's 'lackeys' as he refers to them as approaches our table. He politely taps Seikatsu on the shoulder which disrupts her from her grumbling. She turns around and greets him.
"Hello, how can I help you?" she asks in a cold and mildly irritated tone.
"Yes, I couldn't help but notice that you were talking with Midoriya, and a beautiful girl like you is way too good to be speaking to a quirkless nobody like him. Why don't you ditch him and come with people who are on the same level as you?" He sneers.
She merely raises an eyebrow and sarcastically replies "and that would be you?"
He looks affronted and says "Of course, you do know he is quirkless right."
She looks absolutely done and remarks "Yes, but he also has an IQ of over 10, which sadly cannot be said about you, so I think I am perfectly content in staying in this very seat, thank you very much."
Humiliated and reviled by what was said he backs down with a scowl painted across his face, and I make a sigh of relief that he is gone. She turns back to me and asks "Is that what you have to deal with on a day to day basis?" I simply nod my head and return to eating, hoping that she doesn't push the subject further. To which she doesn't though I believe that is due to the fact that she notices my discomfort over the topic.
The rest of lunch passes quickly and quietly with nothing much else of note occurs, not to mention the final two periods of the day swiftly pass by and before I even know it, the school day has finished and so I pack up my stationery and notebooks, and try to erase my presence so I can escape school with no confrontations, which would be the first to occur in a long time.
I had made it to around halfway home when I was confronted by a group of students, Kacchan included. I gasped in horror as I fear what will happen, a million scenarios play in my head and I can't help but be terrified at this moment.
"So, I hear you made a friend with that new bitch in school, and I don't want you getting any ideas from her, because no matter what she says you will always be a weak, useless, quirkless Deku, do you understand?" Kacchan growls out, like a savage tiger or lion, explosions popping out of his palms I shake and try to stand my own ground.
"I-I'm n-not w-w-weak K-Kacchan!" Yes, you are. I manage to squeak out despite my fear and shaking.
I immediately regret what I just said and try to back away, petrified about what Kacchan would do to me for saying that.
"The fuck did you just say Deku?" Kacchan aggressively asks bearing his teeth like a predator positioning itself to attack its prey.
I take a few steps back and hit a brick wall, tear well up inside my eyes as I realise there is no mistake and I try to muster up any courage at all to make some sort of comeback to justify what I just said and talk my way out of my situation, in spite of the fact that this is Kacchan and he never ends any situation by talking it out with the other party, only beat them into submission like a feral beast. It's truly admirable how strong and confident Kacchan is and I hope that I could be more like in that way.
Darkness.
An empty abyss is what I see next. I don't know how I have entered this place, whatever this place is. I am floating in a never-ending abyss. That is when I hear a loud female dominating voice echo through my mind.
Do you accept who you are?
I open my mouth to answer yes, no, but nothing comes out.
Do you accept your destiny?
My what?
Do you accept me?
Who are you? I try to ask yet once again nothing.
That is when I am left in silence once again, to contemplate what has just happened.