"Have a seat please." Principal Nezu offered to us courteously as he sat down. Keeping my hands above the table intertwining my fingers together. I had a bad habit of tapping when I'm nervous and I was most definitely nervous.
"It'll be just one moment, the person we're waiting on should be here momentarily." The small man, or should I say large rodent, was idly sorting and straightening a few papers to pass the time. I took a steadying breath to try and calm my nerves. This was happening.
This was actually happening. I'm sitting with my foster father in the principal's office of U.A. High School going over the paperwork and recommendation letters. I'd already gone through the aptitude test. It was a generic footrace and that was cake for me, almost felt like cheating. Most things do when you can control time.
The door to the office opens and in walks a man I haven't seen in a few years. I knew he worked in this school but it's a bit of a surprise.
"Erasure Head?" I couldn't help but say aloud.
"Indeed. Mr. Aizawa, also known as Pro Hero: Erasure Head, is one of the first year homeroom teachers for our Hero Course." The principal confirmed. The man in question sits next to the principal quietly before looking to Enji on my left.
"Good afternoon." Short and to the point. Mr. Aizawa then looks at me, a moment of recognition dawns in his eyes. "Interesting to see you again. Especially here." The little principal nods alongs with a pleasant smile.
"I'd say the same given what we've found in your records. Normally you wouldn't have gotten as far through the acceptance process with a background such as yours." The principal pulled a paper clipped stack of letters and thumped them on the table. "Although with the recommendations that have accompanied them, and the sheer amount of them at that, it was hard to overlook." I was surprised and wasn't afraid to show it. The pile of letters was much larger than what I had expected. I turned to Enji to see he wasn't shocked at all. Enji Shiro, my foster father, was the one in charge of putting my paperwork through so of course he'd known. It made me wonder how many people's lives I've impacted enough for them to take the time to write a recommendation for me. "Now with that being said we've hit a bit of a snag."
"What kind of 'snag'?" Enji's tone was polite, but he was prepared to fight for my place in this school. You see, shortly after we opened my acceptance letter we were called in to discuss it. Although I didn't know what else there was to discuss. Yet here we are.
"A bit of a clerical error, I'm afraid. You see we've accidentally accepted more students than what we are accustomed to. The curriculum is set for twenty students per class, with Miss Aoki that would make them twenty one." Principal Nezu pulled back the stack of letters neatly lining them up
"To put it plainly, that's your fault. You've already sent out the acceptance letter. To call us in here just to rescind that acceptance is insulting." Enji's brow creased but he did keep his body language calm. I could tell in his eyes he was angry at the school for their 'clerical error'. The normally calm blue in his eyes was more akin to a turbulent ocean.
"Who am I going up against?" All eyes turned to me when I spoke up. Like they weren't expecting me to say anything. "You said there were twenty seats and you accepted twenty one by mistake. Are you implying I was at the bottom of the list of applicants that made it? Or is there someone I'm competing against for the last seat?"
"Why not drop one of the students that wasn't admitted through recommendations?" Enji suggests.
"That's a separate thing." Mr. Aizawa speaks. "There are always thirty six seats open for the regular entrance examinees. The other four are left for those in the Recommended Exam. The issue lies with your ranking among those who were also recommended."
"So you're saying compared to those other four, I'm the weakest?" My shoulders sagged more than I should have let them. Deflating and watching my hopes escape with my sigh. I don't want to accept it. I had hit the ground running ever since I decided on my future. I didn't want this to be the thing that stopped me. Not some damned 'clerical error'! Squaring my shoulders I look imploringly at Principal Nezu and Mr. Aizawa. "Let me prove you wrong. Give me another test, a practical or anything. What is so special about the curriculum that it needs specifically twenty people? Are the classes divided into groups? Is there a partnering program? Let me be a solo student if I have to, if it's harder then so be it! Give me another chance to prove to you I'm worth this!" The beat of silence after that was doing things to my anxiety. I made sure to keep my eyes on them, I didn't want to back down.
"Do you stand by that?" The principal laced his paws together giving me a searching look. "You're willing to work harder than the others to prove your place in this school?" I give him an assured nod.
"Yes sir!" The silence again, but Mr. Aizawa and the principal looked to one another briefly. An unspoken conversation going on. The principal pulls a separate stack of papers out that was underneath the recommendation letters.
"I have here a collection of all the instances where you've been apprehended by authorities. Varying from vandalism, disturbing the peace, breaking an entering, theft, and truancy among others." Principal Nezu begins to read. Enji reacts quickly standing and slamming his hands on the table. The papers on the table float briefly before going back to their places.
"That's in the past. We've already gone over this during the interview process and it was forgiven then. There's no need to pull that out again!" I can see Enji's jaw clenching as he tried to keep his cool and failed. We'd gone over my juvenile record multiple times before I was even allowed to take the practical exam. For them to bring it up yet again felt like they were using it as an excuse to invalidate my acceptance.
"We have gone over this, yes. But just as time goes on we cannot erase our pasts." Principal Nezu aligns the stack of recommendation letters to the juvenile record pile. The recommendation stack clearly doubled the size of the two. "Our good deeds do not cancel out the bad deeds we have done. It is a tough decision to make, and as an educator it pains my heart to even be in this situation." Enji sat back down slowly, coming to terms that I was about to be rejected by my school of choice. It's hard to argue facts. Plus angering those who you want to do you a favor is ill advised. It was a near miracle they even considered me with the record I had. "That being said. I'm always one to humor an experiment."
"Excuse me?" Enji and I were now confused at the turn of the conversation.
"I'm going to be blunt with you. Mr. Aizawa's record of expelling students is historic. So honestly I see no reason why you shouldn't be in his class when the chances of the twenty seats dwindling to nothing is a possibility." The consistent jovial demeanor of Principal Nezu gave the feeling that everything was a little experiment to him. A scientist curious about how things will unfold when new scenarios are introduced. "Since you are technically an accepted student under Mr. Aizawa. He currently has the authority to either accept you or expel you as he sees fit. So I am leaving the situation up to him." I turn my focus to the daunting gaze of Erasure Head. A man who first hand knows of the situations I had gotten into in the past. There was no sweet talking him with a half truth about tragic orphaned street kids. This was the man that literally snatched me up during a turf fight and tossed me into the foster care system. Where I eventually ended up with Enji Shiro and his wife. Logically if I were him, I wouldn't accept me either.
"I don't give many second chances, take this as your first one. I'll be seeing you in class at the start of term." His eyes were saying, 'don't disappoint me'. The bubble of excitement travelled up my gut and showed brightly on my face. My smile splitting from ear to ear with no way of hiding it.
"Yes sir!" I don't know what compelled me to but I stood straight up out of my chair at attention, as if I were a soldier in his army. Arms stiff by my side and heels together. Enji more casually stood up beside me and bowed respectfully. His hand landing on my head to make me bow along with him.
"Thank you so much for this opportunity." Coming up from the bow both Mr. Aizawa and the Principal had also stood. "I promise you that Takaomi will not let you down."
The first step we took outside the school gates Enji looked like someone cut his puppet strings. Slumping to the ground into his comfortable squat, making his dress pants wrinkle. His tie shortly comes undone along with the first few buttons of his white dress shirt then he stuffs the tie into his pocket. He takes a deep breath and runs his hands through his brown slicked back hair, purposely messing it up. The man was in his mid thirties but still detested anything that involved formal attire.
"You okay there, Enji?" I squat down next to him, my woman's slacks more elastic and forgiving when I do. He turns his head and looks at me sideways, he looks exhausted.
"I'm damned peachy, kid. Let's go home so I can get out of this monkey suit." Rising to a more natural stance, his shoulders back but his hands in his pockets. He turns his head and cracks his neck on both sides. "I'm glad for you, seriously. You worked hard for this."
"That was a real emotional rollercoaster for a second there." I stand in a similar pose, although with the pockets being fake on my slacks I just position my hands on my hips. Hooking my thumbs through the belt loops. Enji had his phone out and was texting his wife.
"Hiromi's gonna make stew to celebrate." He puts his phone away before looking at me again. "You can invite your little gang over too, I suppose."
The house is a bustling festival of people. The Shiro's household consisted of myself, and five other foster children. Plus the added three of my ex-Akuma gang. That makes eleven people and a dog crammed into a kitchen dining room the size of whatever you'd imagine a small kitchen dining room to be, but imagine it smaller. A thin lady a whole head shorter than me sets a large bowl of my favorite stew in front of me, her black braid dangling a little too close to my food.
"Congratulations honey." Hiromi kisses the top of my head. Pulling my head into her chest for a brief one sided hug.
"Congrwats Taka!" Two of the triplets say from across the table.
"Yeah, congrads!" The other added a second later. The triplets, Mamoru the oldest, Minoru and Miroku the youngest. They were the most recent additions to the household. The Shiro's took in an adorable set of brothers with the same shade of dark blue hair and varying eyes of green. They were all nearly identical, save the conveniently placed birthmarks on their necks. Masaru, one of my friends, comes up behind the trio smiling. His short messy dandelion hair a sharp contrast to their dark blue. Masaru's quirk was a mutative one with monkey attributes. His large round ears pierced twice on both sides, his sideburns fuller but recently trimmed, his agility was amazing and most importantly his blonde monkey tail was long and dexterous.
"You gotta say it at the same time guys. Try again, ready and one, two, three...!" Under his instruction the three brothers still get it wrong with Miroku a second behind like always. It was closer though. "Good job guys, and good job Takaomi." He began clapping and got the little boys to clap with him. I mimed a little bow to their applause. They were super young and hadn't even discovered what their quirks were yet. Masaru had grown to them like a moth to a flame. Tickled at the fact that their names sounded like his. He felt like their older brother in a way. It was refreshing since he was the youngest of my friends, not including myself.
Masaru was eighteen and only a little taller than me. Whereas Kuroi, the edgy crow-winged man hovering in the archway because his wings were too big, was twenty. His black raven hair always in a windswept look to one side, the dark shine to his wings mirrored in his large eyes. His skin is a pale cream save the area around his shoulders where his tattoos were.
"Thanks, man." I lean back and look to the archway where Kuroi is. The twenty three year old Kenzou lurking in the corner near him. Kenzou was a brute of a character, but only physically. His ram horns and red eyes seemed intimidating to those who first met him. The man was nearly taking up a fourth of the kitchen by himself. "Thank you guys for being able to come out." I brought my legs up and sat cross legged as I normally do.
"I'm here for Mrs. Shiro's stew just as much as I'm here for you, Taka." Kenzou says just as Hiromi passes him a large helping of stew. She playfully winks at him and smiles. Enji on the other side of the dining room groans at the display.
"Sweetie, please don't flirt so blatantly in front of me." He shakes his head while passing small bowls of stew to the triplets. They dig in with no hesitation and just as quickly begin to make a mess. "Careful boys, don't waste that yummy stew. Ponta's waiting to steal it from you." The boys look down and under the table where the little terrier is indeed staring in anticipation. Her little nub of a tail tick-tocking from side to side, her eyes wide. Ponta knows the boys drop the most food and she's ready. At the end of the table sitting next to Enji is Kai, another foster kid who's about to graduate high school. He's normally not seen at the dinner table with us. His shifty yellow eyes darted from person to person. He was as tall as Enji but you couldn't tell by how hunched in he held himself. Layering clothes on making it hard to see the green scales that only covered a portion of his body. Aside from his slit pupils and winding green tail I wasn't really sure if he was a lizard. He really kept to himself.
"Here Ponta, help yourself." Kai spoke quietly as he spooned out a chunk of meat and held it under the table. Ponta happily jumped over and gobbled it up. Kai's lip twitched back in a momentary smile, white pointed teeth poking out briefly.
"You shouldn't feed dogs human food, it's not good for them." Reiko said from my left. She'd joined the household after Kai and before the triplets. All in all she looked like a normal middle school aged girl, light brown hair and brown eyes. She could honestly pass as Enji and Hiromi's biological child, me with my sky blue hair could never. Her quirk was a simple but useful one, Measurement. She is able to discern the size of things just by sight. Including exact distances, circumference, heights, width, you name it. So long as there is something to reference. "A little is okay though. Just with as much as the boys drop she's gonna get fat." Reiko pats her leg calling Ponta who bounds over. Reiko coo's and baby-talks the dog, squishing her little fuzzy cheeks. "You're gonna get fat, yes you are. You're going to turn into a fuzzy round ball."
"My Ponta is cute whether she gets fat or not." Enji announces proudly. Hiromi giggles and leans against the kitchen counter near Masaru. The two of them just hold their own bowls and eat while standing. We all pleasantly enjoy our stew in comfortable conversation for the rest of the night. It's not a grand celebration but it's still heartwarming that we're all able to gather like this.
The summer passes in the blink of an eye. It's the start of term and I'm a conflicting mess of excitement and anxiety. The hem of my school blazer is going to get worn with how much I'm twisting it in my fingers. Would Erasure Head, I mean Mr. Aizawa, actually make me work harder than the rest of the class? I did ask for it. Does the class count being uneven actually make that much of a difference? Am I actually going to be able to do what I said I'd do? This would be the day I find that out. Approaching the school gates I stop and admire the massive facility. The school was like it's own little city within the city of Musutafu. Having all those training grounds would definitely take up a lot of room. Students were passing by me heading toward the large doors.
"Okay Takaomi," I sighed to myself. "Make a good first impression. Don't come off like a delinquent." I closed my eyes and rubbed my face vigorously. "Okay!" Slapping my hands back down to my sides I stepped forward and immediately bumped into someone. "Oh, sorry!" The ash blonde boy glared down at me and grunted.
"Watch it!" The way he wore his uniform was almost disrespectfully casual and he wasn't even wearing his tie. Carrying himself with an air of superiority while looming over me. I glared back, ticked off even though it was my fault I stepped in front of him.
"Huh?" I sneered. "I apologized, asshole. It was an accident." He matched my sneer with one of his own before turning away in a huff. "Ah shit..." I slapped my forehead in a moment of utter regret. "Well there goes my first impressions."
I really hope he isn't in my class.
He was in my class.
Fuck.
I stopped in the doorway of the classroom once I saw him. Thankfully he didn't see me. I checked my class seating chart quickly and saw I was assigned to the seat directly in front of him.
Double fuck.
His feet were propped up on his desk and he was leaned back way too comfortably. When I got close enough to notice he narrowed his eyes at me, I stared back blankly.
Don't fight him. You're expendable. Just bear it. He can't be that bad, he's in the Hero Course.
My sad internal pep talk not to choose violence didn't help much. Then another student with glasses passes by me in a rush and starts berating him on his seating posture. They go back and forth and I feel really fucking awkward. They're having this argument right next to my desk. I'm not able to sit down.
The rest of the class couldn't help but watch the two go at it. I let my eyes wander and check out the others. A few meet my eyes with subtle looks of pity at my predicament. I glanced at my seating chart again to make sure I really had to sit here.
"Fuck..." I groan to myself. It was louder than I thought. The student with the glasses had wandered off to the doorway to speak to another student. Leaving the guy I was trying to avoid to direct his attention back to me.
"You got a problem?" He grumbles and sets his feet on the ground. I reel in my urge to match his negativity and just shake my head. Setting my bag down and sitting in my seat. I hear him growl behind me.
Is he..? Did he just growl at me?
"Deku..." I hear him mutter. I glance back at him and he's staring at the broccoli headed boy at the doorway. I'm assuming they know each other.
"A test of our quirks?!" A handful of students complained. Mr. Aizawa had appeared, in a sleeping bag no less! He instructed us to change into our gym clothes and head to a field. Now we're apparently diving right into a physical aptitude test.
"What about the entrance ceremony? Or the guidance sessions?" A girl with a brown bob cut spoke up. I was wondering the same. Most first days of a school year are super chill and informative.
"No time to waste on that stuff if you want to become heroes." Mr. Aizawa stands casually with his hands in his pockets. "U.A. is known for its 'freestyle' method of teaching. That applies to us teachers as well." He explains in more detail the aptitude test and how it's not a fit measurement for what we are capable of. Instead we're going to run through it again but with full reign of our quirks.
This should be informative. I was wondering what the other's quirks were.
"Bakugo, how far could you throw in middle school?" It's the ashy blonde boy who responds.
So that's his name.
"Sixty seven meters." He replies.
"Great, now try it with your quirk." Mr. Aizawa tosses him a softball and Bakugo catches it easily. "Do whatever you need to just don't leave the circle. Give it all you've got."
"Awesome." Bakugo mutters before winding up, then hurls the ball with a shout. "Die!" A massive explosion erupts from his palm launching the softball clear into the sky!
Holy shit!!
With that banger of a demonstration we proceed to do our aptitude testing. The whole list being fifty meters dash, endurance running, grip strength, side to side stepping, upper body training, seated toe touch, standing long jump, softball throw.
The first group up for the dash are completely outdone by the guy with engine legs. We're all going two at a time and those who's quirks allow us to end up using them in some interesting way. There were some who just ran like normal, like the invisible girl for instance. It gets to the point where everyone but myself has done the dash. Truth be told I think it's a waste for me to do this one.
"Aoki, you're up." Mr. Aizawa calls me over. I don't bother positioning and stand casually at the starting point. "Just begin and the robots will be able to give us an accurate time. Maybe."
"What's up with that, 'maybe'?"
"I wonder what her quirk is?"
"Why's she getting special attention?"
"Hold on, are there twenty one people in our class?"
The chatter behind me falls on deaf ears. I take a breath and hold it, the world freezing around me. A falling leaf in the distance hovering motionless in the air. Birds in flight suddenly still. Easily falling into a light jog without having to take another breath. It only takes me a few seconds to pass the line. I release my breath at the end and turn to face my teacher. He looks down to a device in his hand that was synced to the robots.
"That's an annoying amount of zero's." Mr. Aizawa sighs. "Come here." I blink over appearing right next to him in what seemed to be an instant. He doesn't react but my classmates for sure do.
"Holy cow! How'd she do that?"
"Does she have a teleportation quirk?"
"Those are rare."
"That's your score," He turns his tablet device to show me.
"That is a ton of zero's." I do notice at the end there is a number that isn't a zero. That can't be though. "Wait, is this broken. I thought I stopped time? There shouldn't be anything but zeroes." He turns the device around again looking at it.
"Apparently not. You're more likely slowing time down. This isn't even the speed of lightning yet, it's close though. Now get ready for the next one." He slips the device into his pocket. Ignoring my little crisis about what my quirk could actually do.
Mr. Aizawa had threatened the class with expulsion for anyone who got the lowest score overall. I knew I was safe, although the nervous broccoli was probably going to be the first sacrifice. Principal Nezu wasn't joking when he said Mr. Aizawa was famous for expelling students. People were taking their turns to throw the softball at this point, I'm going to be last of course. Being student number twenty one.
"Hey," there's a tap on my shoulder. "I'm Mina Ashido. Your quirk is pretty cool, is it a speed quirk?"
"No, it's-," I hesitate, remembering that there was actually a clear measurement of time for my run. "Uh, ya know at least I didn't think it was. It's officially marked down as Time Manipulation."
"That sounds awesome! So you're not running really fast, you're just slowing down everything around you?" She gushed excitedly.
"Pretty much sums it up, yeah." Then I remember I hadn't introduced myself. "Right, I'm Takaomi Aoki."
"Nice to meet ya!" She smiles and turns back. The rest of the class steps up for their turn to throw the ball, but when the broccoli steps up the vibe changes. He threw the ball but it only landed a few meters away. Even I was disappointed, to be fair though he hasn't had a very impressive performance. Then Mr. Aizawa goes into Erasure Head mode and begins to lecture him.
"E-erasure Head?!" The green haired boy exclaims after recognizing who exactly our teacher is. The red eyes and hair floating slightly, his use of the capture tape.
"Who's that, never heard of him." Mina wondered aloud. Those around us whispering about it as well.
"He's an underground hero. He can erasure quirks when he looks at you." I fill her in and she looks at me surprised.
"You must know your heroes, huh?" Mina comments. Meanwhile Aizawa gives the broccoli head another chance. The boy is standing there with the ball in hand and muttering to himself. He winds up. Then smashes that ball out of the park! Proudly turning to face Mr. Aizawa but grimacing from what looks like a horribly bruised finger.
"I can still fight." He says, and Mr. Aizawa looks excitedly pleased by his statement.
"He got over seven hundred meters?!" A blonde guy behind me says in surprise.
"Finally, a hero-like record!" The infinity girl celebrates.
"His finger is swollen." The engine guy notices. He is completely right too, we can see it from where we're standing.
"His quirk has a horrible blow back." I look to Mina while crossing my arms. "I know people with power boosting quirks but nothing that drastic."
"Yeah, that looks painful. It'll be hard to do anything with a quirk like that." She agreed.
"Deku!" Bakugo breaks away from the group with a yell. Charging straight for the broccoli kid like he was fully prepared to demolish him. His hands were sparking dangerously. Mr. Aizawa makes quick work of him with his scarf. His hair rising and his eyes glowing red yet again.
"Don't keep making me use my quirk over and over. I have dry eyes." Of all things to be worried about, that wasn't one I would have guessed. Then he released Bakugo and walked off.
We continued the rest of the aptitude tests, and I paired up with Mina for the sit ups. The last one being the long distance run and it almost goes without saying that I was first. Having to take small breathing breaks since it was a longer distance, but even still. With the robots carefully monitoring us I was baffled to find out that there was still a noticeable measurement to my time. Breathing breaks aside I thought I stopped time. It was true then, I didn't fully stop time. I just greatly decreased it's passing. Instead of being disappointed I was actually excited. That means there are things that I might be actually able to see in slow motion? He did say I was slower than lightning. What does lightning look like at my time paused speed I wonder?
The day came to an end and I'm walking out with Mina and the invisible girl, she introduced herself as Toru.
"Do you guys take the train to get here?" Mina asks while adjusting her backpack.
"I do, do you?" Toru bounces when she talks, I assume to add emphasis for lack of a visual body.
"I don't." I reply. "But I walk past the station to get home. I don't live too far from here actually."
"Do you maybe want to stop for a bite to eat? There's this cute taiyaki stand right in front of the east side entrance to the train station. I've always wanted to try it!" Toru had moved to stand in front of us while walking backwards. I shrug and smile at where I assume her head is.
"Sure, I'm game." I pull out my phone expertly and bring up an image of the place I think she had in mind. "If you mean the Sweet'ums Taiyaki food cart then I know exactly what you're talking about. I love their Bavarian cream flavor."
"That's the place!" Toru dances a little. "What about you, Mina? You in?" I turn to her as well. She doesn't take long to answer.
"I'm totally down for some yummy snacks, let's go!" Pumping her fist in the air we all march off to the train station.
The three of us sitting on and around a bench enjoying the different flavors we got. Sharing bites and picking favorites. It was refreshing to have some girlfriends, it's honestly been a while.
"You're right, Takaomi. That Bavarian filled one is delicious. I think the banana pudding is my favorite though." Toru says finishing her own taiyaki. It's hard for me not to stare.
It's just.. Disappearing?
"They're all good, I can't decide." Mina smiles and finishes her own, thankfully breaking me out of whatever trance I fell into. I don't want to offend but I've never met an invisible person before. "We'll have to come back and try more next time." My head bobs in agreement since my mouth is occupied. A guitar solo begins rocking out from my blazer pocket.
"Oh, sorry guys. One second." I pull my phone out and answer without looking. "Hello?"
"Hey Taka, you done with school?" It was Kenzou. "Thought you'd be home by now. The guys and I wanted to take you out for dinner."
"Oh! Wait, are you guys at the house?" I jumped up, I have a tendency to pace when I'm on the phone. "Sorry, I went out with some class mates. We're just at the station though so I'm not far."
"Do you have to go?" Mina asked as I walked past her. I shrugged my shoulders with an uncertain smile. I don't really have to, the guys can wait.
"You're just down the street then? Care if I swing by? The guys are getting ANNOYING!" Kenzou sounded louder at the end like he wanted someone else to hear. There's a huff from someone in the background.
"I'm huuungry!" I hear Masaru whining distantly. Kuroi scoffs at him but says nothing that I can make out.
"He'll live. If you want to pick me up you can, we're just getting taiyaki at Sweet'ums." I reply back and bite into my taiyaki again. It was getting cold so I started eating it faster.
"Got it, see you in a few." Kenzou hangs up and I slip my cell back in my pocket.
"I didn't know you had plans, sorry." Toru apologizes. I wave at her with my free hand.
"Don't be. I didn't know I had plans either. My friends sorta just decided for me." Falling back into the seat on the bench I finish the taiyaki in one massive bite. The size of the treats were actually decent. I'm not sure if I'll eat much when I go to dinner with the guys. "What were we talking about again?"
We pick up some topic of conversation and get into it. Toru is very expressive for someone without a face. I've learned also that Mina is all energy and hype. Toru started playing music from her phone, it was an up and coming band called Yellow Mirror. I've been hearing their music a lot lately. A nice blend of pop and alternative. I added a few of their tracks to my running playlist.
"Oh, this one is new! I think they're coming out with a music video for this one soon." Toru changes the song and a guitar strum reverbs before a pause of anticipation. Mina bounces in her seat recognizing the intro.
"Blood tongues is the best one! It just makes me want to move!" Mina stands and twirls, swaying from one foot to the other along with the beat. I clap and hype her up while she dances. Toru turns the music up. Her phone speakers doing the best they can.
"Come on, don't just sit there." Mina slides toward me and latches onto my hands pulling me to my feet. I stand awkwardly and swivel my head to those around us. We're in front of a busy train station after all, there are curious onlookers. "Let them watch, it'll make their day." She hip bumps me and that gets me moving. I try copying her moves but it's clear I'm not as smooth and experienced as her. I'm clunky and stiff but eventually loosen up and just enjoy the moment. "That's it Takaomi!"
"Me too!" Toru stands and then we're just three high schoolers dancing around to blaring cellphone music. Life is simple.
"You look like you're having fun." A deep voice powers over the music as it reaches the end.
"Eep!" Toru was caught off guard, jumping into me. I don't know where to grab and sorta just become a wall so she doesn't face plant the concrete. Mina swiftly steps in between the newcomer and us.
"Loads! Song's over though, do you need something Mister?" Mina sounds cheery but I get the feeling that's just how she deals with every situation. I look through Toru as she gets her feet under her. It's Kenzou. He's wearing his black leather biker jacket, some dark scuffed up jeans and worn brown work boots. The man is built like a brick wall with a looming seven and a half feet of intimidation. His curled ram horns cast a shadow over his completely red eyes. Only one of his goat ears were pierced, a chain connecting the two piercings.
"I'm fine, just came for my friend." He motioned his large hand in my direction.
"Hey, Ken." I walk around Mina and into the best bear hug giver ever. He had to tilt his head so his horns didn't hit me. Because of the size difference my feet lifted off the ground and dangled. He made a cute squeaking noise once he set me down.
"You look adorable in that uniform." Fishing out his cell phone from his jacket and quickly snapping a picture. I lazily raised a hand and flicked the camera off with a smile before the flash. "That'll be perfect, really captures your personality." I swat his arm lightly.
"You dick. Is that for Aka?" I ask as he turns the camera so I can see. It's kinda flattering, just me flashing the bird. "Beautiful. Next time we visit him he's gonna think I'm still a hooligan."
"If the shoe fits..." His lips pull up on one side mischievously. His massive hand ruffles my hair getting it irritatingly messy. "You make it sound like you grew out of it?" The air I blew out made my hair waft up before I tried calming it down.
"Oh, a friend of yours?" Toru comes to stand beside Mina. I gave up detangling and quickly wrapped my hair into a messy bun with ease, a spare hair tie was on my wrist.
"Yeah," I step to the side and introduce them all. "This is Kenzou, a childhood friend of mine. Kenzou, these are my classmates. Mina and Toru."
"Nice to meet you," Toru's shirt bends forward in what looks like a bow. Mina just beams up at him, her eyes twinkling.
"I love your horns, dude!" Taking a brave step forward staring right at them. Kenzou just freezes.
"Oh? Um, I like yours too?" He chuckles then squats down. He's about eye level with us now. "Mine get in the way a lot. Your horns are cute though, a lot easier to deal with."
"Hehe yeah, they're kinda bendy too!" She reaches up and flicks one of her little horns, it's a bit stiff but bends like a twig. Kenzou laughs and grabs a hold of one of his much larger horns.
"I can't say mine are that flexible, they're strong though. I can pick stuff up with them if I want to. I don't let them get that big, I gotta file them down occasionally." He stands back up. His hands resting in his back pockets, thumbs hooked over the fabric. "Anyways, I don't mean to cut your time short."
"Oh that's okay, we were only getting a snack anyways." Toru picks up her bag from the bench along with Mina's.
"Yeah, no worries horn-buddy!" Mina takes her bag from Toru. "See ya around Takaomi!" Her and Mina say their goodbyes and walk into the train station.
"Horn buddies?" Kenzou smiles down at me questioningly. I shrug.
"I dunno, she likes horns I guess. I just met her today." I shoulder my own bag and leave with Kenzou. He'd parked his motorcycle just off the street.
"Wait, you're wearing a skirt.." Kenzou paused. Then shrugging off his jacket he draped it over me. "Wear this for now." The jacket swallowed me. I was able to keep my backpack on and zip it up with it still coming down to my knees. He hands me a helmet before getting on the bike himself. I hear a clicking noise followed by a flash. "You look hilarious right now." Stashing his phone back in a pocket.
"Gee thanks..." Helmet latched I climbed on behind him. The bike roars to life and we take off. I'm used to riding with the guys, just haven't done so in a skirt before. My legs are cold. I'm going to have to borrow leggings from Reiko until I buy my own, bare legs under a skirt isn't something I'm used to just yet.
When we arrive at the Shiro's I'm quickly herded upstairs to change. Loose jeans, t-shirt, sneakers, and a hoodie later I'm all ready to go. Pulling my hair out of the bun it falls to my shoulders, still a mess from Kenzou's affections. I pull a dark blue beanie over my brows and I'm back in 'Taka' mode.
Once upon a time the guys and myself were in a little street gang. We called ourselves the Akuma's. Most of my juvenile records were from incidents with the guys. Why I'm still hanging around them while I'm trying to be a hero is an interesting story for another time. We all went through changes and realized the road we were going down wasn't the right one. Some heroes beat some sense into us, namely Erasure Head, and here we are.
"Finally!" Masaru huffs and slings and arm around my shoulders. Further guiding me toward the front door. He looks over his shoulder at a displeased Enji leaning in the kitchen archway. "We're borrowing her for the evening, she'll be back before ten!"
"We're going to the ramen shop by the mall, Mr. Shiro." Kuroi said more politely toward the currently grumpy man. "I doubt we're going anywhere else, but if we do I'll message you." Enji just nodded at him and walked back into the kitchen.
The three motorcycles revving through the parking garage were unnecessarily loud. Mostly Masaru being an idiot because he likes hearing his engine echo. We garnered a few glares from passing pedestrians before we found parking. Together heading to Pop's Ramen Shop.
Thanks to those who made it to the end for reading. I know my story is a bit OC heavy but I try to balance it. This is gonna be a long one, so heads up.
CC welcomed, I'm new to the writing portion of fanfiction.