CHAPTER 7.

TAKE A CHANCE

MARCH OF THE NEXT YEAR

My arrival at U.A. had been during the second term of the school year. Now, it was the end of our third term, and thus the completion of our first year of high school. For all my classmates in 1-A, it was a tremendous accomplishment. But for me, it felt like merely a tremendous relief.

Nothing about school had been easy. Even when I got stronger, I still struggled to make sense of everything on a daily basis. Embedding solid routines into my schedule worked wonders on that but dealing with curveballs constantly kept me on edge. Managing stress wasn't easy, and even if I spoke with other students, their responses could never truly be genuine… so long as my Quirk was impacting their responses.

As usual, Tsuyu was the only one I could rely on for relief. But once again, she was often away, working internships constantly. In fact, she had become the busiest student in our class by now, since she put in hours at three different agencies. In time, our friendship was hopelessly set back, and I was forced to fend for myself.

But when I was alone, I found that I became more powerful. Without having Tsuyu to console me, I was left with no choice but to face my problems all by myself. That made me more powerful, because I didn't have anywhere to run, and no one to aid me in the process. However, it was still difficult, and the burden was overwhelming me by gradually wearing me out over a long period of time.

Now that I was on break from school, I had more free time to take care of my personal life, and the first thing I did was make an appointment to see some doctors. They took x-rays of my brain and ran tests on the neurological makeup of my thoughts. By studying the brain waves I was exhibiting, I had hoped they would be able to isolate the channels of my Quirk. However, the technology to measure my Quirk simply didn't exist, and there was no way for the doctors to give me the answers I wanted to hear. Once again, I was left with nothing.

One day, I was walking down the sidewalk, headed toward the city, where I could find some relief from the falling snow. Despite the warm weather last week, another storm swept the mountains up north, bringing some frost down to us. Hot and cold. Neither was a wrong answer. My conversations with Tsuyu ran through my mind on days like this one.

There was an ice rink set up, and locals were renting skates to go and enjoy themselves. I'd never ice skated before, and I had no real interest in it. But for some reason, it seemed like the kind of thing Tsuyu might want to try out, and since I was by myself, I decided to go for it. Once I found a pair of rental skates that fit well, I entered the rink and clumsily got to work. My skating technique was sloppy, but with no one else giving me a hard time, I was able to figure it out on my own in due time. Eventually, I was moving along the ice with considerable speed.

Later on, another person bumped into me randomly. "Watch it," the girl said in a stern voice.

"Sorry," I said, feeling embarrassed as I tried to turn and face her without crashing in the process.

Instead of remaining angry, the girl matched my pace several feet away. "It's fine. I guess it was kind of rude for me to snap at you like that."

"No, it was my fault. I'm kind of new at this." Suddenly, I realized the two of us had come to a stop by the edge of the rink.

"That explains why you're not a good skater," the girl went on. There was an odd sense of confusion in her tone, and I wasn't sure if she was mocking me or not. "But that's okay. I like seeing boys work hard to become good at something. That struggle in life resonates with me." Her teeth were sharp, along with her yellow eyes, and her blonde hair was tied back neatly. Her jacket was a light tan, and it seemed to match her colors well.

"Really? How so?"

She laughed, but there was something sinister in it. "A boy has to go somewhere. Always. And you know what lies at his destination?" Her question was rhetorical, or at least I thought it was. Even if she expected an answer, I had no idea what to say. Moments later, she jumped forward, her face suddenly before my own, and malice was in her gaze. "When he reaches his destination… a boy becomes a man."

I flinched away, unsure of what to make of her ominous forwardness. But her efforts were short lived, because my Quirk seemed to rush to my aid in times like this. The effects of it were soon evident, and the girl's eyes blinked numerous times while she tried to figure out what was happening.

A minute later, she seemed to calm down. "What's your name?"

"Eko." I had to consider even bothering to resume conversing with her. "What about you?"

"You can call me Himiko." She smiled, looking less terrifying now, but not by much. "Are you here skating by yourself, Eko?"

"Yeah." My eyes tried to glance away, as if insinuating I wanted to leave, but for some reason I struggled to do that.

"We should skate together," she suggested. "I can teach you how to do it better." Her request was more like a demand, or at least it felt like that to me.

What I really found strange was that it was difficult to tell her no. It was like something had a hold of me. It was like… she was using my own Quirk against me. But that was impossible. That was my power…

"What's the matter? You get shy around a girl like me?" Her voice got high-pitched, once again in mocking fashion. But her efforts succeeded in getting under my skin. Whatever her intent was remained a mystery.

Then she grew tired of waiting for my response, because she advanced and took my arm, forcing me to rejoin the ice in a sudden movement.

"Whoa, whoa," I said in surprise.

"Just try to relax. If you fall, I'll catch you." Then she laughed again, as her tone seemed to jump between personalities at a rapid rate, too quick for me to configure her true thoughts. "Or maybe I'll accidentally fall on top of you, and you can catch me."

We skated down the rink, eventually completing a few laps. I was silent the entire time, unsure of where I would end up when this was all over. All I knew was that I wanted to escape this person. But escape wasn't available to me, because I didn't understand how to pull away. She had a hold of me, in some dark fashion I was unable to make sense of.

Finally, Himiko led us to the edge of the rink, where I saw an opportunity to retreat from the ice. But once we stepped out, Himiko leaped up onto the ramp and let her legs dangle down, while she held my wrist firmly, keeping me from leaving. "Let's sit for a little while," she 'suggested' once again.

Why couldn't I tell her no? It didn't make sense. I joined her side, although I stood instead. For some reason, I felt like I needed to be behind her, in case she lost balance and fell backwards.

"You know, Eko," Himiko began, pulling my hand over and on top of her shoulder. "Your Quirk is really quite cool. I'm surprised you don't pull more girls with it."

My blood seemed to reach boiling temperatures. How was it possible? It wasn't. She couldn't know about that. "What do you mean?" My first strategy was to pretend to be oblivious.

"You're Eko Shigeru," she said, stating my entire name this time, proving she knew me ahead of time. "Your Quirk is Infatuation. For all I know, you've already began to seduce me!" As she said it, it sounded like a big game to her.

"I don't use my Quirk for that," I explained, doing everything I could to conceal my insecurity.

"It's okay if you don't," she responded. "I still think you're a hunk. A little shy, but you still get me aroused."

"I don't think I'm your type." I wasn't lying. But how to even begin explaining things to this one?

"What makes you think you can identify my type?" She countered.

"I don't know what your type is… but I know that it's not me."

"If you don't know my type, then you can't make that distinction."

"I know enough. Sometimes that's all it takes."

Himiko nodded, although she looked unsatisfied. "I guess you like to talk your way out of things. But you may find that I'm not so easily talked away."

My shoulders tensed up. "We don't need to talk. I can just leave."

However, her eyes seemed to glow as she locked her gaze with my own. "Can you?"

That was when I truly realized it. I couldn't.

"Your Quirk is exhilarating," she admitted, shrugging in a cute and creepy fashion. "But you see… it's not that difficult to outwit. The League of Villains knows all about you and your Quirk. So let me just tell you, here and now, I know all about you and your power."

There was still the chance that Himiko was completely lying here. But my intrigue got the best of me. Could she really have the answers? I knew about the League of Villains. They were incredibly dangerous. But I couldn't help but consider the possibility that I could figure out my power. Even if I couldn't, Himiko couldn't steer clear of my power. The truth was that my Quirk was still powerful enough to influence anyone, even villains.

Despite what I wanted, I didn't know if I could do it without making a scene. If I used my power to put a stop to Himiko, more villains would come to get revenge. That didn't seem like the kind of struggle I could win. It would be a harsh and brutal way of living. Even in my peaceful world at the U.A., I was stressed out. Living with enemies would be impossible for me.

Therefore, I considered accepting her offer. But I still had to consider that I didn't really even have a choice. Maybe she had power over me after all. Thus, I decided to try and find out.

"I'm leaving," I told her firmly.

She looked annoyed. "You're really going to just ditch me? Even after I taught you how to skate?" Her lips puffed up as she pouted.

"If you really know about my Quirk, then you know that you can't compel me to act against my own will." I crossed my arms. "But I can compel you. And you know it. So, why then? Why confront me like this?"

"I'm not confronting you, Eko." Again, there was her twisted laugh, as her sharp teeth fashioned a crafty smile of possibly psychotic delight. "I'm going to help you. You know, villains like me are often misunderstood. Speaking merely for myself at this moment, my intentions are often predicted inaccurately." She switched to a comical frown, to the point where she almost looked like she was going to tear up. "I may have my ways of expressing myself… but that's not reason to discredit by desires."

Her power didn't appear to resemble my Infatuation Quirk. Instead, her power was to disarm my senses of logic and reason. Her personality was intriguing, but that's all it was. Her actions were unpredictable, but the signs were there to indicate she was dangerous.

In the end, I decided to take my chances for some answers. "Show me."

Her eyes widened, and she almost had to fight back her sinister grin. "Ooh, Eko. That makes me excited. I love showing off. I hope you don't mind."

Maybe I was acting a little crazy myself that day, but I left with her.

My day took an unexpected turn after meeting Himiko Toga.

In truth, I was disturbed by her psychotic charm, yet I was pulled along. She somehow managed to maintain a terrifying image of malicious nature, all while skipping around in almost adorable fashion. Her optimism appeared disingenuous, and her words were chosen to put me down at any opportunity. There didn't seem to be any possible valid purpose to her interest in me. But that was the thing about villains. They were capable of thinking of things far beyond the imaginations of heroes because they were willing to enter the darkest of realms to do so.

Himiko brought me to a festival taking place at the park. There were food vendors stationed down the road, serving all types of cooked meat for the occasion. Despite all the pleasant smells, Himiko's attention was not on the meat, but on the skewers. "I do love pointy objects, Eko. Remember that in case you ever decide to surprise me with a gift."

I rolled my eyes, somewhat perturbed by her blunt penchant for violence. "I think you've got enough knives already."

"But they get rusty. Then I have to replace them."

A long time had passed since I began to regret this decision to follow her. But still on proceeded. Part of me was still convinced I was being drawn to do so beyond my own consent. I needed to start asking her the right questions. But if I started asking them, I needed to be sure she would be willing to answer them first. Therefore, I would need to lull her into believing I was willing to join her side.

Somehow, one of the men grilling barbequed meat noticed the two of us, and he walked over with two skewers loaded with sizzling chicken white meat. I reluctantly accepted the offer, handing the heartier one over to Himiko, who appeared to legitimately blush in response. "Uh… maybe just try the yakitori. You know, like most people do at places like this."

"So… you want to be like most people?"

Her strike was effective. I had to lower my head. "Fine, fine."

"The truth is that most people do things because those things are easy." Himiko chomped down on the largest piece of chicken, ripping it free in ugly fashion, rather than nibbling on the pieces at the top of the skewer. "But that's exactly why doing something different than most people holds more value. That's what I've come to learn."

"Where did you come up with that?" My curiosity was combined with my skepticism, causing me to ask unusual questions. It felt like I was firing random darts at a dartboard.

Meanwhile, Himiko was on a mission. "I didn't come up with it… Stain did."

I raised an eyebrow. "The Hero-Killer?"

"The Hero-Killer, Stain." And Himiko's eyes glittered in praise at the mention of him. "A true artist. A philosopher. And someone who helped me to embrace my values, after spending so much time alone in the dark. Something I bet that you are familiar with."

It was bothersome that she was landing bullseyes against me while not even looking at the board.

With a twisted laugh, she carried on. "Heroes are being compensated for what they do. They aren't heroes, at all. They are showman. They are circus performers. They are con artists."

"Us villains… we are able to live a more genuine and honest life. That's why I know I have something I can show you, Eko. All you have to do is break down that one fortified defensive wall that those schmucks at the U.A. have erected. That wall that's holding you back from your true potential. Your Quirk, your power, your gift…"

"You mean, my curse," I corrected her, feeling almost desperate to slow her down, despite how effectively she was dismantling me.

"Your curse, your gift, your Quirk, your everything." Her hands seemed to wave back and forth as she sang the words, like she was a conductor at a symphony. "It's all up to you to do with it what you will. Why not decide for yourself what you'll do? The U.A. is sending more students down their pre-determined path to the life of the professional hero. That is nothing more than a train to nowhere."

My heart ached from my lack of response. I wanted to defy her, but I didn't have anything to brag about with the U.A. My entire time spent their had felt forced from the beginning. Even with the progress I made, I still had so many unanswered questions. And the answers only brought more questions, at a rate far too rapid for me to break ground. My entire life was a joke at this point.

If I figured out my Quirk, then I could figure out my true purpose.

Himiko grabbed my hand and led me away from the vendors. Down the street, the area was darker, and the shadows seemed to have movement.

Suddenly, she stopped in place, spinning around so that I bumped right into her chest. My eyes met hers, in a chilling yet intense encounter, as she smiled excitedly. "Just try to open up," she said in a soft voice. "If you do, you'll like what you find. That's my advice to you."

While I tried to understand what that meant, she grabbed both of my arms and threw them around her, so that I was caressing her. Then she leaned forward and put her teeth down on my ear, giving it a chomp that seemed to fall just short of a bite. I winced in surprise from the pain, and Himiko giggled as she removed her teeth, then gently wiped a streak of blood from my ear. "Just a little nip," she commented. "You can get me back if you like."

I found myself perplexed and unsure of what to do in response. My entire time spent with Himiko had caused me to feel very lost, more than I normally was even. But even while lost, I was going somewhere. Perhaps that's what motivated me at that point.

Then I decided to test her mettle. I brought my right hand out and grabbed her hair, giving it a firm pull. Her eyes widened as she winced in slight pain… but she kept on smiling. I took it a step further, jerking her head back so that she was forced to look up.

At that point, her eyes flickered, and she seemed to get a bit irritated. "All right, already. No need to take things too far. It was just a little bite."

For some reason, that snapped me back into reality. "Sorry. I… don't know what… I don't really know how to skate." It was all I could come up with.

She stroked my chest gently and then took a hold of my hand once again. We entered the realm of the shadows, and I suddenly realized that the festival and all the vendors were vanished now. And then the two of us seemed to vanish as well.

"I'll tell you all about your Quirk," she said as we both left that realm together. "In fact, I'll do more than that. I'll show you everything."