Chapter Eleven:
The principal of Aldera Junior High was eating lunch in the teacher's lounge when he heard a knock on the door. "I'm busy," he called.
His secretary's voice wobbled. "Sir, it's…uh…it's All Might."
The principal dropped his sandwich.
All Might strode into the office in his full costume. "I'm very disappointed in you," he boomed.
The principal cowered.
Hisashi lay in wait in the living room. As soon as he heard the front door open, he ran and caught All Might sneaking in, still wearing his costume. Or rather, Toshinori. Since Hisashi had decided to keep his new guardian, he ought to refer to him by his given name as he'd requested. Even if he had a bone to pick with Toshinori at the moment.
Hands on his hips, Hisashi said, "Several students have uploaded videos of you berating Aldera teachers for enabling bullying."
"Have they?" Toshinori scratched his hair tufts sheepishly.
Hisashi demanded, "Why is it okay for you to take revenge, but not me?"
"From a legal standpoint, I didn't hack into any video broadcasts or break any laws. From an ethical standpoint?" Toshinori shrugged. "Not much."
This answer stunned Hisashi into silence.
Toshinori knelt down in front of him. "I've been struggling with how to say this because I didn't want to encourage bad behavior, but you weren't wrong to want to help Izuku. You should have done it with more sensitivity towards his feelings and without going to such extremes, but that point has already been beaten to death, so I won't go into it again. You've got a better heart than all the people who saw the bullying and stood by and did nothing."
Hisashi's cheeks flushed. "Thanks," he mumbled, deciding to forgive Toshinori for the whole embarrassing therapy debacle.
"Enjoying your revenge is a moral grey area, but we're both guilty of that, so why don't we keep that as our little secret?" Toshinori stood up. "Excuse me, I have to get my suit and briefcase for my 'Toshinori Yagi' identity."
"Why?" Hisashi asked.
Toshinori winked. "All Might was there to make everyone feel ashamed and guilty. Now Toshinori Yagi is going to drop by to deliver a class action lawsuit from the victims of past bullying at Aldera Junior High. What's the point of having a second identity if you can't use it to torment people you hate twice?"
Hisashi laughed. "I always knew you were just enough of an asshole for me to like you."
"Language!" Toshinori barked.
Sir Nighteye knocked on the door promptly at six. "I brought a present." He held up a package of rice crackers.
"Oh, you didn't need to." Toshinori couldn't hold back. He swept his old friend into a hug.
Over his shoulder, Nighteye sniffed. "Do I smell marinara sauce?"
"I made spaghetti and meatballs." Toshinori flushed slightly. It was one of Mirai's favorite meals. He worried he might be trying a little too hard. To change the subject, he said, "Let me introduce you to my boys. This is Hisashi."
Hisashi stepped forward and held out his hand.
Making eye contact, Sir Nighteye shook. "You seem like a very solemn child. Did you know smiles are very important?"
"I'll smile at All for One's corpse," Hisashi said. Behind him, Toshinori choked.
Sir Nighteye seemed to consider this seriously. "Acceptable."
Yoichi stuck out his hand. "My turn! I'm Yoichi Shigaraki and I'm eight years old."
Sir Nighteye accepted the handshake. "A pleasure to meet you."
"I heard that you like All Might merchandise. So do I! But I don't have very much yet. Can I see pictures of your collection?"
A rare smile crossed Nighteye's lips. "It would be my pleasure."
As soon as Toshinori could get his former sidekick alone in the living room, he asked, "What did you see?"
"I couldn't see anything from touching either of them." Sir Nighteye frowned. "I think it's because they both come from the past, and that's interfering with my powers of foresight. I'm certain that's what caused your future to diverge, as well. It's probably why even touching you again hasn't made my vision any less disjointed and chaotic."
"In other words, those two boys have the power to change the future in unpredictable and unforeseeable ways. Does that mean that they could overturn your predictions? Is it possible to create a future where both Hisashi and I are alive, and All for One is defeated?"
Slowly, Sir Nighteye said, "That may be possible. Before this, none of my predictions ever changed. Nor did I ever see two future paths before. Anything could be possible."
Toshinori beamed.
"Hisashi is a sweet boy," Sir Nighteye said. "Smart and carries himself well. I understand why you can't let him die."
"I knew you would," Toshinori said, full to the brim with triumph. Mirai was a hero, just like him. His former sidekick might adopt an air of cynicism, but he could never sacrifice an innocent child.
The doorbell rang again.
Toshinori said, "That must be Torino. The whole gang will catch up together, won't that be fun? I also plan to talk to him about Izuku's internship."
Izuku had gotten quite a few internship offers from small hero agencies. At least some of them had clearly been trying to use his unwanted Sports Festival fame to make themselves look better for taking on a charity case. And that didn't even take into account the half a dozen villains who'd had the colossal nerve to drop off business cards "just in case Izuku Midoriya was interested in changing sides." Gentle Criminal had nearly gotten himself arrested coming to U.A. in person to deliver his personal congratulations to Izuku, the presumed creator of the infamous Sports Festival video. With tears streaming from his eyes, he'd begged Izuku to become his sidekick, eventually raising the offer to a full partnership. Toshinori had been very relieved Gran Torino had offered to take Izuku.
Hisashi opened the door. Over his shoulder, he called, "Hey, this one didn't bring a present. Should I let him in anyway?"
"What a rude brat." Gran Torino snorted. He took off his coat. "What's your name?"
"I don't give my name to someone who doesn't introduce himself first." Hisashi glared.
Toshinori rushed over. "This is Hisashi. I'm sure he's delighted to meet you. Where's your little brother? Yoichi!"
"He ran upstairs to fetch all his All Might merchandise to show off. I'll get him. Then we can finally eat dinner, right?" Hisashi trudged off.
Gran Torino stared after him. "Is it just me, or does that boy look like All for One?"
Toshinori and Sir Nighteye exchanged startled glances. "I don't see the resemblance at all," Toshinori said. "Hisashi does look a lot like Izuku, though."
"All for One? Cute and adorable? Unthinkable," Sir Nighteye said.
Gran Torino rubbed his neck. "Sorry, I don't know what I was thinking. Something just seemed familiar about how he glared at me."
Toshinori laughed. "I know you like to pretend to be senile, but now you're scared of a child?"
"I'm not scared!" Gran Torino whacked his former student on the shoulder so hard he coughed up blood.
Late that night, Izuku had another dream.
This time, he hovered over a bedroom. The owner of this room was a man after Izuku's own heart, because the walls were covered in posters of heroes. Izuku recognized old-fashioned comic book characters from over a century ago. Several of the pictures looked like they'd been hand-drawn, probably by the room's owner. Comic books filled no less than four bookshelves all crammed together. Hero action figures sat on the tops of the shelves.
A teenage boy stood over a suitcase on the floor, throwing clothes in. He looked vaguely familiar, but Izuku couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Then the boy pushed back his bangs, revealing the scar over one green eye. This must be Yoichi Shigaraki.
The door opened. A young man with curly white hair strode in.
Looking up, Yoichi growled, "I know I've told you to knock before you come into my room."
"It's my house," Hisashi said.
"So you keep reminding me." Yoichi threw a shirt into his suitcase with extra force.
"Don't be like that." Hisashi's tone turned wheedling. "I didn't come here to argue."
"No, you came here to try to talk me out of my high school graduation trip, yet again." Yoichi sighed and straightened. "The answer is no. I fundraised for this trip selling candy door-to-door like everyone else. I helped plan our itinerary. Everyone in my class is going."
"But it's not safe in America right now!"
"You're being absurdly paranoid, as usual. The whole world is a bit less safe than usual, but America is no worse than Japan."
"Please, little brother. I'll take you on a trip to America, just as soon as I can clear my schedule and take enough days off work. We'll stay even longer and visit only the most expensive hotels and restaurants."
Yoichi exhaled deeply. "Big brother, I don't want to travel with you."
Hisashi recoiled. "What?"
"I want to go on a trip with my friends for once. There will be other vacations I can go on with you, I promise. But this is supposed to be my big chance to have fun and make memories with other kids my age."
"You don't want me along," Hisashi repeated as if he couldn't believe it.
"To be honest, I was a little relieved when you had to cancel as trip chaperone. I like vacationing with you, but you always monopolize my time. I want a chance to strike out on my own and be more independent. Speaking of which, I can't help noticing you didn't have a problem with this trip until you couldn't come."
"I'm worried about your illness. If you have a relapse—"
"I've been getting steadily better ever since we got off the streets. I don't cough at all, these days." There was an evasive note in Yoichi's tone.
Izuku frowned. From his past visions, he knew that Yoichi was fully aware his illness had been caused by his mother poisoning him. Although there had been some permanent damage, of course he should have gotten better the longer he'd been removed from the source of his illness. But it sounded like Yoichi had never told Hisashi that he knew about the poison. Knowing Yoichi, Izuku would guess that he'd been trying to spare his brother the guilt of accidentally helping their mother give him tainted medicine. Yoichi didn't know that Hisashi also already knew.
The two brothers stared each other down. Finally, Hisashi asked, "What do you want in exchange for canceling your trip?"
"No. You aren't doing that. I'm not negotiating with you." Yoichi went into his closet and returned with a formal suit. "I'll call you every day and send you loads of pictures. That's a promise, not a negotiation."
Hisashi sighed. "I see I'm not talking you out of this. Fine, then. I'll help you pack. Someone has to make certain you take everything you need. First, I'll get us a drink while we work."
"Thank you, big brother." Yoichi smiled.
Hisashi walked downstairs. He poured two cups of lemonade. Then he veered for the bathroom.
Izuku's heart froze. He hoped his suspicious were wrong.
Hisashi removed a vial of white powder and sprinkled it into one of the glasses of lemonade.
Don't do it! Don't do it! Izuku screamed. But he had no mouth with which to speak. He could only watch as the son who'd learned from his mother how to stop someone from leaving him repeated her mistakes.
The vision shifted to Yoichi lying in bed. He grabbed a bowl off the carpet and coughed up blood into it.
Hisashi ran into the room. He patted his little brother on the back. "It's okay. Breathe deeply."
Yoichi groaned. He moved to rub off his mouth, but Hisashi was there faster with a wash cloth.
"Thanks, big brother," Yoichi whispered. "I'm sorry to be bothering you when I know you're busy at work."
"You're the most important thing to me, little brother." The tenderness in Hisashi's voice might have been touching if Izuku hadn't watched him pour poison into his brother's drink.
Yoichi retched again, both blood and vomit. His hair hung straggly over his pale face.
Hisashi handed him a cup of water. "Once you're feeling better, I'll arrange a separate trip to America for the two of us. We can visit all the places you would have gone on your school trip."
"That's so nice of you, big brother. Especially after I refused to go on a trip with you before." Yoichi hung his head.
"I'm the older one, it's my job to be mature and forget about such things." Hisashi's lip curled upward.
The sight disgusted Izuku. He didn't want to see this any longer. He wanted to be gone.
The scene shifted, but contrary to Izuku's hopes, he only ended up in yet another dream.
Both Shigaraki brothers sat before a dining room table. Their plates held a selection of fried chicken, biscuits, applesauce, and green beans.
Yoichi looked perhaps a year out of high school, now. He'd gotten even thinner and paler. As Hisashi cut a bite off his chicken, Yoichi glared at him with wild eyes and made no move toward his food.
Hisashi looked up. "Is the chicken not to your taste? I can order other food, but I must insist that you eat. You're too thin."
"Stop trying to change the subject," Yoichi growled. His knuckles whitened on the table. "I don't want to eat food purchased with your dirty money. I want to leave."
Hisashi sighed. "You're such a child. I've explained to you countless times that it's too dangerous for you to be out in public as long as the violence against metahumans continues—"
"Don't put pretty euphemisms around your dirty business! You started a gang war! I saw the news report before you took away my internet access! How many people have died in your pursuit of money and power?" Yoichi half-rose from his seat.
"Don't interrupt me. Sit back down. I've provided you with a good enough education that you have no excuse for acting like a mannerless fool." Each of Hisashi's insults cut the air like a lash. "You've always been a burden on me, sickly and helpless with expensive medical bills. I've done my duty to provide for you. Yet you still have the nerve to complain about where the money comes from? I'm only forced to take such drastic measures to protect you because you're a weakling without a metahuman power. If you were stronger, or even a tad more sensible, I wouldn't have to worry so much, my pathetic little brother."
Lies, Izuku thought, knowing full well Yoichi's pallor came from no natural illness. It shocked him to see Hisashi turn on his brother, when they'd always been so close. But from the cool expression on Yoichi's face, he'd grown accustomed to being insulted like this.
In Izuku's eyes, the shuttered look on Yoichi's face suggested he'd given up on using reason. Perhaps he'd even given up on his brother. But Hisashi seemed to take the silence as a good sign. He gestured at the plate. "Eat up."
Yoichi sat down, and took a small bite. The slight shaking in his hands and the look in his eyes as he forced himself to swallow betrayed him.
Hisashi smiled and resumed eating.
For someone so smart, Hisashi could be very blind. It was painfully obvious to Izuku that Yoichi already knew the food was poisoned.
Izuku woke up with one question on his lips: Why am I still seeing Hisashi's past after his current age? This must be the past of the version of Hisashi who'd never traveled through time. Izuku understood that much. But he'd assumed that these dreams came from a mental connection with young Hisashi resulting from the quirk used on them both. If not, then where exactly were these memories coming from?
How was it possible for him to have a connection to Hisashi's parallel self, who ought to have died of old age centuries ago?
When Hisashi opened his eyes and found himself staring at his older self, he felt first annoyed, then furious.
He stomped across the misty void. "Hey, asshole! You told me that Yoichi would hate me if he knew about his medicine being poisonous! Guess what? He didn't blame me at all! He understood that our bitch mother tricked me into giving him poison!"
"You told him?" All for One cried, his usual calm slipping off his face.
"Not only that, but he already knew the medicine was poisonous!"
"He…knew?" The color drained from his older self's face. He muttered. "That explains so much. I was so careful to make certain the symptoms were the same as his original illness. But that must have been what gave me away! No wonder he figured it out!"
"You poisoned Yoichi?" Hisashi shrieked. "You bastard!" He nearly kicked his older self before assessing the differences in their sizes and deciding not to test if either of them could harm each other in the dream space. "You lying shithead, I bet the only reason you tried to keep me quiet was so you could do it to him again after capturing him!" All for One's sheepish look confirmed his suspicion.
How could this monster possibly be himself? So many times, Hisashi had watched helplessly as his little brother struggled to breathe and coughed up blood. Back then, he would have done anything to ease Yoichi's pain. How could he ever have been the cause of it?
For the first time, All for One couldn't meet his eyes. "It was for his own good. Yoichi was always too reckless. He kept trying to run off into dangerous situations."
Hisashi stared in horror. "I thought I was too smart to carry out the cycle of abuse. I turned into my mother? This is so embarrassing. I've already been forced to face my faults lately, but I had no idea I sucked this much. How am I supposed to look myself in the mirror now? I hate you!"
"A brat like you could never comprehend my reasons."
Hisashi stuck a finger in his ear. "Yeah, yeah, I already heard the creepy spiel about poisoning your loved ones to stop them from leaving from Mom. You're the one who seems to have forgotten."
"Yoichi was trying to go on a trip to America!"
"So what of it? America sounds cool. I've always wanted to go there."
"He was trying to go to America without us."
"Oh, that's not on." Hisashi started to agree before he remembered himself. "Surely you could have persuaded him to let you come too?"
"He wouldn't listen to reason! He accused me of being clingy. There were global riots at the time. I couldn't let him leave my protection. My influence wasn't strong enough abroad yet to ensure his safety and that he returned on schedule."
Hisashi rolled his eyes. "I bet you were so annoying that Yoichi didn't want to be near you, but he would have let me come along."
"Don't be so sure. It's all so easy when you're children. Yoichi currently needs you to survive. Once he becomes an adult…don't you know that it's only natural for brothers to move out of home and live separately? That's what he told me. Crazy talk. When he was sick, he needed me again."
"Uh…so you poisoned him multiple times?" Hisashi stared.
"He didn't stop trying to leave home!"
"Of course he was bound to notice if you kept doing it! How could 'I' be so stupid? Are you sure you didn't hit your head at some point after age eleven?"
"He even started poking his head into my business practices! He betrayed me! He tried to turn over information on me to the government! As soon as he got better, as soon as he didn't need me, he didn't want to be around my strangeness any longer."
"That's no excuse for poisoning him!" Hisashi screamed. "I don't believe you! Yoichi accepts me as I am! We both love and need each other! The only reason he started hating you was because you betrayed him first. I won't poison him, so that will never happen to me!"
All for One growled, "He kept trying to persuade me to see a shrink even before he knew about the poisoning! He thought I was crazy!"
"I don't understand the fascination with psychiatrists either, but Yoichi seems to like seeing one. He was probably just trying to share something he found useful with you. If anything, it's a sign he cared about you. Toshi loves therapy too, and he even gives me candy if I play along with his games."
"Toshi." All for One stared at him. "You call him 'Toshi' now."
"What of it?" Hisashi glared. "Toshi took my brother to see expensive doctors, and now he's breathing much better. You would have done that if you actually cared about Yoichi instead of trying to cover up your past and future crimes. I'm grateful to him."
"I could understand you using the fool, but you're grateful to him?"
"You keep calling Toshi a fool. I don't think you understand him as well as you think. He can see right through me." Hisashi's gaze became distant. "And he accepts me for who I am, too. He's the first person besides Yoichi who truly looked at me and didn't flinch or run away."
All for One's stare became dead. "You can't possibly be more embarrassed of me than I am of you."
Hisashi saw the world starting to dissolve around him. He knew his time was up. He got in one last parting shot. "At least I still have a face."
"He's the one who ripped off our face, you horrible little—"
Hisashi's alarm went off.
With wide eyes, Yoichi glanced around the mall. The lights were bright and the smells vivid. Mostly, he was fascinated by the many quirks on display. He craned his neck at a woman with jets on her arms. Another little boy bounced up and down so high his head nearly hit the ceiling.
If only Yoichi could do that. He tested the quirk his older brother had given him by bending back his fingers. It was all right, he supposed, but not terribly useful for a future hero.
Several televisions played from behind a glass window. The sound was muted, but a news reporter pointed at a sketch of Stain, the Hero Killer.
Meanwhile, Toshinori was saying to Izuku and Ochaco, "Thank you for looking after the boys today."
"It's no trouble at all." Ochaco smiled.
Izuku chimed in. "We're happy to babysit while you're on important business."
Toshinori scratched the back of his head. "Oh, it's nothing particularly important."
"There's no need to be so modest," Izuku said.
Yoichi started to feel like a miscommunication was occurring. Izuku seemed to think that Toshinori had asked him to babysit, whereas Toshinori had said that Izuku had texted him requested to spend time with the brothers today. This sounded like something his older brother would arrange, especially with his new hacking quirk. But why? Yoichi noticed Hisashi look at Ochaco, open his mouth as if about to say something, then flush and close his mouth. Oh.
Leaning over, Yoichi hissed, "Big brother, did you fake those text messages so you could spend time with Ochaco?"
Hisashi sniffed. "For your information, it's vitally important to my plan to mend Class 1-A's bonds that I help Izuku pick out supplies for their party." His whisper became wistful. "And I'll be spending the day with Ochaco! It's practically like we're on a date."
"My brother's brain has been consumed by cooties," Yoichi observed mournfully. "Stay away from me. What if it's catching?"
"My foolish little brother, someday you'll fall in love and it will be my pleasure to tease you relentlessly."
Yoichi gagged.
Oblivious, Toshinori asked, "Shall I pick them up at three?"
"We'll meet you back here at the fountain," Izuku said.
Once Toshinori had left, Izuku turned to Ochaco. "Thank you for helping me plan this party. I know I asked for your help last-minute. I hope you didn't have any other plans that I interrupted."
"No, I think it's a wonderful idea. I didn't have any plans, well, just sitting around my room eating mochi and watching anime. Spending time with you is way more fun." Ochaco flushed.
Observing, Yoichi realized, Oh, dear, she has a crush on Izuku. Hisashi doesn't realize, does he? Nope. He's good at not seeing what he doesn't want to see. Big brother won't take this well. He always expects he can get everything he wants.
Ochaco examined her shopping list. "What kind of cake do we want to get?"
"Both my brother and I like chocolate," Hisashi said. "I baked him a chocolate cake for his last birthday. Did you know I'm an excellent cook?" The bragging in his voice wasn't nearly as subtle as he believed.
Yoichi couldn't resist his sworn duty to embarrass his older brother. "Would you like to hear the story of the first time Hisashi tried to cook?"
Hisashi growled, "Did you know that my little brother has an extensive comic book collection? It would be a real shame if someone set it on fire." A small flame danced on his fingertip, one of the quirks he'd stolen from All for One. He kept his body turned so it was only visible to his younger brother.
Yoichi gulped. "Big brother's first cooking attempt was a wild success and the fire department had no need to get involved!"
Hisashi only looked even more annoyed. "Hey, why don't we split up to make the shopping faster? Ochaco and I will pick out the cake. Yoichi and Izuku, you're in charge of decorations." Without even waiting for a response, he tugged Ochaco away.
Izuku and Yoichi were left staring at each other. Izuku said, "They ran off with the shopping list."
Yoichi said, "I remember we needed to get streamers and confetti. We can text them to find out what else."
Izuku's eyes widened. He seemed to be looking at someone over Yoichi's shoulder. Then he grabbed Yoichi and shoved the child behind him, hissing, "Run!"
At first, Izuku saw only a flash of white hair peeking out from a hoody. Then he spotted the cracked lips and red eyes. Tomura Shigaraki.
Despite the villain's attempts to stay hidden in the crowd, he was clearly making a beeline straight for Izuku.
Izuku shielded Yoichi with his body. "Run! Find Ochaco and tell her to call for the heroes. Tomura Shigaraki is here." Izuku didn't dare make a fuss when Tomura's powers could easily decay through this crowd. The villain was already brushing past countless people in the packed space around the mall fountain. They needed trained adult heroes who would have a plan to protect civilians.
In the meantime, Izuku needed to hold the villain off.
"There you are, Player Green." Tomura's eyes latched onto Izuku with an odd intensity. "Where's your little brother? I'm supposed to pick up both of you."
Izuku's mind went blank. Where did Tomura obtain the idea that he had a younger brother? Had Shouto's conspiracy theories about All Might fathering both him and the Shigaraki brothers somehow spread even to villains? Izuku was fairly certain Tomura must be referring to one of the brothers. But why only one of them?
"He stayed home today because he was sick," Izuku lied.
Tomura scratched his neck. "I wanted to meet both of you, but at least that means he'll be safe."
"What are you planning?" Izuku dropped into a crouch.
"Nothing, as long as you cooperate." Tomura's eyes gleamed. "But if you shout for help or run away, I'll kill as many NPCs as I can."
Yoichi ran in the direction that Ochaco and Hisashi had left, hoping he could still catch up with them. As he darted between people, he glimpsed the two of them chatting.
Then he saw a dark portal form before them and a hand push the two of them in.
Yoichi didn't have time to think. He reacted on instinct. He threw himself into the portal just before it closed.
He emerged into a dirty alleyway. A man with a red scarf and bandages on his arms and face stood blocking the only exit. Bloodshot eyes glared at the three children.
This man had just been on the news. The Hero Killer, Stain.
OMAKE TIME!
Omake: All Might on Revenge: "Do As I Say, Not As I Do"
Nezu: Look at all these videos circulating the internet about All Might lecturing Aldera Junior High staff. He even tracked down former students? Is this what the Hero Public Safety Committee has been leaving me voicemails about?
Izuku: Oh, god, I'm so sorry. Can you please help him? I'll call in the favor you owe me.
Nezu: My dear child, don't waste your favor on something I'd do for free. This is the best entertainment I've had in a long time.
#
Omake: It's Creepy to Contemplate How All for One Knows
Hisashi: Heard you lost your face.
All for One: Heard you lost our monopoly crown to a high school girl.
#
Omake: I Hope You All Remember that Yoichi Got a Flexible Fingers Quirk Because That's Coming Up Next Chapter
All for One: Listen, mini-me. You can get adopted by All Might…you can tell Yoichi the truth about his illness…but whatever you do, don't give our little brother a quirk.
Hisashi: Too late, I already did.
All for One: AHHHHHHHHHHHH!
First: Hey, that's my scream. Knock it off.
Author's Note: I've been planning to make Yoichi my factitious disorder imposed on another (FDIA) / Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSbP) version of the First for a while. I mentioned in my previous stories that Yoichi dislikes All for One even more than my other versions of the First. He has reason to. All of them got vaulted, but Yoichi's grudge runs much deeper due to years of poisoning.
In comparison, chronically ill First Yuuto was always grateful to his big brother for protecting him and getting him medicine, and he could never quite let go of that sense of indebtedness even during the worst of their fight. But in Yoichi's case, his older brother poisoned him to make him ill and would even arrange for him to experience bullying or other misfortune so Hisashi could step in and "protect" him.
Even though Hisashi did genuinely protect his little brother sometimes, later Yoichi didn't know which times had been fake versus real. He also had trouble believing that his brother didn't know about their mother's poison when giving it to him because by then Hisashi had lied to him too many times. As a result, all Yoichi's good memories of his older brother got tainted. Hence why adult Yoichi has the worst relationship of all my Firsts with his brother, despite them being so close as children.
Kill What You Love explores in more detail the past of the two brothers, and it's intended to be a prologue to this story. The first two dream flashbacks take place before the time skip to college in Chapter One. The last vision is an extra scene from Chapter Five.
Credit goes to Geo995 for the second omake. Thank you for the lovely idea!