Hey, guys! I'm back with the new chapter which will conclude the sports festival arc. Like always, I do not own BNHA.
Inner thoughts
Speaking in unison
Just a heads up, this chapter jumps back and forth between POV'S.
Amaterasu's POV
Once I get the alert that Bakugou won his round against Kirishima, I ready myself to enter the ring. All of my anxiety is gone; however, so is the peace I felt early this morning. The day just seems to get worse and I'm a bit hesitant to continue, but I remind myself there are only two more battles left in the competition. Two more and I'll be crowned the victor.
But Sensei wants me to quit.
Who cares what he wants; I mentally reprimed myself as I march out of the waiting room. I'll win anyway. I don't care if I'm alone in this.
As I walk to the arena, more thoughts bombard me. The disgust my parents feel for me, how lonely I feel, how I'm further from my goals than I thought I would be, and the bitterness from my supposed best friend.
"Now entering the arena, TODOROKI SHOTO from the hero course 1-a!" I hear Present Mic announce as my temper begins to rise. Hearing Shoto's name isn't helping, and having to face him in this competition is making me angrier than I already am.
What kind of best friend is he, I think to myself. All he does is spit venom at me when I try to help him! Why?!
"Versus HOMURA AMATERASU! Also, from the hero course: class 1-a!"
Because I want to help him? Because he wants to be a hero? Because of his father?
"Now, this will be a fight you don't want to miss!" Present Mic warns the crowd. "Both students come from hero families and strict law enforcement. Will these two steal the show with their fight? Will they surpass their family members? We're about to find out in the battle of the elites!"
WHAT ABOUT ME?!
3rd POV
As the two move into their stances, the crowd watches with baited breaths. However, two people feel unsure about the current lineup. Aizawa is aware of the slow descent Amaterasu is heading in. He's afraid that all she needs is one more push to send her reeling into a fit of rage. Aizawa tried explaining this to her earlier but he misspoke and made the situation worse. He wanted to call his protege back so he could explain himself, but he didn't know what to say to salvage the situation. Midoriya, on the other hand, is worried about the two friends. Neither one of them seem to be in the correct space of mind. The two are fiercely fighting to be themselves, but the events leading up to this fight have triggered the two. Midoriya tried to help them with the few moments he was allowed to speak to them, but it isn't enough to heal years of pain and resentment.
As the buzzer rings, the two prodigies send forth their attacks. Todoroki hurls a mountain of ice while Homura shoots a beam of light in retaliation. Steam and water fill the field, obscuring the vision of those closer to the action. At his booth, Present Mic has a clear view of the fight thus he gives the play-by-play for those who can't see the action.
"What a powerful attack by both students as they choose to disappear into the steam. However, Todoroki has the upper hand, with the ability to hide while Homura's light is a dead giveaway. How will she counter this new set of hidden attacks from her rival?"
As the two continue the fight, what nobody notices is Homura's movements. True, the light emanating from her body gives her position away, but that's a ploy to distract her opponent so she can drive Todoroki into a corner of the ring. Once there, she sends out a wave of light, expelling ice, steam, and water from the field.
Realizing he's in trouble, Todoroki attempts to move upward, only for Homura to cut down the ice in one swift move. Having no other choice, the boy sends his most ruthless attack towards the female, only for the woman to melt it away without moving. Using her own body as a beacon, Homura steadily moves towards her best friend.
"Wow, it's a sauna in here," Mic jokes as he turns to Eraserhead. "I should have brought a towel for this."
"Unlike Midoriya's quirk, Homura can emanate powerful light beams that can drive Todoroki into a corner. He doesn't seem to be using his left side, but that wouldn't work either if he did chose to employ it. The heat alone would force most of his opponents to submit, but Homura radiates light. The heat won't bother her, and a light beam can cut straight through the fire."
"So he'll have to resort to close combat?"
"Neither of the two is close combatants, but Todoroki does have the upper hand in strength."
"So then- wait, what are they doing?"
After going back and forth with their attacks, the two come to a halt. Neither of them moves as they face down one another. Suddenly, without any quirks activating, the air in the arena becomes bitter as the two stand in silence. Suddenly they begin to speak, but not a soul can hear them.
Amaterasu's POV
"Why did you stop?" Shoto asked me as he lowers his hands. He's so close to the corner, all I have to do is push him, and he's out.
Not yet, I remind myself. Not yet.
"To prove a point," I inform the boy. "That I am not someone you can push down anymore," I mutter as I jab one finger on his chest. "I'm not some little girl who's going to run and hide from her problems."
"What changed," He spat back towards me, pushing me back a step with each sentence. "You always have before. That's why your life is falling apart. That's why you can hardly defend yourself. That's why you failed!"
As Shoto shoves me, his hits begin to grow in strength, and I fail to look him in the eye as I struggle to rein in my temper. I can hear the entire arena murmuring as he drives me into the middle of the field until I stop moving, but the hits don't stop coming.
"Why are you even here if you don't care about any of this? Do you think you'll get praised or accepted? No, you won't. No matter what, you'll remain the coward that you are! Hated by all except me!"
3rd POV
The entire crowd grows wary as they stare at the scene unfolding. From family to friends, this situation only grows more painful, especially as they watch Amaterasu stop. For Sumiye, it's like watching Osamu berate his daughter. It's humiliating and terrible, but as usual, there is nothing she can do about it.
Present Mic sensing the atmosphere of the arena tries to lighten up the mood with an ill-timed joke. "Are we watching a soap opera or what, Eraser? Seriously, a quarrel between lovers needs to stay behind closed doors."
When Amaterasu hears this, it's as if the last thread holding her back snaps. Shocking the entire stadium, including the boy in front of her, Amaterasu punches Shoto as hard as she can on the nose. Stumbling backward until he falls to the ground in shock, Shoto stares in astonishment as Amaterasu yell's with all her might.
"SCREW THE QUIRKS!"
Todoroki hardly has time to recover before Amaterasu slams her foot on the concrete where the boy once laid. Homura charges again in a blind fury, tackling Shoto to the ground; showering blow after blow onto his face. Todoroki snaps out of his initial shock to bring his legs up, taking hold of Homura's head in a chokehold before slamming her against the concrete. A resounding crack is heard throughout the stadium as Amaterasu fights for her breath. Turning her head to the side, Homura bites down on rival's leg until she can taste blood. Not being able to take the riping of his flesh, Shoto releases his hold on the girl.
The two unsteadily rise to their feet, and the fight continues. The battle is brutal to watch as headbutts, punches, kicks, and more are unleashed. To the side, Cementos watches in concern as he calls to Midnight.
"Midnight, should we stop the fight? The two have become quite callous in their attacks."
"I want to, trust me, I do," The woman replies as her gaze never leaves one of the contestants. "However, neither one of them is breaking the rules so we don't have any grounds to do so."
"But... it's too hard to watch."
"I know," she mutters as she watches the girl she cares for bleed from the mouth. "I know."
Back to the fight, Todoroki finally rams into the Amaterasu, but she brings both of her fists on top of Shoto's back to break the hold he has on her. Falling to the ground, Todoroki latches on both of Homura's ankles and rolls, bringing the girl down. When she falls, Homura attempts to rise until a body slams down on top of her. Filled with his own anger, Todoroki pins down Amaterasu and moves to discard her hearing aides.
Realizing what the boy means to do, Homura shoots a pillar of light from her body to throw Shoto off of her. Feeling the betrayal within her heart, the fight intensifies as beam after beam of light is shot towards Todoroki. In turn, the dual quirk teen sends a flurry of ice to evade damage. He can hardly keep up with the attacks, but he manages to do so all the same.
"Midnight, this has gone far enough," Cementos nearly screams as he rises from his seat. "We need to end the fight. At this rate, the students will become desperate and cause more bodily harm."
"Alright, do what you have to," Midnight replies as the worry in her grows.
Cementos attempts to end the fight; however, the two contestants realize what's about to transpire and rise into the air. Moving upward in a spiral, using their quirks to avoid the hero, a display of light and ice rise to the sky before the students slam into each other at full force. The two forgo the thought of gravity and what will happen when they hit the ground as they struggle against each other in the sky. Once again, Cementos tries to intervene, yet to no avail. The moment he raises his hands, the two prodigies elevate their own to unleash a powerful attack.
Hot water and steam fill the arena drenching the entire audience as waves reach up to the stands from the height of the fall. Once the water settles, only the fighting ring and the surrounding area have water. Slowly, the water begins to drain through the multiple doorways and vents in place around the stadium. Still, Cementos and Midnight struggle to find the missing students from their newly raised platform as the stadium goes into a frenzy.
"What's going on?"
"This is crazy!"
"I can't believe students these days are so powerful? They'll be great heroes one day!"
"Heroes who breed truly create a new era of heroes, don't you think?"
"I don't think I would be able to keep up with them..."
While the majority of the audience grows in suspense, many feel otherwise. In the middle of the ring, bubbles begin to form as ice and light follow before the two burst from the water. Homura and Todoroki continue to fight each other, albeit slower than before. Their appearance is much worse than what two competing students should look. Todoroki has multiple injuries including a split lip, black eye, broken zygomatic bone, broken fingers, and more. His uniform is torn at serval places, although in much better condition than Homura's uniform. The ombre-haired woman barely has a uniform on, to begin with. Each uniform from U.A. is designed for every need of a particular owner. Nevertheless, there are limits to the dexterity of the uniform, and Homura has surpassed them long ago. Her uniform is hardly holding together due to the intense heat emanating from the woman. Because of this, Homura's injuries are more apparent than her opponent. What's worse is how her body is reacting to the injuries by cauterizing the wounds. Finally, a voice rises above the rest to stop the fight.
"Stop the match!" Sumiye yells, analyzing the critical state of the two. "Please, stop it! They need a doctor!"
"Stop the match," Miroku chimes in to help his Grandmother's voice to be heard over the cheers of the audience.
The two students refuse to give an inch when the screams reach their ears as they use the remaining water on the destroyed field to help their fight. A stronger voice addresses them in hopes of ending the battle.
"MIDNIGHT," Aizawa calls out in panic, gaining everyone's attention. "Stop the fight!"
"WE'RE TRYING!" she screams in retaliation. With every attack, the two teens unleash, the harder it becomes for Midnight to subdue them. The force of the attacks washes away the scent from Midnight's quirk, leaving her unable to help. Cementos can't even take hold of the two or force them away from one another. The only choice they have is to get closer, but even that feat seems impossible to accomplish.
"AMA-CHAN!" Midoriya yells to the girl; in hopes, she'll hear him. "PLEASE STOP! TODOROKI, STOP FIGHTING!"
Blood begins to mix in with the water as the injuries the two sustain worsen. Finally, the audience starts to understand the situation at hand. Slowly, the masses encourage Homura and Todoroki to halt their attacks but to no avail. The chanting, much like most earlier efforts, goes unheard. Desperate to stop the fight, a lone man rushes to the booth, where the commentators stare in horror at the scene below. As he breaks down the door with a swift kick, he startles the two heroes inside.
"Stop them!"
"What are you doing here?!"
"THAT DOESN'T MATTER, PRESENT MIC! JUST STOP THE FIGHT!"
"WE'RE TRYING," Eraserhead yells back. "But we can't pin them down. If we add Mic's voice, it will only make Amaterasu's quirk more powerful!"
"I wasn't suggesting he used his quirk," The man quickly corrected the man. "I was referring to yours!"
"Eraser can't activate his quirk right now. At least, not without aggravating his injuries and causing permanent damage."
"No, Mic, he has a point. If I don't, then the two will only continue to fight, and Midnight will never be able to subdue them."
"Shouta, you'll cause permanent damage if you do this!"
"MIC, we don't have any more time to lose. Now loosen the bandages so I can get a better visual."
Present Mic follows Eraser's orders and loosens the bandages to a certain degree. Eraserhead quickly adjusts his vision and turns his sight to the two students down below. Instantly, the quirks are removed, and Eraser warns the two men in the room. "I'm not sure how long I can hold it, so tell Midnight to move."
Rushing forward, detective Homura grabs Eraserheads mic to speak directly to the woman. "MIDNIGHT, DO IT, NOW!"
Removing both of her sleeves, Midnight runs to the two students. In moments, Todoroki succumbs to the scent as Homura is left standing. Shocked that the girl remains upright, the older woman approaches the girl as the last of the water drains from the field. The entire audience remains silent as they pay close attention to the scene.
"Amaterasu?" Midnight calls out to the girl, afraid to touch Amaterasu due to the heat radiating from her body even with her quirk taken from her. "Sweetie, can you hear me?"
Turning to face the woman who called her name, the younger female reveals a somber expression. Nevertheless, she refrains from speaking, even when the hero calls her name again. It isn't until a minute of silence passes that Midnight realizes what's happening.
"You aren't breathing," Midnight mutters to herself before fear settles in her heart. "YOU AREN'T BREATHING!"
"Midnight?!" Cementos calls out to the hero. "What-"
"SHE WON'T BREATH!" Midnight cries as she shakes Amaterasu's shoulders, no longer caring how the remaining heat from Amaterasu's skin burns her own. "Ama, please, sweetie; I need you to breathe. Please!"
Amaterasu buckles as her face turn red from oxygen deprivation. In a steady voice, before fainting, she utters one final sentence. "Why am I alone?"
The only thing Midnight could do in return is stare in sorrow at the girl. For the countless people in this young girl's life, how many have failed her? How could she have allowed herself to fail Amaterasu?
Midnight can't come up with an answer, even when the robots carry the young girl far from her reach. She has a duty to stay on the field at all times. However, not everyone shares that responsibility. At the same time, Present Mic, Eraserhead, Sumiye, Miroku, and a lone student from class 1-a race to the infirmary. When the majority of the group arrives, it's to find Homura and Todoroki wide awake. What's worse is Recovery girl yelling at the two to stop punching one another.
"Eraserhead, I need help!" The older hero calls desperately to her coworker. "I can't get them to stop."
Eraserhead nudges Mic forward since he can't move well enough to stop them. Mic attempts to stand between them but only receives a punch and a kick from both students.
"What the hell?!" The blond screams in anger. "Stop fighting; the game is over!"
"Amaterasu, Shoto, please stop this," Suyemi pleads to the two. "You're best friends, not enemies."
"NO!" her granddaughter growls. "I refuse to be friends with someone who treats me like TRASH!"
"I wouldn't treat you so if you weren't so weak!"
"Says the boy acting like the man he hates most!"
"What-?"
Caught off guard by the accusation, Amaterasu finally knocks Todoroki to the ground. However, instead of continuing the assault, she stares down at the boy she once called her best friend.
"For years, we agreed never to speak of our home lives, and I understand why. In return, we're supposed to be there for each other. You were supposed to be my keeper, and I, yours! So, why did it change?" Amaterasu growls, her voice wavers as she shakes in anger. "Why did you start taking your anger out on me...? Like your father did to your mother. Like my father does to me?... Why is everyone leaving me? Why are you turning against me, Shoto? WHY!"
Todoroki couldn't find a word to help him explain the situation to the girl. It wasn't until this moment that he realized how toxic he's become. He's turned into a replica of his father and beaten the one person closest to him. The amount of shame Shoto feels in that moment can never be put into words. He can't even look Amaterasu in the eye, nor can many of the adults who feel at fault for the girl's descent.
"What a mess," Endeavor cuts in as he and detective Homura enter the scene.
"For once, we are in agreement, hero," Homura Osamu replies as he closes in on his daughter.
"Father? Why are you here-?"
I loud smack resonates through the halls as Amaterasu falls to the ground holding her cheek. Immediately, there's an uproar as Aizawa loses his temper at the sight of Amaterasu falling to the ground. He tries to run forward, only for his best friend to stop him.
"No, Eraser, you're still hurt!"
Detective Homura advances on his daughter, but before he can lay a hand on her, Suyemi throws herself in harm's way to protect Amaterasu. Latching onto Osamu's raised hand, she begins to plead.
"Stop, stop it now, Osamu! Don't you see she's hurt?"
"ENOUGH WOMAN," he bellows, throwing his mother-in-law against the wall.
"Suyemi!" Recovery girl cries out, rushing to her friend's side.
Running forward to stand in front of his sister, Miroku shields her with his body. Shaking in fear, he closes his eyes as he awaits the incoming hit. Another smack sounds through the hallway, harder and louder than the last, but Miroku never feels the hit, so he opens his eyes to see what happened. Holding him close to her, Amaterasu covers the child with her beaten body, careful not to allow any of the blood on her body to touch him.
"Onee-chan," the youngest Homura cries. "No~!"
"It's okay, Miko-nii," Amaterasu whispers. "Just close your eyes."
Before the boy can reply, Osamu grabs his daughter by the arm and tears her away from her brother. Mad with rage, Osamu begins to shake his daughter. Eraserhead attempts to break free from his friend until another voice joins the fray. Midoriya Izuku.
He was the last to arrive at the scene, but the horror he witnessed will remain with him for the rest of his life. Sadly, similar to Aizawa, Midoriya can hardly help due to his injuries. Still, he won't simply stand by and watch the girl he admires become a punching bag.
"Stop hitting her!"
Letting his daughter hit the floor, Osamu turns his attention to the small green-haired child. "Do you know who I am, boy?"
"Honestly, I don't care who you are," Midoriya firmly states. "What I know is that you're hurting my friend, and that's enough to get me involved."
Judging by the glow illuminating Osamu, it's clear he's growing angry. If the situation isn't stopped now, Osamu is likely to drag the entire U.A. staff and Midoriya under charges with his wife's help. At least, that's the norm Amaterasu is used to seeing. No matter how terrible her relationship became with her parents, she swore to never involve another person in her problems. She kept true to her promise ever since her mother threatened to enact a restraining order against Eraserhead. Today, she'll keep that promise no matter the personal cost.
"It was my fault; I started this," Amaterasu spoke up so the entire group can hear her. "I just wanted to be heard..."
There was a moment of silence before Osamu turns to face his daughter. "You mean to tell me you did all of this for attention?"
"...Well, when you say it like that, of course, it's going to sound bad," the young woman laughs bitterly. "However, I can't deny it. So, there's no reason for you to involve anyone in this matter. It's my fault, no one else's."
"Me? No, I didn't involve anyone in this atrocity! I told you long ago that becoming a hero was a death sentence. This foolhardy dream you have never should have been entertained! We could have avoided a day like this if you listened to me! Yet, you never do! You didn't, as a child and now as a teen. You are a completely useless, ignorant, wild child. What's worse is that you dragged Miroku into this! Do you really want this life for him?"
"No," she whispers as tears fall from her face. Slowly and unsteadily, she rises to her feet, leaning against the wall for support. "No, I don't."
"And why would you?! A life filled with liars, schemers, glory hogs, and money-grubbling whores-"
"No! You're wrong," Amaterasu snapped, anger written across her face. "I don't want to force a lifestyle on Miko-nii because I know what it feels like to have options forced on you. That's what you've done my entire life. So, of course, I would never force this on him! If you even paid attention, you would know Miko-nii doesn't want to become a hero. He has his own dreams!"
"Amaterasu!-"
"NO! I understand that one day I might die, but it'll be a death that I've chosen! I want this life! I know that the word hero no longer exists in this era, but to hell with that. I came here to rewrite the image of heroes! That's why I want to be a hero," Homura Amaterasu proclaims with a proud voice. "I want to save people, and if that means I have to throw out the old era to bring about a new one, then so be it. If that means I have to do it without you, then so be it."
"I want you out of the house by tonight," Osamu growls at the girl.
"Fine."
"Good," the detective snarls as he walks away. Grabbing his son by the arm, he begins to speak. "Suyemi, let's go."
"NO, I won't leave her," the retired surgeon yells. Standing up, she wobbles over to her granddaughter with the remaining strength in her body. Watching his mother-in-law hobble next to his daughter, more anger consumes the man.
"Then rot with her!"
As they leave the group behind, Miroku turns around to give his sister one last teary smile. Amaterasu waves goodbye until he's out of sight before collapsing on the ground again.
"Firefly, we need to get you to the infirmary; can you stand?"
"Yeah, I can try."
As Todoroki and Homura walk into the infirmary, Endeavor and Midoriya return to their seats. Although, it did take some convincing to make Midoriya leave since he's worried about the two. Present Mic decides to withdraw from the situation since he needs to check on the progress of the field for the upcoming match. With Recovery girl and Suyemi working diligently on the two students, Aizawa stands to the side, looking at the progress.
Once the two older women finish, the next match is about to begin between Bakugou and Tokoyami. Aizawa clears the room, albeit with some difficulty. Now that he's alone with the two teens, he finally speaks directly to them.
"I need to know for the safety of those participating in the tournament if either one of you can continue," Aizawa begins in his monotone voice. "I understand neither one of you are in the correct space of mind, and that is okay. It's not a sign of weakness, nor is it seen as quitting should you step down right now. It's a matter of your physical and mental welfare that you think this through. You've both had significant breakthroughs today, so it's understandable if you wish to withdraw. However, if you stay in the competition, simply know at the moment, neither one of you is disqualified. You should be since you two failed to stop when Midnight and Cementos told you to halt the fight. However, we are going to look past that for the moment. The rest is up to you. If you continue, there will be a match to decide who will proceed to the final round."
After a moment of deliberation, Amaterasu waves to the boy next to her to gain Shoto's attention. Raising an eyebrow, the boy gives his one friend his undivided attention.
"Was it all worth it?"
"...I don't understand what you're asking, Ama...?"
"Was this entire competition worth losing your best friend?" Homura asked once more to clarify what she meant.
Shoto doesn't speak, merely looking at the girl wide-eyed in shock. Yes, he remembers Amaterasu refusing to be known as his friend moments before, but he hadn't taken it seriously. In all honesty, he thought she was saying it to spite him. Shoto never accepted the fact Amaterasu would mean it. Yet, here she is, solemn about what she said.
For years, Amaterasu has been his only friend. Toya is dead, Natsuo is never around, Fuyumi only speaks a handful of words to him, and his mother is in the hospital. Without Amaterasu, who does he have left? No one. It was never his intention to treat her so horribly. If anything, he thinks the world of the girl. Never did he anticipate turning into a replica of his father. In the end, none of this is worth losing her, and if he wants to move past this he needs to prove that to her.
"Sensei, I'm withdrawing," Todoroki quietly comments, all the while staring into Amaterasu's sapphire eyes. "None of this was worth it."
Without another word, he leaves the room. Now, only master and student remain in the infirmary as the round between Bakugou and Tokoyami concludes. Silently, Aizawa turns to the girl as he awaits her response.
"Did you know he was here?" Amaterasu asked in a near-silent voice. She never turns her head towards Aizawa in fear that the tears will begin anew.
"No, I didn't. Osamu made himself known during your round against Todoroki."
"I see," the young woman croaks, finally giving in to her emotions. "So, um... I just..."
Quietly, Aizawa moves forward, and as best as he can, attempts to wrap the girl in a hug. Holding her tightly as his protege sniffles into his chest.
"I'm sorry for not listening to you, Sensei! I'm so sorry for not dropping out!"
"No, it's not your fault. I shouldn't have allowed you to walk away. This is my fault for putting too much pressure on you. Don't blame yourself any longer. I'm sorry Amaterasu."
The girl doesn't respond as she wraps both arms around her mentor. Recovery girl pokes her head in, and Eraserhead softly shakes his head in her direction that neither of the students will be competing any longer in the competition.
Amaterasu POV
Hours after the competition, my grandma and I are lay in our respective beds. It's late at night, and neither of us is speaking as we reflect on our day. Well, my grandma did attempt a conversation or two, but I chose not to speak. I didn't know what to say.
The day started with so much promise, only for it to end in a disaster. The only bright side is being able to piss off Bakugou. The boy was so angry when he found out both Todoroki and I dropped out of the competition that he threw a tantrum.
As soon as the tournament came to a close and I was released from U.A., I went straight home to pack my belongings. Grandma said a moving company will gather the rest of our furniture while we spend the night at a hotel. When we arrived at the hotel, grandma made many attempts to cheer me up with room service or a visit to the spa downstairs but I didn't go along with her suggestions. I'm aware she's trying her best, but the fact that she's going through all of this because of me is too much. I can only handle so much guilt, and hearing her speak isn't helping.
"Firefly, are you hungry?"
"No."
"Do you want something to drink?"
"No."
There's a stretch of silence before the lights suddenly turn on, and my covers are taken away. "Enough with the one-word answers, Firefly."
"Grandma!"
"I know things are rough right now, but it will get better. I already have an apartment waiting for us to move into tomorrow morning. It's close to the school, has excellent reviews, and my friend says it's been vacant for a while and it's ready for us. You can decorate the room in any way you desire. So, don't be upset because I'm not! I'm so proud of you and all you've achieved. You finally stood up for yourself and grew as a person, and- and- I..."
I stare at my grandma as she begins to mutter under her breath about everything. All this time, I'm so focused on myself I didn't realize how much my grandma needs me.
"Grandma, let's order some food," I smile at her. Finally, her tense shoulders loosen, and she smiles brightly at me as she rushes to the phone.
"O-okay!"
For the rest of the night, neither one of us remain in a depressed mood. We talk about the day, our views, and most importantly, our new apartment. Maybe the situation isn't perfect, but it's a work in progress that I can accept.
The next day as the two of us drive to our apartment, my grandma goes over the list of chores we need to accomplish before the day is over. The moving company is meeting grandma at the apartment with our stuff while I go grocery shopping.
"Grandma, will we have enough pots and pans to cook? Do I need to buy that too or should I wait?"
"We basically took the entire kitchen when we left, so don't worry about it."
"What do you mean by we! I didn't even know about this," I choked out a laugh. "What did you take."
"Everything your grandfather and I ever bought. Those ungrateful peasants can buy their own crap."
"But grandma, what about Miko-nii?"
"That boy will finally have all the fast food he wants! He's far too skinny."
"Geez, now I know where I got my petty nature from."
"Indeed."
As we park at the apartment complex, my grandma hands me the grocery list. Afterward, she proceeds to explain which complex is ours and the level we're on. "Please don't forget complex 2 and level 3. Look for the one without a nameplate; that one is ours. It's the only one that's vacant in complex 2."
"I got it, Grandma!"
"You better cause I'm not going to go out looking for you."
"What if the food goes bad?"
"It shouldn't since I told you where we live."
"Okay, okay!" I chuckle as I walk in the direction of a nearby shop.
After grabbing the essentials, I walk to the front of the shop to pay only for a hand to stop me. Looking to my side, I see a little kid with big eyes staring at me in awe. He doesn't say anything but continues to hold my wrist nonetheless.
"Hello," I whisper to him. The boy, probably five years old, shyly smiles back.
The cashier notices my attention elsewhere and looks down to see what the matter is. "Oh my goodness, Ren!"
Swinging around her station, she rounds on the boy and quickly picks him up. The woman isn't much older than me, probably in her 20's. As she begins to apologize for the child's behavior, I decide to speak up.
"It's not a problem, ma'am."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course, although I am curious as to why he grabbed me."
The little boy begins to whisper into the ear of the woman before snuggling into her. I look at the woman, patiently waiting for an answer. "My brother said he saw you on T.V. during the U.A. sports festival."
"Oh, did he now," I smile at the child. "Well, I'm honored to be recognized."
In return, the child wiggles out of his older sister's arms and holds my hand. His sister tries to grab the boy, but I wave her off with another smile to put the woman at ease.
"Sorry about him," she adds as she returns to the cash register. "He's a bit on the shy side, but he loves heroes."
"Don't worry about it. I was like Ren-kun when I was a little girl. By the way, what's your name?"
"Oh, how rude of me! I'm Ueno Bunko; my parents own the store."
"I'm Homura Amaterasu, and I just moved into the neighborhood. It's nice to meet you two."
When I finished paying, I make sure to give one final farewell to Ren-kun before traveling back to the apartment complex. However, the moment I arrive, I falter in my steps.
Which one did grandma say is ours? I think to myself. Great, I'm lost!
Looking at the three buildings, I pick the middle one and start walking. I remember grandma telling me something about the 3rd level, so I begin there. It isn't until I get to the middle of the walkway that I locate the room with no nameplate. Assuming that it's ours, I knock on the door and await my grandma to answer the door. It would have been easier to use a key, but my grandma forgot to give me one before going our separate ways.
I hear a shuffle behind the door before it opens up to reveal a stranger. She's a short woman with green hair and green eyes wearing a pink v-neck long sleeve shirt and a long blue skirt. Oddly enough, she reminds me of another person I know, but I can't seem to recall who.
"Hello, I apologize for the intrusion," I slightly bow to the woman. I'm careful not to drop any of the bags I'm carrying on top of her. It's times like this I hate the customary brown paper bags some shops use "I must have got the wrong apartment."
"No, not at all, come in," she waves me in hysterically without taking a single breath. "Right this way!"
In a whirlwind of movements, she brings me into the living room. My bags are taken from me and set on the table to the side while the woman excuses herself. So confused about the events, it takes me a moment to notice my surroundings.
Wait, I don't recognize any of these things, I think to myself from my seat on the couch. Did grandma's friend give us new furniture, or does the apartment come furnished for all tenants?
"AMA-CHAN?!"
Whirling around, I see Midoriya Izuku staring at me with wide emerald eyes. The woman from before, probably his mom, stands right behind him with glittering eyes and a wide smile.
"Mi-Mi-Midoriya?" I stutter as I realize what's happening. "I'm sorry, there must have been a mistake."
"Huh?" the boy questions, although I did notice a slump in his shoulders when I said this. "I don't understand..."
"I'm moving into my new apartment, and I was told if the room doesn't have a nameplate, then that one is mine."
"You're taking our apartment!" the two yell in terror, startling me.
"What? No! There must have been a mistake, is what I'm saying! My grandma told me that there is one room in this building that's empty."
"Oh, you mean the room next door."
"I did hear some movers coming and going throughout the morning," his mother adds. "I didn't think... much... of it... OH NO! DID I GET IN YOUR WAY, SWEETIE?"
"It's okay!" I panic, trying my best to settle the situation. "It wasn't your fault."
"Mom, it's okay."
"Izuku, I'm sorry for embarrassing you!"
"This isn't embarrassing, I promise," I reassure the woman. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Midoriya-san. Allow me to properly introduce myself; I'm Homura Amaterasu."
"Oh, I'm Midoriya Inko. It's nice to finally meet one of Izuku's friends. He never brings any home."
"MOM!"
I giggle at the comment before a thought crosses my mind. "Forgive me for inquiring, but why don't you have a nameplate for your apartment?"
"Oh, right, our nameplate is getting replaced since the old one got damaged," the older woman explained. "Izuku was bringing in a package we recently received and smacked it against the nameplate by accident."
"Oh wow! It must have been a large package."
"Yes, it was a new shelf for his bedroom. you see he collects-"
"Mom, she doesn't need to know all of that!" my classmate said as he jumped between his mother and I while waving his arms around.
I giggle again at the two's antics before I remember the groceries on their counter. Calling their attention, I quickly bow to the two. "Well, I apologize for interrupting your evening, but I really must go."
"Wait, why don't you stay for dinner," Inko suggested. "I'm sure you and your grandmother must be tired from a long day of unpacking, and of course, you'll be a welcome presence in our home."
"That's very gracious of you, but I wouldn't want to intrude."
"No, you wouldn't be, right, Izuku?"
Looking at the only boy in the room, I await his answer. He hesitates for only a second before shaking his head. "You're more than welcome to join us for dinner if you want to."
"Thank you," I reply slowly, a bit shocked that he would invite me back for dinner after yesterday's events. A smile begins to grace my face once more as I turn around. "I'll let my grandma know about the invite."
"Hold on, I'll walk you out," he calls to me as he follows me out the door. Shyly, he says goodbye as I make my way to my new home.
So that wraps up this chapter, but we will most likely pick up the story at dinner time. During the next few arcs, I will be dedicating more time to Izuku and Amaterasu to develop their relationship (Plus mama Inko will definitely make more appearances). Finally, I want to reassure everyone that Shoto will not be made the bad guy for the story. I simply noted how similar Shoto acted like Endeavor in the earlier chapters, so this event will push him to do right by Amaterasu.
Like always, please leave a review down below and/or questions in my PM. See y'all next time!