Disclaimer: I don't own jack!
Feral
Shigaraki weaved through the crowd of faceless people. They were all the same. They wore the same clothes, had the same smiles and even all laughed the same. There wasn't an ounce of despair in sight. Scarlet eyes thinned at the overly happy crowd that surrounded him.
He hated it.
He hated this false happiness that was steeped in every inch of their society. They could all just drop dead in an instant and yet here they were, frolicking as if such a thing could never possibly happen to them.
He kept his hands tucked into the pockets of his pullover.
"Useless," He muttered the word beneath his breath. "Completely useless."
How could such false happiness bring anyone true joy?
How could turning a blind eye to suffering do anything useful?
His feet carried him past the thick throng of people and down a thin, winding path that cut through the back alleys of the city.
Shinjuku.
He should've known better than to come here.
It was crowded, noisy, uncomfortable and rife with idiots. It was everything he hated in this society.
Laughter. Money. Ignorance. Uselessness.
The young man paused.
His gaze took in a stone-carved pathway that cut up the mountainside perched at the far end of Shinjuku's district. It was an odd place for a shrine, but the torii gates still gleamed brightly beneath the sun's light at him.
He ascended the path without a thought. His mind went blank as he followed the steps up towards the Shrine.
Why was he even here?
What did he want to accomplish?
None of this made any sense.
"Souta, be careful!" A feminine voice called from somewhere over the crest of the stairs. "You're still recovering!"
Shigaraki quirked a brow.
She sounded fairly young. Likely around his age or so.
When he reached the top, what he found wasn't a typical shrine. The courtyard was well kept. The temizuya was in perfect condition. There was even a small gift shop near the entrance.
Everything about the place seemed ready to receive visitors—yet there was a heavy atmosphere. One that pressed the air out of his lungs and made his feet freeze to the spot.
Was this supposed to be private property?
How odd.
"I'll be fine!"
He stopped as a boy hardly in his teens ran into him.
"Oh, sorry about that!" The child lifted his gaze, "You alright?" He spied a cast covering his arm but otherwise no other injuries. The girl likely hadn't wanted him to trip and risk making his injury worse.
Shigaraki rolled his shoulders, "It's fine."
Most days he would've just used his quirk on someone that ran into him and been done with it, however he wasn't keen on killing anyone just yet. He was still curious about this place. Why was it tucked so far away from the city? Why were there no visitors besides himself? Why did it feel so empty?
To put it mildly, this place felt like a tomb. The essence of death had etched itself into this very land.
He wanted to know why.
"Souta, I told you to be careful!" A young woman ran up to them, "I'm so sorry about him. My brother can be pretty energetic. I'm Higurashi Kagome, by the way. I'm glad you decided to make the trip up!"
Her smile was wide and bright, "We don't get too many visitors up here."
The grin she gave him reflected a certain kind of happiness that he couldn't relate too, yet, his gaze shifted towards her eyes, there was something else about her. Something about her gaze didn't match the smile upon her lips.
She was... odd.
Familiar, almost.
Shigaraki cocked his head to the side, "Higurashi?"
Why did that name sound so familiar?
His mind ran through every possibility.
Higurashi... Higurashi...
His brows furrowed.
Shinigami
Now it made sense!
Higurashi Seiichi.
The man who was both a villain and a father. He was only surpassed by All for One himself in terms of their villain ranks prior to Seiichi's arrest.
Were these two the family he'd left behind?
Kagome's smile dropped a little, "Yeah, it's kind of why this place is so off the beaten path. People don't exactly want to visit the family home of a notorious killer." Azure eyes shifted back to him, "Well not the normal ones anyways. So what brings you here?"
Shigaraki lowered his hands from his pockets, "Who knows really."
The young woman's smile turned soft, "If that's the case then why don't you stay a little while? We'd love to have you, ah?" She paused as if to encourage him to give her his name.
"Tomura." He answered plainly.
She stretched her hand towards his, "Well Tomura, it's nice to meet you."
He glanced at the fingers reaching towards him with kindness. It was only the second time someone had extended their hand to him in such a way. It was... nice.
He met her gaze one last time.
Unlike the masses she had the same look as him. The same flicker of suffering and despair that'd balanced with the smile upon her face.
"Likewise."
He wanted to know more.