After the performance, he and Deku couldn't have ran any quicker over to where they'd spotted Shou and Zashi during the concert.
They paused just before they approached the two of them who seemed to be deep in the middle of an argument.
"We should have gone straight away rather than waiting." The voice hero stated.
"Toshi wouldn't have wanted us to scare Eri like that by leaving during the concert." Their brother retorted.
"But what if he's really hurt?"
"You know what happened, and why it can wait."
He furrowed an eyebrow at that last part.
"Plus Recovery Girl didn't want us barging in there in case we woke him up; Tosh needs all the rest he can get right now." Shouza sighed.
"How are you so calm knowing what we know?!"
"Because what good would panicking do?!"
It was rare to hear the erasure hero raise his voice. Unsurprisingly it left Uncle Zashi wordless, and both he and Deku could only stare too.
Their brother took a breath before he continued.
"I'm just as worried for Tosh as you are, don't feel that I'm not, I'm just trying to see the bigger picture here rather than freaking out over it. It doesn't have to change anything."
"It changes everything, Shouta; everything! His entire life would be different. He found it hard enough to lose one, can you even imagine the struggle it would be for him now?!"
"You're joking right?" Shouza scoffed. "How could I ever imagine what it would be like to lose my eyesight? I know fine fucking well what it's like."
Their gasps gave them away.
The two heroes turned to them, clearly caught off-guard by their presence.
"Zuku... Kacchan..."
"Hitoshi's not okay, is he?" He forced out.
Hitoshi groaned as he flickered his eyes open. His brow scrunched in confusion a few seconds later before a sudden feeling of sickness overcame him as he remembered.
Oh yeah, I fucked up.
"Hey, sleepyhead." Came a soft, familiar voice.
He smiled, turning towards it.
A few seconds later he felt two hands take his own, giving them a squeeze.
"Did we do it? Did Eri get her concert?"
"Yeah Tosh, she got her concert." Dad spoke up.
"How are you feeling, kiddo?" Papa fussed lovingly.
He just simply shrugged.
"We'll work this out, okay?"
What was there to work out, everything was really screwed this time?
The screen door slid open.
"Ahh, there you both are." Recovery Girl spoke as she entered. "And nice to see you awake again, sweetie. I do wish you boys would be more careful."
"Sorry."
"Now, let's have a look at you."
Her slow paced movements were easy to track and therefore he didn't find himself jumping at every touch she made, something he found himself thankful for.
"Everything has healed up nicely so as long as he doesn't do anything too strenuous he should be fine. He's obviously going to have some trouble getting around, but that training you did together might just be his saving grace."
"We'll figure something out." Dad stated.
"Does that mean I can go to the festival?" He asked nervously, unsure whether he would anger them to ask for such a request.
"I suppose it does." Recovery Girl chuckled.
"Are you sure about this?" Papa's worried tone asked.
"He can't just stay cooped up in here forever, he needs to get out and get some practice in, right Tosh?"
He nodded.
"Good, come on then, Eri is waiting for you."
Hitoshi beamed.
The sun was beginning to set as he, Mirio, and Kacchan escorted Eri around the festival. Her eyes had been wide as she browsed the stalls, and she'd even won some prizes from the carnival games too.
It had been hard for them to just go on as normal as if nothing had happened when Hitoshi was still lying in the infirmary having lost his sight.
They kept their composure for Eri though; the last thing she needed was them breaking down in worry.
With her Cementoss sipper in one hand she held onto Mirio with the other.
Zuku crouched down in front of her.
"You okay, Eri?"
She fiddled nervously, eyes downcast.
"Is... is Hitoshi coming?"
The three of them looked between each other nervously, unsure of what to say.
"Hitoshi might not be able to make it." He began, as softly as possible. "But that isn't because he didn't want to, he has talked about going round the festival with you non-stop, he was really excited."
Her little expression looked almost tearful.
"Where's Toshi?" She began. "If Toshi isn't coming to the festival then I don't want to be here either."
"Eri..."
Kacchan smushed her hair with his hand.
"Come on, don't be a spoil sport." He teased, clearly hoping it would make her smile a little.
She chuckled and push his hand away.
"Toshi wants you to have fun, so that's what you need to do, so stop with the pouty face and let's to destroy some more carnival games."
"Win." He quickly corrected. "Win some more carnival games; no destruction."
But Eri's eyes were already ablaze by the idea.
"Yeah!"
He turned to Mirio.
"It's scary, she has the potential to be a mini Kacchan and I don't know if the world could handle two of them."
"That's a terrifying thought." The blonde chuckled nervously.
"She needs to spend more time with Toshi, at least he's not got psychopath potential."
"I heard that!" Kacchan grumbled.
"Are you sure you're okay?" The voice hero asked for what felt like the nineteenth time.
"Papa I'm fine, I promise."
He was finally out of the infirmary and amongst the incredible atmosphere of the festival. He'd never felt anything like the endless aura of happiness radiating from everyone.
His hand was on Papa's elbow, much the same as Dad's usually was anytime he would guide him. It felt strange to be in the reverse position.
"Ahh, there they are."
"Hey kids." Dad spoke up.
He heard a gasp before little footsteps sprinted over and small arms wrapped around his legs. He crouched down and pulled her into his arms, depositing her onto his shoulders.
"Hitoshi!"
"Hey, Eri." He smiled.
"Remember when she told you not to do anything strenuous?" Dad scolded jokingly, knowing fine well he was never going to listen.
It did actually hurt more than he'd expected though and so with a smirk, he returned Eri to the ground.
"What you been up to? Anything fun?"
"Yeah!"
The sound of her backpack being unzipped quickly could be heard.
The backpack in question was a sparkly Wild Wild Pussycats rainbow one which Shouta had bought for her. To say Eri adored it would be an understatement.
"Look!"
'Look.'
The word had him choked up. A tight pain in his chest formed as he suddenly felt...
A hand on his shoulder grounded him.
"What is it Eri?" Dad's soft voice asked before he was gently pulled in against his side.
A smile crossed his face at the erasure hero's genius in that moment.
"It's Shouta and Hizashi!"
"Really? That's amazing, Eri."
"They're a present for you." She explained.
A light gasp of surprise left his lips as he was taken aback.
Had she gotten them for him?
"Really?"
"Yeah. I won them."
"I won them." Kacchan corrected.
"He won then." Eri giggled as she handed over the two prizes.
"Oh my god!" Papa exclaimed. "They're so cool! And you even have your little goggles and scarf, Shou."
It hadn't really dawned on him before just how naturally Papa fell into describing anything visual that Dad was unable to see.
Guess he was doing it for both of them now...
"I forgot they do Teacher Collection prizes." The erasure hero spoke up.
He found himself truly lost for words by Eri's selflessness before eventually stumbling through.
"Thank you Eri... I- I love them." He hugged them both a little closer against himself.
"Yay!" She celebrated he heard the sound of her backpack being rummaged through once again.
"I won this one too! It's All Fight!"
"All Might." Zuku and Kacchan corrected in tandem.
"All Might." She repeated.
"He'll keep you safe at night." He smiled.
"Yeah!"
"Come on then, kids, it's been a long day; let's head back."