Izuku softly drummed his fingers awkwardly on the wooden table as he sat down in wait for Itsuki to arrive with her other sisters.
He'd already met Itsuki and Nino so there were still three other faces he had yet to see.
That feeling alone made his heart tinge with anxiety.
Although from seeing Nino and Itsuki's uncanny resemblance, one could say he'd already known how the others would look like actually.
That ... still didn't change things sadly, since telling them apart might be quite difficult...
Izuku laid out the papers on the wooden table and sat down in a seiza, patiently awaiting for his 'students' to arrive.
He looked up at the clock.
It was 4:30.
Classes should have started fifteen minutes ago.
But Izuku soon heard a mismatched clutter of steps walking down the stairs, making him look up from the table.
It was Itsuki, and… just one other with her?
The only new person that seemed to be the only one in Izuku's view was a short-haired girl, with the tone of her hair strands as well as her face carrying that unbelievable likeness to Itsuki.
They might have been Quintuplets, but this resemblance was a little too much dot for dot.
The newcomer was a little tired probably, seeing as how she yawned cutely while rubbing her head with a non-offensive grumble.
Itsuki seemingly looked at her sister's nonchalant behaviour with a pout. She nudged her sister, making a face with her eyes swiftly making a dart towards Izuku, in an attempt to indicate that they weren't alone.
Her sister realized this and looked sheepish. Seeing Itsuki scrutinizing the way she was carrying herself in front of a guest, the girl chuckled and mumbled a quick apology.
Izuku began to muse in thought as he glanced between Itsuki and her sister.
'If they didn't have differing hairstyles and accessories, I would have had a really difficult time.'
Itsuki rolled her eyes tiredly before politely gesturing to the pretty girl beside her.
"Midoriya-san, this is our oldest sister Ichika."
Ichika giggled as she was called out.
"Nice to meet you Midoriya-kun!" The girl offered a cute and friendly wave.
Izuku awkwardly stood up ramrod straight, "N-NicetomeetyoutooN-Nakano-s-san!"
The sisters looked surprised at his sudden anxiety boosted reply.
Yeah, real smooth of him.
The older Nakano didn't seem to pay much heed to it though, instead opting to chuckle with an amused grin.
Ichika made an attempt to slowly walk over to Izuku with a gentle stride.
Izuku faltered at her approaching and felt a familiar heat of embarrassment and anxiousness rise up.
Ichika seemed to notice his discomfort and chuckled.
"You know… Ichika would be fine too!" The mature girl put a finger to her cheek and winked.
Itsuki, seeing this, immediately made a move to cut in the conversation. Her sister to her was going out of the boundary, this was not okay!
But Izuku made an initiative to speak just before Itsuki could intervene.
"N-No! I c-couldn't call you by t-that!! That would be very d-d-d-disrespectful to you!"
Seeing Izuku's reaction, Itsuki faltered. She stopped in her tracks, looking at him in sheer confusion. This was unbeknownst to Izuku.
Ichika at first seemed surprised at his honest declaration, but the oldest Nakano quickly recovered from her pause.
"Okey dokey." She shrugged, "BUT don't you think it's a bit counterproductive to call me and my sisters all by our last name?"
That made Izuku stop in realization.
Oh yeah, they all went by Nakano didn't they?
Ichika gently smiled as she thrust her hands behind her back, "So you can just call me Ichika!" She smiled, "No problem!"
Ichika then pointed at Itsuki, "You can call her Itsuki as well!" She made a teasing grin, "Riiiight, Itsuki-chan?"
Itsuki squeaked, but nodded in affirmation, "I have no arguments against that M-Midoriya-san." She rubbed her elbows, "It would be more convenient for you as well."
Izuku was outnumbered two to one here, so he just relented.
He raised a wobbly finger towards the both of them, "O-kay! U-umm t-then i-it's I-I-Itsuki and I-I-Ichika r-right?!"
Ichika seemingly had a curious gleam in her eye as he spoke, which was oblivious to Izuku.
The oldest Nakano then nodded, "Yeah, Ichika and Itsuki will be just fine. Our other sisters won't mind if you call them by their first names too so don't worry."
This was advancing a bit too fast for Izuku's convenience.
Nonetheless, he nodded in rapid agreement, "S-S-So let's get started then shall w-we?"
The two currently present sisters shared a nod.
Only two…
"Uh, I don't mean to be r-rude, but last I recalled, t-there are five of you?"
Well, judging from earlier, Nino was most probably not coming.
Itsuki stammered embarrassedly, her voice coming out like a squeak, "U-U-Uhm, Miku and Yotsuba are unfortunately not attending today." She awkwardly rubbed her arm, looking down, "Yotsuba is still back at school for some w-work I think, a-and Miku… didn't r-respond when I c-called her so…"
Izuku slowly nodded, "I-I see."
Ichika quickly decided to cut in, "Well, you know Itsuki, Miku did have a fever for the past few days. Maybe she's sleeping right now, that would explain why she didn't hear you."
Itsuki paused for a moment, yet found herself agreeing with a mechanical nod.
"Y-Yeah, y-yeah, t-that's r-right."
Izuku meanwhile waved his hands rapidly, "In t-that case, it'd be b-best not to disturb her ne?" He grinned bashfully, "Let's j-just g-get t-to the l-lessons, and then from there, ummm... Y-Y-Yo—"
Ichika tilted her head, "Yotsuba?"
"Y-Yeah… umm s-s-she can join if she comes b-back early right?"
The two sisters looked even more confused now at his weird behaviour. But to Izuku, he had mistook their expressions for condescension.
Further did he find himself falling into the pit of despair and humiliation.
"N-Never mind, let's just get s-s-started…"
Izuku shook his anxiety off, leading the girls down to the table for them to start lessons.
Unbeknownst to him, Ichika whispered to her younger sister.
"Ne, Itsuki-chan?"
"Hmm?"
"He's oddly different, isn't he?"
Itsuki nodded slowly, "Yeah, it's really weird..."
"First was that guy from two days back and now this."
Nino Nakano kicked the leg of her bed in anger, before proceeding to flop down onto the mattress with a heavy sigh.
The mattress creaked under the heavy weight being suddenly added onto it, as Nino looked up at the ceiling and scowled.
"That guy needs to get out." She growled in irritation.
Nino wouldn't stand for this, not again.
Enough was enough.
The bouncy mattress found itself being tightly gripped together by Nino's hand as she grumbled in frustration.
Not near her family. Not another fucking one near her family.
Not… another hero.
The butterfly girl felt the headache coming back.
She whimpered in pain. She made a swift move to getting up and sitting on the edge of the bed as she rubbed her temples to cool herself down.
Nino wiped her eyes off, ridding the stray tears that dared to fall.
How did the rest of her sisters manage this headache…
No, no, she was just the only one left out of the five of them still stuck like this.
"BECAUSE YOU'RE PATHETIC."
Nino froze in sudden fear.
"WHATS YOUR WORTH ANYWAY?"
Stop, Stop, Stop…
"PEOPLE LIKE YOU DON'T DESERVE TO LIVE."
STOP!!!!!
This as you now know, is the start of the first arc.
Broken Butterflies has commenced. Make your first move.
Before you guys say anything, the interludes to every arc are always going to be kept short and sweet.