Ch. 20

.o0o.

I stared at Midoriya, wide eyes, a tear weeping out of the corner of it. I quickly wiped it away, and his face seemed to drop and pale significantly.

"I--" I tried to apologize, say something--anything--but I couldn't. What was there to say?

"S-Samiko--I--"

"I need to talk with you...at lunch?"

He looked like a kicked puppy. "Yeah… I'll uh...Come find you?"

I nodded blankly. "Yeah…"

"Woah, what was that about?" someone asked 'quietly.'

"Oi! Deku! You got something to hide?!"

"K-Kacchan--"

"Oi, Bakugou, leave them alone!" Kirishima-San said to him.

"Let's not press her about it..."

Good idea, whoever said that.

"Aight. Hey, who's next--!"

"That's all for today," I cut in quickly, sitting back down stiffly, glancing back and forth at Deku the whole time.

"Aww, come on--!"

"I'm done," I snapped firmly.

"Aw, okay. That was still fun though. Thanks, Sami-Chan!" Kirishima-San said kindly. He was always really respectful of my boundaries. I appreciated it.

"B-but," a small voice said, and I looked to see the purple thing shaking, staring at me. "But, you didn't get to read me yet, did you--?"

"I don't need to."

He looked like I kicked him in the balls. I wished I had.

I heard a snort from somewhere else in the room, and I assumed it was from one of the girls. RIght now, I was too distraught to find what I said amusing.

I bent over in my seat, resting my head in my hands.

In the end, I read everyone's minds except Bakugou-San, Iida-San, Shoji-San, Hagakure-San (because I couldn't physically see her to do so), Mineta-San, Tsuyu-San and Momo-San. And dangit I kind of regretted it.

All Might...One For All? What even--A quirk that is passed down?? Was that even possible? Why was I so stupid? I couldn't--

"Everyone to your seats."

My father's voice demanded order. I sat up in my seat, trying to seem like nothing's wrong.

"You finished grading, I assume?" he asked me.

"Yes, Sir."

"Alright, well don--" He cut himself off, looking at me. I looked forward like nothing was wrong.

Except that if nothing was wrong, I would be nonchalantly reading.

"Are you okay, Samiko?"

Since I couldn't lie, it took me a moment to find the words. "I will be soon."

"What's going on?"

"I don't mean to be disrespectful, sir, but...it currently does not concern you. I will tell you as soon as I need to."

He went very quiet. You could hear a pin drop.

He finally shuffled the graded papers and set them aside.

"See me after class."

"Yes, Sir."

.o0o.

I don't think the class had ever been that quiet for as long as they were. Kind of everything was going wrong today. I woke up on very the wrong side of the bed, I read too deep into two different people's minds, All Might has a quirk that can be passed down, Dad's pissy, and I made it worse because I can't tell him what the hell is going on, and I still have to workout with my dad today.

I was not ready for this.

After homeroom was over, I followed my Dad outside the classroom to his next one.

"Why are you acting strange, Samiko?"

"I can't tell you."

"What do you mean you can't tell me?" he asked, a slight edge to his tone.

"I…"

"Did you read someone's mind?"

"They gave their express consent," I defended. "I was...I slipped into their memories. I saw…"

"Go on…"

"I don't think I can," I confessed shamefully.

"Okay...Who was it?"

I went quiet. Should I say something? Should I tell him? Was it safe to do so? I got the heavy impression that I was not supposed to know--no one was supposed to. I thought that I was in danger if I knew. Would that mean that Dad would be too?

Nothing was simple anymore.

"I don't…"

"I know if you can't tell me." He sighed. "I get it. You invaded someone's privacy and don't want anyone else to either. I have my ideas on who it is anyway."

I still wasn't entirely convinced that he didn't have a mind reading quirk.

"You can head back to the classroom, if you wish."

I nodded and headed back the other direction. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Not interrogating me."

He huffed out a laugh. "I would never."

I scoffed.

.o0o.

"So let me get this straight…"

We were sitting in All Mights office. I refused to look up from the ground from where I sat, bowing respectfully and apologetically. This was the first time i had ever seen him in his small form in real life, and the fact of the matter was really finally starting to sink in.

"You went to read Young Midoriya's mind, and you...saw…?"

"I saw everything." I confessed. "I saw that you had two forms….like, what you're in now, and that Midoriya-San had your quirk, and what happened with him at the Sports Festival when he snapped out of Shinsou-San's quirk…And that you can only hold your form for a certain amount of time..."

"Hm…" All Might said contemplatively. "Well, there's nothing to be done about it now. If she knows, she knows. However, Aizawa-Kun…"

"If you don't want me to tell him, I won't." I said. I looked up at All Might. "I...I can't say it enough, but I am so sorry for overestimating myself. I overstepped my boundaries in the meantime, and now I'm afraid I have put myself and yourselves in danger with my knowing, and I am to blame.."

I bowed again. "Please forgive me."

"S-Samiko-Chan," Midoriya-San said gently, "Don't go and blame yourself. It's also partially my fault. I let you read my mind, knowing that I had these secrets to hide. And, I also overestimated your ability, and should have been more careful. Don't beat yourself up about it."

I looked up at him, finally nodding. "I won't tell anyone without confirmation from you. I swear it."

I was now bound by my word. Even if I wanted to tell a soul, I physically could not without them telling me I could.

All Might nodded. "Alright. We are very sorry you had to be wrapped up into this, Samiko-Chan...Thank you, for keeping our secret."

I sat up and nodded to him, putting my head down again. I had really nothing to say to him…

"You look so much like your mother."

My head snapped up to All Might. He had a warm, almost nostalgic or reminiscent smile on his face.

"You...you knew my mother?" I asked. Dad almost never talked about her, and I knew not to ask about her.

All Might nodded. "Of course. We worked close together for a long time. I was one of the first people that knew about you."

I blinked. He knew about me before my Dad even did, probably.

It was coming back to me. I met him when I was really little, I knew...I guess I just didn't remember him. Surprisingly.

His smile widened. "She loved you a lot," he said. "She told me that she didn't regret a single thing she ever did for you."

Even dying.

I felt my chest tighten. I bit the inside of my lip. It was kind of shocking to hear someone talk about my mom so openly.

"Who was your mom, Samiko?" I heard Midoriya ask.

I turned to him, a wane smile on my face. "Her name was Mira Noraki...Pro Hero Mirawr."

It took a moment for him to register, then his face lit up in recognition.

"Oh, wow! Mirawr was one of the most amazing heroes in existence! Her quirk was so amazing--She was one of the rarer Heroes who actually had two very powerful quirks melded together, climbing the ranks almost faster than any hero in history up to that point! Wait, are you telling me that she and--Eraserhead--"

I laughed out loud, All Might joining in after a moment.

I shrugged. "Everyone was young and dumb at one point."

Midoriya-San blushed.

I wiped my eyes, kind of unceremoniously, and looked at Midoriya. "Try and keep this between us...Kind of a secret for a little bit. When I want to say something, or Dad wants to say something, we will."

"O-okay!"

I smiled at him, then turned back to All Might. There was one question that really had me all these years. I just wanted to know to know. Not that I was going to do anything to them, but….I just needed to know.

"All Might-San...Can I ask you something?" I said meekly.

"Of course."

"Who killed my mother?"

It went deathly quiet.

"The same person who made me like this," he said gravely.

I gasped.

"All For One was the only person that had the power to face and kill her. So...he did."

Things went very still. I was the reason--no, mom and All For One was the reason he was looking for a successor (I read that part in Midoryia's mind too accidentally). The reason he looked like this.

I nodded to him. "Thank you," I said, "for telling me. It...helps me come to terms with things."

All Might nodded. "I'm glad. Now, I think it's time for some food."

.o0o.

A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the wait. I have the next few chapters idea'd out and planned, and I'm writing them as I speak. Thank you for your everlasting patience and support--it truly means the world to me :D

I love you all, stay strong!