My breathing sped up as I stared at the screen.

I continued to stare while sitting limply on my couch in my apartment.

The news-peoples voices became muffled to my ears, as my eyes could only focus on the picture they displayed in the corner of the screen.

Two pairs of wide, round, emerald eyes. A nervous smile. Four freckles plastered on each cheek. A forest green fluff of hair... young.

So damn young.

My breath picked up as I tried to get up to my feet, my body trying to protest after a long day of patrolling for a few hours in my hero form and getting sidetracked with more minimal helping while in my sick form.

I knocked down a vase after almost falling flat on my face on the hard floor. The object cracked when landing, the sound echoing loudly in the oddly quiet room, the only sounds coming from the T.V which is muffled to my ears.

My legs finally gave out as I fell to the floor, my hands falling to my side as I lay on the ground on my knees.

'It couldn't be- no... but that hair... and those eyes- so young and...' he let out a pained sob as blood trickled down his mouth. "N-no, oh god no..." he was then reminded of his meeting with the boy.

He remembered those hopeful eyes looking at him with adoration and hope. So much damn hope.

But what did he do? He broke that hope as if it didn't mean a thing to him. As if he wasn't the poor boy's long-term hero who said he looked up to the man. Who strived to be just like him.

Then he remembered the way he dismissed him right after shutting down his dreams, leaving him there. Leaving him there on that rooftop. On the same rooftop, the news said he jumped off of. The same rooftop...

'oh...'

More sobs echoed in the room as he realized. Realized that this is his fault. That boy's life was taken because of him and his careless words. Just because he was having one of those bad days, he didn't have half the mind to think before spewing such words to the kid. Looking back, he remembers seeing himself in the boy. Seeing his past and insecurities.

He was so fragile, so hopeful, and desperate to become more. He remembers his quirkless self, always working to find some sort of miracle. Some sort of reason to work harder for his goal. Yet society always beat him down until he met Nana.

He was blinded by his newfound quirk and all the pressure that came with it. All the expectations, the nonstop working, always having to attend meetings, interviews, or having to go on those endless patrols.

And worst of all... the loneliness.

I never got the chance to make many friends in U.A, although the ones I did make have either died, retired, or we lost touch because of circumstances after years of being a pro-hero...

Although now I get more time to myself because of my injury, I was never actually a social butterfly in my original form. Everything on T.V was just part of my 'symbol of peace' persona. I tried to make those in Japan feel safe and protected. But when I'm in this form, this weak form, I can finally break down and be who I really am. A coward.

I was always a coward, quirkless or not, I was always running away from my problems. Even when warned of my possible death in the near future by my sidekick, I ignored his warnings and continued on. We don't talk anymore. And I never bothered to initiate reconnecting. Instead, I continued wearing myself out, taking up more patrols and missions even when my body protested. I buried myself in my own self-pity over losing one of my closest friends, and beat myself up over fighting villains and starving myself until my personal doctor noticed and forced me to eat.

Even now, I ran away when faced with the boy who reminded me of myself so much, which resulted in the said boy's life.

'I'm such a coward'

I cried to myself, seated on the floor with my head in my hands as I apologized while the t.v was still playing in the background. Tears and blood trailed down my neck, but I didn't care. I wallowed in guilt as I remembered the video the newspeople showed of the boy- Izuku. Izuku's mother crying over his covered-up body.

'It's all my fault'

Inko Midoriya walked on wet concrete, returning to her home after completing her grocery shopping for the week. Toga stayed back home, sick because she went out dancing outside in the rain the day before.

Sighing, the woman continued to leisurely make her way home, her umbrella held in one hand while a bag filled with all the items she bought occupied the other. As she was finally near her designation, she spots a tall man standing in front of her house in the rain. She squints her eyes to get a better look at the man and finds that he has quite long blond hair, a scarily boney figure, and is wearing a suit.

She frowns, worriedly wondering why he's standing in the cold rain, but also a bit wary about why he's in front of her house.

"Hello?" The man jolts, and she's taken aback when darkened blue orbs pierce her figure with its sharp gaze. A split second later and the feeling of discomfort is gone and instead when she looks into the man's eyes she spots a spiral of emotions, guilt, sadness, and... fear?

She takes a step forward and he takes one back.

"Do... do I know you?" She asks the man carefully, worried he might up and run away if she makes any unnecessary moves.

He doesn't reply.

She then notices the way his body quivers... whether it's by the rain or his unknown fear of her, she doesn't know. But it doesn't matter. She has a goal set in mind, and that is to get this man to shelter and a hot cup of hot chocolate... maybe also a new pair of clothes too. His are drenched by the rain.

Slowly she raises her arms up in surrender while taking a step forward. The man stays rooted in his spot. "Hello, my name is Inko Midoriya" his flinch at her last name doesn't go unnoticed, but she continues "would you like to come in and maybe have a hot drink?" She treads slowly, giving him an awkward smile that manages to make him flinch again. She immediately drops her smile.

"I won't hurt you alright, after all, I'm just your average old woman" she chuckles to herself "just please, let me offer you a hand and then you can be on your way"

She looks straight at him, hoping.

Something finally caves in him as he slowly nods, although still tense. She sighs in relief and makes her way to her door, beckoning him to follow.

She let me in... I don't understand. She doesn't even know me.

She lent me clothes, gave me a cup of hot chocolate, and didn't even question why I was in front of her house...

She smiled at me... they have the same smile. Both awkward but kind. So very kind and welcoming. I don't deserve it.

I don't understand. This makes no sense, why is she so kind? Was her son the same? If she knew exactly what I did- that I was the one who took away her son's life, would she still be so kind? Would she still smile at me- I, who murdered her son?

I don't deserve this. I don't.

"Why are you helping me?" I finally said from my seat on her couch. She looked up in surprise from her seat opposite me. The surprise soon morphed into a pondering expression. "I..." I leaned forward a bit, curious for her answer.

"I... don't really know" She finally said, laughing a bit to herself. I looked back at her with wide eyes, frustrated with the not-answer that I was given.

"I'm a stranger that you let into your house," I told the woman in disbelief. And I was told I have no self-preservation. She just laughed again as if endangering herself was funny. That letting me in and treating me with so much kindness was just... something anybody else would be willing to do. It doesn't make sense. She doesn't make sense.

"Hmm, well. You just looked like you needed help is all"

I stared.

Then I laughed. I laughed and laughed till I started choking up blood. Mrs. Midoriya got up and handed me tissues while worriedly fussing over my condition, panic coursing through her movements.

But I laughed, wet and broken.

It's just funny. That this woman, so fragile-looking, has already shown signs of being more of a hero than I could ever be. She let me into her home, and took care of me, just because I looked like I needed help.

She must have seen something in my expression once I finally ended my hysteric laughing because she decided to continue talking.

"You might find my reasoning naive but... I knew somebody who would have done the same thing." her voice softened "sir, you're hurting... and although I may never understand what you've been through or what's holding onto you now, just know that if you ever need somewhere to cool your mind... my door is open"

"I'm a stranger"

"Then why don't we start this from the beginning, hm?" she stood up and bowed. "Hello, my name is Inko Midoriya. It's nice to meet you..." she sent a warm smile my way, probing me to introduce myself.

"Yagi Toshinori" I finally said after a breath. "My name is Yagi Toshinori" I repeated, letting myself look into the other woman's.

Smiling she replied "It's nice to meet you Toshinori. You can just call me Inko"

I returned her smile "Alright... Inko-" "MOM!" he was then interrupted by a shout from the other side of the house that caused me to jump from my seat.

Laughing, Inko sent me a reassuring smile before getting up. "I forgot to mention that I have a daughter, she's currently sick in her room because she thought it was a bright idea to go dancing in the rain" she playfully rolled her eyes "well, she can introduce herself to you once she feels better... if you're planning on visiting again of course?" she raised a questioning brow at me.

"I..." hesitantly I answered "sure. I'll come again" she returned my answer with a smile before quickly saying she'll be right back.

When she left, I took a sip of my drink and took a deep breath. I could hear talking coming from the direction Inko left, and easily put a name to the energetic voice as her daughter. 'I didn't know she had a daughter...' I thought to myself.

Did I do the right thing to come here? To let her welcome me into her home, and agree to visit again? Although I know I don't deserve to be talking with the mother of the child I killed, a part of me selfishly wants. Wants to have genuine smiles directed my way in this weak form. To be cared for again. To laugh and talk about nothing and everything, all the expectations and pressure pushed behind my head.

I've pushed away many of those who cared for me. Marai. Gran Torino. Naomasa. But this time, maybe...

I should tell her the truth. But like always. I'm a coward.

In the end, I'm still a coward.