The Words He Always Wanted to Hear…From the Person He Should've Never Heard Them.
Thankfully, the strawberry-blonde was going at such a calm pace that Izuku didn't have to go too far before catching up to her…which now that he was just beside her, some small corner of his mind couldn't help but wonder if this was on purpose from her part.
…
…
…
…Best to not think about that for now.
"Hmm~, Mhmhm~, Hmhm~"
"…Um…"
"Hmm~, Mmhmhmm~, Hmhm~, Mhmhm~"
"…Uh, e-excuse me…"
"Hm~?"
"W-Well, I…I was wondering…where are we going?"
"Where? Hmm…that's a secret~"
"I…I see…?" Not he doesn't, and even less felt any reassurance at those words "…Erm, by the way, miss―"
"Ew, don't call me miss" Enoshima protested, though it lacked any animosity "It makes me sound old, that, or the heir to a small European kingdom with customs so strange that you don't know if some of the terms they use are sexual innuendos or just simply weird!"
That…that was weirdly specific, but… "O-Oh, okay…t-then, how should I call you?"
A look of realization appeared on the blue-eyed girl "Oh, right, introductions. That's something the humans around here do, right?" Huh? Humans? She was just joking…right? "The name's Junko Enoshima! Don't get too attached or you will regret it~"
"I-I see…?" Again, he doesn't. If anything, he was beginning to question if that last bit was just part of the eccentric way she was or if there was some degree of veracity to it. It was hard to tell with how she presented herself "Um, well, I am―"
"Why I should care about your name? I didn't even ask for it, did I?" The now known as Enoshima said with a voice so cold and eyes full of dull disinterest that it was sending shivers all the way down Izuku's spine.
"…H-Huh…?"
"We just meet, why should I bother to know how are you called?"
W-What…?
Try as he might not to, the sudden change in the atmosphere caught him off-guard "E-Eh!? I-I-I…U-Uuh, w-well…look, I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to offend you in any way, I-I just thought―"
"Pffft! That was a joke!" Enoshima suddenly exclaimed as she playfully began to ruffle his hair…WAIT, WHAT!? A-A-A g-girl was ruffling his hair!? "I was just messing with ya! I saw the opportunity and I just couldn't miss it!"
"A j-joke…!?" Izuku couldn't prevent the pitch tone in which he ended that sentence…neither for his face not to turn red as a tomato because of the feminine contact.
WH-WH-WHAT!? A-A girl is t-touching my hair…and it is on purpose!? I-I-Is this some kind of d-dream!?
"Mhm!" Enoshima eagerly nodded. The coldness of just a moment ago was completely gone without a hint of ever existing "You've been stiff for quite a while now, so I thought of pulling those small ruses to get more familiar with each other!" She continued the shuffling of his hair for a few extra moments before moving her hand away, something Izuku was quickly beginning to miss "I'm not some wolf ready to prey on the poor green-haired rabbit, y'know~?" The strawberry-blonde girl said with a closed-eyed cheshire grin.
R-Rabbit…?
"O-Oh…i-it was for th reason, huh? I-I understand, haha…" For the third time, he didn't. Nothing about the blue-eyed girl beside him made any sense, and the more time he interacted with her, the more confused 'And nervous…' he got.
I'm already bad at interacting with girls, and the one in front of me not only is cute but also a total extrovert! That is the worst combination possible for me to deal with!
"Uh-huh! Now…" As if further proof of Enoshima's quirkiness was necessary, the cheekiness she carried herself with quickly shifted into a more regal one, and…was that crown on her head there all the time? "…Indulge us, mortal! How doth we calleth thou on these foreign lands?" Us? We? Is…is she talking about herself in third person?
Not only is she an extrovert, but her personality also shifts a lot too…
Nevertheless, even someone like him could deal with that question "R-Right…I-I'm Izuku Midoriya, uh…nice to meet you?"
"Midoriya is thou art known, peasant?" Peasant!? "Rejoice, the infinite sea of knowledge that we calleth brain shalt remember thy name for the eons to cometh!"
Seriously, why the British accent all of sudden? "Um…t-thanks…?"
The strawberry-blonde girl just nodded at that before resuming her cheerful humming, turning ahead as both of them continued their way towards…well, towards whatever it was they were going seeing that she refused to elaborate on that, which it was genuinely starting to worry Izuku.
They haven't walked that much yet, sure, but the orangish tint of the sky and the sun beginning to set showed that it won't be long before night comes out. Besides, there wasn't any signal of being close to their destination, because as pointed out before, Enoshima seemed intent on keeping where they needed to go a secret, and it was even more unsettling considering that neither had she told him what she does require his help with.
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…
…
…Maybe…maybe this was a mistake after all…? Perhaps I should…turn back? I mean thinking more thoroughly about this, what does someone like me could bring of assistance to her? After all, just one look at me should be more than enough for everyone to see me as unreliable, and…as much as it paints me to admit it, they wouldn't be wrong for thinking like that. Sure, she may not know that I'm quirkless but there's no way that my looks in general could give anyone confidence to ask for something from me, even less so from someone with the looks of Enoshima. The more I mull about it, the more suspicious this gets…y-yeah, there's no way she truly needs someone as u-useless as me. It might be an awkward situation to deal with, b-but I should back down, though I should do it with caution and choose my words carefully, perhaps an excuse about an urgent matter that I should attend to, maybe telling her that I just remembered that my mom asked me to―
"Rough day, eh?" Enoshima suddenly said.
Which admittedly put Izuku's inner ramblings to a halt as he flinched before slowly turning to the blue-eyed girl with a far-from-small level of cautiousness "…H-Huh? What…what do you mean…?"
"C'mon, Zuzu!" Z-Z-Zuzu!? "Don't give me that, ya know what I am talking about, right?" W-Wait, s-she couldn't mean… "Don't tell that that incident with the Slug Reject and Bomberman already went past you?"
H-Huh…? "Y-You…d-does that mean that you―WAIT! W-Wait just a second! D-Did you just called Kacchan B-Bomberman!?" It is true that Enoshima may not know about him 'And she practically introduced herself insulting him, which kind of felt like a positive point in her favor regarding how I see her…', but even so! Not even once has he heard someone call him names!
"Hm? Kacchan? So, is that the name of that maniac with inner voice problems?" Enoshima asked as she tilted her head with an expression that screamed innocent. Izuku had a slight suspicion that such wasn't the case.
Regardless.
M-M-Maniac with inner voice problems!? "N-No, it's not! His name is Katsuki Bakugo, I-I just call him Kacchan because…um, t-that's not important! The point is, if you ever meet him in person, please don't call him that! I couldn't even imagine what would happen if he ever hears someone giving him such a name…"
"Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…" Please don't question it more! Please don't question it more! "…Alright, you convinced me…" Phew, he dodged a bomb there, almost literally in this case "…If I ever meet him, I will call him Angry Pomeranian for sure~!"
"Oh, sure that should be―AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! T-T-That's even worse, Enoshima! I'm serious here!"
Instead of getting worried, it seemed Enoshima only found it amusing, at least those giggles she was throwing seemed to tell that much "I'm kiddin'! I'm kidding! Hehehe~, I didn't mean it…or did I~?" N-No way…! This girl is going to be the death of him! "Anyhow, good try there, but I won't allow you to change subjects!"
Izuku winced at the reminder of the affairs from not so long ago. Winced and shifted uncomfortably as another wave of embarrassment threatened to invade him "S-S-So…you…you were there?
"Yep, I saw the whole thing beginning to end!" Enoshima excitedly nodded "Which is why I'm dying of curiosity. Tell me, didn't that incident give you any spec of stress? Or even a tiny bit of…despair?"
He could've sworn there was a hint of…something when Enoshima said that last word, though ultimately decided to wave it off as him overthinking things, choosing instead to mull over what she said.
Izuku didn't see any reason not to answer her question. To a certain degree, he can sort of understand Enoshima's reasons for wanting to interrogate him. If someone had an experience like his, Izuku would be lying if he said that he wouldn't be curious about that person, and with how straightforward the strawberry-blonde girl appeared to be, it was no wonder that she had no problem in asking away.
Although now that he caught onto this, he couldn't help a question of its own "W-Wait, erm, uh, E-Enoshima…c-could it this be the reason you called me for? To ask me about the incident with the Sludge Villain?"
At that, Enoshima turned to him…with an absolutely blank face. It wasn't the admittedly intimidating one from before but rather…it was just that. Blank, devoid of any spec that you could call emotion, doing nothing but owlishly blinking. It wasn't what Izuku could consider scary, but it was unnerving him to no end.
All those shifts in her personality…it is just how she is or is it rather the side-effect of whatever it is that Enoshima has for a quirk? It is hard to know considering that there isn't anything that could tell what IS her quirk in the first place…
Regardless, before Izuku could ask what was her deal, in his own awkward and shy way, of course, Enoshima's eyes shifted from him to behind them. The intenseness of it increased enough to drive Izuku's curiosity into following her gaze. There, he saw…
…Nothing.
There wasn't the whisper of a soul. It was a desert of people and animals enough that Izuku could almost imagine the ball of tumbleweed bouncing around. The fact that they were alone didn't worry him that much, if anything, it was the norm for this neighborhood to be this quiet at these hours, with students already done with classes and adults either already at their jobs or in their homes, finally done with their shift.
Although that didn't refrain Enoshima from keeping her stare there for a little while longer.
…
…Wait a moment…
Could it be that she's worried…about someone following her? A…A stalker!? If that were the case, it would certainly make sense. Enoshima is without a doubt someone who would gain the attention of the wrong people with her looks. Besides, I don't truly follow any fashion trends, so the possibility that she truly is a celebrity of some sort couldn't be discarded, so there's always the chance that some admirer isn't settling with just watching her from a fan-celebrity distance and wants to change that, even if it implies being willing to take more drastic measures. If all of this were to be true, then…is that the real reason to ask me to follow her? To scare off that individual? If that's the case, then I―
"Well, something like that…" Enoshima once again turned to him, only this time she regained her usual chirpiness 'Is it really? She has had too many shifts so far for me to be so sure about it…' with a more relaxed smile on her face "…There is the stuff about what happened back there and something else"
"Something else…?" Izuku echoed.
Is my theory on the right track then?
"Yep! Though first…you still owe me some answers, y'know?"
He cringed at that. Owning is a bit strong of a word, as he technically hasn't any reason to tell Enoshima anything. But… "…W-Well, I…I don't think despair is the term that I would use…I-I mean, even before All Might came to the rescue of Kacchan" And Izuku himself "The pros were already there, right? Regardless of what would've happened, they were ready to make sure everyone was fine, isn't that true? Nobody was in true danger in the end"
Right, I was nothing but a hindrance to the heroes…
"Hmmmm, if you say so…" So, she says, but Izuku could hear how unconvinced she was at what he said. What part about it? He can't say for sure, perhaps it was about everything.
Regardless, much to his pleasant surprise, Enoshima didn't make any remarks about his own actions during the incident, nor mock his actions or his pathetic recklessness…which in itself made his curiosity perk up "Um, by the way, Enoshima…"
"What is it?" The strawberry-blonde asked with a tilted head and a gleam of inquisitiveness in her eyes.
"Uh, I…I was wondering…what made you ask about it?"
"Ah, well, you see…" Enoshima's chirpiness turned into a knowing look that was making Izuku immediately regret asking "…It has come to my attention that something is nagging you, something far deeper than the incident with the Sludge thing"
Alarm bells rang within Izuku's head as he heard that, and try as he might, he couldn't control himself from widening his eyes or keeping his composure "E-Eh…? I…I don't know what you are t-talking about, E-Enoshima, I―"
"People underestimate me because of my looks, but I'm actually pretty smart! Contrary to what most would believe, not everything goes to my boobs, y'know?" …W-WAIT! G-G-GOES TO HER WHAT!? "I have a knack for figuring things out, which is why when I stumbled upon you, I recognize that look you had…it was one of broken dreams, wasn't it?"
! ! !
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…
"…Huh?" Izuku's face froze as his left eye twitched.
"It truly is among those lines, isn't it~?"
"…"
"C'mon, why don't you confide it in big sis Junko?"
"…"
"No matter what it is, I won't judge, I can guarantee you that―"
"YOU'RE LYING!" For some reason, when Enoshima said that she would accept his circumstances, something within him…something dark, just suddenly snapped. Izuku couldn't give a name to it, but he knew that it was a bubbling feeling of all his grieves and frustrations freeing themselves against all the onslaught the only thing that has ever given him hope of the constant nightmare that he has to call life had received "Y-YOU SAY THAT YOU WILL UNDERSTAND, BUT…T-THAT'S NOT TRUE! YOU WON'T! NO ONE HAS EVER HAD! NO ONE EVER WILL! D-DON'T LIE TO ME! J-JUST…DON'T!"
That was a fact, no matter on whom he had tried to rely for it, he always had gotten the same answer, somedays with the sudden loss of his bento, or any other possession of his. Sometimes, it included a beat up, others, more often than he would've liked to admit, scorch marks on his body, heck, he could dare say that when it just stopped at cruel laughs at his expense, that counted as a good day in his book, even if those were by far the rarest. Regardless of how he received it, it was always the exact same thing, just with different words and delivery methods.
As Izuku vented that, he had his eyes closed shut in an attempt to keep the tears that threatened to flow away…
…Which is why the cheshire grin full of malice creeping on Enoshima's face went unnoticed by him.
After the green-haired boy took his time to take steady intakes of breath and allowed for the effects of that sudden outburst to recede, he gave a sharp breath as his gaze snapped open in Enoshima's direction with a look full of shame and regret "A-A-ACK! I-I'm sorry, Enoshima! I d-d-don't know what it came over m-me! I swear I didn't mean to shout at you! It w-was just―"
"It is because you're quirkless, isn't it?" While Enoshima's voice sounded kind, some would even dare say full of benevolence, that didn't make Izuku any less agitated "Your dream, I mean. It has suffered because of that, right?"
! ! !
"…H-H-H…H-H-How…?" Izuku stuttered, with the color from his face draining as a lump was forming in his stomach.
"Oh, that's an easy question~" If Enoshima was aware of his internal struggles, she didn't make a comment about it "Bakago wasn't even a bit subtle about it with all those screams"
! ! !
S-She…Enoshima heard…t-that…?
Izuku closed his eyes shut again to embrace the incoming humiliation.
…This…this was definitely it. There was no way Enoshima wasn't going to begin a round of mockery at his person, maybe just contempt or pity if he gets lucky. Sure, she had been accepting of his company in her own eccentric way…but that was before the quirkless part came to light. Izuku had already seen hundreds of times though his life how the perception of everyone he meets changes for the worst the moment they learn about this, without exception. Enoshima is about to insult him while looking at him as if he was an inferior being, just like it had always been.
Goddammit! This day has been already enough! I…I really hoped that I hadn't needed to go through this once again…
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…
…Any second now…
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…Eh…?
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…
…Silence.
That was all his ears could catch. Complete and absolute silence. Even when he waited an extra minute, everything remained the same.
Some part of him was worried that Enoshima was just waiting for him to open his eyes to say something…but even if he was aware of that, the temptation was such, that Izuku couldn't help taking a peek with one eye, all the while trying to steel himself. When his eye was fully open, he caught sight…
…Of a serious-looking Enoshima.
Even though it lacked any amusement, it wasn't a cold expression, nor the blank one from just a moment ago. There wasn't any pity or contempt either, it was just…serious, al…almost…as…as if…as if understanding how much this meant to him.
"…Why aren't you laughing…?" It might sound weird for most people to hear someone ask that, but to Izuku it didn't. It truly was an alien experience to be in presence of someone who heard of the circumstances he was born with and didn't react negatively to it.
"Should I have to?" There was it again, the seriousness, only this time in her voice. There wasn't any sarcasm, venom, or cheekiness, or anything else. It sounded as if Enoshima was genuinely questioning why she was supposed to mock him.
As if wary of stepping into quicksand, Izuku chose his words with caution "Don't…don't you find it amusing? That…t-that I'm quirkless…?" Izuku braced himself, worried that he was about to receive an explosion on his face for asking that question out of instinct.
"So what?"
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…
…
…Eh? "…So…what?" Izuku repeated, part of him refusing to understand what Enoshima was saying.
Not that that rerailed her from trying, though "Mhm, you have no power, true, but what about it? It's not like you carry a mortal disease inside you just because of that…you don't carry one, do you?"
"N-No, I don't…" Even if people act like he does all the time "…But, are…are you sure? You truly don't…mind me?"
"Eh, quirk or not quirk, it doesn't change my perception of you, so you don't have to worry about it"
No matter how hard he tried, Izuku couldn't feel a single spec of a lie within that sentence…which immediately led to him entering into a state of absolute and gobsmacking disbelief.
This…this has never happened before. It was true that not everyone that had become aware of him being quirkless hadn't reacted as strongly as his former childhood friend had done for the past decade, but there hadn't been a case like Enoshima's before. No one has ever looked him in the eyes without pity, contempt, or disgust ever before, and he sure as hell never saw it coming from someone of higher social status like the blue-eyed girl obviously was.
"So, Zuzu…why don't you confide your hopes and dreams to me?" Before Izuku could go deeper into his thoughts regarding this never seen before phenomenon that was not being judged negatively for being quirkless, Enoshima's question brought him out of his stupor.
His hopes and…dreams?
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…
…
…Could…
…Could he truly…trust Enoshima with something like that?
Every single attempt before now had ended in a disappointing failure…
…Although…this was basically the first time in his life someone had shown this much…much understanding in him. Even after the stuttering, the nervousness, that outburst against her, or his lack of a quirk…all of that, and she had been nothing but nice to him. After All Might, Izuku firmly believed that the chances of finding someone like Enoshima were basically zero…but lo and behold, here it was someone who no matter what, had surpassed his expectations of what he could dare to find in a human being.
…
…
…
…He was already resigning to the idea of giving up on his dreams, but…
…Can he really?
Can Izuku allow himself to hope one last time?
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"…I…" Is he really going to do it? "…ever since I was a kid, I…" Is he truly going to say it? Is he truly going to release his most intimate thinking to her? Is he truly daring to trust― "Ever since I was a kid, I've dreamed of being a Hero!"
And so Izuku blurted out his dream.
Not long after did so, he hastily covered his mouth, as if attempting to take back what he just said.
W-What I have just done!? D-Did I really just trusted someone with my dream even though I ALREADY was going to give up on it!? Sure, Enoshima has been nice, I would even dare say surprisingly comprehensive about the fact that I don't have a quirk…but! One thing is that and a whole different ordeal is to say I want to be a Hero under those circumstances. She might not be rude about it, but it is obvious that it will be a similar case to All Might, where she will say―
"I see, that's an interesting dream, so what's stopping ya from it?"
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…
…What?
When Izuku heard those words, it was like hearing an alien language, or at the very least, a combination of words that no human being had ever spelled out before. It was so confusing that his brain basically suffered from a short circuit and had to realize a whole reset of functions.
It wasn't after what felt like an eternity of hearing nothing but static within him that he finally had some semblance of a sentence "…What…what did just say?"
Enoshima for her part, just gave a nonchalant shrug "That is not a bad dream, but I'm kinda curious about what's detaining ya?"
"…I see…" There was a pause until her words finally registered in him, and then… "…WAIT WHAT!?"
"Yikes, you don't have to be loud. It is really that much of a surprise that I said that?"
Izuku was very tempted to look at the strawberry-blonde with a dumbfounded look "It is! You…you didn't hear the part about me being quirkless?"
"Ah, I did…but so what? Just because that jerk of All Might said so, it suddenly became impossible?"
"W-Well, calling him that is a bit…" Izuku's eyes widened when he caught on the bombshell Enoshima just threw "What!? H-H-How do you―"
"Geez, Zuzu! Didn't ya hear when I said I'm pretty good at catching on to things? It is rude to not pay attention to a girl, don'tcha know that?"
Yeah, she said that…just didn't expect her to be THAT good.
That actually made him feel apologetic, though. "…Y-You're right about that, sorry…but still, e-even if you truly are aware of that…you don't know what he s-said, he…he truly meant all of it…" Izuku was truly wondering why he was telling this much to someone whom he had just met. Is it perhaps because Enoshima had been the only person willing to hear him? Allowed him to release all those bottled-up feelings? It certainly felt like that.
"So what?"
Again!? "T-This is different, Enoshima, b-because…"
"Because your quirkless, so that means he's right?" Izuku gave her a weak nod "I see, and if you had a quirk, ANY quirk, you could become a Hero. I am getting this right?" Another nod, though this one was slightly cautious "Alright…then how about this. What if you had a quirk that allowed ya to bend your fingers a bit more than the average person?"
"…Eh?"
"Here's another one, what if your quirk could make you grow three more centimeters and nothing more than that?"
"Enoshima, you―"
"Or what about one that changed the color of your eyes and nothing else?"
"What are you―"
"What about one that increases the temperature of your body―"
"That one doesn't sound―"
"―Just hot enough to warm food?"
"W-Well, I―"
"And what how about this? What if―"
"Wait! Wait! Wait just a moment, Enoshima!" Izuku stopped Enoshima's rant hard enough to put an end to it "Where…where are you going with this?"
At that, the strawberry-blonde allowed herself a stern look "If you had any of those weak-as-hell quirks…would All Might have given you the same answer?"
Izuku was taken aback at that question, hard enough for his head to recede a little "H-Huh? W-What do you mean, Enoshima? Isn't the answer obvious? He would…"
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…
…He…All Might would…
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…
…Eh?
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…
…All Might…he would have given him that same answer under those circumstances…
…Right?
…
…
…
…But…
…What about all those TV shows and interviews he appears and talks about how all quirks are good for heroism?
Or when he makes an act of presence on the news and people with quirks similar to the ones Enoshima described ask him the same question Izuku did to him, whereas for them he actually gives them an encouraging nod of approval?
Or about all that merchandise about him saying that everyone can be a hero?
…
…
…
…H-Huh?
Those questions in combination with Enoshima's words began to fly back and forth within his mind, slowly but surely mixing together into more questions and doubts, then those same interrogatives fused together while becoming louder and louder shattering preconceptions until shifting into uncomfortable conclusions, until finally…
Something clicked within Izuku's psyche.
Something that, for the first time since he has memory…made him frown at the image of All Might.
…
…In any case, Izuku choose to mull over those thoughts until when he was finally home, and instead addressing a more important concern, a last spec of doubt that didn't allow him to accept yet the hope that Enoshima was offering him "…Even…even if…if you have a point…he…All Might, I-I mean…he's right, don't you think? Being quirkless makes it im…i-impossible for me to be a hero, r-right?"
It hurt; it truly was painful hearing those words coming from himself of all people…
Your son lacks a quirk, so it would be best if he were to give up on that dream.
Quirkless wimp destined to failure!
Eh? Does that loser have not given up on that yet?
I'm sorry kid.
I'm sorry Izuku! I am so sorry!
…But that has been the only thing he had ever heard all his life. That…that must mean they all are correct about that assessment…
…R-Right…?
Apparently, Enoshima wasn't done breaking the prejudices he had experienced all his life "Is that so? Then, can you swear on that? Can you claim without a shadow of a doubt that there aren't heroes out there with quirks that practically make next to no difference from what someone like you is capable off if you put your mind and body into it?"
At that, Izuku was very much ready to point out that indeed, there wasn't a single case of a pro-hero that could work in the profession without the quirk they have.
Except there was.
Izuku wasn't sure if he counts as the human with the most knowledge of heroes, but he is confident that he could enter the podium for it, that is about the only thing he had been sure of himself with all those volumes full of hero intel and other trivia regarding them he had spent all his life gathering and memorizing…which is exactly why now that Enoshima has planted that interrogative into his mind, Izuku can actually recall some examples.
Vengogh the Colorful Hero, with his quirk paintballs, which allowed him to fire paintballs from his index fingers. Izuku wouldn't call it a bad quirk, but it certainly wasn't a game-changer either.
Or Native, who only had control of the feather over his head as a power, and from what he had searched, it wasn't even close to being as powerful as a single one from Hawks.
There was also Slugger the Baseball Hero, one of the heroes praising Kacchan back with the Sludge Villain, whose quirk was just turning his right hand into a bat.
Izuku could easily think of a dozen more heroes with similar cases on the spot. None of them were bigshots, or even what could be considered renowned in any sense of the word, being your local pro-hero who solves everyday ordinary and petty crimes instead…but nonetheless, thinking about it…
…Doesn't Enoshima have a point?
Proper training.
The right mindset.
Perhaps even with support equipment into the mix.
Like just a moment ago, beliefs and ideas, assumptions and conjectures. They all clashed together, and the more they did, the more his eyes widened, and something within began to spark, making his heart accelerate as this something that he thought would never see surge ever again was making its way from the pits of resignation.
Hope for his dream.
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"…E-Enoshima, a-are…are you saying, that…t-that I..." With the caution of a puppy that has been already been kicked a million times, Izuku made that question "…I can truly b-b-become a…Hero…?"
"…Well, if you were to ask me…" With a smile curling on her lips, Enoshima spoke "…my answer would be…"
Is…is this really happening? Can…can he truly believe that Enoshima is going to say what he thinks she was going to say? This…this is truly real, right? Or, small chance as it might seem at this moment, it was a cruel illusion? Nothing but a―
"Yes, I believe you can become a Hero…"
! ! ! ! ! !
…She…said it.
…That sentence…
She…Enoshima truly went and said it.
Having those sweet words echoing within his head made him shake with barely contained exhilaration, and somewhere in between, he suddenly felt the wetness of the salty water coming out of his glands
Because of course, him being him, he had to cry in a moment like this? He had to humiliate in front of―
"There There. It was hard, wasn't it?" Those were Enoshima's conforming words as she approached him with a gentle hug while patting his back "All this time being denied of this, but…as long as it is a single person at the very least…that should be more than enough, right?"
Between sobs and tears trickling down his cheeks, Izuku gasped when he heard those kind words, only for the sobs and tears to intensify. Because…
…It was all true. Every single word coming from the strawberry-blonde girl he had just met today was nothing but an undeniable fact.
Just one person, that was all he had wished for all his life. That a single person was to believe in him in a way that not his classmates, or his professors, or All Might, not even his own mother dared to, but that Enoshima did.
She believed that he could become a hero.
Those were the words from the girl showering him with kindness and faith said with so much sincerity that Izuku couldn't help but believe more than what anyone else had said to him for his entire existence.
And so, after hearing the words he always wanted to hear, Izuku Midoriya accepted the seed of hope that Enoshima offered him.
By the time they had spent half an hour strolling around, Izuku recovered from what he admittedly recognized was a shameful display, more so in front of a girl as incredible as Enoshima. Fortunately, just as it had been so far when it came to the blue-eyed girl, she just waved off his worries, understanding that her words seemed to have held a lot of importance for him, something she couldn't be more right about.
Enoshima…the first person to believe in me.
Just thinking about her words made Izuku feel the giddiness running in his stomach, and when thinking of the strawberry blonde herself…well, there was a funny feeling for that too, but he couldn't 'More like refused to…' give it a name.
Be that as it may, and as much as didn't want to sour the mood, Izuku was truly beginning to wonder where they are supposed to―
"Alrighty! We have arrived!"
Like broken a spell, Enoshima's words brought Izuku out of his internal musings, and turned in the direction Enoshima was looking at. There, he could see four sets of danchi-like buildings surrounded by power lines. Each one was five stories tall and marked with a number.
Izuku slowly blinked at them…until it registered to him that he lived in one of these apartments…
…
…
…
…Wait, what!?
This sudden turn of events made him quickly swirl in Enoshima's direction "W-Wait just a moment! T-This is where you wanted to take me all this time!?"
"Yep~"
"Huh? Then, do…do you live here too?" Izuku couldn't prevent the slight hope from leaking within his voice.
"Nope~"
That admittedly disappointed him…though it also confused him "…How do you know I lived here? Could it be that…do you have a quirk that allows you to figure out directions?"
She did nothing but blink when that question came for a few moments, and then… "…Hehe, that's a secret~" Enoshima said before closing her eyes and playfully sticking her tongue out.
Izuku was very much tempted to pout at that.
Enoshima…she truly is a mysterious girl…
Despite all the interrogatives that the strawberry-blonde girl presented, Izuku decided that he had already degraded himself enough in front of her and that questioning Enoshima too much would be nothing less than rude after how good she had been to him. Instead, Izuku choose to inquire about one last thing "Then, can you at least tell me why, er, you wanted to accompany me all the way here…Ah! I-It's n-not like I am c-complaining or anything like that! I'm just curious is all, I-I swear!"
Much to his relief, Enoshima took it in stride, if that giggle sounding like music to his ears was anything to go by "…C'mon, didn't I told ya that it is rude to make a girl repeat herself? As I said before, you picked my curiosity, and so I decided to satisfy it. Although seeing how things turned out, we both gained something out of this, right?"
Izuku only numbly nodded at that. It wasn't the greatest answer in the world, but really, what else should he expect? They didn't know each other at all before this, so there was no way for it to be a deeper meaning in all this. Besides, he couldn't deny that it was true Izuku gained something wonderful out of their exchange.
"Anyhow, this is where we part ways, so…bye! Bye!" Enoshima cheerfully said before suddenly turning away and walking from where they came from.
While the sudden farewell caught Izuku off-guard, he nonetheless was about to reply in kind…though, as he observed the figure of the blue-eyed girl strolling forward, guessing that this truly was going to mark their first and last goodbye…
"Enoshima, wait!" …Izuku couldn't prevent himself from calling her out.
To his relief, the fears that she would ignore him were declared unfunded the moment Enoshima refrained from giving one more step, although she still had her back on him.
However, that wasn't an impediment for Izuku to what he said next, even if his face was tinted red with burning embarrassment "Can…can we meet again!?"
At that, Enoshima did turn to face him, this time with a smile that Izuku could've sworn looked almost smug and victorious.
Before he could wonder more about that, Enoshima spoke "Take a notebook and a pencil out of your backpack"
Izuku was about to question how she knew that…though just as fast refrained from doing so, remembering that she was there during the Sludge Villain incident so she must've seen when he threw it out against him.
Though still confused about why she would want that, Izuku did as told "Um, now what―"
"Write up your phone number in one blank page and then rip it off" The strawberry-blonde said as she approached him, the upbeat tone she carries herself with most of the time still there…but Izuku could almost detect a spec of authority within it.
Even so, the green-haired boy abided by those words too, and once he was done ripping the piece of paper with his number in it, he looked up at the strawberry-blonde girl that had already cut the distance between the two "Er, what should I do with―"
In the blink of an eye, Enoshima snatched the piece of paper, gave it a look, and then looked at him "My phone broke during the incident with that Sludge creepo. So don't worry your freckled head about it, I will call ya when I get to replace it, alrighty~?"
"…Y-Y-Yes…" Was the only thing he could sputter.
"Okaaay~! Then this is goodbye…for now, of course, I'm pretty sure we will frequent each other from now on~. Now go, your parents might get worried if I hook ya any longer, right?"
"Ah!" His eyes widened in realization, acknowledging that his mom might turn into a crying and worrying mess if he takes any longer. Sputtering a quick farewell, Izuku hurried back home.
While doing so, he couldn't help reminiscing about the brief but eventful incident with the strawberry-blonde girl. How he talked with her, going as far as giving her his number and most important of all…the encouragement she gave him about his dream. The goal he thought today marked its last day, being renewed with hope thanks to her words, and faith where no one else had. Something for which he will be forever indebted to her.
…
…
…
…WAIT, WHAT!?
I…I-I talked to a girl…a real girl, and…and d-did I just gave her my number!?
Once those two facts finally registered in his mind…his brain entered into a constant series of reboots for every time he acknowledges those two facts again and again, with his body entering into automatic mode as he was led into his apartment.
Regardless…there was not a single spec of doubt within Izuku's mind 'The part of it still functioning…' that meeting Enoshima was the best thing that could've happened in his life and it marked the beginning of better days to come.
As Midoriya left towards his apartment with clear signs of a renewed spirit in comparison to almost an hour ago, bouncing on his pace with a smile bordering on a dumb grin formed on his face, Enoshima watched him go with a smile of her own, looking both serene and comforting. With both arms on her hips, almost as if proud of a deed well done.
When Mop Hair was far enough, Enoshima finally turned to leave.
And the smile got wiped off her face.
In its place, all features within her face turned into absolute neutrality, the warmth with which she encouraged the freckled boy. Gone too. Her lips formed into a thin line, while her arms lazily dropped to the sides.
When she turned into a new intersection, the neutrality formed into a scowl full of disgust.
Because that was all she was running through her mind, body, and heart. Her entire self was full of nothing but disgust.
Disgust towards the green-haired wimp she spent the last forty-eight minutes and thirty-two seconds with.
She was so filled with disgust indeed that she couldn't hold it any longer and ripped off the paper into a hundred pieces, and when those pieces fell to the ground, she took her time to stomp on them, as if their mere existence were an offense to her person.
While doing so, a thought came to her.
So, this is the despair of lowering myself to the lowest of insects, huh?
With the thought of the insect, her gaze flickered towards her shoulder, where she could feel the smears from the tears that came from the insect were still wet in her cardigan. That brought even more disgust, enough to make Junko play with the idea of ripping the attire off her body, and if she wasn't above it, throw up right then and there.
Instead, Junko settled with grinding her boots on the fallen pieces of paper with even more contempt.
When she finally deemed enough of wasting time with this, she briefly pondered about spatting on her handiwork, but it took her less than a thousandth fraction of a second to discard the idea.
Spitting on it would only give it some semblance of value.
…
…
…
…Izuku Midoriya.
Junko couldn't deny that during the incident with the Sludge mutant, and thanks to how things played out, she saw some semblance of him for a moment. She wasn't completely lying to the inse―Mop hair when she said that approached him with curiosity as the main intention.
What a disappointment that was.
Insufferable low self-esteem.
Null social skills.
How just a pair of nice words were enough to make him attached to her like a dog wanting to hump her legs.
How he dared to ask for even more, no different than a slave that had tasted actual food for the first time.
The nervousness.
The constant apologetic behavior for the most mundane things.
The stuttering.
The goddamn stuttering.
He wasn't him…
…He was a fucking Mikan Tsumiki.
Oh, how freaking tempting it was for the moment he asked her if he could be a hero to crush his dreams under the heel right then and there, no different than she just did a moment ago with the trash littering the ground. To push the right buttons and make him the next morning news of a boy who jumped off a rooftop. She sure would've done that…
…If it weren't because making him a long-time investment promised a higher reward.
When Mop hair launched a notebook at the Sludge mutant, and he brought one to write his disgusting number, on both occasions Junko caught sight of the title each of them had.
Hero Analysis for The Future. Vol.13.
Hero Analysis for The Future. Vol.12.
That in combination with the annoying ramblings he did from time to time told her that the guy was a walking encyclopedia of Heroes.
Although useful as that could be about him, his true value didn't come from that.
No, what truly detained her from dealing the finishing blow to his pathetic dream, and giving instead a seed of false hope was All Might.
It was just her luck that just before getting to Mop Hair, Junko saw him in the corner of an alley. You can say whatever you want about his power, but the big guy for sure sucks at concealing himself.
Regardless, it didn't take a genius to see he was waiting for a certain someone to cross through that same corner he was…what she did ended up seeing through her talent, though, now THAT for sure guarantees her this will be worth it.
The painful expression while holding a hand near his stomach area, looking no different than someone who knows he was past his former glory, and his days were countered.
The way he was looking at his other hand as if holding something of great importance.
The worthiness with which he gazed at a certain green-haired loser not so long after.
If her assessment is correct 'And of fucking course it is!', basically, Mop hair was a blasted Shonen protagonist, as Yamada 'May his soul rest in despair' would say, destined to become the successor of All Might.
How despairful of her to stumble into the protagonist of this story, eh?
"This will be the tragic tale of the promised hero who fell from grace before his journey could begin…upupupupu~, aren't despairfully fateful encounters the best~?" And so, his destiny was marked.
I will make you fall for me, so painfully hard that whenever you think of the friends I doubt you have, of heroes, of All Might, and even of your goddamn mother, I will always be there. First one, then two, and finally one thousand―NO! One million steps above all of them! Your despairful addiction towards me will not end until there is not a single hint of hope left within you, and then…when the moment of truth comes, when the bandages of sweet lies fall off your eyes, it will be too late for you to get out of the rabbit hole in which you fell, and when you finally understand that it was I who took it all from you, who plundered you into a husk of your former self, who ruined you and everything you hold dear in every sense of the word, I wonder…
…How much despair you will show me~?
Just thinking about it, was filling Junko's heart with despairful excitement.
Be that as it may, though, those are despairful thoughts to savor later, her current biggest priority is to get a place to crash in, two phones, and a laptop. Neither of them should be a problem seeing that during the chaos of the sludge mutant she stole the credit card of some random sucker which she already used to make a quick purchase to replace her Monokuma clips.
By her estimations, she had about one hour, thirty-seven minutes, and eleven seconds before he notices that he had been stolen, nine minutes and twenty-one seconds before he is done with the panic and the furious rants while reconfirming eight times within his wallet that yes, he was a pathetic wimp that lost his card, ten minutes and eight seconds in which he calls the police to report the stolen item, and another extra four minutes and forty-six seconds before he finally gets to cancel the card, because again, he was a dumbass with his priorities all so messed up that his wife left him four years ago thanks of his impulsive and disastrous investments in the ostrich's eggs business his uncle with terrible management skills owned.
Anyhow, the point is that she doesn't give a shit about any of that and even if she was working against the clock, she will take her sweet ass time to get everything she needs.
Nobody rules over Junko Fucking Enoshima, not even the space-time reality!
