Chapter 9

AN: I just passed 700 followers! I can't believe how much support I've gotten for this story. Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me despite my long breaks. I'm doing my best to update more frequently. There's still a lot I want to write. I have an important question regarding later events in this fic that will be at the end of this chapter. Be sure to read that.

Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Academia.

As Izuku was getting dressed, he thought about what had just occurred. He couldn't believe it! Just like Mirio had suggested, Izuku could move freely in his water form. He had been trying ever since Mirio pointed it out, but it hadn't worked until now. Izuku wasn't even aware that he was doing it. It just sort of happened. He saw Mirio and Amajiki and then he was moving toward them. Also, the water seemed to shape itself into an orb as it moved. This would require further experimentation.

"Ok, I'm good. You can look now," the green-haired boy said as he finished putting his shoes on.

Mirio turned around and smiled brightly at his friend. "That was amazing Izuku! I knew you could do it!"

"Thanks, Mirio! Your advice helped. Not to mention covering me up at the end."

"Yeah. I can't believe I didn't think of that sooner!" Miro said as he folded up the red sheet. This morning Izuku was insistent on opting out of the weekly quirk demonstration again, but Mirio had approached him with an idea. Izuku questioned him about the red sheet he had with him and Mirio explained the plan. It was simple really. Mirio and someone else hold up that red sheet while Izuku transforms back so no one will see him naked. Mirio thought the hard part would be finding someone else to hold the sheet. He didn't like the idea of Nejire doing it and he didn't want to put too much attention on Amajiki. Needless to say, he was surprised to see Amajiki volunteer to help out. He had heard Mirio explain the plan. He walked up and simply nodded at the other two boys. Mirio asked to confirm that is what Amajiki wanted since he hadn't actually said anything. Amajiki gave a thumbs up which was good enough.

Izuku looked over and saw Amajiki smiling at him. He could tell that was the boy's way of congratulating him. Izuku smiled back. Despite how withdrawn Amajiki still was from them, he really did care. Izuku thought back to what Amajiki's mother had said and how he just now helped save Izuku from utter embarrassment.

"Thank you, Amajiki," Izuku said sincerely to his purple-haired friend. The shy boy opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it again. He looked off to the side opposite the crowd of students while he played with his hands.

'Oh right.' Izuku remembered that the rest of their class was still watching them.

"That trick certainly would have helped with my past demonstrations too." Speaking of which, Mirio was the next kid up. That made Izuku think of something.

"Hey, Mirio. Do you want us to do that sheet thing with you too?" Izuku quickly offered without thinking. He looked back over at Amajiki to see him start shaking. He felt bad now for not considering how Amajiki would feel about doing that again. Mirio noticed how uncomfortable he was too.

"Nah it's ok man. I'm used to it by now." The pointy-ear boy breathed a sigh of relief. "You guys can head back. I'll be fine." Mirio raised his hand up with his palm facing out. "We'll celebrate your victory more later Izuku." The green-haired boy looked at Mirio's hand and got the hint. He smiled and struck the boy's palm back for a high five. Another friendly gesture he was learning.

Izuku and Amajiki walked back in silence. Mirio had entrusted the red sheet to Izuku.

Izuku hoped he hadn't upset Amajiki too much. They both went to the edge of the line where the other kids that had already been showcased went. Izuku wasn't the only one who had been opting out of these quirk practices. Apparently, Amajiki had yet to do it since he's been at this school. No one in the class knew what his quirk was. Izuku remembered running into him after his therapist appointment that one day. He was becoming more curious about the boy. He likely has his own issues to deal with. Today was progress though. The boy was trying, albeit slowly to come out of his shell.

"Hey, Midoriya! That was so cool! You finally showed off your quirk." The red-haired girl with the electric arrow quirk greeted him. Since she was the last to go before him, she was at the end of the line.

"Oh! Thank you! You're Haya, correct?" Izuku remembered Mr. Sanso calling her that. He hasn't had any interaction with her yet. He remembered her talking to Nejire though. She's one of the few students that tolerates her eccentric behavior.

"Yup. I'm Yuyu Haya. Nice to meet you." Haya stuck out her hand and Izuku promptly shook it. Between his note-taking and finally revealing his quirk, Izuku was properly meeting a lot of his classmates outside his small circle today. "It sucks that your clothes came off though, it was nice of Togata and Amajiki to shield you."

Izuku blushed a little. "Yeah. That was the reason I've been putting this off. It was great Mirio thought of a way to help me."

"Speaking of which." Haya pointed to where Mirio was standing in the demonstration area. "Let's see what he'll do today."

Izuku turned his body to gaze at Mirio. Amajiki did the same. The blond boy's past performances seemed to garner the best reactions from the audience. He was just standing there with a smile on his face. Then he was gone in a flash. His clothes lying on the ground were the only evidence that he was there. Izuku was amazed the first time he witnessed Mirio using Permeation. It could easily be mistaken for teleportation. The way he falls into the ground happens so fast. He was only gone for a few seconds though. He quickly popped back out of the earth. Not in the same spot though. He had moved about twenty feet to the left of the audience at like a 45-degree angle. One of the best discoveries Miro had made with his quirk was how he could control where he emerges from the ground by angling his body. That's what he's been practicing every time he's done these demonstrations. He had his right arm pointed upward like he had been aiming himself in that direction.

"Oh no!" Mirio feigned shock. "Where am I?! This isn't the public bathhouse. " He screamed in a high-pitched tone while covering his privates.

As per usual, the entire class burst out laughing. Yeah. This happened every time. When Mirio had realized there was no getting around his nakedness, he decided to make the best of it. The students weren't laughing out of ridicule, it was amusement. Mirio had turned himself into the class clown. Every time, he was seen naked, he'd just crack a joke or just pretend to be embarrassed.

Izuku admired his courage. Mirio had told him that a lot of people made fun of him in the beginning, but after a while, he stopped letting that get to him. He still showed his quirk and found a way to get the students to like him. Izuku was sure he'd probably never be ok with that. For now, he's more comfortable having his friends shield the students from his birthday suit. It wasn't just the sheet. It was the fact that his friends were the ones holding it for him also made him feel safe. He looked down at the red sheet Mirio had given him. He looked over at Amajiki to see him giggling softly at Mirio's antics. While Mirio ran over to his clothes, Izuku had an idea. He probably was overthinking things, but he felt like he wanted to make things right with Amajiki.

"Hey. Amajiki?" Izuku whispered in fear that he might frighten the boy. This was like the second time he's spoken to him. Amajiki stopped giggling and turned to look at Izuku. He didn't look scared, but a little concerned as to why Izuku had gotten his attention. Izuku leaned in closer in and whispered something to him. The other boy lurched back in fear.

"You don't have to do it, but I thought I would offer anyway. I know that Mirio would be on board with it too," Izuku said in a friendly manner. The other boy looked less scared but still uneasy.

Izuku looked straight into Amajiki's eyes. "It was because of you and Mirio that I could use my quirk out there. I want to do the same for you," he spoke in the most confident voice he could muster. It was because he really meant it with all his heart.

That seemed to strike a chord in Amajiki. He still felt scared, but he didn't tear his eyes away from Izuku. His words filled him with warmth. Izuku looked so understanding and friendly. He and Mirio really did want to help him. Maybe he could do this?

"Ok." That was the first word Amajiki had spoken to Izuku.

Amajiki was back in the demonstration area. This time Mirio and Izuku were the ones holding the red sheet up in front of him. He hadn't done anything yet. This was just to hide him from the view of his classmates. Izuku figured this could help with the shy boy's stage fright and he could use his quirk. They would take down the sheet once he was ready. He had been right about Mirio being more than willing to lend a hand. He was so elated that Izuku had thought of it.

"You got this, Man," Miro said while looking away from Amajiki.

"We won't look. Just act like we're not here." Izuku panicked at what he just said. "I mean! We are here to support you, but we promise not to look until you're ready!" He didn't want to make the other boy chicken out. He was surprised they had actually gotten him up here.

"Thank you," Amajiki replied so that his friends knew he heard them. His friends. Amajiki couldn't believe that they were willing to help with his stage fright. He wondered if this was how Izuku had felt earlier. He clenched his fists.

Despite his friends' assistance, the long-eared boy couldn't help but think of the worst-case scenario. He and Togata had pulled the sheet over Midoriya after the naked boy was done showing off his quirk. If Togata and Midoriya drop the sheet to reveal Amajiki using his quirk, it would look like the introduction to some grand play. The other kids would be expecting something amazing. The quiet boy felt an immense pressure start to crush him. There's no way he could do something good enough to impress them. Also, backing out would be just as embarrassing now that he's up here.

The two boys holding the sheet became worried when they heard weeping coming from behind them. They both decided that they better look back.

'Uh oh!' They both thought.

The frightened boy behind them was crouching on the ground with his arms around his chest and crying. Midoriya wasn't expecting this. 'Oh no. Did I push him too hard!' This was bad. They had to do something to calm him down, but what?

"Izuku!" The green-haired boy snapped his head to Mirio. "Quick! Do something to distract everyone. I'll take care of Amajiki."

"Ok!" Izuku responded without even thinking. He didn't know what he was going to do, but he let go of the sheet and started running toward the class. It's like his body was moving on autopilot. All that mattered right now was helping his friend. He did the first thing that came to his mind that would qualify as a distraction. He started melting and his clothes slid off him as he turned to water while he was running. The water kept moving after Izuku transformed like he had done before. Once he was close to the class, he stopped and quickly turned back into his solid state. He stood in front of his classmates naked as the day he was born.

The rest of the class gaped like fish wondering what on earth has just occurred before them. Unlike the teacher, and the other two boys they were completely in the dark about what they were doing. They saw Togata and Midoriya holding the sheet in front of Amajiki. The next thing they knew, the two boys panicked, and Izuku ran up and flashed them.

As the adrenaline was wearing off, Izuku became mortified at what he had just done. He had exposed himself while his class was a mere 10 feet away from him. Why had he done that! Oh yeah! He quickly turned around and saw Mirio consoling Amajiki and rubbing his back. He looked back at the class and saw that some of them were looking behind him.

'Darn it Izuku! Do something! I have to keep their attention!' He screamed internally.

"Ummm. H-h-hey." Everyone turned their attention back to the naked boy. They were perplexed and a little scared by his forced smile that showed his teeth.

"C-c-can s-someone p-p-point me in the d-d-direction of the big n-nudist convention." A frightened Izuku stuttered out a phrase no human has likely ever said in the history of ever. If it wasn't for the quiet sounds of Mirio consoling Amajiki, he swore the whole playground had gone deathly quiet. He also wondered why he hadn't turned into a puddle again and let himself sink into the ground.

The whole class erupted in laughter.

Amajiki and Izuku were in the nurse's office. Izuku was fully clothed again. Not that it made him feel any better. There was nothing wrong with them physically, but Mr. Sanso had suggested they go there to cool off. Both boys were emotional wrecks. While Mirio was helping Amajiki, Izuku started sobbing from all the kids laughing at him. They were just laughing amusingly as they had with Mirio, but for Izuku it felt different. All the kids at his old school laughed at his expense and that's all he could think of. The laughter quickly died down when they noticed Izuku's scrunched-up face and tears streaming down his cheeks. Before anyone could say something, he took off running back towards the school building. Mr. Sanso quickly grabbed Izuku's clothes and chased after him. Once he caught up to him, he led Izuku to the nurse's office while doing his best to shield the boy's nakedness. Good thing Mirio had thought to head there too with Amajiki. Mirio had the red sheet wrapped around the shaking boy as a way to comfort him. Mirio offered to stay with his friends, but Mr. Sanso insisted they be left alone for now. Mirio looked at them and they gave a couple nods of reassurance. He reluctantly went back to class with their teacher.

Izuku was looking away from Amajiki while they say on hospital beds across from each other. He imagined the other boy was doing the same. Izuku felt so ashamed. Izuku had Amajiki trust him and the boy ended up crying on the ground. What was wrong with him! He should have known that would happen after how nervous the other boy felt when holding up the red sheet for him. He thought doing the same thing for the timid boy would help. He didn't realize that action could have him feel more pressured. It was one thing to use the sheet to hide someone's naked body. They were holding the sheet in an attempt to hide Amajiki from the audience so he could use his quirk without them looking. Izuku realized what would happen once they took down the sheet and revealed Amajiki with his quirk. It would have looked like they were introducing some grand performance. The action would have made it look like a bigger deal than it should be.

'I'm such an idiot!' How could he do this? He knew what it was like to feel nervous while doing something in front of an audience. He wanted to do something for the other boy since he agreed to help hold up the sheet for him. He ended up making the boy feel worse. Izuku raised his fist and struck himself hard in the leg. The nurse walked over and held his arm.

"Now, now. Hurting yourself isn't going to solve anything." The nurse said sternly to Izuku.

"I know," Izuku said quietly. He wasn't crying anymore, but his eyes were still puffy.

The old, female nurse sighed and let go of his arm. She sat down on the bed next to the boy and grabbed a tissue to wipe Izuku's remaining tears. "I'm not sure what happened but given your state of attire when you walked in, I have an idea. It's going to be alright. The other kids may tease you for a bit, but it'll pass. That blue-eyed boy has done it so many times that they're used to it." Izuku nodded slightly to show that he was listening. He would feel better if that wasn't the only issue. After Izuku's face was dry, she stood up. "Feel free to lie down until you feel ok. I'll send you back to class whenever you're ready." The nurse would have consoled him more, but she had to check on her other patient.

Izuku did as she instructed and laid down. He closed his eyes and tried not to listen to the nurse talking to Amajiki. He felt that would have been intruding on the boy's privacy. Luckily, the nurse decided to pull the curtain out that separated the two beds. After she was done talking, she advised the other boy to lie down as well.

The two boys laid in silence for about 10 minutes when someone finally spoke.

"I saw what you did at the end….Thank you."

The pain in Izuku's chest eased a little.

"This isn't helping you, Bakugo," a man said gruffly in an exhausted tone. He scribbled away at his notes, not even bothering to look at the angry child sitting across from him.

"Shut up you old fuck!" Bakugo yelled while sitting with his arms across his chest in a bean bag chair.

"I see you've been practicing your sentence enhancers." The man was accustomed to the angry blond's foul language at this point.

"I said shut up you dickhead!" Bakugo hated every second he was sitting in this room. This was the third time he'd been dragged here by his parents.

As per the police requirement, Bakugo was attending counseling sessions until he was deemed fit to be around other kids again. They needed to be sure he wasn't a threat. They selected one counselor in particular. The man's name was Kazuma Suzuki. He was known for counseling children in juvenile facilities. Bakugo's parents were frightened by the implication. The police assured them that Bakugo wasn't going away.

At least not yet. He probably won't, but they needed to be absolutely sure that he was safe to be in society. This man has been dealing with juvie convicts for 20 years. He would be able to tell if Bakugo was anything like those locked behind bars. He was able to see through Bakugo's good boy façade when they first met thanks to his quirk.

His quirk was known as Soul Sight. Like Tsukauchi's Human Lie Detector, it was a useful quirk for interrogations. He was able to tell what a person was truly feeling. In other words, He can sense if they're angry, sad, happy, or any other emotion. It went more than just listing an emotion though. It also translated the emotions into spectral visions that he could see. He can see into their very soul.

In their first session, Bakugo claimed to feel very sorry about what he had done and wanted to apologize to Midoriya. Mr. Suzuki didn't even need his quirk for this. The kid's forced smile was one only a mother could love. With Soul Sight, he could visualize the smoking volcano that was Bakugo's rage. The volcano had not erupted, but it looked like it was close. This symbolized how Bakugo bottled up his rage and he was trying hard to keep it contained. It didn't take much to erupt though. As soon as Mr. Suzuki called the kid out on his facade, he cursed him out like a sailor. It wasn't anything new. He has heard even fouler language from inmates.

The police had informed Mr. Suzuki of what Bakugo had done. Like Midoriya, they did not give his name to the public. Despite his heinous actions, Bakugo didn't deserve to be thrown to the wolves. Like all counseling patients, Bakugo's information would be confidential. The media had been satiated with the names of the principal and any other faculty that allowed or encouraged the bullying. Tsukauchi slept like a baby knowing their lives were now a living Hell. Though, Bakugo was working hard to make his own life a living Hell. That much Mr. Suzuki could discern. Now on their third session, all the kid had done was swear, ignore questions, and say everybody was wrong except him. At least some convicts were less of a headache.

"I'm here to help you, Bakugo. You have to let me though."

"Shut your fucking trap! I ain't falling for it! You just want to lock me up like those damn pigs do!" It's been going back and forth like this for a while. Nothing the counselor said got Bakugo to trust him. The man was still working with him though. He took no pleasure in sending a child to juvie. He really didn't want that. As angry as Bakugo was, he believed there was more to him. If he looked closely with Soul Sight, there seemed to be other emotions hidden behind the volcano. He couldn't make them out though. Bakugo was good at hiding his innermost feelings.

"Continuing to act like this is only making things worse. If you don't want to be locked up, I suggest you cooperate with me." That seemed to shut the boy up. He scoffed and looked off to the side. There was some sense in him. Asking him personal questions didn't get anything out of him. Mr. Suzuki thought of a roundabout way to get to his innermost feelings.

"Thank you. How about we change the subject. Maybe some hero news? I read a good story about the rabbit hero, Mirko this morning."

Bakugo slightly raised his eyebrow in curiosity. He had been in the dark about the latest hero news because his parents had banned him from tv and internet. He really didn't want to play this counselor's game, but this seemed harmless. "Go on." He simply said getting to the point.

"There was a high-speed chase involving some convenience store thieves. Mirko appeared on the scene and used her powerful jumps to catch up to them. She pounced down onto the roof of the car and went right through it. She fought off the robbers with ease and took control of the car. She knocked two of them out with two swift punches and got the third with a kick, knocking his head into the side window."

Bakugo smirked. "Serves those idiots right. She's a fricken badass." Mr. Suzuki had a hunch that Bakugo would be a fan of the rookie rabbit hero. He likely idolized All Might like most kids, but other heroes gave Mr. Suzuki a better look into his psyche. Based on the boy's loud and in-your-face personality, it makes sense that he would take a liking to the feisty rabbit hero. She was known for fighting with no regard for her own safety and causing serious injuries to criminals. A lot of people chalked it up to her just acting like a cocky rookie.

"She is quite amazing, isn't she? Is she one of your favorite heroes?" He asked despite knowing the answer. He was subtly probing Bakugo for information.

"Yeah, I guess she's cool. She ain't shit compared to All Might though." Bakugo's demeanor appeared to be calmer now. Mr. Suzuki figured talking about heroes would help put him more at ease.

"I suppose that's true. I take it All Might is your favorite hero?"

"Well, duhhhhhhh!" Bakugo dragged on in a mocking tone. "What are you an idiot? He's the greatest hero in the world!"

"Right. How silly of me. What do you think makes him so great though?"

Bakugo looked suspicious. He didn't like how the questions were getting invasive. He remembered what the man said a few minutes ago though. He understood that he was getting nowhere by refusing to talk and he couldn't fake his way out of this. As much as he hated it, he would have to put up with this torture.

"He's great because he never loses. He beats up all the bad guys without breaking a sweat. No one is anywhere near his level. He's the best and everyone knows it."

Mr. Suzuki saw a different image with his quirk. This time it was the Sun. He was feeling passion and pride coming from Bakugo this time. He was pleased by this development.

"You're right. He definitely seems untouchable with his tremendous power. Do you hope to be a hero like him someday?"

"Hell no!" Bakugo shouted furiously like that was an insult. The sun Mr. Suzuki saw exploded. "I'm going to be an even better hero than All Might! I'll become stronger than he'll ever be! And I'll beat up anyone who gets in my way!" Bakugo was standing now and breathing heavily after his rant. His expression became mortified when he realized what he just said.

Mr. Suzuki smiled. He saw another image. It was a vase that was broken. This represented shame. The image quickly disappeared. Like it was being locked away. He looked back at Bakugo and saw him sitting in the bean bag chair again and brooding.

"That's quite a bold stance, Bakugo, but now you don't seem so enthusiastic. Why is that?"

"Shut your face! I don't want to talk anymore!"

"Did you just think about something that you did? Maybe something you're not proud of?

Bakugo leaped back up and let off a few sparks from his right hand. He was too unhinged to be thinking of consequences right now. "If you don't shut your fucking mouth, I'm going to blow up your stupid face!"

Mr. Suzuki didn't look bothered in the slightest. He's dealt with actual convicts and knows when someone was actually threatening him. He had an idea of how to deal with Bakugo. He didn't respond to the threat and just stared at the boy across from his desk. This seemed to piss Bakugo off even more.

"What the fuck are you staring at?! Knock it off or you're dead!"

"I'm waiting." The counselor simply replied.

Bakugo looked at the man like he was the one acting reckless. "What are you, insane! I'm going to turn you into a pile of ashes!"

"By all means, go ahead. I won't stop you." Mr. Suzuki raised his arms up like he was surrendering. "Hit me with your best shot."

Bakugo's eyes widened as he looked at the man incredulously. The counselor didn't look nervous, wasn't cowering, and wasn't trying to calm him down or reprimand him. He was just staring back and egging the boy on.

Bakugo gritted his teeth. "SAY YOUR PRAYERS OLD MAN! YOU'RE GONNA FUCKING DIE!"

Mr. Suzuki merely shrugged with a neutral stone-faced expression. "So be it."

Bakugo continued to grit his teeth and stare menacingly at the man. He kept popping small sparks off his hands.

This continued for about 30 seconds until Bakugo dropped his hands and looked at the ground to hide his face. The sparks had stopped. The room went still.

The only movement was the quiet drops of water falling to the floor.

Mitsuki and Masaru Bakugo were sitting in the counseling room Katsuki was just in. Katsuki was waiting outside the room. The couple was hopeful for the first time in over a month.

Masaru bowed his head at Mr. Suzuki. "Thank you so much for this good news!"

Mitsuki was wiping at her eyes. "I can't tell you how happy I am to hear you say that!"

Mr. Suzuki was pleased to see them like this, but he still looked serious. "Don't get too excited. Katsuki still has a long road ahead of him." He gave them a moment t compose themselves. "I'm going to be honest. Your son is quick to anger, full of himself, and knows far too many curse words." The Bakugo matriarch winced at that last part. "But he doesn't belong in juvie. I saw mostly anger with my quirk, but there was some shame in there. I believe that for whatever reason, he does regret his actions. Like most children, he's just too stubborn to admit he was in the wrong. Also, his drive to be a hero reassures me that he does want to do good. He may want it for the wrong reasons, but he still does."

This was the best news the couple have heard in a long time. There was still one question though. "Does that mean our son can attend school again?" The boy's father asked.

Mr. Suzuki nodded. "I've thought long and hard about this and my answer is yes. Continuing to punish him isn't helping his behavior. If we allow him to go back to school that will bring some sense of normalcy back to his life." Before the couple get excited again, he held up his hand. "But you need to pay attention to his behavior. There's a still chance he could repeat his past mistakes. I trust that he won't hurt any kids with his quirk, but he still might try to beat them up. You need to find a balance between rewarding and punishing him. You can ease up on the grounding and taking away his stuff but remind him of what's at stake."

The couple nodded at the counselor.

"We understand," Mitsuki said. "We've thought a lot about the mistakes we made with raising our son. We're going to better parents."

Mr. Suzuki looked at the couple more closely. "I know my job is only to help Katsuki, but do you two have anything you want to talk about? I'll help in any way I can."

Mitsuki looked Torn. "We've um….Been seeing a marriage counselor."

Masaru stayed silent. He looked uneasy. He looked like he wanted to say something but wasn't sure if he could.

"I see." The counselor said solemnly. He recalled how Mitsuki's demeanor was similar to that of her son back when he had first met the couple.

Masaru jolted a little when Mitsuki laid her hand on top of his. The man quickly turned to his wife, sweating a little. She smiled at her husband in a caring manner. That seemed to ease his nerves. He looked back at the counselor. "It's not just our marriage. I appreciate the police keeping Katsuki's name out of the headlines, but some of the parents heard the whole story from their children. Word got around."

Mr. Suzuki sighed. "I was afraid that would happen. Have any of them told the tabloids?"

Masaru shook his head. "The police informed all the parents of the children they interviewed to say nothing to the media. They said exposing Bakugo could also expose Midoriya." Masaru expression saddened. "The two used to be so close," he choked up a little. "People that we've known for years don't talk to us anymore. We've gotten some angry phone calls. I'm afraid we'll lose our jobs. We've been looking at schools in other towns." Masaru said somberly while Mitsuki rubbed his back a little awkwardly. Like she wasn't used to doing that.

Mr. Suzuki has heard many similar situations when talking to the unfortunate parent of juvie convicts. It was almost as bad as telling those same parents that their child wouldn't be getting out. "Relocating would probably be your best option." He suggested. "If you'd like I could recommend some therapists for Katsuki and for you two as well. I'd offer to continue our relationship long distance, but Katsuki should probably see someone that doesn't deal with convicts." He paused. "I won't lie. It's going to be a rough road for you too as well. Apologies only go so far. Sometimes, it's best to just run away and wait for things to fade into obscurity."

The couple stood up to leave. Both of them offered a deep bow. "Thanks for giving our son a chance, Mr. Suzuki," Mitsuki said gratefully.

"Thank you so much, kind sir," Masaru said. The couple then stood up and exited the room to take their son home.

Mr. Suzuki checked the clock on his desk. Nobody should disturb him for a while. He reached into his desk's bottom cabinet for his whiskey and a glass. The Bakugo case has him thinking about certain topics in the news and a certain event from the past. He poured the amber liquid and turned his chair to look out the window. It was nighttime now. Cars were driving and people walking around on the sidewalks. It was a perfect setting for his current thoughts.

He thought all the way back to the time when quirks first emerged. He read that the world was chaotic for a long time. There aren't many known records from that period, but it's not hard to believe it. It took a long time until some semblance of peace was achieved. People found a way to have normal lives with quirked people. It got easier as more and more people got them and the pro-hero occupation took off.

Mr. Suzuki took a long sip.

It was only a matter of time until that peace broke though. It was about 30 years ago at a preschool in Tokyo. Outsiders reported hearing some sort of explosion originating from the school. The section of the building where the classroom was had been blown up. It was horrifying. Emergency responders had to find the remains of children in bloody pieces. One child was still intact though. She had injuries likely caused by the falling debris, but she was still breathing. A 4-year-old girl by the name of Shiro Matsuda. Based on that evidence and no living eyewitnesses, they concluded that her quirk had awakened and caused the blast. They quickly rushed her to the hospital. Doctors worked tirelessly to save her, but she ended up dying from her injuries.

He took another sip.

Some people saw the traumatic event as a wake-up call. As generations went on, children were born with more powerful quirks. Suddenly, parents weren't sure if their kids were safe at school anymore. It sparked debates on what to do with children with dangerous abilities. Should these children be allowed to attend public schools? Should they be watched more closely? Should they be locked up until they had control over their abilities?

He took a big sip.

To this day, people are fighting over this issue. The gap between people with strong quirks and those with weak quirks only got bigger. Some people imagined it was similar to the debates back when quirks first appeared. Some believed in more laws for people with more dangerous abilities. The people with dangerous quirks saw it as a violation of their human rights. That it was unfair since people with weaker quirks hardly got in trouble for using their quirks in public. There was a general rule that nobody was allowed to use their quirk in public. The only people free to do so were pro heroes or other people that were licensed to use their quirk for work. However, mutant types were obviously an exception since they couldn't turn their powers off. Also, those with mental quirks often weren't noticed. Most of the time, the police only bothered you if you were causing any sort of disturbance with your quirk.

He downed the rest of his drink.

There were radicals that believed that there should be no restrictions on quirk usage. That everyone should be allowed to use their gifts wherever and whenever. That it was their God-given right. Kazuma Suzuki thought it was humorous how quickly people changed their minds on an issue when it hit them personally. The parents of Shiro Matsuda were subjected to non-stop harassment and lawsuits by the parents of the victims of the preschool explosion. With their daughter gone, the families of the deceased took all their anger out on them. They shouted that it was good that their daughter was dead. That their child was a hellspawn.

The couple eventually committed suicide.

Mr. Suzuki prayed for the Bakugo family.

AN: Once I get to the UA part of my story, I want to keep the class size at 20 students. That means I will have to remove some characters in Class 1A to make room for Mirio, Nejire, and Amajiki. That will make things easier for me. There are also some characters that I want to add in Class 1B. In total, I need 3 spaces in Class 1A and 3 spaces in 1B. Which characters would you want removed? I already have some in mind, but I'll do best my best to accommodate my readers. I love all the characters dearly, but let's be honest. There are some we can live without.

Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate it!

Thanks for the read.