The Symbol of Peace and Justice
Chapter 11 – Back to Business
It was a dull, dreary morning in Musutafu. Wispy grey clouds floated across the sky, covering the streets below in a gloomy, overcast blanket, while the yawning denizens of the normally bustling city went about beginning their daily routines. Newspaper salesmen were busy setting up their stalls, cafes had their coffee machines grinding up beans for the day, and bakers were applying the finishing touches to their goods. The milkman was unfortunately hamstrung by a faulty bike wheel, which he was in the process of changing, but other than that, things were normal.
The city, much like the sun, was still in the process of waking up.
It would've painted a picture of a perfectly standard morning, were it not for the dazzling golden blur zigzagging past buildings at a speed incomprehensible to the human eye. Had anyone been aware enough to track the blur's movements, they would've seen it falter for a fraction of a second – in which a would-be pickpocket was flung harshly to the ground, his hands tied together by a rubber band – before zipping off into the distance.
Seconds later, the speeding blur came to an abrupt halt in a secluded alleyway, directly in front of a wide-eyed teenage boy with unusually large lips.
"Yo!" Gohan greeted with a wave, making sure to take out the piece of toast hanging from his mouth before speaking.
Sato blinked twice, a look of surprise on his face. "Yo yourself," he responded slowly. "Busy morning?"
Gohan shrugged, swallowing a mouthful of toast. "The usual. A mugging here, a carjacking there, an attempted bank robbery…" His eyes then narrowed. "Oh yeah. Some freak tried to burn down a charity house. That was new."
Sato nearly tripped over his foot, but recovered enough to give him a bewildered stare. "Seriously? How sick in the head do you have to be to do something like that?!"
Gohan sighed, shaking his head. "I stopped trying to figure out criminals' motives long ago."
Sato looked contemplative as the pair set off towards U.A. "So, this is what you do every morning?" he asked.
"Yep," Gohan answered. "Every afternoon, too. And sometimes in the evening, if I can't sleep. It's either patrolling as the Blur or training."
Sato frowned. "That's insane. How have you been able to balance that with all the other crap you have going on?"
"I've gotten used to it," Gohan admitted casually. At this stage, it would feel weird if he deviated even slightly from his routine.
Sato pursed his lips as they walked. "You know, it's not fair," he exclaimed, earning a raised eyebrow from the demi-Saiyan. "You've done so much good these past seven years, yet you don't get a lick of credit for it."
Gohan couldn't help but smile fondly at his friend. "Not getting credit doesn't bother me. Just knowing that I've helped people… that I've been able to make a difference, is enough for me," he confessed. He then scratched his chin. "Although I have to admit, it would be nice if the media wasn't so hellbent on trying to discredit me."
Sato interlocked his fingers behind his head and let out a long, deep sigh. "You're like a damn saint, Son. You know that, right?"
Gohan shuddered at the remark. That was a frightening thought. He wanted to inspire people, not have them revere him.
"So…" Sato continued, an eager grin sliding onto his face. "What are your plans for this weekend? You gonna get in some more training in Russia? Can I come watch? I haven't seen you go all out yet."
Gohan shook his head. "First of all, you wouldn't be able to see anything." At his friend's indignant pout, he chuckled. "And second, I can't go back to Siberia for a while. I… ahh… got a bit too careless last time I was there and ended up making international news, so I wouldn't put it past the Russian government to try and monitor that area."
Sato smirked. "Yeah, that was a riot. I especially liked the part where you made that guy who was filming fall on his ass." The demi-Saiyan blushed at the reminder and sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "So, you need a new secret training area, eh? How about Antarctica? It's cold, quiet, and the local population consists of polar bears and penguins."
Gohan dismissed that thought with another shake of the head. "And accelerate the melting of the polar ice caps? No thanks. Global warming is a serious enough issue as is," he declared sternly. Besides, he already had another place in mind.
Sato looked amused. "That so? Huh. I never took you for a hippie, Son."
"You don't need to be a hippie to care about the environment, Sato," Gohan scolded.
"Alright, alright, no need to get pissy," Sato defended, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "Hippie."
Gohan simply rolled his eyes and continued on his way. It wasn't a long walk to the school, and after a few minutes, the pair saw the familiar shape of U.A. come into view. He faltered momentarily at the sight, a frown finding its way to his features despite his best efforts to suppress it. It was then that a reassuring hand clapped his shoulder.
"You good, Son?" Sato asked softly.
Gohan swallowed before responding. "Yeah, I'm good."
Sato didn't seem to buy it. "Look, whatever the others may think of you, don't let it bother you and keep being yourself," he said. "If someone's scared of you, just let them warm up to you naturally, once they get to know you better. You're good at that kind of thing. If they're jealous of you or want to start shit… well, that just means they're an asshole who you're better off not associating with."
Gohan sighed. "I know that."
"Then what's the problem?" Sato pressed.
"It's just…" Gohan shook his head. "Nothing. Don't worry about it. I'm good, bro. Trust me. And I appreciate the advice," he added with a smile.
Sato still seemed unsure, but nodded nonetheless. "Alright then."
Gohan was relieved that Sato relented in his questioning, as he really didn't want to explain himself. He knew it was silly, and he knew his friend was right on the money, but it was still a somewhat daunting prospect in practice. Physical pain he could deal with no problem, but being shunned by his peers for being a freak of nature? The thought of it stung more than any superficial wound ever could.
He steeled his features as they walked through the front door and proceeded towards their classroom. For a brief moment he wished he was off fighting some dastardly supervillain. Those kinds of conflicts were straightforward and simple to resolve; all he'd have to do was beat up the bad guy and that would be the end of it. But dealing with a class full of scared, envious or judgemental teenagers? That was unfamiliar territory and required a level of tact he didn't think he had.
"Remember, just act normal," Sato whispered when the 1-A door came into view.
Gohan nodded. "I know." He could do that. He'd faced far sterner challenges throughout his life and come out on top. This should be a piece of cake by comparison.
With that thought driving him forward, he opened the door and casually walked into the room, looking as unbothered as could be. A few pairs of eyes tracked him, but he paid them no heed and swiftly strolled to his seat.
When he sat down, he took out his phone and started browsing through the daily news. Regardless of his disdain towards the media, he always liked to keep tabs on the major happenings around the world. This version of Earth was a pretty crazy place, which was a given considering that most of the population had some form of superpowers.
After he got done reading a mildly amusing piece about a toad possessing hypnotic powers being drafted into the military, he put his phone away and saw Ashido hurriedly swivel her head away from his direction. He quirked a brow. That was odd, especially since she'd completely ignored him two days prior, after the U.S.J. incident. Was she watching him just now?
Before Gohan could ponder this further, Aizawa strode into the room and stood behind his desk. "Morning, all," the teacher greeted curtly, giving the class a look-over. "I'm sure some of you think because you've had a pretty rough couple of days, you're due for a bit of a rest."
A few students looked sheepish at the accusation, which Aizawa seemed to take pleasure in, if the vicious grin on his face was anything to go by.
"Well, too bad, because the U.A. sports festival is coming up soon, meaning you won't have any time to slack off," he declared, drawing numerous gasps from the class.
"Finally! A chance to show off my badassery to the world!" Kirishima exclaimed excitedly, shooting up from his seat.
"Are you sure that's safe, sensei?" Jiro asked sternly, sending Kirishima back down to earth. "Since villains have already attacked us once, wouldn't that be the perfect opportunity for them to try again?"
"Forget about that! How are any of us going to beat Son?" Kaminari demanded, instantly causing the entire class to stare at the stunned demi-Saiyan. "I mean, the guy showed he can hang with All Might! All Might!"
Gohan, for his part, sat in his seat like a deer caught in headlights. He wanted to sink beneath the ground to get away from the intense scrutiny currently being directed at him, but since he knew that wasn't possible, he mustered enough mental fortitude to give his peers a nervous smile and wave.
Aizawa loudly cleared his throat to draw the attention of the class, much to Gohan's relief. "To answer your first question, holding the sports festival so soon after a villain attack will show that the school is confident in its crisis management system. In any case, police presence during the event will be five times higher than normal," he explained.
"As for your second question…" Here, the teacher's eyes narrowed. "Just because a fellow student may have demonstrated a level of strength far above yours, that doesn't mean you should concede defeat then and there. As heroes, you'll be facing various kinds of adversity your whole career, so it's best to train to prepare for these situations while you still have the chance. That way, you won't be left with egg on your face when you're faced with a real challenge, in a matter of life or death."
Aizawa's poignant explanation was met with silence from the class, which Gohan was immensely thankful for. That said, his teacher spoke the truth, and he sincerely hoped his peers took that advice on board.
"Furthermore, what you should all be thinking about is what a massive opportunity U.A.'s sports festival presents for you," Aizawa continued. "This isn't some event that'll be brought to a halt by villains. Our sports festival is one of Japan's biggest spectacles. In the past, the Olympics were called a 'festival of sports', and the whole country was crazy about them.
"However, with the overall population decreasing, as well as the emergence of Quirks, the Olympics became a shell of their former glory. What has taken their place… is U.A.'s sports festival!" he asserted.
Gohan noticed a few of his classmates get starry-eyed at the prospect of taking part in such a prestigious event. Unfortunately, he didn't share their enthusiasm.
"All the top heroes in the country will be watching and scouting for potential recruits to join their agencies as sidekicks," Aizawa went on. "Naturally, joining a pro hero agency will get you a lot of experience and increase your popularity. However, be aware that you'll only get three chances in total to show what you've got, as the sports festival only happens once per year. If you're serious about becoming a pro hero, this is an opportunity you can't pass up."
Gohan knew all this. He'd watched the U.A. sports festival every single year since finding out about it. He knew the importance of it, as well as the numerous benefits that came from doing well in it. That was the main reason he wasn't anywhere near as excited for the event as his classmates. He sighed, rubbing his temples in irritation. He'd need to speak to Aizawa about this later.
By the time lunch rolled around, Gohan excused himself from Sato and Tsuyu, and proceeded towards the staffroom. He didn't know where Aizawa was, but he figured checking there was his best bet. Upon reaching his destination, he knocked on the familiar sliding door and waited, pushing down the unpleasant memories of being interrogated by Officer Tsukauchi in this exact room.
Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long, as the door slid open to reveal a curious-looking Midnight. When her sky blue eyes landed on him, her face broke out into a wide grin. "Son Gohan! What a pleasant surprise!" she greeted cheerfully. "Are you here to have lunch? Because I definitely wouldn't mind the company of a big, strong man such as yourself," she added sultrily, giving him a wink that made his cheeks redden like a tomato.
"N-n-not exactly, M-Midnight-sensei," Gohan stammered, sheepishly averting his gaze from the sexy, smirking woman. "I'm here to see Aizawa-sensei. Is he in?"
Midnight pouted, clearly disappointed. "I don't know why you'd want to hang out with that boring dolt, but he's right over there, taking a nap," she explained, pointing to a couch in the corner of the room.
Gohan bowed. "Thank you, Midnight-sensei."
"If you really want to thank me, come see me again… preferably when there's no one else around," she whispered cheekily, a mischievous grin on her pretty features.
"I-I'll keep that in mind," Gohan stuttered, blushing up another storm. "Bye now!"
With that, he darted away from the seductive older woman to where Aizawa was. Had he been in a calmer frame of mind, he would've found the sight of his homeroom teacher slumped on the couch, a half-empty juice box in hand while light snores slipped from his mouth, highly amusing.
Unfortunately, he wasn't here to exchange pleasantries. "Excuse me, Aizawa-sensei, I need to speak to you."
Aizawa didn't budge, getting a grimace out of Gohan.
"Excuse me, Aizawa-sensei, I need to speak to you," he repeated, louder this time.
Aizawa's beady black eyes fluttered open, before his brow narrowed ominously. "Son. I presume you have a good reason for disturbing my rest," he uttered coldly.
Gohan gulped. "I'm deeply sorry for waking you, sensei, but I was hoping to speak with you about the sports festival."
Aizawa sighed and took a sip from his juice box. "Fine. But make it quick."
"Of course," Gohan acknowledged, bowing in gratitude. "Sensei, I was wondering whether it's compulsory to take part in the sports festival."
"Is that so? Why do you wish to know?" Aizawa queried.
"Because I'm not sure I want to take part," Gohan answered.
Aizawa blinked, then gestured to the couch adjacent to his. "Take a seat, Son."
Gohan did as he was told. "Sensei?"
"Is there a reason why you're considering not taking part?" Aizawa questioned.
"A few, actually," Gohan revealed. He took a deep breath before continuing. "You know how pro heroes are going to be scouting for people to join their agencies, right? Well, I'm worried that if I take part and win the whole thing, I'll end up drawing attention away from everyone else who's taking part."
Aizawa interlocked his fingers. "That's the point of competing," he responded, unamused.
"I know, but… the truth is, I'm not interested in any of that stuff," Gohan admitted. "I don't want to join a hero agency and become someone's sidekick. I just want to get my pro hero license, graduate, then go out and save people on my terms. In that regard, I don't want to ruin my classmates' chances of being recruited by taking the spotlight away from them, when I myself don't want to be recruited."
"So what you're saying is, everyone around you is a distraction," Aizawa deduced.
Gohan grimaced. "That's not it at all. I just want to do my own thing without making it harder for the people around me to do theirs."
"What kind of hero do you want to be, Son?" Aizawa quizzed, rubbing his forehead. "Do you want to be a lone wolf who plays by his own rules? Someone who's good at his job, but doesn't have any social presence or influence over people, because he considers it beneath him?"
Gohan's eyes widened. "Of course not, sensei!" he exclaimed. "I want to be like All Might; someone who inspires people and dissuades villains with his name alone! You know that!"
"So you've said, but your intentions suggest otherwise," Aizawa remarked. "That's not to mention the effect this would have on your classmates."
Gohan swallowed thickly. "What do you mean, sensei?" he asked nervously.
"For someone so smart, you can be extraordinarily dense," Aizawa commented coolly, much to his pupil's confusion. "What kind of message do you think it would send to your classmates if you refused to take part in the sports festival because you're so much stronger than them? Put yourself in their shoes, and try to imagine how you'd feel if one of your classmates pulled a stunt like that?"
Gohan paled when the answer finally dawned on him. How did he fail to take that into account? "I… see your point, sensei. Believe me, it was never my attention to belittle or disrespect my classmates like that."
"I believe you," Aizawa remarked, surprising the boy. "I also believe that you're prone to getting tunnel vision because of your one-track mind. Sometimes, you're so focused on doing a certain thing a certain way, that you're completely ignorant to the wider ramifications of your actions. It makes you sound arrogant, which I doubt is your intention."
"That's… that's not my intention at all," Gohan muttered, looking at his feet in shame.
"Look, whether you decide to take part or not is ultimately up to you," Aizawa admonished. "I've told you what I think; now it's up to you to figure out what you want to do. You have two weeks to think about it. That should be plenty of time to weigh up all your options."
Gohan pondered his teacher's words for a moment, before exhaling and steeling his features. "I'll do that, sensei," he declared firmly, rising from the couch and bowing. "Thank you for your time, and sorry again for disturbing you."
"You'd better be. Now get out and let me get back to my nap," Aizawa grumbled.
Gohan made his way for the door, but as he walked, he couldn't shake the sensation that he was being watched. Refusing to panic – he was far too well-trained for that – his onyx eyes carefully scanned the room, until they landed on a familiar pair of sky blue orbs, the sight of which turned his cheeks a fierce shade of scarlet.
Sitting on a couch, one leg crossed tantalisingly over the other, was Midnight herself, teasingly licking away at a lollipop while her piercing eyes bored into his. When she realised she'd been caught staring, she simply smirked and waved.
Gohan, for his part, hurriedly averted his gaze and scurried out of the staffroom. That woman could be scarier than Aizawa when she wanted to be. For all his intimidating quirks, what you saw was what you got with the man. Midnight, on the other hand, was way more unpredictable.
After exiting the staffroom, he realised he needed to piss. Grumbling at the fact that his lunch would get delayed even further, he set a course for the toilet located beside his homeroom. He wasn't yet familiar with the layout of U.A.'s campus, so rather than risk getting lost in the sprawling maze of hallways, he decided the safest option was to go where he was guaranteed to find a toilet, despite it being a bit of a trek.
After entering the lavatory, he walked over to a urinal and unbuttoned his pants. Just as he was about to turn on the hose, he heard the door swing open and feet plod along the tiles, coming to a stop at the urinal on the far side of the room.
"S-Son," a jittery voice greeted.
Surprised at his name being called, Gohan shifted his head slightly to the side, only to see a familiar mop of green hair. "Midoriya," he acknowledged curtly, instantly turning away.
Well, this was awkward.
Trying to ignore his friend's presence, Gohan proceeded to do his business, and grimaced inwardly when he heard Midoriya do the same. If only he had a pair of noise-cancelling headphones right now.
As soon as he was done, he wrung out the last few drops, then walked over to a sink. He washed his hands and splashed some water on his face to help clear his head, then exited the bathroom.
Instead of departing straight for the cafeteria, Gohan waited at the door to the toilet. Now that Midoriya was here, alone, he had the perfect opportunity to ask him about training, so that they could hopefully set something up. As awkward as the setting may have been, it was the best opportunity he'd been given thus far.
When Midoriya came out of the bathroom, his eyes widened upon seeing who was waiting for him. "Son?"
"Hey," Gohan greeted kindly, giving his friend a warm smile. "Sorry if this seems weird, or a bit out of the blue, but I was wondering if you were free this weekend, so we can finally get a start on your training."
"O-oh! That!" Midoriya exclaimed, surprise evident on his face. "Umm… what exactly will the training involve?" he stammered.
"Exercises which will hopefully help you learn to control your Quirk," Gohan explained. "With the sports festival coming up soon, I figured now would be the perfect time to start."
Midoriya contemplated this for a moment, then nodded. "I agree. Ahh… where and when do you want to do this?"
"How about this Sunday, say at around two in the afternoon?" Gohan suggested. "As for where… there are a few secluded parks near my place, but if you know any around where you live, I wouldn't mind training there. Whatever suits you."
Midoriya looked puzzled. "Huh? When you say, 'secluded parks', do you mean actual secluded parks with no one around?" he questioned nervously.
"Yeah…" Gohan replied, mirroring the green-haired boy's puzzlement. "Is that a problem?"
"W-we can't do that!" Midoriya stuttered in a frantic panic. "Q-Q-Quirk use in p-public without a l-license is against a law! We could be ar-rested!"
Gohan's eyes widened. "Oh! Crap, I didn't think of that!" he admitted sheepishly. He'd gotten so used to zipping around willy-nilly as both himself and the Blur, that he'd forgotten such an act was technically illegal. "That… could be a problem."
Midoriya breathed out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you realised that. I want to learn how to use my Quirk better, but I don't want to break the law to do it," he mumbled.
"I get that. Sorry. That was a brain fart on my end," Gohan claimed, scratching the back of his head. "Do you know what we could do instead."
"We could always use the school's athletics field," Midoriya suggested. "I'll ask around and see if there are any teachers willing to supervise us, and I'll get back to you."
Gohan smiled. "That'd be great. We should probably exchange numbers then."
"Sure," Midoriya agreed, pulling out his phone.
Once they'd done that, the two teenage boys set off towards the cafeteria, which Gohan was supremely thankful for. His stomach was close to loudly protesting at being denied its sustenance.
"So, have you ever trained anyone before?" Midoriya asked as they walked.
"Nope!" Gohan chirped, grinning. "I spar with Sato every now and then, and give him a couple of pointers every time I kick his ass, but never anything overly formal."
"Oh," Midoriya remarked, evidently surprised by the answer. "I guess I should feel honoured, huh?"
Gohan chuckled. "If you want."
When the cafeteria finally came into view, he couldn't help but lick his lips. Lunch was one of the main highlights of his day, mainly because Lunch Rush was an exceptional cook; the man's downright delectable food was the closest he'd come to experiencing his mother's cooking since arriving on this world.
Before he could sate his voracious appetite, Yaoyorozu popped up in front of him. "There you are, Son," she greeted, before glancing over at the other boy. "Hello, Midoriya."
"H-hi!" the green-haired boy stammered.
"Hey there, Yaoyorozu," Gohan said warmly, giving the girl a shaky smile that he hoped hid his nervousness. "Do you need something?"
"As a matter of fact, yes," she answered. "As class representatives, we're supposed to have a meeting every Saturday after school to go over a few things. Our designated meeting place is conference room D."
"Oh. Alright then, thanks for letting me know," Gohan responded calmly, although inwardly he was close to freaking out.
While the prospect of being alone in a room with Yaoyorozu would've ordinarily been an appealing one, he'd found it difficult to be around the girl ever since he saw more of her than he should have two days prior. Just thinking about her made his mind stray to strange places, often leaving him a blustering mess, and he really didn't want to embarrass himself in her presence.
After hearing his answer, Yaoyorozu smiled brightly. "Great. I'm looking forward to it. In the meantime, I'll leave you to enjoy the rest of your lunch. See you back in class," she said before departing.
"Bye," Gohan mumbled. When the girl was out of sight, he let out a pained sigh. "Great. That's exactly what I needed."
His impromptu pity party was cut short when Midoriya gently patted him on the back. "Cheer up, Son," the green-haired boy reassured kindly. "At least you only have to go once a week."
"Yeah… yeah, I guess that's some consolation," Gohan grumbled, a smile slipping out despite the doom and gloom. "Thanks, Midoriya."
When the final bell rang, signalling the end of the school day, Gohan packed up his stuff and rose from his seat. He looked to his side, expecting to see Sato following suit, but his best friend was firmly rooted to his chair with his arms crossed confidently, a smug smirk playing out on his lips.
Gohan sighed. "Should I be concerned?"
"For me? Nah, I'm good," Sato replied. "You should be concerned for Kirishima, though."
Gohan blinked. "What?"
"He reckons he can beat me in an arm wrestle. Since that's blatantly false, I told him he's full of shit," Sato chirped, earning groan from the demi-Saiyan. "So, since we couldn't settle the matter with words, we agreed to have an arm wrestle after school."
"Alright then. Good luck with that," Gohan offered, turning around and heading for the door.
"Hey, where you going? Don't you want to see me whoop Kirishima's ass?" Sato asked, sounding hurt.
Gohan looked back at his best friend and shook his head. "Sorry, bro. I just want to go home and get some rest. I've had kind of a rough day."
Sato's expression softened. "Alright, man. I'll catch you later."
Gohan smiled at the large-lipped boy and gave him a wave before leaving the room. He heard some commotion building behind him, but promptly ignored it and set off down the hallway.
"Excuse me, Son, can I speak to you for a bit?" a quiet, feminine voice asked, making him stop in his tracks.
He turned around, only for his eyes to widen in surprise when he saw a pink-skinned girl standing behind him, lacking her usual pep. "Ashido?"
"Hey there, Son," she greeted, flashing him a small smile. "How are you?"
"Tired," Gohan admitted, giving the girl a smile of his own. "You?"
"Okay," she answered. "Umm, do you mind if we go somewhere quiet?"
Gohan was puzzled by the request, but nodded nonetheless, his smile never leaving his lips. "Not at all."
"Thanks," Ashido responded, guiding him to an empty hallway. After looking around to confirm that they were alone, she gave him her full attention and blurted out, "Do you want to go see a movie with me this Sunday?"
Gohan froze on the spot, his face turning a shade paler. "A-are you asking me out on a date?" he stuttered disbelievingly.
Ashido's eyes bulged. "Wh-what?! N-no! I'm asking you out as a f-friend!" she stammered, her pink cheeks darkening even further. "I won two movie tickets in a contest, and I saw you were feeling down, so I wanted to cheer you up, and I figured going to see a movie together would be really fun!"
"I… see," Gohan said slowly, processing what he'd just heard. One he'd gathered his bearings and calmed down a sufficient amount, he shot the girl his most pleasant smile. "I'd like that."
As though a switch had been flipped, Ashido's dejected frown morphed into an excited grin. "Really?! That's great!" she cheered. "Thanks for accepting, Son! Oh man, you have no idea how hard it was to get you alone so I could actually ask you!"
Gohan chuckled, feeling an immense surge of warmth for the pink-skinned girl. Here he was, worrying he'd done something to offend her, when in reality she was just concerned for his wellbeing. "No, thank you, Ashido. It means a lot," he admitted softly.
The girl calmed down a bit at that, but her radiant smile never stopped shining. "It's okay, Son. The movie's at four in the afternoon, at the Cerollian Cinema."
"I'll be there," Gohan declared.
"You'd better, or I'll never forgive you!" Ashido chirped, giving him a mock glare. "Oh, and would you mind keeping this between the two of us? I don't want people getting the wrong idea…"
"My lips are sealed," Gohan reassured. He would've kept quiet even if she hadn't asked him. He knew the value of privacy better than most.
Ashido grinned. "Awesome! Anyway, I have to go now or I'll miss my train! See you tomorrow, Son!"
With a joyful wave, she was gone from the scene in a flash, leaving Gohan alone with his thoughts. As he stood in the deserted hallway, playing back the last few minutes in his head, he could scarcely believe what had just transpired. Given his luck as of late, he figured there was more of a chance of Cell coming back to life than being treated to a movie by one of his new friends.
Chuckling wryly to himself, Gohan adjusted his bag and made for the exit. He was still tired, but his mood was significantly better than it was earlier in the day.
Maybe his luck was finally starting to turn around?
The following school day passed by in an uneventful blur, and when the final bell rang, Gohan made his way to the conference room Yaoyorozu had told him about. He wasn't exactly looking forward to the meeting, but he figured the best course of action was to get it over and done with, so that he could focus on more important matters, like having a second lunch.
Upon spotting the door, he pushed the tantalising images of barbecued meat from his mind and reached for the handle. A swift twist later, the door swung open and he walked inside, where he was greeted by the sight of his fellow class president sitting around a large and round wooden table, rifling through a stack of papers. Her blazer was off and resting across the back of her chair.
Gohan gulped and loosened his tie. Come to think of it, it was quite stuffy in the room, and the hot weather outside was only making things worse.
"Take a seat, Son," Yaoyorozu greeted curtly. "We have a lot to get through, so unless you want to spend your entire evening here, we should probably get a move on."
Gohan resisted the urge to grimace. That didn't sound pleasant. Why did he sign up for this again? Nevertheless, he acquiesced the request, and took a seat opposite Yaoyorozu.
The moment his backside touched the chair, the girl handed him a small booklet. "Have a read through this proposal I wrote up," she said. "It's not much; just a list of suggestions on how to facilitate better communication between teachers and students. If you approve, I'll email it to the school board."
Gohan suppressed a sigh and did as he was told, albeit with a major lack of enthusiasm. He skimmed through the booklet with tired eyes, barely registering the ugly blocks of text on the pages. When he was done, he promptly handed the booklet back to Yaoyorozu. "Looks good to me."
She raised an eyebrow. "You've already read it?"
"I'm a fast reader," Gohan admitted. It was a half-lie.
Yaoyorozu stared at him for a few seconds longer, before shrugging and picking up a larger booklet, which she also presented to him. "Alright then. Now have a look at this manifesto I drafted about my intentions as class president for the duration of my term."
Gohan accepted the offered booklet before freezing. "Wait a minute – did you just say 'manifesto'?"
"I sure did," Yaoyorozu declared sternly. "Is that a problem?"
"No! I mean, not really, but… don't you think this is a little much?" Gohan asked, scratching the back of his head. "I mean, we're just high school students. It's not like we're running for some political office."
Yaoyorozu's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Even so, that doesn't mean we shouldn't take our duties as class representatives seriously. We've been elected into positions of great importance by our peers, so it's only right that we do our jobs properly."
Gohan sighed. He could already tell this wasn't an argument he had a chance of winning. "Very well then." He skimmed through the manifesto and handed it back. "Looks good."
"Did you read the whole thing?" Yaoyorozu inquired in an ominous tone.
"I did," Gohan lied.
"In that case, tell me what's written on page four, where I outlined my stance on courtship during exams?"
Gohan blushed and averted his gaze. "Ummm…"
"I knew it," Yaoyorozu exclaimed.
"Huh?" Gohan said dumbly.
Yaoyorozu let out a resigned sigh. "I was hoping we could handle this like adults, but it's clear now that won't be possible. I'd hoped I was wrong, but sadly, I was right. Your motives are nothing but nefarious," she accused icily.
Gohan's blood chilled at the accusation. "Wait, what?"
"I've seen the way you stare at me when you think I'm not looking, Son," the girl continued, her voice unnervingly cool.
"Wh-what?! You've got it all wrong! I don't stare!" he stammered, raising his hands in a placating gesture as his heartbeat quickened. How did this meeting turn to shit so quickly?
"I've seen that seedy book you've been carrying around. Just what kind of twisted game are you playing at, you pervert?!" she seethed, her demeanour shifting on the spot.
"Y-you're overreacting! I'm not a pervert! Honest! The only reason I-"
"Can it, you worm!" Yaoyorozu spat venomously, now in a full-blown rage. However, after a few tense seconds in which he couldn't move a muscle, her heavy breathing subsided. "But if that's what you really want, I suppose I can humour you for a few minutes. Even I need to scratch an itch every now and then."
Gohan's eyes bulged, rivulets of sweat dripping off him in droves. "I-I don't… you've got it… wait, wh-what are you doing, Yaoyorozu?"
The girl had clambered onto the table and was now crawling towards him like a cat stalking its prey. "Scratching an itch," she answered calmly, as if her behaviour was perfectly normal.
"I'm f-f-flattered, b-but I don't think this is ap-propriate f-for school," a beet-faced Gohan babbled, trying desperately to slide his chair back, but failing miserably as it seemed to be bolted to the floor.
"Appropriate this!"
Without warning, Yaoyorozu ripped open her shirt with a single swipe of her hand.
She wasn't wearing a bra.
Gohan might as well have been staring into the eyes of Medusa herself, for he instantly froze on the spot. Not a single coherent thought came to mind, nor could he find the words to express what he was feeling. He just sat there, and stared, and stiffened – despite the grave seriousness of the situation.
Yaoyorozu simply smirked, not a single hint of shame on her gorgeous features. "Look familiar? They should, since you've already seen them once."
That was enough to snap Gohan out of his daze. "Th-that was an accident! You know that! You said so yourself!" he squeaked.
Yaoyorozu chuckled darkly as she brought her face beside his and whispered in his ear, "I lied."
Gohan remained rooted to his seat as the girl traced a dainty finger across his chin, then gasped in astonishment as she swung it like a sword, cutting open his shirt in one swift stroke.
"Now it's my turn," Yaoyorozu proclaimed, a devilish twinkle in her onyx eyes that were so unlike his own.
Gohan gulped. This was wholly unfamiliar territory that he didn't have a clue how to navigate, and to top it all off, he was at odds with himself. His mind was screaming at him that this was a horrible idea, and that he should run the hell away and not look back. His body, on the other hand, was calmly telling him to let things play out naturally… that this was what he wanted.
Yaoyorozu, however, was unperturbed. She tilted her head as she stared at his muscular chest, then back at her own, then back at his. She pouted cutely. "You know, I don't think this is a fair trade."
Before Gohan could comprehend the meaning behind those words, she slipped her hand low and undid a button on his pants, drawing yet another stunned gasp from the boy.
"But I know what is…"
That settled it.
Gohan let loose a shaky exhale as he resigned himself to his fate.
His body was right. He did want this.
Yaoyorozu giggled as she locked eyes with him, and he didn't have the willpower to look away. He could only wait with bated breath as her head moved closer and closer.
When she got close enough that he could feel her hot breath tickling his skin, he puckered his lips in nervous anticipation.
"Not yet," she whispered sultrily, her nose almost brushing against his.
Gohan grunted in frustration, then gasped when he felt another button come undone, and his pants start sliding down his bare legs.
Wait a minute…
Where was his underwear?
Gohan's eyes snapped open and he found himself staring at a white ceiling. He blinked, then wriggled his body a bit, but found his movements constricted by a blanket. That, and the sticky sheen of sweat coating his skin, alerted him to the reality that he'd just had a dream. A very vivid dream, but a dream nonetheless.
He rubbed his forehead with his fingers and let out a weary sigh. "Shit."
That was a new experience. His dreams usually consisted of vague nightmares about his past, and the few dreams that weren't nightmares were so insignificant they ended up forgotten within minutes of waking up.
This, however, was not something he'd be forgetting anytime soon. Whether that was a good or bad thing, Gohan didn't know, but he did know one thing: he needed a long, cold shower before school. He'd also have to wash his pyjamas later, the thought of which made him groan.
At least he had the weekend to look forward to.
Much like in his dream, the actual school day passed by fairly quickly for Gohan, with nothing noteworthy happening. That, he was thankful for.
As was also the case with his dream, once the final bell rang he found himself standing in front of conference room D. Unlike his dream, however, he didn't rush inside so as to get the meeting over with as soon as possible. Instead, his feet were rooted to the ground while his trembling hand hovered before the handle, as he tried and failed to psych himself up.
Gohan knew he was being silly. He knew perfectly well that what happened in his dream had no chance whatsoever of happening in real life. So why was he so hesitant to open the damn door? Why was he being such a coward?
It took the mental image of a frowning Piccolo flashing through his mind for Gohan to realise that he was behaving like an immature child. So, with a neutral expression that belied his trepidation, he turned the handle and stepped forward.
Fortunately, the room was different from how it was in his dream. The carpet was a royal blue instead of brown, and the desk was square instead of a circle. Yaoyorozu was seated behind it, but she had a small notepad in front of her, not a giant stack of papers. It was a comforting though.
Upon noticing his arrival, the girl gave him a warm smile. "Please have a seat, Son. This shouldn't take too long."
Gohan gulped and nodded in greeting, before doing as he was told. His eyes briefly met Yaoyorozu's, instantly triggering a wave of memories that almost made him blush. Not wanting to embarrass himself with such an act, he quickly averted his gaze.
"So, are you aware of what our duties as class representatives entail?" the girl asked.
"Sorry. I'm afraid I don't," Gohan admitted, scratching the back of his head.
Yaoyorozu gave a light, almost melodic chuckle. "That's alright. It's nothing major, so don't worry," she reassured. "Our duties are to bring up any issues regarding our classmates to the teacher, organise class events, and assign roles to our classmates for these events. However, since we're still at the beginning of the year, we only have to worry about the first thing."
Gohan breathed a sigh of relief. "I can do that." Heck, he would take pleasure in doing so. He already had something in mind that he wanted to talk to Aizawa about, but after their previous meeting ended on such a frosty note, he didn't know when to address it.
"Great! So, do you have any issues you'd like to bring up?"
Gohan fought back the nerves bubbling in his belly and gave Yaoyorozu his full attention. It would be rude not to, especially given how kind she was being despite his inexperience. "I'm worried about our classmates' mental wellbeing," he stated simply.
Yaoyorozu's enchanting eyes widened. "What do you mean, Son? Did something happen?"
"No. At least, not yet," Gohan replied, shaking his head. "What happened at the U.S.J. three days ago… being held hostage by grown adults who want to kill you… that's something no child should ever have to experience, regardless of whether they're training to be a hero or not. While I haven't seen any signs myself, I can't ignore the possibility that some of our classmates might not be coping with it well."
Because his childhood was so abnormal, he knew first-hand how damaging traumatic events could be to the psyche. While he had gotten used to his circumstances over the years, and even accepted them to a degree, he didn't want his peers to go through the same crap he did. They were already risking everything by choosing heroism as a profession, so they should at least be able to enjoy their childhoods while they had the chance.
Yaoyorozu's angelic features softened. "I can't say it ever crossed my mind, but now that you've brought it up, there's definitely some merit to what you're saying. Something this serious definitely shouldn't be swept under the rug."
Gohan smiled. She was such a kind soul. "Thanks."
"So, are you suggesting everyone undergoes a psych evaluation?" Yaoyorozu asked, getting back on track.
"Nothing that drastic," Gohan responded. "I don't know if U.A. has a psychologist working on campus, but if not, they should hire one. If there is a psychologist working here, we should've been made aware of it. In any case, some extra education on the subject would be helpful."
"I agree wholeheartedly," Yaoyorozu exclaimed, transcribing his suggestion onto her notepad. When she was finished, she flashed him a smile. "Got anything else for me?"
Gohan stroked his chin as he pondered the question. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't bothered by the negative reaction a few of his classmates had to his fight against Nomu, but he instantly decided against bringing that up to Yaoyorozu. It was his problem to deal with.
A more pressing problem was Blasty, namely his volatile nature and overly aggressive temperament. Gohan didn't like the bitter blond one bit, and he still couldn't comprehend why someone so jerkish wanted to be a hero. There was also the issue of his personal history with Midoriya, which the demi-Saiyan couldn't help but be concerned about.
But, he ultimately decided against going forward with these accusations. As much of an ass as he was, Blasty hadn't yet done anything severe enough to warrant such scrutiny. Besides, he too was still just a kid; perhaps in time he would grow up and become a better person. Regardless of whether it happened or not, he at least deserved the chance to change.
Gohan wasn't thick-headed enough to deny that Blasty had a ton of potential. The blond had a phenomenal Quirk, and his physical conditioning was nothing short of impressive. If he ever sorted out his behavioural issues, or at least kept them in check, he could become a fantastic hero.
With that thought in mind, Gohan shook his head. "I got nothing."
Yaoyorozu nodded. "Alright then. That should be it for today."
"Wait, really?" Gohan queried, visibly surprised. "That was quick."
Yaoyorozu chuckled as she placed her notepad in her hand. "I told you it shouldn't take too long. We've only been here a week, so I don't have any pressing concerns at the moment."
"Ahh, good to know," Gohan chirped, leaning back and stretching before rising from his seat. He smiled nervously at the girl, who had also gotten up. "So… umm… do you mind if we walk to the front of the school together? I mean, we're probably the only students still here, and I wouldn't want you to feel lonely or get lost walking the hallways." He scratched the back of his head and sheepishly looked away. "This school is a pretty big place after all, and we've only been here a week, and-"
"It's fine, Son. I don't mind," Yaoyorozu cut in with a giggle, interrupting his rambling.
"Oh? Oh! Great!" Gohan exclaimed giddily. He scrambled to the door and opened it, then stepped to the side. "After you."
"Thank you," Yaoyorozu remarked coolly, her smile never leaving her face.
Once she stepped outside, he followed suit, and they subsequently set off towards the exit. As they walked, Gohan couldn't help but shoot small glances at the girl out of the corner of his eye. She seemed perfectly at ease beside him; if she was at all bothered by what happened at the U.S.J., she didn't show it. If only he could be so composed…
"So, interesting first week, huh?" Yaoyorozu commented.
"That's one way of putting it," Gohan grumbled, his spirits dropping like an anvil. "I knew all hell was going to break loose eventually, but I didn't think it would be this soon."
"Well, look on the bright side. Surely things can only get better from here," Yaoyorozu suggested.
Gohan sighed. "Here's hoping."
"The sports festival should be fun at least," Yaoyorozu declared confidently. "Personally, I can't wait for it to start."
"Yeah, I imagine it'll be quite the spectacle," Gohan groaned, Aizawa's words still circling in his head.
"You know, I have you pegged to win the whole thing," Yaoyorozu asserted, eliciting a slight grimace from the demi-Saiyan.
"I'll try not to disappoint," he said, giving her a shaky smile as they walked through the school's front doors.
"I'm sure you'll do fine. You're a level above everyone else in the class," Yaoyorozu admitted freely once they were outside. "I know I don't stand a chance of beating you, but I'm looking forward to seeing how I stack up against the other first years."
"I'm sure you'll do fine," Gohan repeated, getting a light chuckle out of the girl, which in turn caused him to grin. He liked hearing her laugh.
"Well, I see my ride," Yaoyorozu announced once they exited the school grounds. She turned to him and smiled brightly. "I'll see you next week, Son."
"Yeah, see you then," Gohan replied in kind.
He was then forced to do a double take when he saw her enter a black limousine that was parked by the road. Because of the vehicle's tinted windows, he was unable to see who was driving, or whether anyone else was inside.
When it finally drove off, Gohan shrugged and walked off in the opposite direction. Whatever the deal with the limousine was, he figured it was none of his business. Besides, there was a local kebab joint calling his name that he'd been meaning to try out all week.
AN: And we're back. Sorry about the long wait. The last couple of months have been a rollercoaster of steadily increasing shit, where writer's block and getting burnt out were the least of my problems. Things are still far from ideal, but at least I've gotten in the mood to write again.
I also haven't been that interested in the current manga arc, which hasn't been helping my motivation. Without going into spoilers for anime-only watchers, all I'll say is that I don't care a great deal about the characters currently being focused on and what they're going through, and I think the developments they're undergoing are just… meh. It started off alright, with the introduction of a third party with an interesting goal, but the sudden shift to those guys was somewhat abrupt. I don't hate them as characters; I just don't like them enough to get invested in a whole arc dedicated to them.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and if you have the time, please let me know what you thought. Unfortunately it wasn't the most exciting of chapters, but it needed to be done. Hopefully the humour made up for the lack of action. Next chapter should be a lot more action-packed, though, so look forward to it.
These past few months in which I didn't update, this story has hit a few milestones that I'd like to mention. First, it hit 2000 follows, which is nuts. Second, it hit 1000 reviews, which is also nuts. Third, the last chapter hit 200 reviews alone, which is simply insane. I can't find the words to describe how thankful I am for all the positive attention this story has received, but know that you guys have my eternal gratitude.
Until next time!
