UPDATE as of December 2018: Changed some dialogues, character interactions, and withheld some introductions so that there's not too many names being dropped for a single chapter. Nevertheless same flow, enjoy the chapter!

OCs Summary list (will be updated every-time a name and/or quirk is added)

Senko Tenmei: Always wears black as death glasses to cover his mutant quirk, Flashlight, which permanently turned his eyes into light-bulbs.

Den Shiosai: Has orange, spiky hair, and is always seen wearing noise-cancelling headphones. Quirk is Enhanced hearing.

Jin Kureito: Easy-going boy with pink colored hair swept to the right with loads of hair gel. Quirk is Knife, which allows him to turn anything into a knife.

Chie Fukuro: A short girl wearing circular glasses, has silver-brown feather like hair. Quirk is Owl.

Kimi Okami: Strong-willed, brash girl with long silver hair. A hero aspirant. Quirk is Wolf, which allows her to transform into any canine.

Neji Tatsumaki: Has dark green curly hair twisting upwards. A hero aspirant. Quirk is Vortex, which enables him to make cyclones using his body.

Poppy Kuchisake: Creepy looking girl with long black hair, sunken eyes, and pale skin. Quirk is has something to do with popping off her own body parts.

Azuki Makito: Nervous and jittery girl with sky-blue curly hair. Quirk is unknown.

Shinsou's Starting Line

Hitoshi caught his breath underneath the shade after Awaseru-sensei decided to push them even further beyond and do three tests in quick succession.

It was to save time for better stuff later he said. Majority of the class didn't have a problem with it, but Hitoshi's frail constitution did. He wasn't the only one either. A couple of students had to beg Awaseru-sensei for a break, but Tenmei alongside Fumei kept pushing people to do their best. Maybe Sensei was secretly a masochist himself under that prim and proper air of responsiblity, because he allowed himself to be convinced by both Tenmei and Fumei's eagerness.

If that didn't gain Fumei more lousy character points from the class, then Hitoshi didn't know what else the blond could do that would make them hate him entirely.

After one or two student started tripping on their own feet, Sensei finally allowed them five minutes rest between activities. It wasn't until Sachiko Nusumi's luck based quirk sent another student into the infirmary that they were all allowed to breathe freely. Not because someone got sent to the infirmary, but because they could finally relax, even if it was at the expense of a fallen comrade.

The injury wasn't that life threatening, so they weren't all that worried. Nusumi just hit someone with her shoe, and that student fell unconscious; possibly from combined shock and fatigue. Iyashi Kamimura offered her healing hair to alleviate the pain, but she too was still recovering from healing Tatsumaki to be of any real help.

Left to his own thoughts, Hitoshi recalled his less than stellar performances in the past three events. He didn't need eagle eye vision to figure that Sensei observed far more closely than the rest of the class. He supposed his adamant declaration earlier on in the test piqued the retired recruiters attention, but ever since then Hitoshi has failed to meet his expectations and thus disappointed him. Hitoshi hated it, but he kept trying to push himself further. Unfortunately, his best could only reach the average of everyone else's outputs.

He managed an average 49 kilogram record for grip strength, but Tenmei, someone with a flashlight quirk over ranked him with 90 kilograms. It surprised everyone, but it became clear that Tenmei was only able to do so much because he regularly practiced in a gym to better himself in way his quirk couldn't. In another event, Ao Nagai, the boy with messy, raven locks used his excessively long tongue to propell himself further than anyone, while Hitoshi barely passed minimum range. Casual exercises like sit ups, pull-ups, and push-ups, was just a matter of endurance, and clearly, Hitoshi had none of it.

The repeated side-step event was cut short by the accident, leaving half the class on standby. Hitoshi watched as the class used this time to get to know each other beyond casual talk. Those with animal based quirks naturally gravitated towards each other, while a few other mixed and matched with other circle to expand their social reach. Hitoshi saw Fumei trying to befriend Tatsumaki and the portal quirked guy, but was constantly shunned away by Tatsumaki.

Tenmei was also walking around handing everyone water bottles, until he reached Hitoshi's isolated quarters. "Alone again I see?"

Hitoshi didn't know if that was meant to be an obvious observation or a conversation starter, because either way, he didn't plan on entertaining it. Tenmei simply handed him a water bottle, which Hitoshi denied. "Come on," the bald headed student urged. "It's free, and I can see you sweating buckets. You'll want to hydrate if you don't want to pass out."

Hitoshi grumblingly took the water bottle and instantly downed it in one gulp. He sighed, refreshed by the cold liquid, and Tenmei laughed. "See? That was good." Then the unexpected happened, Tenmei took a seat beside Hitoshi. "You don't mind me sitting here for a while do you?"

"Would you leave if I said yes?"

Tenmei's lips pursed. "Well, I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable so if that's what you really want."

Despite having said that, Tenmei didn't actually leave and Hitoshi had to send him a look that made the former shudder. "Ah well, you see, I actually came her to ask you something."

Hitoshi already had a feeling as to what it was. "What is it?"

Tenmei waved his hand around as though trying to form the right words in his mouth and not come off as rude like Fumei just so casually did without thinking. "Your... quirk," he started softly. "How exactly does it work?"

Hitoshi chuckled, which alarmed Tenmei. It probably felt awkward for the former, but Hitoshi knew this was bound to happen. The age old question. Quite honestly, Hitoshi was tired of explaining it to people just because they're afraid he'd use it on them against their will.

Monster.

Villain.

Age old scars, echoed on the back of his mind as his silence dredged on.

"I- It's alright if you don't want to tell me, of course," Tenmei said. "We were just curious is all."

"Did Fumei set you up to this?"

"Fumei? What does he have to - oh..." he sighed in recall of their previous encounter in the locker room. "Well I suppose, but he didn't outright ask me to join you here and ask specifically. This is merely the class' general curiosity."

"And why do they want to know?" Hitoshi snarled, a bit of venom laced in his voice.

Tenmei caught his tone and leaned back to try and make him at ease around him. "We don't mean any harm by it, we just want to know you more, considering..." Hitoshi turned to Tenmei, silently demanding him for what that even meant. "I just mean you're not exactly the social type and we thought, I, really, thought it best to ask you first before the gossip starts running."

Hitoshi supposed he could understand those formalities, but he really didn't care either way. Regardless of the approach, the sentiment was the same. They were scared of him, and they wanted to know how best to avoid him, even though Hitoshi's already doing them all a favor by detaching himself voluntarily from the crowd. When he didn't answer Tenmei started to squirm uncomfortably in their silence.

"I didn't mean to offend you," he apologized. "I haven't met anyone with a quirk like yours. It's new and strange. It is quite terrifying to know one exists. I'm not saying you are though -" Hitoshi's frown further deepened, and Tenmei stopped. "I - i should probably stop now."

"Don't take it personally, Tenmei," a girl said as she walked past them. "Shinsou's just had a bad experience with people asking about it. You could say he's a bit apprehensive?"

Tenmei and Hitoshi looked confused at the girl with blue hair tied up in two neat buns. "What do you mean by that Shirogane?" Tenmei asked.

Shirogane shrugged, indifference leaking out of her posture. "He's been ostracized for his quirk. It's obvious with the way he stays away from everyone. I had a feeling he'd been bullied for it too. Telling him that it's new and scary reinforces what he's heard all his life. You're like, totally untrustworthy to him now."

Tenmei looked at Hitoshi with a new found understanding of his reluctance to share. "I see. I didn't know. I really am sorry for pushing that much then. If you don't want to tell us, then that's fine. I'll make sure no one speculates about your quirk any further then!"

As much as he appreciated the kind gesture, Hitoshi was currently focused on Shirogane's spot on assessment of his behavior. How the hell did she even know that? He hasn't told anyone about his struggles. He blinked, suddenly turning to Fumei at the far end of the field. Was she Fumei's move? Another way for him to get close without doing so himself. He looked at Shirogane, his eyes narrowed skeptical about her intentions.

Shirogane smiled at him and calmly said, "I have no ulterior motives against you, Shinsou. I'm not a mind reader either if that's what you're thinking, Tenmei."

Tenmei jumped from his spot. "Then how did you know what we were both thinking?!"

Shirogane chuckled behind her hand and sat with them. "My quirk, as I explained earlier. It lets me understand people's thoughts after I hear them speak. It takes great practice to be able to conclude what I can with just mere words, but it helps me pick out who among the crowd I can trust." She looked to the side, eyeing someone nearby but Hitoshi couldn't see it. "If you'd allow me, shall I tell you what my quirk has told me about you."

Hitoshi didn't like the idea that someone could read him and his past so easily with just a quirk and defiantly said, "Pray, tell, then. How good is your quirk."

Shirogane smirked, accepting the challenge and stared down Hitoshi from head to toe. Her amethyst colored iris seemed to shine in another layer of lighter pink as her quirk activated. "Deep down, you're a person with a good heart. A person who would help any an all that require help. A heart of true hero. However... you despise people because of what they've told you. As such, you're terrified of what other people think. Before they could pass judgement on you, you hide and push them away. You constantly tell yourself you don't need people's approval, but in reality it is what you seek most."

Hitoshi's breathe hitched, terrified, while Tenmei gaped in awe. "That's... very in-depth."

"I'm not finished," she said rather dismissively. "As I said, you want to be recognized so you work hard to spite the people that put you down. You're driven and passionate, but all this amount to nothing because your bitterness and personal frustrations always trip you down at the last minute. You know that, within yourself, but you ignore it. It's easier to blame other's of your own faults than own up to you own inabilities. This prevents self-reflection, and in turn, further limits you. You hate other's for labelling you and that frustrates you because no matter what you do, they'll always see you as the bad one."

Hitoshi's hands started to tremble as he stared wide eyed at Shirogane. She was starting to hit too close to home. He wanted to tell her to stop, but he couldn't. He wanted to hear the rest of it, because deep down, he knew she was right. Denial has always been his comfort since he was a child.

"You're critical of people with powerful quirks because you're envious of them, and your hatred for them, isn't really meant for them, but incorrectly directed. It's yourself that you really hate. Am I right, Shinsou? "

Something in Hitoshi snapped after she asked the question Hitoshi has avoided asking or realizing himself for so long. He did not hate himself. It was everyone else that hated him for his quirk that him think that he hated himself. Years of isolation made his younger self unable to pull himself out of this slump, and regardless of how much he tried, Hitoshi could never leave it. He hated himself, and he blamed everyone for it. Hitoshi didn't even realize that he'd grabbed Shirogane by her collar until Tenmei held him back and yelled his name.

The class turned to their small commotion, and Hitoshi pushed Shirogane away. The girl straightened out her tracksuit as Tenmei silently looked after her in worry. "I'm fine, people tend to lash out at me when they hear truths they'd rather not see."

Tenmei frowned behind his tinted shades and turned to Hitoshi. "You asked her to use her quirk on you. It was uncalled for to attack her like that."

Hitoshi scoffed. "I'm the bad guy once again. Does that paint a clear picture of who I am yet, Tenmei?"

"Why are you trying to make us hate you so much?"

"It's none of your business. You already heard her explanation as to why," Hitoshi said while pointing an accusatory finger at Shirogane.

"I know it's hard to hear something you don't want to," Shirogane started, "but I do hope you can accept yourself. I may not aspire to be a hero, but I know a hero that is true to themselves is better than the most powerful one around."

"You don't know me."

"But I do," she insisted. "I understand you better than you do yourself because of my quirk, and I'm telling you that you can't keep going like this or you'll crash."

Hitoshi clicked his tongue. "I don't need your help, I don't need anyone's help, so stay the fuck away from me."

Shirogane stood in attention and her grasp on her bottle loosened. Her eyes clouded over as she silently obeyed his command.

"Ah! Shirogane wait!" Tenmei cried. "I can't say I understand what you're going through, but I do hope you work through it. Not everyone is out to get you, Shinsou. Especially not here. We just want to help. Excuse me," he said with a low bow and ran after the blue haired girl.

Hitoshi let go of his command when Tenmei reached Shirogane to check on her. From afar, he caught Fumei watching him with those with yellow eyes; constantly observing, studying. He clicked his tongue and moved from under the shade to someplace else he wouldn't get stares from everyone else.

Shirogane was absolutely right about everything though.

He's known for a long time, but Hitoshi just wasn't brave enough to face and fix it himself. He was tired and angry. It was easier to blame others for his failures, even though he knew most of it was because of his own faults. He knew they only wanted to help and understand him, but Hitoshi wasn't ready to open himself out to others yet. He was too afraid. Afraid that the same things would happen again, and the cycle begins anew. Fool him twice, shame on him, fool him thrice, well... he'll just accept he's a damned idiot.

He'd been betrayed so much that their sincerity hardly seemed real even if it was.

Awaseru-sensei returned not long after their little scuffle, and hastily guided them through the remaining tests, a simple pitch throw. Hitoshi had seen the hero class do this earlier, so he knew he had no chance of breaking grounds with this one. Hitoshi didn't observe everyone else's performance and simply waited for his turn. As his name was called, Hitoshi lazily dragged himself to the field.

He picked up the metal ball with his good hand and checked its weight. It was heavier than it looked. Right away, Hitoshi knew his chances of succeeding this event lowered even more. As he prepared to throw some of the girls behind his back whispered and giggled. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Shirogane watching him, while those around her sent well opinionated looks towards his back.

Hitoshi frowned, already assuming the worst. He couldn't hear them from the distance but his thoughts were already ahead of him because of his string of inconvenient interactions with his peers. Shirogane's words, her - his truth, echoed in his mind. He grinded his teeth. So what if he was a skeptic? What if he won't let anyone become too close? Who cared is he's bitter and resentful? He stopped believing in others the moment they stopped believing in him. Was that reason enough to paint him in a bad light? To make him so untrustworthy?

Among all the things that Shirogane claimed to understand, she was right about one thing, he's frustrated. Very, very frustrated. He didn't even know where the line of being annoyed begins and being aggravated ends. Driven by the fervor of thoughts and emotions, Hitoshi chucked the ball directly into the dirt rather than forward, marking his throw at a disastrous 53 meters.

The class grew silent behind him. Hitoshi could feel their eyes staring at the back of his head. Worry, concern, ridicule? It didn't matter. The fact that they stared pissed him off. Awaseru-sensei didn't say anything as Hitoshi tried to pick himself up from his internal turmoil. Hitoshi turned around and stormed back to his seat with his head hung low, eyes still following and judging him no doubt. Before he can sit back down, Fumei fell unto his chair with arms raised on either side of him as though to stop him from taking any step further.

"Out."

Fumei shook his head defiantly. He didn't actively answer to him so Hitoshi couldn't use his quirk on him even if he felt heavily inclined to do so now. Hitoshi tried to push him off but he suddenly lost his balance and Fumei caught him fast enough to flip him around. Fumei hopped of the stands and guided him back to the pitch. He handed Hitoshi the ball again and in the softest most sincere voice Hitoshi's heard from the prick all day, said, "Hey. Breathe. We both know you can do better."

"You know nothing."

"You're right, I don't. I absolutely know nothing about you," the other said. "But what I do know, is what I've seen. You're drive to be a hero is stronger than anyone else here. Honestly, I'm jealous at how you can believe in that with all your heart. I'm not the best with words, but I do genuinely want to be your friend. Even if you don't want me to, can you at least let me help you?"

Hitoshi glanced down at Fumei, confounded by the sudden warmth behind the latter's words. Fumei stared up at him and Hitoshi couldn't look away at the strong, indescribable emotion that was written all over the former's eyes. Fumei believed in him, and he recognized Hitoshi, not as a villain or a bad guy, but as himself - all the things Shirogane said he wanted to have.

"What'd you say? Give me a chance?"

Hitoshi broke away from the blond's eyes and took the ball in his hand, and for a moment, he wondered why.

"Good luck."

Awaseru-sensei yawned, silently cueing Hitoshi to get on with it, while the class kept their silence. Whether Fumei asked them to lay off him or something he wouldn't know. Hitoshi stared at the ball then at the field before him. It was just him and the ball. He exhaled, long and hard, and reminded himself that this was a new start for him. Yuuei had no semblance of his old life. No one here bore him any ill-intent. They were a bit annoying, but so far, they're no worse than what his childhood peers were like. He could tolerate them, he thought.

"STOP THINKING!" Fumei screamed.

Hitoshi retracted his arm and calmed his mind. He didn't need to worry about anything at the moment; live in the moment, and do what he could. He hurled the ball high up in the air, powered by the emotional stress and physical frustration built in him. The class held their breath when the ball dropped. The score beeped on Sensei's tablet.

"Hitoshi Shinsou," he began with a blank look on his face. Hitoshi braced himself for the bad news, until Sensei grinned. "50 meters. Not bad for a simple throw."

Hitoshi's eyes fluttered at the praise. He turned to hide the smile on his face as he returned to his seat. Sensei then called Fumei next for of his uncalled interruption during Hitoshi's turn. Fumei walked over and assessed the ball on his hand. "I can do whatever as long as it doesn't fall back to the ground right?"

"Only rules are you use your quirk responsibly and within reason, otherwise? Go wild."

Fumei threw the ball at a steep angle and caught it with a sliding slope of hardened light. He guided the ball through multiple hills to keep it going farther than anyone could yet. His stride only stopped when a thick cloud passed over the sun, and Fumei's construct broke under the balls weight.

"833," Awaseru-sensei said. "Keeping the bar high I see."

"Person to beat," Fumei snapped his fingers.

The test continued, with more or less average results for everyone. Only Portal boy gained an almost impossible reading of 5 kilometers because of his quirk. Awaseru-sensei relayed the top performers to be Airi Katagiri, the business princess, followed by Okami, Fumei, Tatsumaki, and Tenmei. Hitoshi unfortunately found himself in last place, right below a camera eyed girl and mushroom boy. Normally he'd feel bad about it and be pissed that his best landed him the worst rank, yet somehow he didn't feel all that bad about it.

"Nice job at the pitch," Fumei said as he stepped beside Hitoshi, who rolled his eyes at him. He's way too tired to comprehend him. "Hey, are you listening to me? Shinsou? Shinsouuuu? Toshi?"

Hitoshi suddenly stopped, alarmed by the nickname out of the blue. "Don't call me that."

"Made you answer though, so I think I'll keep it. Toshi."

Hitoshi pinched the bridge of his nose. "I told you to leave me alone."

"Yeah, but I'm choosing not to listen to it because its not a command. If you want me gone," Fumei ran a bit ahead of Hitoshi and grinned up at him. "Why don't you make me?"

Hitoshi's eyes twitched at the challenging tone and pushed ahead, making Fumei chuckle. "Hey! Let's go home together."

"Hard pass."

"Alright, together it is," Fumei said, completely ignoring Hitoshi's answer. "Don't even think about leaving witho-"

"FUMEI!" Awaseru-sensei's voice called from the front door. "If you so much as think of leaving without talking to me in private, I will personally write you a detention note on the first day."

"Shit. Forgot about that," Fumei mumbled. He quickly passed by Kureito, who nodded at something he said, before following Sensei out of the room.

Hitoshi grabbed his things and left the room. Kureito caught him exiting from the back door, and offhandedly reminded him, "He's going to get angry you know."

"I don't care," Hitoshi hissed, and Kureito waved him away.