I end up not knowing what to say after our conversation on the couch.

I don't think Ryu really knows either, because, after a few awkward moments and some half-unspoken conversation with his wife, Ryu just leaves to take a walk. He doesn't look back, knuckles white and fists at his side. Kiko just sort of disappears into another room, looking overwhelmed as their child throws a tantrum and suddenly it's just… empty.

And without anything else to do, I excuse myself to a nearby park. It's one I passed on my way to their house and…

Honestly, it's like taking a deep breath.

I hadn't realized how suffocating it was until I stepped out.

That, and it's hard to be really miserable in the sunshine.

I consider the small park quietly. It isn't much, little more than a fence, a picnic table, and a swing on yellowing, dry grass. I take the swing, kicking lazily at the dirt as blue-tinted fog spills from my sleeves in lazy drifts.

It circles my feet like a defective fog machine and evaporates in the sunshine.

So a hero took Kaito, tortured him and made him think I was doing it, and made him go crazy. Then Ryu went to jail, got out, and somehow managed to work with Kiko to save him, but he just hurt everyone around him.

Mama died, he ran away, and Ryu changed his name and hid.

I stare distantly at the dirt beneath my feet, before leaning forward and pulling out my phone. Twelve messages from my classmates asking where I am, five of them from Toru alone, but I catch sight of Iida, Mina, and Kaminari among them. Thankfully Sensei's short responses are all read or else that number would be much higher.

So what do I do now?

I consider the device in my hand quietly.

What do you want?

The voice in my head sounds remarkably like Sensei, dry and rational. Start with what you want and then figure out how to make it happen.

But I want a lot of things.

I want to go home.

It's crazy how out of everything, that thought resonates the most. I want to go home, I want to crawl in Sensei's arms and hide from everything, from the little kid and old people crying in the corner of the barren room, from the fact that my brother lied to the police, from the fact that I'm expelled.

Well, at least now you don't have to worry about being a hero.

What a bitter thought.

Did you really want to be one?

After everything they've ever done to you? After everything they took? Heroes were the ones that took Kaito in the first place. They destroyed your family. They ruined everything. If it weren't for heroes, you could still be at home—at your real home.

I pause.

"Real… home…"

I remember the box of open, unanswered letters. The cracked flashlight I haven't used in months. The shadows made of nails and pinching fingers.

Little rabbit dolls huddled together in a painted dollhouse.

"That one didn't do anything wrong."

Silvery mist curls across my knuckles.

"That's not my real home," I admit softly. It's so strange, that away from Sensei, here with the people that should be my family, I can recognize that.

In this world, there are two types of people.

Those who do what's right and those who do what's easy.

I wanna be like Sensei, who offered to give up everything for me.

"Taking you in would mean far more than a week's responsibility or even a few years, it would mean a lifetime commitment. It would be a promise to help you through all the garbage those people before you had put you through, it would mean being a teacher even when he left work, it would mean helping you with homework and panic attacks and raising you. It would mean making himself vulnerable for a person in a way he hasn't since we were sixteen. It would mean giving up a career he'd been working towards for over a decade, possibly indefinitely."

I stare at my phone for a second longer before pulling up my guardian's contact number.

Without hesitation, I press call.

It rings twice, and then with a click, a familiar baritone answers.

"Hello?"

"Sensei," I say, chest warming at his familiar tone. I square my shoulders and take a steady breath. "I… We need to talk. I was right. Ryu… He knew who was behind the human trafficking. I have the hero's name."

.

.

.

"Good afternoon, Rin-chan."

I blink, dragged out of my thoughts to find… Tulutho, my therapist of all people, meeting me at the train station. I… Part of me had expected Sensei to come, or maybe Yamada-sensei, or even Aunt Nemuri. Definitely not… Why was she here?

Maybe he's still mad…

I slump a little as I exit off the train. He hadn't sounded mad when we'd spoken on the phone, but I hadn't really been paying attention. I'd been more focused on answering his questions and making sure I memorized all the questions I was supposed to ask Ryu.

When was the last time you had contact with Kaito?

Were there any other heroes involved that you know of?

Did you physically see the Owl do any of this, or is it based on circumstantial evidence?

He hadn't been particularly impressed when I'd told him Ryu's words. It had ended in a fifteen-minute lecture about what circumstantial evidence entailed and why it didn't hold up in court. That had been followed by another long-winded lecture about reading the room, not harassing people for information, and stopping when they say stop.

Ugh.

"Tulutho-san," I greet, remembering my manners after a moment and managing to pull my head out of the clouds. I bow to the tall, dark-skinned woman before rising and offering a tight smile. "Hi."

She raises a brow and tilts her head, studying me momentarily before nodding toward the direction of UA.

"Hello. Walk with me?"

Do I have a choice?

I grimace.

"Yes, ma'am."

Tucking my phone into my pocket, I fall in step beside the absurdly tall woman. Normally, when we meet, she spends most of the time sitting. Here, though, at the train station, it's intimidating to realize just how tall she is. Draped in colorful fabrics that seem to draw the eye, I can feel multiple stares at our odd pairing, especially with her waist at my eye level. She ignores them easily enough though, peering over the crowd and having to move twice to avoid a low-hanging sign.

"Did you have any trouble on the train?"

I furrow my brows and glance up.

She ignores the look though and tucks both hands in her pocket.

"Umm… No, ma'am."

"Well, that is good. It was a long journey, yes? You went to Wakayama?"

I catch her eye as we make out way out of the train station, and she smiles good-naturedly like she finds something particularly amusing. What, I don't know. I squint, trying to decide if this is a test. Sensei hadn't said anything about one, but…

What could there possibly be to test?

I nod my head, before looking back ahead.

"Yes, ma'am. It… It's where my brother lives."

"Hmm… your eldest brother, no? The one who no longer takes your last name?"

I frown.

"Ryu," I agree, grateful as the crowd finally thins. "He… He's married now. They have a kid."

"Ah… Is that from him?"

I look up and she nods toward the box of letters in my hands.

I thumb the side of the old box.

"Yes, but… not really. It's from my mother…" I pause, not sure how much I should say, before realizing it doesn't really matter. It's not like I'll see her again after they expel me. "It's all of my letters she never answered."

Tulutho slows.

I can literally feel the weight of her stare, but I don't look back.

I don't need any pity.

"I… I don't know why he gave me this," I tell her with a sigh, not really sure why I even took it. It's not like she's here, and if she didn't want to respond, why should I bother to keep them? "He… Ryu said it was her way of helping me. She… Apparently, she thought I'd be better off without her."

I guess she wasn't wrong.

I don't care.

I ignore the lie, hating the ache that seems to constantly accompany it.

"I… I know I was wrong for going," I tell Tulutho uninvited. The older woman doesn't stop me, and I'm thankful for the quiet she offers, just listening. "I know I shouldn't have left school without permission, and I should… I probably should have respected Ryu's wishes. But-"

I break off, the words I'd been preparing the entire ride back sticking in my throat.

"But?" Tulutho prompts after several steps.

I have no idea how people make this seem so easy.

I sigh, feeling my quirk hum and swirl too close to the skin.

"What's the point of being a hero if you don't help the people that need it?" I ask. I don't wait for her response, instead kicking a loose pebble across the sidewalk. "They… Those people were locked in rooms. They were taken and threatened and- and…"

I cut off again, swallowing past the nausea in my throat.

I think of Kagura's bruised face and broken fingers and the space in my chest feels cavernous. My brother's face comes back, mask cracking with a thick webbing of scar tissue.

"He burned himself, took a flame straight to the face to stop the illusion. Rumor is he saw his sister…"

"They did that to Kaito," I say softly. "They did that to him, and he didn't have my powers, he couldn't stop them." He was as helpless as I'd been under the drug. Is that why he'd used poison the first time? Did he want me to hurt the same way he had? "I… I know we had the documents we've been collecting, but Ryu… There was no way Ryu didn't know, and I… I'm going to stop them."

Tulutho doesn't say anything.

Doesn't ask who or question why.

She just lets out a little hum, and in a few steps, we've turned up the main street that leads directly to the school. So close that even from a distance you can see the tall structure that is the main building, the mirrored glass gleaming in the afternoon sky, reflecting back the warm blues and distant clouds of a perfect day. Closer, I'm certain the autumn trees will glitter with golden leaves, fall's breath rattling through their limbs, lush grass swaying in the wind.

"Hmm," Tulutho finally says, voice low. "Stop them? Do you intend to fight them until they are hurt? Kill your brother and this hero? Take them into custody only for the jury to release them again? What does this… this stop mean?"

I frown, giving the woman a sharp look.

Why was she asking me that? I didn't… I wouldn't…

"I… I don't know!"

Tulutho hums, as if unsurprised.

"What will you do if you're expelled?" she asks, not looking in my direction as if offering the question to anyone who walked by. Kicking a nearby pebble, I turn instead and watch as it skids, jumps twice, and lands in the grass. "Will you become a vigilante? Will you join a resistance cause? Will you just give up?"

Become a vigilante? Give up?

I scrunch my nose and give her a sour look.

"Seriously?"

"Do you intend to do anything to meet your goal?" Tulutho repeats. I don't understand her strange antagonism or the way she raises her brow. "You want to stop your brother and arrest his abductor, yes? How? How will you do it if not a hero? Will you become a vigilante?"

I…

I don't know!

But vigilantism?

"Will you become a villain?" she asks, no judgment whatsoever on her face, but the intensity is there as she finally faces me. Her eyes shine like lit coals. "If heroes won't support you, will you step outside the law to end it?"

A… villain?

I remember the cashiers, pale and shaky.

The classmates, with eyes wide and fear trembling through their bodies.

Nikko, her phone playing on repeat.

"Hero?" she laughs, showing it again. "That's no hero!"

Would I do that, again, for him?

For anyone?

"No," I tell her, stuffing my hands into my pocket and breaking away first. "I… I'd never… I'll… I'll never be that again. I'll… I'll find something else, anything else."

Tulutho only nods.

Strangely, the thick atmosphere that had been building dissipates. Tulutho turns the corner, carries on at her regular stride, and changes the subject.

As the school looms closer, she offers a small, sincere smile.

Somehow, it feels like I passed.

.

.

.

Sensei is with Principal Nezu when we arrive.

I don't notice him until after we're seated, and the principal, like before, has already offered me tea. I drink it quietly, feeling Sensei's gaze as he stands apart, face set in a blank mask lined with tired eyes. Part of me wants to leave the tea and go to him.

I don't though, something in his stance making me hesitate.

"Ah, young Rin, you've had quite a week. How are you feeling?"

I turn back to the rodent creature with his scarred eye and wonder, not for the first time, how I'm supposed to answer that.

Angry, upset, guilty, -

"Sad," I say slowly, not really sure what else to say.

The principal nods, and then with a gesture, offers Tulutho the seat next to me. The tall woman sits primly, refusing the tea and crossing her legs over to the side. Unlike the chairs in her room, however, this one doesn't really accommodate as well for her length, and her legs extend much further than normal, which she crosses and slides over to the side.

Is she staying?

I'd thought (hoped) Sensei would take that chair.

"Sir?" I ask, looking in confusion toward my guardian.

He pockets his hands and sighs.

"We're here to discuss your behavior and the consequences thereof," Aizawa-sensei says flatly. "As a Pro-hero, your every action will be criticized and dissected by the public and media. A licensed Pro is expected to stop those who break the law but to also lead as an example and follow the laws. While you are currently only provisionally licensed, your blatant disregard for the rules on multiple occasions in the face of personal issues indicates a more substantial issue."

I frown.

"Discuss?" I say slowly. "What is there to discuss? I thought I was already expelled?"

Sensei meets my eye directly.

"Due to our relationship, I cannot make that decision," he says, and then he nods towards the other occupants of the room. "There is also more involved here than just your inability to follow directions."

I sink into the chair and Sensei gives me a narrowed look before turning back to the Principal.

"Do you want me here or should I wait outside?"

My skin flushes red and I stare incredulously at the sourness in his expression.

"You can wait in the lobby," Principal Nezu offers cheerfully, not in the least bit impacted by the atmosphere. "I wouldn't want to deprive you of the experience after all!"

Sensei snorts, offers me one last glance, and shuffles out the door.

I swallow.

He's definitely still angry.

Principal Nezu waits until the door shuts before shaking his head with a smile. It looks rather feral.

"Well," the hybrid creature says plainly before glancing in my direction. "Let's start at the beginning, why don't we? I've already read through all the files on your brother you've managed to collect, as well as the police reports since Aizawa-kun was kind enough to share his copies with me, but I'd like to hear your perspective starting at… hmm, I think Thursday is a good starting point, from when you received the phone call from the abductors, and we'll go from there."

I blink.

All the way… then?

"Ah… Yes, sir."

.

.

.

It takes about two hours to get through my entire story from start to finish and to answer all of Principal Nezu's questions. Tulutho asks several as well, but they have less to do with the events of the story and more about my thoughts or feelings.

By the time I finish, I almost wish they had just expelled me.

It certainly would have been less painful, I think as I sip on warm tea and grimace.

I don't think I've ever talked so much.

Nezu, however, looks at Tulutho thoughtfully, as if these long, winding meetings are nothing new.

Maybe they aren't?

What does a principal do anyways?

"Your thoughts?"

Tulutho hums quietly, glancing down at the clipboard she'd pulled out at some point in the beginning of the meeting. She scans several pages thoughtfully, before settling on something. Because of the angle, I can't see anything.

"Professionally? Hoki-chan's behavior can be linked directly to the traumatic experience of discovering an unexpected human trafficking ring that specifically targets a marginalized population she clearly values. Her need to follow up yielded results as well, did it not? Typically, heroes are only punished when they are found wrong when they also lack results."

I look sharply at the older woman, but she doesn't back down.

Principal Nezu doesn't even look phased though. He just nods, a dark gleam in his eyes.

"And personally?" he asks.

Tulutho meets my eye instead of Principal Nezu's, her expression strangely searching.

"Personally, I believe Pro-heroes are a blight on society," she says flatly, seeming unconcerned that she was saying that to the person in charge of the school that trains heroes. She folds her hands on her clipboard and leans back. "They make people lazy. Fighting for attention and hurting others to grow. It is a barbaric practice, one that hides rotten wounds with glitter and stardom. It is not a path I believe Rin would truly enjoy."

A… blight? Lazy?

My mouth drops.

Wait… what?

"Hmmm," the hybrid animal says, scratching the scruff of his neck. "Yes, that does seem to be the general consensus, doesn't it?"

I turn to stare at the rodent-dog-bear.

He smiles before making a fist and pressing it against another paw.

"Well, I think that's all. I've decided, so let's bring in Aizawa-kun, I suppose he's waited long enough. Truth-san, would you go collect him?"

Truth-san?

"Young Rin, you have a question?" Nezu says, looking across his desk.

I frown.

"T-Truth-san?" I manage, stumbling over the word with my raw, achy throat. I turn up my teacup and sip the warm tea before trying again. "Why…"

"Ah… Truth-san. Truth is the Japanese translation of her name," the creature says helpfully, nodding as the woman returns with Aizawa looking half-asleep behind him. I'm even less surprised when he drags his familiar yellow sleeping bag in with him. "She allows the nickname as stumbling over her native one is rather unpleasant."

I try not to stare, brows furrowing.

Was he outside sleeping this entire time?

I don't know if I'm more amused or annoyed.

My eye twitches when he drops the crumpled fabric on the floor and folds his arms.

"The verdict?" he asks flatly, not bothering with pleasantries and just leaning back against the office wall.

I cringe.

This is the longest expulsion ever.

"Suspension," the rat creature says, his tone becoming the most serious it had the entire meeting. He meets my eye and drops his paw onto the desk. "Rin-chan, will not be expelled at this time, but instead suspended for three days to remain under supervision and complete whatever chores are available in your dorm common areas. I will also be expecting a three-page apology explaining not only what the improper action was, but also why it was inappropriate, and at least three different choices that include explanations of why they were more appropriate."

The principal drums his paws on his desk before nodding.

I can feel my mouth drop.

He…

What?

"This is your one and only warning," the creature warns sharply, and he frowns sincerely. "Any more disciplinary issues and the school will have no choice but to expel you from the hero program."

I…

I stare.

I'm…

I'm not expelled?

But…

"But… why?" I manage to croak as the weight of his words seems to crash against me. I'm not expelled? I'm not- "How?"

Nobody in the room looks surprised.

Was-

Why didn't-

I don't-

I turn in my chair to look at Sensei, not understanding at all. He pulls himself off the wall, arms falling away as he sighs.

"For political reasons?" the dark-haired man asks dryly. He steps forward until he's right beside me and slips one hand in his pocket. The other falls on my shoulder. Warm, heavy, and right. I look up as he makes a face. "Is the school's reputation that shoddy?"

My eyes widen.

"Unfortunately, yes," the principal says sighing. He turns in his chair and casually pours himself another cup of tea. "Heroes are already being eyed with extreme criticism, and the news that Young Rin stopped that human trafficking ring is one of only a handful of positive pieces that have made it to the news. If word were to get out that we expelled her for following up on that case, the public backlash would be detrimental. As it is, we can't afford to lose any more of the public's trust. It will be bad enough when a hero is linked to the source, if the commission lets that out."

Sensei nods, and Tulutho frowns.

I try to wrap my mind around it.

I was… in the news?

"Which leads to the next issue," the principal says, lazily bringing the cup to his snout to take a sip. "Rin-chan here has clearly made a positive impact in the field, and she's shown she can handle and adapt to emergencies. When her suspension is over, she will need to join a hero organization. If things continue as they are, all of our hero students will be required to join."

A… like an internship?

But didn't he just say-

I thought-

Tulutho makes a clicking, discouraged noise.

Sensei just sighs.

"All students? We'll need to make a list if they're required," my guardian says, sounding tired. "Do you intend to create it or am I your messenger to Vlad?"

The small, furry creature smiles, displaying two rows of very sharp teeth.

"I'll handle it."

Sensei just nods, leans against my chair, and squeezes. I lean into his hand, feeling like my brain isn't working.

"Hmm, oh yes, and one last thing. Did you finish all of the paperwork for that other situation while at the hospital? Regarding young Eri?"

As Sensei starts talking about a 6-week timeline, I stop paying attention.

I stare down in disbelief.

I breathe deeply, finding it unnervingly hard to think.

I'm…

I'm not expelled?

It sounds too good to believe. I feel… off, like when you're walking up stairs and instead find your on the landing instead. I wait, holding my breath. Waiting for the joke or… or for them to follow the script. I've been expelled enough times to know how this works.

Tears. Gray suits. New home.

It isn't…

They don't…

"Rin?" Sensei asks, brows furrowing as I clutch my seat.

I… I really don't have to leave?

I don't ask it though, too afraid to jinx this.

Sensei frowns, releases my shoulder, and runs a hand through his hair. It looks more disheveled than normal, his facial hair overgrown, the state of his hero uniform a rumpled mess, the dark circles under his eye extensive. He sighs, sounding somehow both tired and annoyed.

"I'll submit my sub plans tonight," Sensei says, gesturing for me to rise. "Thank you for your assistance. My class is still in hero training?"

"They are," Principal Nezu says, sounding joyful. "Midnight and Present Mic offered to do it together, I believe your students are attempting to rescue hostages."

Sensei grimaces, before nodding and bowing.

I bow automatically as well.

"Understood. Thank you, sir."

.

.

.

Nobody is in the dorms when we return home.

It's… weird, seeing it empty again.

And I can't help but wonder if it was all a lie, and if I really am expelled. Cause it's never this quiet, and I don't know what to say, cause Sensei still hasn't said anything except in that meeting, and my classmates aren't there, and I…

I-

I follow Sensei half-dazed, silent as he opens the door and-

And then the smell of home hits.

Sensei's detergent, the memory of chicken and bland vegetables, the soft caress of Miska curling at my feet. The world blurs as Sensei stretches, his eyes crinkling and arms lifting overhead. He drops them a second later, scratching absently at his stomach and ambling over to the couch. He sinks onto the couch almost immediately, head dropping back and one arm hanging loosely off the end.

I don't follow.

Hesitant, I toe the ground instead, quiet in the doorway with a box opened, unanswered letters. It almost feels wrong to bring them in.

And if I expel you?

Then expel me!

It takes several long moments before my guardian notices.

Almost reluctantly, Sensei peaks open his eye.

Noticing my distance, he closes his eye again and groans.

"Rin," he grumbles, utterly exasperated. "Sit down."

I consider sitting by the door.

The look my guardian levels at me makes it clear that's probably not the best idea right now.

Reluctantly I trudge closer, sliding the box on the kitchen counter and still not sitting.

"Is there a reason you're still standing?" Sensei asks, massaging his temple as he finally sits up.

I pull at my sleeves and twist the fabric together between my fingers.

"Am… Am I really not expelled?" I ask quietly.

Sensei frowns, his hair falling into his eyes as he leans forward against his knees. From the angle, he looks ragged. I hadn't noticed before, but his eyes are nearly bloodshot, his hair more oily than normal, and his uniform has specks of… something on it.

I furrow my brows, suddenly concerned.

"Even if you were, you'd still be expected to sit. What's this really about Rin?"

I swallow.

Then, stepping forward, slide awkwardly onto my side.

"People don't change their minds," I say quietly. I look down, rubbing at the fabric of my sleeve, and watch as the textures blur. I bite my lip. "I… I don't want to be lied to. If I'm… I-If I'm really-"

There's a sound of rustling fabric, and a moment later, the dark uniform of Sensei's legs appear in front of me.

A hand pushes back the loose strands of my hair, pressing it behind my ear and then cupping my cheek. Sensei pulls my face up gently, his thumb swiping under my eye as tears leak away.

Even with all the red, his eyes are kind.

"Rin, I'm not going to lie to you."

My lip quivers, and he just waits, shoulders loose, his other arm hanging loosely at his side.

"You're not expelled, though you absolutely should have been, and would have if not for your actions with the trafficking ring and our current political climate. As it is now, you are in a ridiculous amount of trouble. You've lost most of my trust with that stunt, and there will be several new rules going forward. The first being I no longer trust you alone."

I sniff, and Sensei drops his hand with a sigh.

"Do you want a hug?" he asks, brow rising as he makes a face.

The tears leak freely, and I nod, certain if I open my mouth I'll cry.

Sensei snorts, leans forward drags me over. I cling to his neck and shoulders instantly, burying my face in the broad expanse of his shoulders and digging my fingers into his uniform. He pats my back blandly, the rough prickle of his cheeks pressing against me.

"So touchy," he huffs, before leaning back and pulling me with him.

I squeak as he pulls us both to the floor and onto the rug.

"S-Sensei!"

"I'm tired," he huffs, rolling sideways so I'm still tucked next to him, and dragging the blanket I didn't see him grab down to the floor as well. He balls it up and stuffs it under his head, relaxing and closing his eyes. "You can stay there. The list of topics we have to discuss is at least a week-long, and I don't have the energy for it right now. Also, in case it wasn't clear, you're grounded."

I shift to put my face in his chest and groan.

He just sighs, and I melt into him gratefully.

Home.