I am convinced that my mother would break in the end.
It's not that she doesn't like me, I don't think so.
It's just that she doesn't know how to take care of her daughter.
She knows she can't care for me from the bottom of her heart, so she doesn't know how to give me affection except by respecting my opinion.
Once an emotion is harbored, it stays in the mind only because of the fact that it is harbored.
That she thought I am a creepy kid. I felt guilty for giving her those feelings.
The guilt that I couldn't shake from the moment I realized that I was the one who had taken away the time that these people could have had with their child, without even knowing who I was.
It was too distorted a feeling to treat each other with pretending not to know everything, and we chose to leave without letting that stagnation disappear.
In fact, it was all my fault for not being good at pretending to be a child, but she felt bad about it and I used it for my own convenience.
I've been trying and failing to come to terms with it, and I've been looking at it with a somewhat cold eye, and we've been getting better and better at lying to each other.
Oh, in that aspect, I guess we're just like each other.
I can't even remember the faces of my parents anymore, and I wonder how much more I have to make everyone around me unhappy by clinging to an invisible past.
I feel sick to the core.
It is the first day after the summer vacation.
Ritsuka walked past the dormitory of the Regular Course that she is supposed to go to and walked in front of the dormitory gate of the Hero Department.
Ritsuka breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that neither the students of the Regular Course nor the students of the Hero Department had gathered yet. Ritsuka breathed a sigh of relief. It had been worth the effort to leave early in the morning because she was worried about that.
She hadn't told her Regular classmates that she is transferring to the Hero Department face-to-face. The homeroom teacher seemed to think that Ritsuka was uncomfortable with the fact that she is transferring to the Hero Department without Shinso, so he didn't say anything to them.
It's not a mistake, but it's not the right answer either.
It was not only that I felt that it was a bother to tell my classmates why I am transferring to a new class, but also that I had said that I did not want to be a hero to begin with.
(I've been trying to look good in class for so long.)
I wondered if my classmates would be disappointed if they knew that I am such a heartless person.
In fact, Shinso had found out how shallow I was. That's probably why he was so angry.
But it doesn't matter anymore.
I'm in the Hero Department from today. Now that I've decided to transfer to the new class, I can't just continue with the same attitude I've had up until now. Ritsuka had a small determination in her heart to make at least a minimal effort to face the situation.
In other words, the next step is to make an effort to show affection to the Hero Department.
It's just my nature to think cynically about everything.
I've become quite twisted, Ritsuka thought to herself.
"Eh...Fujimaru-san?"
Someone called my name from behind and I turned around. I had expected it from the voice, but it wasn't just Izuku Midoriya who was there. Perhaps it was just a coincidence, or perhaps they had an agreement, but several people from Class A were all looking at Ritsuka with surprised faces. But it was only for a moment.
"Is your injury okay now?"
"What? Why are you here?"
"Transferring?"
"Transferring!?"
"Seriously!"
"Amazing!"
Ritsuka didn't need to explain anything, since everyone is talking about it.
I knew this would happened, but once again, Ritsuka thought, these boys and girls really are like a mass of goodness.
She is oblivious to Izuku's worried gaze at Ritsuka.
After a while, the number of students in Class A gradually increased, and Aizawa arrived just as all the students were about to arrive.
"First of all, Class 1-A, I'm glad you're all back together again."
"Looks like everyone got permission huh."
"it was a tough fight for me..."
"I suppose it would be for most people..."
"You two did directly suffer harm from the gas, after all."
It seems that not all parents send their children off to the Hero Department with a bang. I guess it's natural. In fact, there are probably fewer parents who would support a dream that could end in death at any moment.
"The same goes for you sensei. When I saw the press conference, I was so sad because I thought you were going to disappear."
"Yeah."
Asui Tsuyu and Uraraka Ochaco still had expressions of anxiety on their faces.
"... It's surprising to me as well. Well... I'm sure there's a lot going on.
Now then...! I'm going to gyive you all a quick briefing in regards to the dorms, but before that, just two things..."
Aizawa clapped his hands to direct the students' attention.
"The first is that, as you can probably guess, Fujimaru will be moving from The Regular Course to the Hero Department, or Class A, starting today.
Now then as for the introduction... not needed. I'm sure you all have talked a little at the camp."
Aizawa turned his head to Ritsuka when he said, "Now then as for the introduction..." But Ritsuka hurriedly shook her head in a small motion. Nice to meet you! several people shouted in a friendly voice.
"And one more thing, this is the main topic.
For the time being, all of you will works towards obtaining "temporary hero licenses" which you are supposed to receive at the training camp."
"Now that I think of it I remember those!"
"So much has happened that it's slipped my mind..."
Class A was buzzing with excitement.
As if to break the atmosphere, Aizawa said in a sharp voice.
"What I am about to say is important so listen up.
Todoroki, Kirishima, Midoriya, Yaoyorozu, and Ida. these five went to that place that night to rescue Bakugo."
"Eh..."
The students looked up, as if they were in shock. The expressions on their faces showed that they had been told something that they know, seems like the shock came from the fact that their friends had actually gone there after all.
"From the look of things, all of your classmates understand... the weight of your behaviour in deciding to go there.
If it weren't for All Might's retirement, I would have expelled everyone but Bakugo, Fujimaru, Jirou, and Hagakure."
Ritsuka couldn't help but stare at the word "expelled". She had heard that the Hero Department was strict, but is that actually true? She could see the tension on the faces of the students around her. Watching them, Aizawa told them.
"His retirement will cause chaos for some time to come... We can't expel people out of U.A now since we don't know what the League of Villains will do. The five who went, as well as the twelve who were aware of the situation but didn't stop them, regardless of the reason, the fact that you all betrayed our trust doesn't change.
From now on, if you all would do me the favor of following the established procedures and act accordingly... I would very much appreciate it... and it would go a long way towards restoring my trust"
After saying that in one breath, Aizawa turned around and headed for the dormitory. His tone of voice returned to that of his normal self.
"That's all! Come on! Let's go inside, With smiles on our faces."
(Th-that's a bit of forced, isn't it?)
The atmosphere among the students of Class A, who had received a heavier lecture than expected, was heavy and, to be honest, unbearable. I'm not going to lie, I can't stand it, especially since Ritsuka herself was among the rescue targets.
The fact that we had just received a lecture here meant that Shinso must have received it right now, Ritsuka stopped thinking at that point.
Then, without hesitation, Bakugo grabbed Kaminari by the collar and dragged him away.
"Come on."
"Huh? What?"
As Kaminari were being dragged into the grass without question, we were stunned to hear a blinding light and the sound of electrical discharge coming from the grass.
The next moment, Kaminari came out of the grass, looking like when he had just lost to Ritsuka at the Sports festival.
The unexpected turn of events left everyone with a confused look on their faces, both amused and horrified.
In particular, Jirou, who seemed to have been hit to the point of laughter, blew out loud.
"What? Bakugo what are you..."
Without answering Sero's question, Bakugo approached Kirishima.
"Kirishima."
"Huh?"
Then, Bakugo took out several ten thousand bills. Kirishima is baffled when he is silently confronted with it.
"Huh, Money, are you trying to mug me!?"
""No, I want you to take it!"
Isn't mugging usually the other way around? There was no one to make such a comment. Bakugo thrusts the ten thousand bills at him again.
"Stop being stingy and just take it, damnit! You're making me feel all shitty about it."
"Ah...Huh?! you where did you hear..."
"Who cares?! Just keep being a dumbass like you always are."
It seems that Bakugo's word is said with some meaning behind it. He finally gave the money to Kirishima, who looked surprised, and left.
It seems that all of them couldn't take it any longer as Kaminari continued to show his dumbfounded face. Finally, as if a dam had been broken, everyone started laughing. The tense atmosphere of the previous moment is finally lifted, even when these boys and girls were walking the tough path of a hero, they are still young, just like a regular high school students.
(Seriously...)
They are all good people here.
Without any sarcasm or self-mockery, Ritsuka felt it honestly.
She felt a little comfortable and a little uncomfortable, and for this moment, she had forgotten the narrow-mindedness she had always felt.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
(Fujimaru-san is smiling a little!)
(She's smiling...)
(I've never seen that before.)
(So cute.)
Ritsuka, of course, had no way of knowing that her future classmates were secretly feeling this way.
"It's one class per buildings. The girls' building is on the right and the boys' building is on the left. However, the first floor is a common area.
Cafeteria, bathing and laundry are done here."
Aizawa lead us into a communal space that looked no less than a hotel lounge. I wonder if it is like this in all departments. Ritsuka once again felt the scale of U.A. It seemed that everyone in the class had the same impression, and they all breathed a sigh of admiration.
After a briefing like this, we were each sent to our rooms to unpack.
Ritsuka's room is at the front of the second floor.
and even though she is unpacking, she didn't bring much of her personal belongings with her. The room where she had been living alone is still under contract in case her parents came back. So she left most of her things there.
I put away my daily necessities such as a change of clothes and school supplies for now.
Even that was done quickly, and Ritsuka, feeling bored, sat down at her desk and looked at the materials Aizawa had given her.
As a midway transfer to the Hero Department, Ritsuka had a lot of catching up to do, the first of which was hero costumes. She was told that she could apply for a costume if she wanted to, but of course she had never thought about it, so she spent the whole summer worrying about it.
It is a document that had to be submitted to Aizawa by tomorrow. She didn't have time to worry about it any more, since she had already decided on the answer.
(I feel like if I go this far, there will be no turning back...)
But with no other choice, Ritsuka began to write in the document, it's fine like this.
＊ ＊ ＊
"Fujimaru-san, are you there?"
She knocked quietly on the door.
Then a voice answered from behind the door, "Come in." As soon as she heard that, the door opened and Ritsuka came out, looking a little flustered.
"Oh, Uraraka-san. What's wrong?"
"I was just about to go to the common area to see if everyone had finished unpacking. Why don't you go too, Fujimaru-san?"
Ochaco is full of words when she explains that everyone is talking about having a room showcasing competition. She still felt distant from Fujimaru-san and would like to get to know her better if she could, but from the way she had been acting, it seemed like she was avoiding people as much as possible.
A room showcasing contest is probably the hardest thing for her to participate in.
(Ahh~! She's making a difficult face as expected...!)
Ochaco hurriedly tried to forget it.
"You're really tired today, aren't you? Maybe another time."
"...I think I'll go."
"Of course you won't~! ...What?"
"But my room is not interesting."
Ochaco asked back in reflex at the unexpected response. When Ritsuka saw this, she is shocked. Ritsuka's face showed a hint of anxiety as she wondered if she had said something wrong.
"We're going to have a room showcasing contest, right?"
"Oh... Yes! Let's do it! Let's go!"
Ochaco pulled Ritsuka's hand when the joy came late. Ritsuka looked surprised but went along without saying a word. The girls waiting in the elevator were also a little surprised to see Ritsuka, and their faces showed surprise and joy. When they arrive to the common area, the boys were already there, and they looked a little surprised to see Ritsuka among the girls, though they didn't say so. Was it that surprising?
The room showcasing competition is an unexpectedly exciting event. What was shocking to Ritsuka was that each room was quite unique.
The beds, desks, and closets were all the same, but the sheets and carpets gave the rooms a different atmosphere, which was a bit dazzling to Ritsuka, who had been living surrounded by inorganic materials until the end.
The girls were also invited to participate in the room showcasing, and inevitably Ritsuka, one of the girl on the second floor, was the first to go.
I wasn't too happy about my room, but it is better than letting the place go blank. I was prepared for this when I heard about the room showcasing, and I knew from past experience that the less resistance you put up the quicker it would end.
"I'm sorry if this is boring."
I feel uncomfortable because I feel like I'm betraying the boys' faint expectations from the very beginning, but I quickly open the door.
"Yeah, this is normal."
Well~, that's just how it is.
"Your room is like Ojiro's."
"But you have a lot of books! It's different from Ida-kun's..."
"Wha- this isn't Japanese! What language is this?"
The classmate's interest was piqued by the neatly arranged books on the bookshelf. There were books from many different countries crammed in there.
"The Little Mermaid, is quite normal, since it is easy to understand. Since it has pictures"
"This is... an epic? I don't read many of those..."
"I can't read many of it either, it's more of a hobby for me to collect them, so I don't really know what they mean."
Liar. I felt like I heard a voice said that somewhere, and Ritsuka slightly wrinkled her brow.
At the same time Uraraka said
"Yosh, let's move on to the next room!"
She shouted.
Relieved by the good timing, Ritsuka quietly closed the door of her room.
It was as if she was covering up something she didn't want them to see.
I've received two questions, so I'd like to take this opportunity to answer them. (Original Author)
Q. Where do you plan to go with the story?
A. I have a rough idea of where the story will end when I start writing. For the main story, I'm hoping to finish everything before the work experience arc. If all goes well. However, when I head towards the end, the story will deviate from the main story, so it will probably be a while before I can finish it. Also, the update speed is a problem? I know right.
Q. Are you on Twitter?
A. Yes, I do. However, I haven't published any of my works on pixiv since I am not exclusively FGO writer, so I don't think there's much demand from people who enjoy this novel... If you're interested, please feel free to look for it. The header with Nemo, Gudako and Mash is the main tags. My name on twitter is different from here.
Translator's note
And with that we've caught up with the raws. Let me know what you guys think of this story or maybe my translations.
well it seems like the constant update will stop now, don't expect an update anytime soon, because... well as the author has said (or written): "the update speed is a bit of a problem"
I think I will give my own review of this story (so far). so just check the review section if you guys wanted to know what I think of this story.
Oh and, did you guys notice the thumbnail change?