Chapter II: THE PRIDEFUL AND THE IGNORANT
When a child was showered by appraisal at a young age because they possess a powerful quirk, they'll grow up believing that they are the strongest. Some would take it as a compliment and will strive to become a successful Hero. Others will be flustered and react in a way that will soon rubbed them of their confidence. And in the middle of the two aforementioned thought is someone who will take the praise and start to believe that no one can defeat them. This result to a pride that is bigger than an ego. Arrogance.
As of this moment, I am currently face to face with that someone. A boy born with a powerful Quirk, was praise at a young age and has the philosophy of being the strongest.
"And the Villain Team, Hoshiko Yoru and Bakugou Katsuki!" All Might exclaimed.
I don't believe that being paired with Bakugou is a misfortune nor did having to compete with Midoriya and Iida whom I have recently met before lunch. However, looking at the blonde haired boy in front of me, I have to reconsider my thoughts.
"It doesn't look like he's going to listen to anyone."
The thought that was supposed to be said internally was blurted out even before I could even stop myself from saying such unprofessional remark.
"Huh?! The fuck did you say blockhead?!" His constant use of a very foul vocabulary still lingers a bitter aftertaste after hearing the words left his mouth.
For him to say such things as if it's his mother tongue was beyond me. His crimson eyes bore holes as he glare daggers towards me. My onyx black eyes, however, hold no emotion.
We were given some minutes to prepare for the attack of the Hero Team and defend the fake bomb. I will not say I could've done better as a Hero nor as a Villain. But the blonde boy beside me could've done a hundred times more perfect as a Villain.
"Tch. I'll teach Deku a lesson! You shithead guard the bomb! Don't do anything stupid!"
He doesn't have to yell at me. I'm neither stupid nor deaf.
"I take the defense while you take the offense? That's the plan?" I asked silently, eyeing the bomb in front. It's bigger than I thought.
The blonde haired lad just huffed in annoyance– probably. His Hero outfit scream danger in every sense that I couldn't help but think that he is more suited as a Villain than a Hero.
Bakugou Katsuki. His Quirk is explosion. A defensive Quirk and more likely to hurt more than to help. His character as a Hero is also something that needed to be polish. I've skipped Yūei's entrance exam but I've heard he was the topnotcher in both practical and written test even without me on his side, he could win the match.
However, it seems like he's taking this match far too seriously.
"Just do what I said. Guard the fucking bomb while I beat Deku into a pulp."
I didn't know what his relationship to Deku or why he's so hellbent into fighting him. I don't want to pry into his business. All I know is that Bakugou Katsuki is the kind of person whose pride is bigger than his ego. With his powerful Quirk and a knack for academics, that probably explained it all.
How he believes that he is the strongest.
"How about Iida?"
"Huh? That guy in glasses? Tch. I can easily take him down."
I doubt he'll pay attention to Iida or anyone for that matter. He will most likely focus on Midoriya. A grudge, maybe? I don't know.
Bakugou's eyes are burning with hate. He will be blinded by rage before he knew it. But before I could point that out, the match commenced and Bakugou was gone in seconds, leaving me behind in the defensive.
Not so long after the match started, I've heard a series of explosion. Somewhere down there is a prideful boy blinded by rage and a timid lad who is well aware that the fight is not on his side.
I don't really care who win or who lose. It's not like this battle will decide our future. A mere entertainment for those watching in the sidelines and a simple form of training for the students. This match is completely meaningless. Being left in here to defend a plastic bomb is something that I could live with. What does it mean to win anyways? To show the Symbol of Peace that we are more than just students? To show each other what we are capable of? To rise above others? Isn't winning just a form of accomplishment to prove that one has done something? Or perhaps it's more? I don't know. But to Bakugou, perhaps, winning is not important. What's important to him is to make the other guy lose and that other guy is Midoriya. With Bakugou's Quirk and his murderous intent, Midoriya is on the brink of sustaining a fatal damage. All Bakugou thinks is to defeat Midoriya, disregarding the fact that Iida is also a part of the Hero Team and I am also his partner. He possess too much pride that it's terrifying. And to me, perhaps Bakugou and I unconsciously agreed on one thing; that it's not important to win. The outcome of this match will be long forgotten by tomorrow, so why do I have to fight? Maybe I should better go into hiding. Interfering in Bakugou's rage will probably do me no good.
I was in too many thoughts that I did not hear Iida's footsteps. He's fast.
"I cannot fight a girl. But for the sake of this match, I have no other choice but to fight you Hoshiko-san. Please, understand that I'm only doing this for the sake of winning."
He bend down and bowed in front of me. I wanted to tell him that I have no interest in fighting him. I have no interest in winning a petty match. But before I could voice out my thought, another explosion resonated. Crumbles fell on the floor as Iida regained his composure after the slight earthquake.
Another explosion reverberated through the walls and floor of the abandoned building.
"Aren't you going to help your partner?" Iida was partly surprised when he heard my question. Under his mask, his face must've contorted in that of a very shocked wide-eyed expression.
"W-why would I? You're my opponent. I should be taking you down." He said, stuttering but regaining his composure almost instantly.
"I doubt that's the case," I said and took out the white tape All Might gave us for capturing the other team.
Iida instantly put his guard up and crouch in an offensive position, ready to activate his Engine Quirk if I ever do anything suspicious.
"Bakugou is strong, if you help Midoriya, you might have the chance to win before the time runs out."
I let the tape fall down on the concrete floor.
"Because I have no interest in fighting you."
Such a pity.
When Iida's attention briefly turned on the white tape on the ground, I used the chance to activate my Quirk and open a portal, bringing the bomb with me. Right when Iida looked up, I was gone into nothingness.
While entering a portal was a piece of cake, like a breath of fresh air, taking something or someone with me inside the portal is exhausting depends on the weight of whom or what I'm bringing. This Quirk is the exact same Quirk my grandfather once possessed. A Quirk that allows me to create a different dimension, enter the portal at will, and come out whenever and wherever I want. But that's not all there is to it. It has another form, another way of using my Quirk in a fight. And that's the reason why my family is obsessed with this Quirk.
The dimension or portal depends on what I wanted it to look like. As a four year old kid, everyone might've thought that I would've came up with a more suiting, welcoming kind portal, but it wasn't my case. My mother said my dimension reflects myself, who I am as a person. Maybe that's why in this place, there is simply darkness, a void of space that stretch as far as I can imagine. In here, there is no time or sound, just my thoughts and the thousands of stars that surround the whole dimension. My world. In here, I can be free of the judgemental outside world. I wanted to stay here for as long as I want but I can't. Even the strongest armour has a chink. Even the strongest man has an Achilles' heel. In short, this Quirk has a limitation. A boundary in which halted me from living my life inside this portal universe that my mind created.
The bomb's outer layer started to crack, a small portion started to peel off. Was it time already? Maybe Bakugou had taken care of the Hero Team and the match is over. My eyes closed and I took a deep breath. I heard the sound of cracking from the bomb before I send it back to where it was moments ago. And then I concentrated on my own portal. Picturing out the place where I wanted to open a portal has become an easy task for me and within seconds, I felt the cold and tingly sensation every time I travel through a portal.
I appeared in between Bakugou and Midoriya, just in time when both prepared to launch their attacks. I thought of appearing beside Bakugou but I never take it into consideration that he might have been still fighting Midoriya. And just like that, I was frozen in time for a millisecond and so are Bakugou and Midoriya who are staring at me in disbelief. My initial reaction is quicker than both of them and allowed me to outstretch both my hands, palm open to make a portal to absorb their attacks. It was Bakugou who composed himself first and deliver the first set of explosion.
"What the fuck are you doing here shithead?!" Bakugou yelled over the explosions. The shockwave of his explosion as it enter the portal I created was undeniably strong.
Midoriya on the other hand, already prepared his counterattack, redirected his fist upwards to avoid my being hit. Or was it his plan all along? The bomb was already up there, so is Iida. Midoriya's punch shook the whole building as air lunged upwards and create a hole in the ceiling. While Bakugou was still sprouting his colorful vocabulary as he continuously send explosions.
"I don't care if you get hurt stupid know-it-all! Get the fuck outta my way and let me beat Deku!" I can't or Midoriya will get hurt. There is no way he can defend himself. Only I can do it. But…
But my ears are ringing and my nose is probably bleeding from too much exhaustion. The portal is slowly closing as I felt lightheaded. Looks like I couldn't hold this much power. Was it because I already opened a portal a while ago that I easily exhaust myself?
"Deku!"
"Hoshiko-san!"
I should be glad to welcome darkness. I know, I am.
The moment I woke up, I wished I could've just fallen back to sleep again. My classmates and All Might, they saw my Quirk. Did they? They were all watching.
I wanted to open a portal and stay there for the time being, but I am too exhausted to even lift my finger. How fragile can a fifteen year old be? Too fragile. I shouldn't have interfered. Midoriya wasn't my responsibility. There are things that are better off being ignored. Ignorance is bliss and sometimes, it can push you off the danger. But I was a fool for interfering when I should've just minded my business. And they've seen my Quirk.
What's wrong with knowing what my Quirk is? They're bound to know it sooner or later anyways. It wasn't really my problem.
Soon that day, Recovery Girl let me go. I don't really intend on going back to the house. Where I wanted to be right now is not a place where memories that should've been buried in the back of my mind linger in ever corners of the house. I wanted to be in a quiet and peaceful place. But before I could step out of the school's premise, I saw a familiar head of dark green hair and a head of spiky blonde. They must've been talking for a while because Bakugou was already walking away, living Midoriya behind. It is impossible to walk past him without him noticing me, so casually, I started to walk.
"Ah! Hoshiko-san!" The boy was easily flustered.
"Midoriya, can I ask you a favor?" I asked, promptly stopping just a few steps away from me.
I saw visibly gulped and nodded.
"Don't bother with the honorifics," I simply said before turning back around. Honorifics are formal and it doesn't really sit well with me.
"Wait Hoshiko-sa– Hoshiko!" I abruptly stopped and looked behind.
"How do you feel? I mean, you fainted a while ago. Are you okay?" His brows are ceased. It's rare for me to see people actually worried about my well-being. Feigning concern is something that I've seen quite too often in my household.
I silently nodded. I didn't turn around because I can see that he wanted to say something else.
"Uhmm– you… you saved me from Kacchan," he said and bowed.
"Thank you so much! And I'm sorry that you are hurt! I owe you, Hoshiko. Thank you so much!"
He was wrong in so many levels. His statement alone has holes. He doesn't understand anything I did.
I turned towards him, "Midoriya, listen, you don't need to thank me. I didn't save you from Bakugou's rage, I could care less about his wrath towards you. You don't need to apologize, you didn't hurt me, it was Bakugou. And you don't owe me anything. I didn't really plan to interfere, it's just that…"
"Never mind," it's probably the longest I've said to anyone.
"Just what, Hoshiko? If you didn't intend to interfere then why did you suddenly stepped in between us and took Kacchan's hits?"
Never have I felt in my entire life to be frozen in spot. It's like I was caught doing something prohibited. His question, it's what took me by surprise. My gaze flicker down on the ground. Why indeed? I don't know. It's like my body moved on its own. Foolishness. A body cannot move without the command of the brain. But stepping in between them wasn't my intention. So how can I explain what happened?
"I don't know," I said truthfully. I started to walk, not once did I look behind.
My mind inevitably dwell on Midoriya's question and soon I found myself in a deserted alleyway. I can still open a portal because I've regained most of my strength. Perhaps being alone is the best thing to be right now. Where I can think freely without any boundary. Where I can clear my mind.
When I made sure I was alone, I opened a portal. But right when I stepped in, I've heard a voice behind.
"Hoshiko Yoru-san?" He asked.
I looked behind to see him staring at me in silent confusion yet no definite emotion written on his face.
