Chapter 52

"The End"

Returning to school, to whatever drama was playing out in the real world after what felt like an eternity, felt like the first day she'd shown up at the school. Hizashi had been almost smothering in his energy, he'd had to repeat his signs a few times before she got them. Compared to her math skills, language was still easier for her and she had become, for the most part, able to carry most of a simple conversation in Sign language. Hizashi just went so incredibly fast for her. To her incredible surprise, Aizawa knew the same sign language, and was considerably slower than Hizashi.

Though she was still too guilt-ridden about giving up the Hero course to actually ask if he would help her practice. Somewhere inside, she knew he would probably accept the request, but another part... disagreed.

Moving into her new dorm room went incredibly smooth. 1-G's building didn't have the same air that 1-A's did, but there was a calm to it that the other lacked. Not to mention someone had left her a basket of fruit, which was very much okay with her.

Coming back on a weekend was also helpful, easing her back into the school life, letting her have a private space, for the first time in nearly a month, to herself. The privacy was something she deeply welcomed. Though Alarice found herself putting the little name plate on her door, with the little text underneath it stating she was a deaf resident, and hitting a little button that had been set up to flash a light inside, instead of a little bell.

The next step surprised even her, because crutches and all... she went downstairs.

To be amongst her new dormmates.

She tried not to be loud when she entered, as was habit. Then, the new-forming habit, she eased up on herself, when she was fairly sure she wasn't. New faces turned to her, and two of them smiled broadly.

'You're new to 1-G, right?' signed the one with the bright purple hair.

'Yes' Alarice signed back, not knowing if they were deaf or mute themselves, or just trying to be polite to her.

'I'm Matsushita Michiko ' she gave a smile back at Alarice, and nudged the other person. 'This is Takeshita Akio , What brings you to support?'

Alarice paused then, she hadn't thought up a script to tell anyone. She shifted on her feet and decided. 'I had an accident, but I still want to help people, and I'm creative.'

Reading people had gotten easier, for obvious reasons, and neither peer seemed to bothered that she didn't go into detail. Instead, they waved her down, to come look at their notes and show her their projects from last semester. Alarice hid her alarm well, when they not so subtly suggested that if she couldn't compete with Hatsume, then that was fine. Apparently she was notorious within her own department as well.

The real surprise was her first homeroom which, to her amazement, had her new legal dad as teacher. He didn't seem to mind, he didn't even act all that different, besides notably communicating in-time with himself, while he spoke with sign language. To her relief, he made no calling-out beyond the necessary introductions about her joining them, and the day went on.

Though, even with an up-beat morning that she only wished she could hear, the silent support was welcome and better than none. Knowing she wasn't the only teen who required JSL to communicate, was also a strange relief, even if she had found that out, the other day. She could tell by the way Mic's lips moved in unfamiliar shapes that JSL, English and Japanese weren't the only languages he spoke during his homeroom. His homeroom was special perhaps, having deaf or mute students in it, and perhaps one or two students who weren't completely fluent in Japanese or English, enough yet.

Still, that set of thoughts trailed into other thoughts, and she wondered what Jiro was doing. She wondered what kind of things Mina had learned to do while she was gone. Her brain kept doing it through-out the day, till lunch, haunting her with her not-quite dead desire to be a Hero. Following-up with the punch that her loss of control was unacceptable for a Hero, and that getting it back was paramount, even if she wasn't a Hero hopeful any longer.

Her new course load that she was getting introduced to was different and more complicated than she would have thought, but not so much she didn't feel overwhelmed. She knew she would always miss making music, but perhaps making something else could become just as involving?

When lunch of her first day rolled around, she found herself desperately missing her previous Hero course classes, missing everything. Though her depression over what she didn't have was powerful, it wasn't more powerful than the friendships she had made while she had been in 1-A. Finding herself almost physically dragged, in awkward silence, as neither Kirishima or Uraraka seemed to say anything... But maybe it wasn't. There was a smile tugged on their cheeks, and no one was frowning or looking uncomfortable when they squeezed her into the seating.

The Hero course she could quit, the friendships she had made there, she could not.

Things would be different now, of course. Support was a different beast than the Hero department, and while UA always seemed favor the latter, there was immense care and support for their students in any department. She never lacked the tools she needed to do the work assigned. When she was reminded of the ordeal, without friends to distract herself with, she only buried herself further into getting better at lip-reading, JSL, (when she felt confident with that, she'd move onto ASL) and her Support course work. Applying herself as deeply as possible. Perhaps also, having your "dad" as your homeroom teacher, provided some constant comfort. Seeing a therapist was probably also helping her out considerably.

Her father had been generously paid to stay in Japan by someone, and he never said who, though his condition did not improve. Alarice did not pry further, him staying there during his limited time was something she was very grateful for, as well. Sunshine had never made contact with them again, as far as she knew, and that was perfectly fine too, after what she had done.

Hizashi apparently still owned a house, a nice house Alarice had never seen, or heard of. Made for himself, with special glass and special architecture to keep reverberation down, and sound-proof it. Further to her surprise, during that brief visit, a room had been made-up for her, (with dark-pink walls that she didn't know how to feel about) so she didn't have to worry about not having a safe place to call home. There was still the awkwardness of the fact her Hero had adopted her, and moved her into his house, without a second thought.

No one was really sure how to deal with the tears, once she saw the room and was told this was her home, too.

Nor the second time, when she'd met her 'new grandparents', Hizashi's mother and father. Who were absolutely excited to meet her, and she'd not-quite burst into tears. It was not too easy explain to these sweet people why, either.

Things after it all, seemed liked they were going to be just fine.

Thank you everyone for reading my first published fanfic! It's been a ride and I really hope you enjoyed it.