'Thoughts'

Real Ritsu

Mogami

Asagiri-san (in narration) = the father

Asagiri (in narration) = the daughter


Anatidaephobia - Fear of Ducks


The trees on the mountainside flashed by Ritsu as he stared out the windows of the train. Tomoko sat silently beside him, preoccupied with the photos in her lap. The sky was as gray and sunless as usual. Sunday had come and Seasoning City was already kilometers behind them; there was no turning back.

"She always went after cats," Tomoko muttered, speaking for the first time since Ritsu greeted her at the station. She pulled that picture out of the pile and raised it high as though to get a better look at it. "She found them too pretentious, too 'self—absorbed'."

"Hypocritical," he said.

"Yeah. She likes to be unique."

Ritsu didn't bother trying to conjure up a response to that. He just stared at her in her old sundress, hoping that she would acknowledge the situation. Her heavy, shallow breathing, her bouncing leg. There was no beating around the bush with pointless conversation. She was scared. But no matter how much she—how much they—wanted to stall, there was no stopping the train now.

So instead of waiting, he asked her, "What's the plan for when we get there?"

With eerily steady hands, she set the stack on the empty seat beside her before placing her hands back in her lap and clutching her skirt in a vice grip. "I—" she took a slow breath—"I know Asagiri-san the best. So, after we say our greetings, I'll talk to him. I'll get the both of us in his good graces. That way, when we show him the photos, he'll know that we're not doing it out of ill intent." As she talked, her breathing regained its natural rhythm and her leg stilled. "I'll find a way to draw Minori away so that you can have time alone with Asagiri-san to show him everything."

Ritsu's face twisted at that. "I don't think you should be alone with her." You can barely keep yourself still when you look at her, he wanted to say. The mere mention of her gets to you. How can you possibly deal with her by yourself?

But that wasn't his place. If she needed to talk about it, the way that Asagiri makes her feel, she would. That didn't, however, mean that he couldn't try to stop her from putting herself in a situation he knew would shake her.

"Do you have a better idea?" Tomoko countered. She faced the window. "We both know that she's more likely to follow me. In fact, the idea of cornering me probably makes her exuberant." The train was nearing the peak of the hill and the roof of a large mansion was coming into view. Tomoko turned and looked him dead in the eye. "So, when you get Asagiri-san alone, tell him that his daughter is being a disturbance. Tell him that this type of behavior won't be tolerated at Salt High. Tell him that she either changes her behavior, or she leaves."

Ritsu stared back at her, the fire in her eyes—cold as it was—was familiar to him. There was no changing her mind.

"Okay."

The train came to a stop. They had arrived.


It was a nice place. Considering the Asagiri's wealth, it would be insulting if it was anything less. Warm light shone from the mansion's windows. A meticulously landscaped garden framed a cobblestone path to the mansion's oak door. Everything was the picture of comfort. But as Ritsu approached the looming home, its appearance twisted. Its windows became the devil's fiery eyes, its pathway a snake's forked tongue, and its door a wide gaping mouth, ready to swallow him whole.

Tomoko raised a fist and knocked.

A slender man wearing a penguin suit answered it. A butler. He looked down his needle nose at the two of them, recognizing Tomoko if the amused hum he let out at the sight of her was anything to go by. He said nothing as he opened the door wider, stepped aside, and bowed slightly. Tomoko stepped in first and Ritsu entered right behind her.

They followed the butler in silence, with only the sound of their footsteps ricocheting off the hallway's walls to fill the silence. Perhaps on a good day, with the sun shining on the tall portraits lining the walls, the long walk might have been inviting. But there were never any good days in Seasoning City. Clouds cast shadows that distorted the paintings' faces, and with each step the struggle to fight off his building unease became harder and harder.

When they reached a large doorway, the butler turned toward them and placed a hand out, signaling them to stop. He entered alone and spoke to someone. "Sir, your guests have arrived."

Quick footsteps could be heard. The butler stepped aside just as Asagiri-san appeared, smiling down at the two of them.

"Welcome! Welcome!" He waved his arm toward the belly of the mansion. "Come in, we're having duck."

Ritsu entered first, followed by Tomoko. They were in a dining room, and an opulent one at that. Its ceiling was high up with multiple twinkling chandeliers hanging from it. Their light shinned down onto the large table that was the centerpiece of the entire room. All twelve of the table's seats were neatly made with napkins folded into cranes and three sets of cutlery for each person. It was all so…

"Ostentatious," Tomoko whispered to herself.

Agreed.

"Have a seat," Asagiri-san said, standing behind his chair. His body language was warm and inviting. A complete juxtaposition to the chills running along Ritsu's back. He looked to the man's right and saw the cause of the cold sitting with a smile on her face: Asagiri.

"Yes, sit down. I'm so excited to finally have you, Kageyama-san," she said before quickly adding, "oh, and you too, Tomo—chan."

Other than her chair screeching against the marble floor as she pulled it out, Tomoko looked unbothered. Ritsu sat beside her.

Standing behind his chair, Asagiri-san raised his glass of wine and tapped against it with one of his little forks. "I'd like to make a toast," he said. Ritsu supposed that the man thought he was being amusing, maybe even charming, toasting to a mere group of three teenagers as though they were esteemed guests.

Rich people.

He tuned the man out as he spoke, instead focusing on the pictures inside his cardigan's inner pocket. Which one was the most graphic? The cat one obviously. But which one should he show him first? Should he save the "best" for last or show it to him straight away, grabbing his attention like an essay's hook? Should he speak while Asagiri-san looks at them, or should he wait for him to draw his own conclusions? The mention of his own name brought Ritsu's attention back to the toast.

"To Kageyama-san's kindness, and to Tomoko's return." Asagiri-san took a sip of his wine, and the rest drank their water. Once he sat in the chair, the door to the kitchen opened, as though the chef was waiting for Asagiri-san to finish—which was likely the case. He balanced four plates in his hands and on his arms, and he smoothly placed them on the table. As quickly as he entered, he left.

"Isn't he great?" Asagiri-san remarked, like he was commenting on the performance of some gadget. "He's from the West."

Ritsu didn't care. But he expected Tomoko to at least say something and leave a good impression. She said nothing. Ritsu snuck a glance at her, only to find that she wasn't even looking at the man at all; she was looking at his daughter. And his daughter was looking right back at her.

Tomoko's jaw was clenched, wired shut. Small tremors ran through her body and sweat slid down her neck. He wanted to grab her. Turn her away from Asagiri. Despite her earlier assurances, Tomoko couldn't let go of the past—this mysterious and debilitating past.

"Has Asagiri-san told you about how well she's doing in history?" Ritsu asked the older Asagiri. The man's eyes lit up, no doubt excited to learn something about his daughter that he could later brag about to his affluent friends. Ritsu figured that he didn't need to know that history was Asagiri's worst subject. "Ask her about the First Sinō-Japanese War."

Asagiri-san looked at his daughter—who had turned away from Tomoko at the mention of her name—expectantly. Her smile was tight, and she shot a withering glare at Ritsu before saying, "Oh you don't want to hear all that, it'll spoil your appetite. We should just eat before the food gets cold." Her father agreed, easily dropping the subject and digging into his duck.

Ritsu nudged Tomoko with his foot as the Asagiris ate. She pulled away from the food she was playing with to look at him. Though if he were being honest, she was more so looking beyond him than at him. A flicker of worry ran through his chest.

Tomoko finally focused in on him, as if sensing his worry. He could see the slight confusion in her eyes before it shifted to guilt. She was going against her own plan. She was messing things up. The guilt morphed into frustration.

"It's alright," Ritsu whispered, trying to stop the frustration from becoming something deeper, something self-destructive. He used the sounds of his utensils against his plate to further muffle his voice. "Are you sure that you can still do this? I could figure something out."

"It's not—No. I can still do it, I just—" Tomoko suddenly cleared her throat and addressed the rest of the table. "Excuse me, I need to use the bathroom. It's in the same place, right?"

Asagiri-san nodded, and Tomoko quickly left the table. Ritsu watched as she disappeared down a hallway until the only sign of her presence was the sound of her footsteps. Now it was just him and the Asagiris.

Luckily, he didn't have to talk much. Asagiri-san did enough of that for him, going on about Asagiri as a kid and how difficult it is getting his employees to work 45-hour weeks. The only downside (other than the constant noise) was that all of the talking allowed Asagiri to also not pay attention. She stared at Ritsu as he ate. It was unfortunate that all her staring didn't allow her to read minds. Then, she would get it through her own thick skull that staring and glaring wasn't going to intimidate him.

The air of superiority that constantly hung around her grew denser by the minute. She was in her own lavish home, she got Tomoko to run off, and she had Ritsu spending time with her with the added bonus of him hating every second of it. All of the pieces were laid out in her favor. By the time she returned to school, her influence would be restored and then some.

But she wasn't going to return. Not if Ritsu could help it.

Ten minutes into smiling and eating and glaring and Tomoko still hadn't returned to the dining room. Whenever she came up in conversation, Ritsu made sure to guide it away from her and give her some more time, but it had been too long. And someone was very happy about it.

"Do you think Tomo—"

"Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom." Ritsu cut off whatever sly remark Asagiri was going to make. Without waiting for acknowledgement, he pushed out of his chair and made his way down another elaborate hallway. As soon as he saw the long line of doors, he regretted not at least waiting for directions. He could very well head back and ask for help, but if he had to see Asagiri's smug face one more time, he might get violent.

So, he went down the hallway, looking out for the plaques displaying what was behind each door. Four guestrooms, a powder room, a large, out-of-place metal door—

Is Reigen still waiting?

—but no bathroom.

At the end of the hallway, Ritsu was met with one final door on the right. Unlike the others, it had no indication of what was behind it. He opened it anyway and was met with a staircase. One that descended down and down before curling, hiding what lied at the bottom. Turns out, what lied at the bottom was the bathroom.

"Unnecessary," Ritsu muttered as he pushed open the door. There was no need to try and hide the stink down here when Asagiri was rotten enough on her own.

The bathroom was clean despite its secluded nature. Two toilets were at either side, each with a door for privacy, and connecting them in the center was a sink with a large, gold-framed mirror. One that Tomoko was staring intensely at. She was leaning over the sink, entire face wet. Her eyes were red, and he could hear her heavy breathing over the running water.

Ritsu calmly walked up to her. He found space beside her and leaned against the wall, waiting. It was hard to describe the way she was looking at her reflection. Disappointment, anger, annoyance, sadness, fear—all fought for control of her face. She splashed it with water one more time before turning off the faucet and rising.

"Sorry for the wait," she said as she dried her face. She gave Ritsu one of her worst fake smiles yet. "Let's get this fiasco over with, yeah?"

"What's the deal with you and Asagiri-san?" Ritsu asked instead, not following Tomoko as she moved toward the door.

"I'd really appreciate it if we could talk about this later." Annoyance colored her voice. "Enough time has been wasted as is."

"And whose fault do you think that is?"

Tomoko stopped. When she turned to face him, she was hurt. Angry. Her eyes were glassy.

"I'm not trying to be rude," Ritsu calmly said, taking slow steps toward her. "It's just that I've tried to let you handle Asagiri-san on your own but that clearly isn't working."

"Are you sure you're not trying to be rude? 'Cuz it sure doesn't sound like it."

"I just want to know how. How has she been able to get at one of the strongest people I know? To make you feel like this?"

"There's a lot you don't know, okay?" Tomoko snapped. She vigorously wiped her eyes. "And you don't need to know. I'm fine."

"But I want to know," Ritsu said, voice edging on desperate in a way that was almost embarrassing. "You're my friend. My only friend. So, sorry if me caring annoys you, I can't help it. I just want you to talk to me."

Tears fell freely from Tomoko's eyes. Something warm rolled down Ritsu's cheek. Strange. When had his vision become so blurred? He didn't know. All he really knew was that he was tired of people keeping things from him, tired of them not talking to him.

'But what people?'

"Kids—" Tomoko started, avoiding eye contact by staring at a wall, "—can be really cruel. Suddenly the girl you've been friends with since diapers, the one who got you little shiny trinkets that you couldn't afford, is embarrassed that your mother scrubs her toilets. And suddenly, you're embarrassed about it too.

"She starts hanging out with you less and with the mean kids more. You become the butt of every joke, even after your parents stop working for her. It's not enough. Nothing is enough. She knows too much." Tomoko smiled bitterly. Her voice was congested as she spoke. "And the worst part is, you still want to be friends. You spend years waiting for her to realize her mistake and take you back."

Ritsu stared at her shaking form silently. His body was paralyzed, unsure of what to do; how to comfort her. And he couldn't think of a thing to say.

"But I'm done waiting." Tomoko bit out. Her fist clenched so tight that its veins surfaced. "I'm done letting her get to me."

"It's okay if you—" Ritsu tried.

"I mean it. I'm done."

Her red eyes bore into his frozen ones. She then nodded to herself, as if mentally closing the matter, and wiped her face clean. She continued toward the door. But before she could reach it, it opened on its own.

"You know, it really is rude to leave your hosts waiting," came a grating voice.

Asagiri stood at the doorway, staring at the two of them. He wouldn't be surprised if she had been eavesdropping the entire time. She didn't look at all surprised at the redness of Tomoko's face nor her sniffles as Tomoko tried to clear her throat. In fact, she looked as amused as ever.

Tomoko stared back at her, eyes cold. Not tearing her eyes away, she said, "Ritsu, I'll meet you back upstairs."

He hesitated, looking between the two girls. Whatever was going to happen here wasn't going to be pretty. Finally, he made his way past Asagiri, "accidentally" elbowing her, and out the door. Before he could disappear from sight, he saw Tomoko send one last keen look at him.

"Tell him that his daughter is being a disturbance. Tell him that this type of behavior won't be tolerated at Salt High. Tell him that she either changes her behavior, or she leaves."

It was finally time to get this over with.


Asagiri-san looked at the same photo for the third time. Horror painted his face. His skin was pale. He blinked harshly, as though the photo would magically change. The one with the cat then, Ritsu mused.

"This can't be right," Asagiri-san said for the first time since Ritsu had pulled him away from the dining table and handed him the stack. "Are you sure these are real? Where did you get these from anyway?"

"It's The Council's job to keep track of the well-being of Salt High's students." Ritsu purposefully kept his voice detached. "We watch out for repeated behavior like this."

"But Minori? My Minori? Th—That simply isn't possible." His voice gained a jagged edge to it.

"I can assure you, it's her."

Instead of accepting it—accepting the bona fide evidence that he held in his hands—and figuring out how to address his daughter, Asagiri-san threw the photos on the ground. Ritsu braced himself for attack.

'Great.'

"I invite you into my home, toast you, feed you, put up with your strange bathroom breaks, and you dare to disrespect my family, my daughter, with your—your—" Anger made him stumble over his words; his face was red. "Your fancy little computer-generated lies? Only some sort of evil spirit could make my daughter act in such a demonic manner!"

Ha.

Computer-generated? A small, inappropriate laugh slipped through Ritsu's lips. At least that was better than the alternative: punching something.

"Do you find defamation funn—"

"With all due respect, sir," Ritsu said, voice low, almost to a whisper so that the man would have to finally shut up in order to hear him. "I'm not lying to you. And you know I'm not. You can try to convince yourself otherwise but, at the end of the day, this is the fact of the matter: Your daughter is a menace."

Asagiri-san was breathing heavy, rage-fueled breaths, but the fire was dying down. The red gone from his face. He was listening. Although somewhat begrudgingly.

Ritsu continued. "Nothing seems to work, but Tomoko says you're a good man, so I'm trusting you to talk to Asagiri. Tell her that this—" he gestured to the fallen photos—"won't be tolerated at Salt High. The safety of our students is our number one priority—"

Liar.

"—so either she changes her behavior, or she leaves."

Asagiri-san stared down at Ritsu. Ritsu stared back at him. The man looked insulted and humiliated and ashamed. He opened and closed his mouth, trying to find words to say, and when he finally found them footsteps reverberated from the hallway. Time was up.

Ritsu picked up the thrown photos; handed them to the gaping fish of a man. "Here. Keep them."

He returned to his seat just as Tomoko arrived. Her steps were deliberately heavier than those of Asagiri who was following right behind her. She looked better from what he could see. The red was gone from her eyes, her back was straight, and her hands were still. Asagiri, on the other hand, looked pissed. Like a toddler denied candy. Her eyes were daggers stabbing into Tomoko's back as they neared the table.

Tomoko glanced at Asagiri-san—the man was too busy staring at the photos in his hands to notice the sharp look in her eye—and then to Ritsu. He nodded. "We ought to be heading out. Our train should be arriving soon." She spoke in short, clipped sentences and didn't bother to sit back down. "Thank you for having us."

Asagiri-san barely spared a glance at her before looking at his daughter, looking at the photos, and looking back at his daughter. Asagiri just stared at him, confused. She then looked at Ritsu, and he could see the puzzle pieces coming together in her mind. Once it clicked her face froze, then was very quickly twisted by outrage. She looked about ready to scream, rip the photos out of her father's hands, and chase after them.

Ritsu smiled and waved her goodbye as the butler came to escort them out. She did nothing but watch.

Once the doors to the mansion closed on them, Tomoko deflated. She pressed her back against the wood and took deep breaths while staring up at the sky. Getting a closer look at her, he could see that her skin was covered in a sheen of sweat.

Five minutes stuck with Asagiri. Ritsu figured it would wear anyone down.

"Good job."

"Yeah." Tomoko let out a great sigh and pulled away from the door. Her leg was bouncing, but she was smiling. "We did it, Kageyama-san. I'm finally done with her."

Finally.

Fools.

Ritsu suddenly felt very, very sick.


Random Thoughts the Author had whilst Writing

Look at me, look at me go. New chapter out in less than a month. I'm on a role. I can see the light at the end of this mogami-shaped tunnel and am psyched for writing a traumatized Ritsu in the MHA world.

First of all, go Tomoko! Nice to see your back bone...although she does seem a bit tired lol. Fair. As for Ritsu, I'm surprised I haven't made him punch anybody yet. So much quiet anger.

And why are they "Fools"? hmmmmm? We'll just have to wait and see.

I can't believe i'm almost done with HS (oh and I got a 4 in calc and a 5 in lang and us history if anyone was wondering from my last AN). Like-how long has this story been going on? And it's not even done. If I actually end up finishing this fic it would literally be a miracle tbh. I'll be like...30. Hah. Or it'll just have a rushed ending, idk. Things will go quicker once the AFO vs OFA fight during the kidnapping arc happens.

I'm kinda pissed tbh cuz my old phone stopped charging and it had all my notes on the layout/plot points of the story :'). So I've just gotta work off of memory and hope that more comes to me as I take notes on my new phone.

Anyway, that's enough talking from me.

Thank you to my beta reader, MarenwithanM.

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