Chapter Seventeen: Law and Ideals
What's said between them, stays between them. Now, like always.
Eiko told her what happened in full detail when she returned home. Yuko will be haunted by Eiko's endless cries. She's too kind and fearsome when it comes to helping others, but that doesn't mean she's never effected. It's only in the aftermath that her mind and body allow her to feel. A clear stress response.
Yuko's annoyance doesn't mean she wants Iida dead. She's glad he's safe even if he's an idiot for chasing the Hero Killer. Acknowledgements that Midoriya soothes her worries. It was unusual for geolocation to be spent and she had been pretty sure he wasn't interning in the Tokyo area. Even Todoroki got involved. She's glad she didn't lose a friend as soon as she made one. These thoughts plague her mind to fill in the silences as her brain more importantly processes her sister tried to talk down a serial killer.
Yuko wishes that Eiko would consider her well-being more. She would never criticize her actions. She's even defended her actions in the past, but Yuko still worries the worst-case scenario will happen one day. She doesn't want to plan another funeral. Doesn't want to know what a life without her sister would be like.
Eiko's always running into trouble. Most of the time it's accidents and medical emergencies, but on occasion she runs into other problems. Nothing like this though!
She stays up all night on media sites and message boards, fixated on finding anything on the event. Like she was told, it's covered up.
Akaguro Chizome. His identity has been revealed to the public. On one hand it's an echo of what she's advocated for. The language around heroes is detrimental to society. He's killed because of it. She disagrees with his methods, and she currently hates him because of Eiko's experience, but bad actions and beliefs doesn't mean everything a person says is just as bad. The opposite is true too. If someone has done good it doesn't mean that they are incapable of doing wrong. People often make individuals they don't know into caricatures. To some extents it's someone trying to make sense of the world, however, there's ignorance and then there's blind ignorance. It's happening all over again. Videos critical and praising Akaguro divide the internet. It's essentially a choice of what propaganda to follow.
To make it worse, Yuko knows her current motivations fall under unacceptable reasons. He would want to kill her too. It's annoying. She criticizes herself already but she's defensive the moment someone directs the same criticism to her. Though, he's delusional to think only one person is worthy of the hero title. It's ironic that he criticizes heroism while having the most stereotypical views of what a hero is. A do-no-bad, well-intentioned, storybook hero. The hero exceptionalism is nauseating.
Morning comes and she drags herself back to U.A. to meet with Nezu.
"Sorry, can you repeat that?" He said something. She could even hear the words, but the individual words wouldn't process.
"We'll be headed off campus today," says Nezu. Yuko follows him as he walks back the way she entered. "Anything on your mind? You're distracted today." Yes, she's distracted but she can't exactly say why. "It wouldn't have anything to do with yesterday's incident, would it?"
Yuko feels her body warm. Nezu is smart but that feels too on the nose. She issn't supposed to know though. "Yesterday's incident?"
"More beings like the ones from the USJ incident appeared in Hosu yesterday. I'm sure you've seen the news." His tone is pleasant as if the inquiry isn't out of place. She heard about the incident but it was adjacent to the occurrence that plagues her mind. Though, being around Nezu all week makes her feel like her knows about everything, but that's ridiculous. He's smart not omniscient. Can she feign that she hasn't seen the news? But she talked about the news several times with him, so it's too convenient that she missed the biggest news all week.
Whatever. He doesn't need to believe her, so she'll play along. "Three of them right?"
Nezu doesn't push the issue, which she's thankful for, but they do lightly talk about the events. Maybe there isn't anything more. Maybe he only wants to talk about it.
"Where are we going anyway?" They get in the back seat of a car.
"There's a meeting scheduled for today."
They arrived at some tall unmarked building. She isn't sure whether this meeting is a blessing or a curse. A lot of groups that are set to be at this meeting are of interest to her like the Ministry of Education and representatives from other hero schools. Unfortunately, the Hero Public Safety Commission is also slated to attend It feels like karma for mentioning her dislike of them to Nezu.
It isn't her place to say anything. She's there as a spectator. She doesn't have any authority on any of the matters regardless of how much she wants to interject or contribute. Some of the disagreements are juvenile and, in her opinion, not worth the time. She's also tired of Public Relations referencing survey reports. They're open to the public, and while she hasn't read all of them she has read two of the seven documents referenced. No, wait, three. Nezu made her read one earlier this week. They've all been conducted over every three years for just over two decades. There's merit to research and considering options, but at this point it's a waste of resources. From the outside, it seems to be purely political as a virtue signal rather than making any meaningful implementations.
Yuko is happy when they adjourn the meeting for a break. It's been a long session. Nezu excuses himself for a smoke break which left Yuko on her own. She's happy he's considerate not to smoke around her. Her dad used to occasionally smoke but the few times she visited his parents house, before one died and cutting off contact with the other, was horrible. Second hand smoke isn't great, she hates the smell, but it's even worse when the scent is dragged home with them and clothes had to be washed multiple times to remove the stench.
However, she also doesn't like that she's now alone and she feels very out of place. She doesn't know anyone and doesn't know how to approach them. They are just people in different roles than her, so it isn't that she thinks them unapproachable. It's that she didn't know what to say to them. She's very much the outsider here.
One of the HPSC representatives approaches her, though. Out of everyone here, they are the only people she doesn't have a desire to talk to.
"You're an U.A. student?" The man already know the answer. Nezu introduced her at the start of the meeting. "Aren't there better, more exciting placements you could have taken?"
Better is arguable, but exciting…? "I find it plenty exciting." They never patrolled but she's accomplished an array of things that are thoughtful and encouraged her to think.
"Even though he's been failing your safety?"
What the point of this? What is he trying to achieve? Does the HPSC think badly of Nezu? Of U.A.? What is it?
It's true that someone broke the high-tech entrance and that someone attacked them at USJ. In a perfect world that never would have happened. As much as she expects and looks for faults in the faculty, their actions so far have been relatively solid. She has some minor concerns about choices and personalities, but she finds the faculty to be generally adequate. Considering she had low faith in them when accepting enrolment that may not be saying much, but in the few short months they've shown potential. It's only her past experiences whispering to her that it can fall apart any moment that leads her to hold back on admitting that.
"Our safety has been at risk, but there are only so many ways to protect someone. Protections were in place and someone was able to bypass it anyhow. That's an anomaly, and at this point seems coordinated from hatred. You can't run away from hate." She's still bitter about it, but it's one of those logic versus feelings case. Besides, is the HPSC so assured with their own security fortifications. Considering the range of things they do it's to be expected a few people have bypassed both their physical and digital measures. Are break-ins only a matter of concern with it involves U.A.? She bites her tongue. She isn't here to make enemies. Well, maybe she can push their buttons a little. "The HPSC is looking for them too, right?" They work with heroes, the public, and the government and sometimes intervene in high profile cases. "Do you not have any leads?"
What's the worse that can happen? Not give her a hero license when the time comes? They're the distributor, not the proctor.
"We're still looking into it."
Ha! "It's easy to point and blame." Yuko knows. She's a constant stream of criticisms. "It's much harder to fix and prevent then to create and react." Which is why she tries keep her mouth shut when not asked. Something this man should learn to do. All this tells her is that the HPSC has some reservations with how U.A. is handling the situation. It brings a sense of camaraderie within her.
"Quite right Kotogara," says Nezu as he returns.
Thank you Nezu! It hasn't been that long, but she doesn't want the conversation to drag on longer.
She should have sucked it up and chatted to the representatives from the Ministry of Education.
Nezu and Yuko train again.
It's not any easier the second time.
"You're quite contradictory." He offers he a short break. Her head throbs. "Or should I say rationale is both your friend and enemy."
Yuko tilts her head, sitting on the ground, and trying to decipher his words in this context. Sometimes he's blunt and sometimes he's cryptic. "I don't understand." It's even harder to think with a pounding headache.
"Your limitations."
"I think I've been getting better. I've been working hard at adding qualities to my imaginations." Even if it's an oxymoron. A hard plush doll. A soft knife. A cold flame.
"You could do that from the beginning." Has she? How? As if sensing her confusion he adds, "Let's speak more plainly then. What fuels your quirk?"
Her face scrunches. She's hesitant to answer. "…my imagination?" She doesn't think that's the answer he wants, or at least not the point he's getting at, but she has no other answer.
"And the essence of that imagination is…?" Nezu waits patiently to give Kotogara time to think. He concludes she needs another nudge. "Will. Your imagination is what you impose on the world, but you need to will it into existence. You've adjusted your understanding and framework several times without quite reaching the root. Your absolutism is holding you back." Absolutism? Her? She's been trying to deconstruct that for years. He can't come out and tell her she's still stuck there. Is she still stuck there? "You're biggest limitation to quirk growth is limited by your perceptions and beliefs. I've been able to test your limits when it comes to athleticism and decision making, but I've found testing the limits of your quirk since your own contradictory rules."
Absolute and now contradictory? Nezu knows how to crush her spirit. Her mind rewinds the exercises trying to determine what he thought was contradictory.
"I'll give you some time to think it over." He offers her to stay in the training arena, leave early, or spend time in the office for the rest of the day.
He needs to let her sort it out herself. He's been plenty forward but sometimes lesson stick best when people realize it themselves.
Hitoshi finishes his lunch and prepares himself for his last few hours of his internship.
"You've worked well this week." Hitoshi expects more intense training but the praise is a welcome surprise. Eraserhead passes him a sealed tan envelope. "Normally, I would submit these on your behalf, but we've trained longer than intended most days so use this as an excuse to take the rest of the day off."
Hitoshi is blind sighted. As much as he complains he's enjoyed his time with Eraserhead. Maybe enjoy was too strong of a word. More like he wouldn't want to have interned with anyone else. He expected to still have a few hours with the man but he's being dismissed and doesn't know what to do.
"What is it?" Hitoshi looks at both sides the envelope. It has no external markings. It's got to be sealed for a reason.
"Your evaluation and recommendation to the Heroics Department. Congrats."
Hitoshi now looked at the envelope like its gold. "Thank you."
"You worked for it. If you leave now, you should be able to hand it in and have it formalized for you to be transferred starting Monday."
"Who do I give it to?"
"Preferably Principal Nezu, but any staff member can pass it along." Hitoshi nods then stands still. He wants to thank Eraserhead. To tell him how much he appreciates the opportunity to intern with him. To tell him how much he idolizes him. To tell him how much his faith that he can become a hero means to him, yet he says nothing overwhelmed.
He's a coward and leaves without saying any of that.
Aizawa scrolls through his contact list before selecting a name and pressing call once Shinsou leaves. "Where do you need me to be?" He's been requested and it's likely to be beyond what a first year should be exposed to.
The school is noticeably quieter than usually, though that's more likely because he was wondering the halls while class while last period is in session and not because the Heroics Department is out on internships given that over 75% of the school's classes are still in session.
Hitoshi wanders the halls. He has vague knowledge of where the principal's office is from the opening ceremony and the info packets distributed, but he's never had a reason to go before. Generally, he views that as a good thing. He associated the principal's office as somewhere troublesome people get sent.
He stops at a pair of doors. Principal Nezu's office should be in the connected room of this lounge. Is he supposed to knock? Can he waltz in? He slowly pushes the door. He can explain why he's there if someone questions him. The room is quiet, spacious, and empty. Hitoshi's eyes trail around before locking on the door on the far end of the room. The word 'principal' on the door.
Hitoshi hears voices as he approaches. Is he busy? Is he interrupting something important? The voices are too muffled to hear clearly. Well, it was more suspicious to just stand there. He considers waiting on the couch, but raises his hand to knock.
"You can come in." A voice says before his knuckles hit the door.
That's eerie. Does it have something to do with the principal's quirk. Hitoshi doesn't know what exactly is, but it's some type of mutant quirk right? He probably has enhanced hearing.
He enters. The principal is at his desk as expected. As for the other person…
"Shinsou?" Kotogara? Shouldn't she be at her internship? Don't tell him he's replacing her? He'd take the spot either way but he wouldn't feel good about it.
"Aizawa said you were coming." Nezu stands from his seat and approaches. He passes the envelope. If Eraserhead planned on contacting Nezu, did he have to travel all the way here? Nezu places the envelope on his desk. Nezu picks up another envelope, walks back to Shinsou to hand it to him. "Here's a welcome package to the Heroics Department along with a new copy of your I.D. I'll need your other copy back."
"You're accepted into heroics?" Kotogara slaps a hand over her mouth as she looks at the two occupants and the door.
"Yeah."
"Congrats."
He takes his old student card out of his pocket to hand to Nezu before opening the envelope and looking at his new student identification. 1-B.
"I'll be going now." He gives Kotogara one last glance before leaving.
He walks down the hall and is about to go down the staircase when he hears the thumps of fast steps behind him. "Shinsou."
He twists his upper body to see Kotogara try and catch up.
She stops a few steps away from him clenching the front of her shirt. Her face pink. "Are we friends?" Her words are pointed even if she looks flustered. "Or have I been bothering you?"
No one has ever asked that before, or if they have it's too long ago to remember.
"I just – I realized I don't have your phone number, and looking back I wondered if I pulled you into things you didn't want to but you were too polite to tell me otherwise."
Polite? If anything, he's been crass after all the hurdles he's gone through. He's experience solidarity but that doesn't extend to friendship.
She's definitely pulled him into some predicaments, but it was never unpleasant.
Looking at her now, she looked like a frightened cat. Ready to run off with a moment's notice, or in this cases at the mere hint that she had been inconveniencing him.
The word friend feels foreign to him, but he doesn't hate it.
"If you want to be." He rubs the back of his head.
"…is that a yes or are you trying to keep a polite distance?"
Another clear example of why he thinks she's an idiot. Read the room! He answers her bluntly. "I want to be friends with you too." Kotogara's doubt fades into a smile.
Now there's was two reasons why joining class B instead of A is a disappointment.
They exchange numbers before she runs back down the hall.
He never did get an answer to why she's here.
Yuko enters the busy restaurant and spots her dad. Her eyes darted around as she approached the table. He's alone.
"Eiko wanted to come but she isn't feeling well." Partially true. She's still off after Hosu. The other reason is Eiko didn't want to come to start with. Eiko is less likely to bring up her feelings to him, but she also talks to him less. As she scans the menu she realizes it doesn't help that Eiko wouldn't be able to eat most of the offerings anyway.
"I worry about that girl. Tell her that I hope she feels better." Yuko bites her tongue to prevent her from replying that he could tell Eiko himself. Even if he doesn't visit anymore, phones exist for a reason. Ishii notices his daughter eyeing the door and bathroom. "She's not coming. She has plans with her friends."
"You can say her name." Yuko doesn't like the reminder of her existence and role in her dad's life because it's a constant reminder that her mom's gone that grief consumes her. This is probably him taking her feelings into account for once. Still, it's degrading to be reduced to 'you' regardless on her feelings on the matter and doesn't help anyone. It's these odd considerations that confuse Yuko though. He's tip toeing around this, but he never expressed any reservations about leaving Eiko and her behind to go live with her after a few short months. Maybe she shouldn't complain. Maybe it's some twisted blessing. Yuko would probably lose it if his partner wanted to move in with them. She owns a house. That probably was never an option.
They use the tablet to place their order before returning to an uncomfortable conversation.
"How's school?"
"It's school."
"Have you made any friends?"
Yuko almost replies no out of habit, but yes. She has people she can call friends now. "Yeah."
"That's good." He says something else when her attention diverts to a man walking past their table to join someone in the far corner It's the same man from the hairdresser and who disappeared with the child from the convenience store.
"Sorry," she mumbles as she looks back to her dad's frowning face. He probably tried to get her attention multiple times.
"What has you zoned out?"
Yuko hesitates. She shouldn't be gossiping. She shouldn't be sharing her doubts when she has no proof, but a second opinion can't hurt. She shares what happened from her point of view and why she thinks it odd.
Her dad peeks back to look at the man she described then changed the topic.
Fuyumi hears footsteps down the stairwell and so peaks out to see Shouto descend. It's in little ways, but he's a been a little different recently. She can't pinpoint why. He's even recently visited Mom out of nowhere! It brings her a sliver of hope.
Dad is often working. Fuyumi has to call or go to the hospital if she wants to speak to Mom. Natsuo lives on-campus and rarely visits. Shouto usually trains or stays cooped up in his room when he's home.
Fuyumi values family. Values having a family. Unfortunately, the one she has is weakly threaded. It wasn't the strongest to start with every passing year it's one step closer to collapsing. The silence is a nice contrast to yelling, but now that there isn't constant tensions, she yearns to have or rebuild her family. It's only natural to want to fix what she knows. To those she already has connections with.
Shouto cautiously looks around. "Dad's not home?"
"No, he's out working."
Shouto nods then leans against the wall as he eyes the front door.
"Are you waiting for him?"
"No." His answer is immediate. Fuyumi doesn't know what other reason he could have to be standing here.
Shouto's phone buzzes and he leaves out the front door only for him to come back a minute later with someone in tow.
Specifically a girl nearly his height wearing a salmon-coloured skirt and cream knitted sleeveless shirt.
"Let me carry it." Shouto offers and takes the bag from her immediately. "You can take your shoes off. We have extra slippers." Not only is a girl over, but he's brought her in! Fuyumi wonders when Shouto started talking to others and why he's never mentioned anything to her.
Yuko looks around enjoying the traditional design. "Are you sure? I feel like I've already imposed by asking for your address."
"You should have thought about that an hour ago. Besides, you clearly bought enough food for the both of us."
"Then excuse me." She closes the door before turning to Fuyumi. "Sorry for intruding. I'm Kotogara Yuko. I didn't ask if anyone else would be here so I didn't order enough, but I could split a portion with you if you'd like."
"Don't mind me!" Fuyumi grabs both Yuko's hands and stares at her in marvel. Her brother isn't a complete loner! "I'm Fuyumi. You can call me by my name."
"Sure, Fuyumi. Are you sure you don't want some? I'm happy to share."
"She said she didn't want any," said Shouto. So cold! He's clearly trying to brush her off. Normally she would think that's fair but she wants to know more.
Fuyumi grabs Yuko's arms and turns her around, pushing her towards the table Shouto is at. "Do you want water? Tea?"
"I don't want to trouble you." Yuko looks to Shouto.
"No worries! I'll be right back!" Fuyumi rushes to the kitchen with a spring in her step. She fills a pitcher with water and brings along glasses to drink out of.
"So how do you know Shouto?" Fuyumi can see Shouto's shoulders slump.
Yuko looks at the siblings as she hesitates to answer uncomfortable to disclose the real reason she talked to him the first time. "Todoroki and I are in the same class."
"I remember you!" With that piece of information, Fuyumi's memory sorts through the sports festival contestants. She'd been watching for Shouto, so it's normal to notice his competition. "You dodged all the obstacles!" Her hair is down now when it had been tied back at the time, but it's definitely the same girl.
"Fuyumi…" Shouto said staring through her.
"Right, I'll give you time alone." Fuyumi's eyes trailed behind her even as she leaves. She has many more questions she wants to ask including how Shouto is adjusting at school, but it can wait another time. Will there be another time? Maybe she can circle back in a bit.
"Sorry about her." Shouto takes a mouthful of noodles.
"There's nothing to apologize for, though is it really okay if I'm here. I expected the portions to be smaller, so this really was all meant for you. I really was planning on dropping it off." She could finally check in with Todoroki after Hosu now that internships are over.
"Just eat. You don't live anywhere near here, so you likely skipped lunch."
They talk about internships for a while. Shouto is disappointed in his claiming he would have been better off joining Endeavor or one of the heroes from the north or south. As he suspected, many offers he got were because of his dad and it didn't make for a pleasant experience. He tried to escape him and it didn't work the way he envisioned it. He pauses as if realizing that outside a few options he wouldn't have been near enough to help out in Hosu.
They talk a little more when he says, "You know."
"Hm? Know what?"
"About Wednesday."
Yuko shrugs. "I don't know what you're talking about. All I know is that my dear sister ran into some of my classmates on her way to the train station. That's not a crime."
"She's okay then?"
"Eiko? She was overwhelmed getting to meet heroes in training, but she'll be fine. What about you?"
"Is that why you're here?"
"Well, yes." Yuko looks around. It's hard to talk when they might be overheard. "Thank you. For stepping in that is." Neither of them should have had to, but she won't curse whatever got them out alive. "You too. It's good to see you're well." Nothing broken. No obvious lacerations. She considers that a win.
She spots Fuyumi circling back. "Fuyumi, there's leftovers if you want some." She looks sheepish for being caught.
"The world sucks." Eiko puts her back against the brick wall as she roughly slides down until she's sitting on the pavement.
"It does but today seems ever slightly better. I thought I was going to have to track you down again, yet despite the show you put on last time here you are."
Eiko remembers telling him that she wouldn't use her quirk on him anymore. It isn't her responsibility. She doesn't want to enable him. However, she's at a loss whether it's enabling him or offering a support he needs. If it had been money and not a quirk, she wouldn't care what he did with it. Her thoughts on the matter are more muddled since it's quirk usage making her an active participant. "I never said I changed my mind."
"And yet here you are approaching me unprompted. You didn't even bring food or drinks along this time, so what else could you be here for."
"Is conversation a foreign concept to you?" Eiko weakly retorts because she had considered going back on her word, but he didn't know that.
"You're one of the few who will stop and talk to people like me, so you have me there." Eiko frowns. 'People like me'. Is he referring to his likely homeless status? People can be cruel and dehumanizing to the homeless. She feels lucky that she's only experienced precarious housing even if that brought its own set of problems. Is he referring to his appearance? No matter how much time passes there always people who think it's appropriate to demean others based on appearances.
"Their loss."
A silence falls between the two before he breaks it. "If you're not here to help me forget why are you here."
"I can't make you forget. You know that as well as me. I can't erase the past. My quirk can't free you from the thoughts and memories that plague you." Memories and thoughts are more complex than emotions since thoughts are ultimately the factor of how long and intense an emotion is experienced. In short, thoughts sustain emotions.
"…It's fine that way. I need them to fuel me." Eiko wonders if he's going to tell her more.
Eiko doubts he's was using happy thoughts to motivate him. "Be careful. Spite, hatred, resentment, jealousy, frustration…" she lists the 'negative' emotions that first come to mind. "They can be great motivators, but don't let them consume you. Those emotions can cling to you like leeches. Tint your worldview like wrongly prescribed glasses. Make you forget yourself. We should at least try to be kind to ourselves even if the world sucks."
"It doesn't matter what happens to me if I can fulfill my goal."
A shiver runs up Eiko's spine as she's suddenly reminded of Stain. In that moment she decides against using her quirk. Not today.
"And what's your goal?"
Silence.
The two sit together for a while longer, but neither speak another word.
Yuko opens the mailbox and in there is a single legal envelope. She takes it out and looks over both sides. No name. No address. Is it some kind of promotional thing?
She takes the elevator up and unlocks the door to her unit.
She rips a hole in the corner and runs her finger across ripping where it pleats. She pulls the papers out, and apparently images out.
Her eyes look everything over and she feels sick.
There's a photo of Mayu. The angle is taken from above. Another photo is paperclipped. A young girl with black hair. Likely the start of a school year since it's at the entrance and the sakura trees are in bloom.
Name Saionji Mayu
Born XXXX
Age 12
Quirk Truth Teller, unable to lie
Place of Birth Aomori
Details Parents divorced. Split custody. Missing person declared six years ago.
Another photo is a girl with wavy dark hair.
Name Mori Honeko
Born XXXX
Age 9
Quirk Bone Manipulation, can control her own skeletal system
Place of Birth Fukui
Details Mom dead and dad in prison. In the custody of paternal aunt and uncle.
A photo of a boy wearing dark shades.
Name Ito Kou
Born XXXX
Age 10
Quirk Medusa, turns people to stone with a look for a period relative to how long the stare is. Eyelids work as a protective barrier and he can see through them to an extend but is extremely blurry.
Place of Birth Osaka
Details Quirk activated at four. Parents turned to stone for three hours. Glasses prescription ineffective over eyelids.
There's another photo of the girl from the convenience store. Her hair was so vibrant it's hard to forget.
Name Oda Hitsuko
Born XXXX
Age 6
Quirk Goat, mutant-type
Place of Birth Miyazaki
Details Regular visits to a speech therapist until a year ago. Registered for homeschool by her father.
The last photo is of the adult man.
Name 'Endo', Tokiomi Kosuke
Born XXXX
Age 42
Quirk Quirkless
Place of Birth Aomori
Details Status: dead? Maternal uncle of Saionji Mayu.
There's several more sheets outlining more information. It's informative but incomplete.
What's she meant to do with this?
Where did it even come from? Scratch that. Her stomach drops. She has an idea who could have sent it.
Yuko is learning that even she is susceptible of grandeur thoughts of self-action and bypassing laws. How badly she wants to ignore all procedures and systems in place to follow the trail herself, get answers, and presumably help those kids.
They aren't adopted. Aren't fostered. So then…
She looks back down at the sheets
What is she supposed to do?