When the minute hand finally dragged its length on the 12th number, alarms rung and collective sighs of relief was heard. This common occurrence always had students rush to the door, eager to leave the school they so hated and unfortunately, I was one of them. To think that my past self envisioned going to school, ecstatic for the education I never got the chance to receive, would overwhelm me but the hardships and the ever present mind-numbing boredom killed the thought.
I was no stranger to hardwork, in fact, that specific trait died with Phillip and came back to life in Hinata. Pouring my sweat and soul into reading books and answering assignments were part of the struggles I dealt to the best of my abilities, but the atmosphere the school presented…
To say anything less than pathetic was me being generous.
Eadu Middle School had this gloomy aura that seep happiness from children. More than I could count, my mind went off tangent and head towards dream land. Observing the surroundings I noticed that I wasn't alone in blocking the droning voice of Ikku-sensei. What was worse, the teachers did nothing but continue on as if their life consisted of waking up, lecturing and repeat. As long as their students weren't failing society's standards I see little to no change happening for this dreadful institution. Hence the reason why I like to return home as early as possible before I grow up into one them – gaunt faced, emotional vampires.
Too bad, Arisa didn't share the same disposition as her muscular figure blocked the door before any of us could desert this room.
I saw exactly through her plan. It was quite obvious Arisa wanted to introduce me to the club. Now that I agreed to join, she pestered me nonstop regarding my quirk – asking questions I have no answer to and pointing out good ideas on how could I apply it. But it seemed to me, she wasn't content with what we talked about yesterday when Arisa grabbed my arm and dragged me outside.
"I can walk you know."
She laughed, that shrill, fake, uber-girly laughter of hers grates my nerves. Her grip on my arms was tight as she escorted me to the club, "I know that Watanabe-kun! Knowing you, you'd just hide away from me again!"
True. For a brief moment, I wondered if her quirk had something to do with reading minds? Because I already planned on spending couple of minutes in hiding places I haven't used yet.
"Fujiwara-chan wanted to show you her new trick!" Arisa started, her boisterous voice echoing along the empty corridors. It was amazing how students of this school disappear faster like their secret quirks were bullet train speed or so, "She was practicing it for a month! And—"
I shook my head. Can't this girl tone her voice down? With every sentence she spoke, an exclamation mark finished it. Though, noting that out loud was pointless seeing that nothing could dampen her enthusiasm—yesterday, Arisa's disappointed face over my rejection looked 100% fake.
Arisa stopped at her tracks before a nondescript twin, sliding door. There was a small window which I could observe the other members with. What I saw had my expectations down in the dumps, lips dipping in a frown. Three students all wearing glasses were huddled over a board game, arguing and tossing coins at the center. To any person who would risk a glance at them might think they were just playing, but to my surprise… a girl with her hair tied in low pigtails, threw in some bills.
I thought this was Magic Club?
The door was pushed open and Arisa immediately gathered their attention, "Everyone! I've returned! This is Watanabe Hinata-kun! Show them what our club was made of!"
What happened next had me jump in fright at the sudden crack, and then the lights suddenly went out. A faint smell of something sweet reached my nose when the room regained some semblance of light back. From every corner of the room came vines surrounded by thorns and dark red roses grew from it haphazardly—the once ordinary room we have was upturned into this jungle mess that I doubt were still on the same place.
Taking a careful step inside, I was wary that some thorns might catch my ankle, whether they were poisonous or not I wasn't about to hurt myself as I deal with their shenanigans. Arisa followed me from behind as the only other guy in this room laughed, proudly gesturing at the plants, "You like what I did Hinacchi? This is my quirk: Plant Overgrowth! I can create plants from seeds in just a matter of seconds!"
Interesting… With that kind of quirk his family would never starve, I can imagine them lounging on a garden of copious vegetation. Surely their savings were immense, spent on more important things like apartment rent. Compared to me, this guy's quirk was beneficial that a small part in me felt jealous.
"You forgot to introduce yourself dumbass." The pigtail girl pointed out, and guy's face instantly colored in embarrassment.
"I am Masanari Ryoutarou. But please call me Ryoumin! Pleasure to meet you Hinacchi!" The cutesy added to my name was a surprise and I was uncomfortable with how informal Ryoumin introduced himself. Did Masanari give out nicknames like they were fliers? My mother hammered into my head the strict manners Japan upholds; unlike in Philippines where people were free to call someone in a rather derogatory name without offending them much… so calling him by his family name was more of a habit than a polite behavior.
"My turn!" A blonde girl interrupted and pushed the other two at the sides. She had her arms crossed, looking at me with eyes that gleamed mischief, "My name's Takizawa and I can duplicate whatever I spit in my mouth!"
I blinked dumbly from under my fringe. Her declaration was equal part weird and gross that if I'd say anything, she might mistaken it as something else. Not the mention her name, Takizawa what exactly?
So I kept my lips sealed, giving her the best poker face I could manage. But, to my immediate concern, my eyes opened widely that my long bangs rose a few millimeters.
A nickel coin was placed on her tongue. There really was no need to prove her quirk to me, really, as panic started to fester when she chewed a choking hazard. Teenager or not, it could fall into a wrong pipe and I'm pretty sure none of us knew first aid. Although the second Takizawa stuck her tongue out, an exact copy of the same coin lay beside the original. Both covered in saliva.
"Amazing right?" Masanariasked, suddenly invading my personal bubble. I would have agreed with him if Takizawa didn't spit the coins at my feet.
"Takizawa-chan can double your allowance if you asked her nicely!" Arisa added. I had forgotten her momentarily due to the ostentatious display of her friends' quirks. "Just don't tattle this to anyone."
"We'd appreciate it if you keep your mouth shut about our doings." The last member adjusted her glasses that it reflected the light from the ceiling, "Disrupting the economy wasn't a legal act and we don't want our friend here imprisoned."
Masanari waved a hand in a placating motion, "Maa… stop that Yukarin! I'm sure Hinacchi is a good guy and won't tell a single person."
I nodded in agreement after a brief argument with myself about pros and cons. There wasn't much I consider friends much less an acquaintance in this school since I kept a short list of people I interact with. Socializing with people at Hinata's age came tough, either they were too immature that my grown-up self find it hard to connect with them, or too arrogant. The latter attitude just pissed me off to no end, and talking to those kind of people was like wasting time explaining subtraction to a brick wall. So with no friends to "tattle" with, that left the adults.
As if our teachers would care. My parents were the only adults I trust in this world.
I sighed internally. I already came into terms with my rebirth and established some principles to live by, such as helping those who were in the same position as Phillip. For Takizawa to provide money, I could tell her kindness prompted her to act like that because someone was facing a financial dilemma.
Right?
"I won't tell anyone."
Yukarin nodded, doubt still marred her features but eased a little. "I am Fujiwara Yukari."
.
.
.
The Magic Club completed the checklist of things I expected them to do with some other ridiculous activities enough to raise an eyebrow at. Arisa explained what the club did every afternoon. Apparently the three practice their quirks to form one ultimate gimmick in a charity event, among other tricks, so they could raise money and provide for their university of choice. It was a noble endeavor, seeing them independent and looking out for the others wasn't something to scoff at but they were still children. Fourteen years old. And they were prone to distraction.
After introductions were exchanged, Arisa ordered us to tidy up the room, lest we anger the student council president. The thorns were a pain to deal with, thus the cleaning took a lot of time. By then, Takizawa complained, "We could be playing saguaro now but Ryoumin just had to mess this up." to which he retaliated with a screech, "Hey! You said I should use my quirk to impress Hinacchi!"
And a shouting match ensued.
In the end, the five of us wasn't able to finish the task. It was like misfortune favored the club when the president, whom they were trying to avoid like plague, peaked at the room. His jaw dropping at the greenery and demanded an explanation. It was Arisa who saved us from the president's wrath, waving for us to leave before their argument got violent.
As I sat on the soft mattress of our couch, watching the news with empty eyes, realization struck up to me like lightning—I had fun today. Even though nothing much occurred, I found their antics refreshing against the dull monotony of the school. It wasn't so bad. Maybe I should stop assuming the worst and relax a little, join in their silly games and support each other around as if they were brothers and sisters.
I shrugged at the thought. It was too early to tell, though if I was to rate my afternoon with them, I'd give it a four out of five stars. They lost a star when I learned that they cut classes occasionally to do odd jobs.
In front of me, the career form didn't let me rest for a short nap. It was pinned on a brown board beside a sticky note from mother saying:
I'll be late. There's leftover in the fridge! C:
Submission was tomorrow and the blank lines and boxes of the paper glared at me as if asking to be filled out already and be done with it. But I wasn't about to let hasty decisions ruin my future. "Patience is a virtue" my mother once told me, though Ikku-sensei was a man whose patience was as thin as his hair. If I pass this career form blank tomorrow, I'd just receive another one… probably with a short reminder attached such as the generic take this seriously, brat.
As far as I know, this innocent paper was the key in my second step of education: highschool, and to some extent, my mind depicted a teenage-Hinata suffering the same treatment as with my current class, I didn't allow that to discourage me. Phillip's memory of scavenging for food from trash was a great motivator to do well in this second life.
In fact, it was the fear of failure which kept me going, striving to live a comfortable life outside slums. I was so focused with failure that I neglected necessary stuffs for a child's development. Baby-Hinata had the brain of an adult that everyone just couldn't comprehend. Other kids left me alone because of that, thinking of me as weird, creepy baby. No one wanted me as playmate. At first, I was fine with it. Though as I got older, this self-imposed isolation resulted in bubbled up anxiety, insecurity and discomfort when I venture outside to interact.
I couldn't even talk to people normally without feeling awkward.
It was a miracle how my mouth can work just fine, I can talk without stuttering much even though my brain fried itself from overthinking.
And Haruhi said I was just her shy baby.
So I guess… maybe she was right after all? I hid my eyes from behind my bangs because I don't think I could look at strangers well without panicking internally.
This recluse nature of mine had to stop though if I wanted to be a functioning member of the society…
My chin rested on my knuckles as I pondered about activities I enjoy since the first step in choosing a career was to determine hobbies and how they were applied to work.
Well. Shit.
I do enjoy eating and therefore, in a way, cooking. But the taste of my meals were never perfect to begin with. Sometimes it taste too salty and most of the times overcooked. But chefs didn't start out perfect, somewhere along the lines they too encountered the same problems I had and remedied those.
With that in mind, I nodded to myself and head to the refrigerator. The leftover from Atsuo's takeout was ignored as I search for vegetables and meat to cook up a simple stir-fry.
The kitchen was the most organized room in our apartment, especially with mother hanging around here to bake, so it was easy for me to use my quirk.
A basin from the other side of the counter flew towards my awaiting hands. There I placed the beans and leaves to prepare. Looking above, the chopping board hung together with various kitchen utensils. They rattled, my quirk only worked on those I focus on and gravitate it to me so I wasn't surprised when the board fell onto my palm.
Quirks show when a child reached the age of four, they said. Mine came advanced. I was three and having a good time at the beach with the whole family. Atsuo and I were building sand castle and I remember other children stepping on it. Although it was just an accident, my child mind felt upset despite their apologies and reassurances. It was that moment when sand adhered to my skin. My whole body was encased in wet sand I must have looked like a crying, walking statue.
Haruhi and Takashi thought my quirk was sand manipulation, but few weeks later we found that I could attract small objects and stick it to my skin, only to propel the said object later like a missile.
On my official quirk registry, it was stated as 'Push and Pull' kind of like my father's telekinesis. Frankly enough, it bothered me that this ability could make a person lazy. Oh, the remote's too far? Pull it. Need the lights turn off? Push the switch. I don't think I want to see myself idle. Such simple things could still be done even with the use of my quirk, but I won't deny its usefulness.
With the chopping board on the counter and a knife on my hands, I begun cutting up the vegetables.
"––an incident in Musutafu occurred around 4 in the afternoon."
That got my attention. I turned my head to the television and used my quirk to push the volume up. Villains weren't normally bold to attack in daylight. The smarter ones wait until the night comes, allowing the darkness aid in their villainous activities, but it seemed that some just weren't equipped with intelligence. That, or they were plain arrogant.
"A boy by the name Bakugou Katsuki was held hostage by a villain with mud quirk. The heroes Death Arms, Kamui Woods––"
Sure enough the aforementioned heroes were there along with Backdraft, who was recorded to be minimizing the fires brought by the hostage's explosion. Mt. Lady was also mentioned but the video clip didn't show her before it changed into another video. This one had another boy rush forward in the center of chaos.
The carrot I held was dropped into the sink with a 'clang'. I was unsettled by his actions, paying no heed to his own safety—was the kid suicidal or something?
I had my suspicious though, if he used his quirk in front many people who had cameras, might I add, the media would paint him a vigilante and in the eyes of the law, no matter what reason, it was illegal. No doubt it will affect his life, now that the news stated Midoriya Izuku a middle schooler, he could be like me with my career form dilemma. Luckily, All Might finally arrived and took the situation from there.
All Might.
Symbol of Peace.
The man wore the wackiest costume in my opinion, similar to Superman's red-blue-yellow theme, and who would believe that several would be drawn to the hero like moths to a flame. It must be the smile or the laugh, I concluded as the reporter zoomed in the moment All Might shouted, "Detriot Smash!" A blast of air barreled onward that it not only extinguished the fires but also blew the villain away to the skies. Cheers were heard, All Might saved the day again that was soon followed by awe as the rain poured.
His power was so strong that it changed the weather. As expected of the number one hero. All Might's quirk saved countless of lives since the day he made his grand debut. I was grateful for him when my mother came back in home piece. Never did I imagine the same heroes rescue people in natural disasters, all I thought was they fought villains and free hostages but the night Haruhi arrived late—her arms covered in bandages, an oddly colored bruise on her left cheek— my mind conjured the worse, and that I'd lose my second mother.
My toddler self cried. I remembered Haruhi shedding tears as well as she hugged me. She must be scared, trapped under huge debris and unable to move a muscle.
Gratitude didn't cover the whole emotions we felt that night.
As I grew more mature and aware, I realized that I was indebted to All Might. Without him, my family of four could have lost one in my early years of childhood. I think that kind of trauma will have a more negative impact on me than before. Thank God, none of that happened.
The video stopped and the TV screen displayed the image of a blonde boy, wearing a gakuran. I wondered what he felt. The news wasn't actually helpful since all they commented about the boy's persistence and nothing note-worthy was said other than his apparent bravery.
I scoffed, the shorter boy was more brave if someone asked me. Vaguely, my mind puzzled over the idea of dashing towards the face of danger. Should the roles be reversed, I was positive my body would freeze before panic settled. I was the type of guy to leave emergency to the professionals but the thought of a helpless Hinata, numb at the scene my mind concocted – it was Haruhi instead of Bakugou suffocating – left me conflicted. Can my quirk push the villain? Can I pull mother into my arms instead? Can I even act like a Midoriya?
A pro hero saving the day… what happened if they couldn't?
The news ended with All Might giving a thumbs up and suddenly running from cameras.
Weird.
It appeared to me that the hero was rushing somewhere. A toilet maybe? Instead of hunting another villain in Musutafu. Man… The work of professional heroes sure was hard and people depended on them for safety that I don't think there was anything else for the police to do.
But I just shrugged. Another day another battle in this society. My finger pointed at the button beside the TV and pushed the volume down.
Edited: 5/8/2019