It was the day after the heroes' meeting with the former villain, All for One. Mirai had received the go-ahead to move in to the Midoriya household, and has just arrived at the south entrance of the manor. Right now, he was standing in front of his new host family, and he was finally able to meet the family's matriarch.
"Good morning, Inko-san. I'm really sorry for the intrusion, and thank you for letting me live with you for a while." Mirai greeted the green-haired woman as he bowed to her.
Inko just chuckled, "It's no issue, Sasaki-san. I hope you feel right at home here. I'm glad to be helping the sidekick of my husband's hero friend- which is still weird to say."
Mirai took pause as the matriarch said that, All for One did mention that he said All Might was an old acquaintance, but did he lie about that? Or did he lie about this-
I said he was an acquaintance, but my son misinterpreted what I said and it was relayed as 'friend'. Mirai suddenly heard the former villain's voice ring in his head and correct his assumption.
Mirai subconsciously looked over to the former villain and then to the youngest Midoriya, who was excitedly bouncing up and down in his older brother's arms as he looked at Mirai. The two sons of the family were stationed a few feet back from their parents, standing just beside a few servants.
To think that the small child would be this excited just seeing Mirai, who was by all means, just All Might's glorified secretary, it painted an even clearer impression of the kid for Mirai.
Mirai is barely in the news and only a few articles detail him as All Might's sidekick since he barely goes out in the field. He's better with paper work and as the voice in All Might's earpiece, so that's what he's been doing. It also appeared that the child didn't even know about him until he met All Might, but he was this excited nonetheless.
This kid is...Mirai was thinking to himself.
"Please leave all your belongings to our maids and servants. They'll take your luggages to your room and help you unpack. And then, Hisashi-kun will show you to your room and your office are." The matriarch told the hero sidekick.
"I would accompany you and be a proper host if I could, but I need to leave for work today." The matriarch nervously chuckled. It did made him curious why she was in a business attire when they were only greeting him, but that clearly explains it. He just happened to arrive as she was about to leave.
"Well, I'm leaving now. I hope you feel right at home here, Sasaki-san." Inko gave a slight bow to Mirai, which the latter returned before they both straightened their postures.
"Ah, before I leave," But Inko suddenly said.
Hisashi was taken by surprise when the collar of his shirt was suddenly pulled downwards, causing him to bend his body forward and towards his wife, leaving only a few inches in between his face and hers. He then noticed that Inko was now holding the collar of his shirt and he immediately realized what just happened.
"I really can just bow, I-Inko." Hisashi said with wide eyes as he tried his best to keep his composure, but his wife only replied with a frowning pout.
"Don't you dare, Hisashi-kun! I like it this way." Inko told her husband with a smile before giving him a small peck on the lips. Hisashi's face then became just a bit red, which made Inko just chuckle.
But their sweet little moment was ruined when their eldest piped up with a forced bright tone, "Mom and Dad do realize that it still counts as public display of affection even if just one person not part of the household is present, especially since Sasaki-san hasn't even moved into our house yet?"
Hisashi and Inko slowly looked over at their eldest's direction, one in a barely visibly stunned state and one slightly annoyed, and there, they saw Tenko with a forced smile as he was desperately covering his little brother's eyes while the latter was struggling with all his might to shake off the former's hand and saying stuff like I wanna see! I wanna see! Remove your hand, Tenko! Let me see!
Inko narrowed her eyes at her eldest and in a stiff tone, she responded to her son's rudeness, "Sometimes, I wonder wherever you got that sassy attitude of yours."
Tenko just widened his smile as he said in the sweetest voice he can use, "I'm pretty sure I got it from you, Mom"
Inko's eyes narrowed even more as their mother-son stare down commenced, and it lasted for a good while until the youngest Midoriya suddenly began screaming out.
"Tenko! Tenko! I can't breathe! Your hand is covering my nose! Tenkooooo!" Izuku yelled at his brother in distress.
"Ah! I'm sorry, Izuku! I'm sorry!" Tenko immediately apologized as he removed his hand from his brother's face, but once he did, his entire grip on his little brother also loosened, allowing Izuku the chance to jump off from his brother's arms and go running behind their father.
Izuku furrowed his brows and pouted from behind their father's legs as he stuck his tongue out in defiance of his brother. The devastated expression on Tenko's face was all anyone needed to see how much he regretted earning his brother's anger.
Inko just chuckled at her sons' antics before realizing that she was still holding down her husband's collar this whole time and she apologized as she let him go, "I'm sorry too, Hisashi-kun. I'll let you go now."
Hisashi just cleared his throat to regain his composure before giving his wife a small peck on the lips back and wishing her a safe drive, "Take care, Inko."
"I'll see all of you later," Inko told her family as she began walking towards the family car, but at the last minute, she assigned a task to her eldest, "Tenko, watch over the house, okay?"
Tenko couldn't help himself and chuckled, Ha, so Mom was still worried after all.
The remaining Midoriyas and Mirai then watched as the light silver car drove away from their view.
"Izuku, come on, I'll bring you over to the training hall before I go to my etiquette classes so Dad and Sasaki-san can go on their tour." The eldest son told his little brother as he took a few steps towards him, but the youngest just frowned at his older brother and even stuck his tongue out defiantly one more time before hiding behind their father's legs again.
"No! I'm still angry at you, Tenko!" The little boy hissed, "You almost made me asphyxate!"
"'Asphyxate'? Did you mean asphyxiate?" Tenko asked to correct his little brother.
"Yeah! T-that! I'm still mad!" Izuku puffed up his cheeks as he frowned before continuing, "That's why I'm going to stay with Dad and Sir Nighteye for now!"
...
Ah. Tenko had to stop a laugh and hide a smirk that subconsciously formed on his face.
Relief washed over Tenko as he realized that his little brother didn't truly hate him and that this was all partly a ploy to spend more time with his idol's sidekick. He felt a little better.
"In that case, I guess there's nothing I can do..." Tenko said as he feigned despondence, "I'll go ahead to my classes now. I'll see you later, little brother. Hope you enjoy your day~"
Izuku noticed the slight smirk on his older brother's face as the latter turned around and began walking away. That along with the 'enjoy your day' that sounded a bit more happy and sly immediately clued Izuku in about his brother's true intentions.
He almost smiled in delight at his brother but he managed to stop himself, and instead, he just voiced his gratitude in his thoughts, Thank you, Tenko!
Hisashi had stayed silent as he listened in and watched as his two sons colluded on a scheme on him. He tried to stop a sigh from coming out, but all he could do was try to hide it.
"Has almost 15 years of parenting wore you down, Midoriya-dono?" A certain hero sidekick's sarcastic question caused the two remaining Midoriyas to look over to his direction.
"Is that the impression you have?" Hisashi queried rhetorically as he wore a bored expression. The hero sidekick only responded by fixing the position of his glasses.
Mirai then looked over to the small child still hiding behind his father's legs, already bouncing up and down again as he looked at his fellow greenet with excitement and glee. You could almost see a halo of light coming from the tiny child.
"Sir! Sir! Um, so, uhm! H-how, how is it being All Might's sidekick?!" The tiny greenet stuttered multiple times, not because of nervousness or shyness, rather, he was just incredibly, incredibly excited.
"Is it fun?! What do you do as All Might's sidekick?! How did you become All Might's sidekick?!" The tiny greenet shot out a barrage of All Might's sidekick-related questions, but before Mirai could answer, the small greenet was scooped up and carried by his father.
"Izuku, you're supposed to be training today, aren't you? Do you want me or one of the servants to bring you to the training hall?" Hisashi asked the little boy in his arms, causing the greenet to wince a bit and he pouted.
"B-but, I didn't get the chance to talk to Sir Nighteye yesterday at all, and I had a lot of questions I wanted to ask him, and stuff I wanted him to show me, and stuff I wanted to show him, so... so..." The little greenet's voice trailed off at the end as he knew his dad would probably say no.
"Izuku, Sasaki-san will be staying with us for the next few weeks. I'm sure you'll get the chance to ask your questions." Hisashi tried to explain to his son, but Izuku pouted even more as he sheepishly began playing with the collar of his father's shirt.
"I know... but can I at least come with you to bring Sir to his room? Then I'll go with a servant to the training hall after." The little boy sheepishly requested.
"Izuku." Hisashi spoke in a stern voice.
"Pleeease, Dad?" Izuku begged his father as he wrapped his comparatively small arms around the latter's neck and gave him a hug, "I promise I won't make any trouble."
Hisashi placed his hand on the back of his youngest son's head, and he just let out a sigh of defeat, I spoil you too much.
"Then you should also ask Sasaki-san if he's okay with you coming." Hisashi told his son.
Without letting go of the embrace he had on the former villain, Izuku turned his head towards Mirai to look at him, and with a pleading look in his eyes, he asked, "I-is it alright, Sasaki-san?"
Mirai just looked at the small greeneet with a neutral expression as he hid what he thought, as he analysed the scene that had unravelled before him-the fair and equal footing between 'Hisashi' and his wife, and the former's gentle disposition towards his youngest son, and even his seeming leniency to both of his children.
It seems to match the description Mirai heard from All Might and Gran Torino of All for One's method to deceive- surface level benevolence and the ability to perfectly embody the image he wants his victims to see of him- twisting it all around to make himself look like the perfect family man. It's highly likely that 'Hisashi Midoriya' really is just a facade, a mask that he wears for and in front of his family, and in truth, his real view of his family are simple tools, pawns for the larger play he has. In that case, then he feels bad for the villain's 'family' that got caught up in his schemes.
But then...
Why doesn't it seem that way to Mirai? Why does it feel genuine to him? Is the All for One he's always heard of before just this good at manipulation and deception that even Mirai is fooled despite what he knows of the villain? It makes sense.
But if his goal was to deceive All Might, why a family? There are much more efficient ways to do it. Could he have a different goal then? Multiple goals? Mirai isn't sure yet.
The hero sidekick then responded to the small child's request, "Yes. Please accompany us for a little while."
Izuku immediately perked up, and he regained the bright expression that he had earlier, "Thank you very much, Sasaki-san!"
"It's not a big issue... really." Mirai replied.
Mirai supposed that it's only been two days since he met 'Hisashi Midoriya.' He'll get the chance to know him more in the following weeks.
