Chapter One: Injustice
"I'll be rooting for you, Eiko."
Yuko looks at her younger sister who seems completely relaxed. It's not her first competition which may contribute as to why she seems so calm and confident, but the real reason probably has more to do with conviction and boredom. She tries to spread awareness but it never leads anywhere.
Yuko, herself, has joined has participated in a few similar events before, but it's frustrating. People willingly turning a blind eye to the issues. Mockery. It gets tiring to constantly defend thoughts and ideas. She respects Eiko for her persistence.
There's about two hundred or so people in the auditorium. A fraction of its full capacity, but enough people that it doesn't seem empty. Probably a fifth of the attendees are family members of the participants. A fair number of people for a youth competition. Probably has to do with the competition being government funded and has been consecutively running for twelve years.
Yuko takes a seat to get comfortable in. She mutes her phone before glancing at the pamphlet. Her eyes scans the contestant names and abstracts before they pause on Nezu. He's currently the principal of U.A., the largest and most known heroes training school in Musutafu. He periodically shows up on the news for press conferences for updates.
She knows him better from her research into legal history and policy. His mere existence brought many legal question to the court, and all the information surrounding it was made public since it was a public trial. Outside that conundrum he's gone on to be an accomplished scholar himself. She doesn't know much about him as a person but she respects the work he's achieved.
"Not again." Yuko hears the whispers of the man and woman seated in the row in front of her. They're close enough that she can see the woman point to the pamphlet page where Eiko is listed. "She shouldn't be allowed to compete." Yuko grips the arm of the chair as the anger bubbles in her chest. "How do we know she isn't using her quirk on the judges? There's no way she actually wins as often as she does."
Eiko rarely uses her quirk and the insinuation that she would use it to cheat, especially over something so petty, is insulting. Yuko is angry on her behalf.
Eiko's quirk is Hallucinogen which can mentally simulate sensations and images on a person if they're close enough to her. She's fierce on personal autonomy and empowerment. Yuko can still hear Eiko's words: "Manipulating them will only disempower them and lead them into a false sense of security or success. Making them temporarily think or feel otherwise doesn't erase hate or dissatisfaction, nor does it permanently solve problems. I want to help give people the tools to build, not lead them to a place where they'll down spiral."
Some may think it's weird to look up to someone younger, but Yuko is constantly inspired by her sister.
Her dad used to be on that list too. He was involved with ground level politics for over a decade, so she's grown up conscientious of many thing. Help protect the little person – a goal that she probably adopted from him. He's not really involved these days too, and since her mom's death things haven't been the same with him.
Things quiet down as the competition begins. It's insightful and some of the things the participants linger in her mind for consideration. She wishes some of the others would use this set-up to really engage with what they're saying rather than focusing on the competition aspect. Surely, some are but sitting by several families tints her perception.
The last speech ends and everyone is invited to a light reception as the judges talk among themselves.
"You did great." Yuko passes a glass of water to Eiko.
Eiko glances around the room. "I always hate this part. I wish we could just leave."
Yuko takes out her phone and sends several photos to Eiko. "I sent you some cute animal photos."
"Thank you!" Eiko takes out her phone and starts scrolling. "They look so floofy. I want to touch them."
The judges finally make their decisions and everyone returns for the announcements.
Yuko isn't surprised as Nezu announces the top three winners, who will receive a small monetary award, and Eiko is revealed to be in first place.
She's really not. The effort Eiko put into it might as well be a mini dissertation. Guess that's what happens when you keep someone in school with people their age only for social reasons. Outside if subjects like math and music she's easily a lot smarter than Yuko.
Yuko clicks on the tab of her phone of a professional chef's knife. Is it unethical? Maybe. If she could afford it she would just buy it, but she's more or less living off some of Dad's wages and Mom's survivor's benefits.
Staring at the image she replicates the knife with her quirk and it appears in her hand. Her quirk, Imagine, is an anomaly from her mom's quirk Illusion, that allowed her to create illusions within a set area with her as the focal point, and her dad's quirk Iron Will that prevents mental quirks to be with him and with enough focus gave him control over his own mind. She's not good at biology, but that somehow translated to her visions not being illusions, but real – even if temporary. Her quirk requires focus and will limiting how much she could create and for how long. Not to mention the distance restriction her mom had.
Instead of preparing a mise en place for cooking breakfast, she has to recreate the knife several times. Each time her attention moves elsewhere to another step it vanishes.
It's just some basic miso to go along with the rice cooking and the leftover side dishes from dinner last night, but she's proud.
Yuko knocks and opens her dad's bedroom door. He isn't there.
He isn't there most days anymore.
She bites the tip of her tongue in bitterness. He's seem happier the past few months, but he's not the same anymore. His goals. His priorities. Even his hobbies and his conversations are often completely different. She wants to believe it's just mania and grief, but that doesn't make the situation any easier to deal with.
Yuko walks to her shared room. "Eiko, breakfast is ready."
Her sister groans, picks up her charging phone, tosses it, and flips over. She's really not a morning person.
She'll be able to get herself up, but there's also no need to wait for Eiko to come to the table to eat breakfast. By the time she does come out, Yuko has already moved on to cleaning the dishes she's dirtied.
They lock the door and leave for school together.
Yuko uses the train ride as an opportunity to read the news on her phone. As it is so commonly done, mutant criminals garner more attention for lesser crimes.
Society is hard when biology can differ. Socially just as much as politically. She likes to think things have been getting better and yet there's still much to be done.
"See ya in class, Yano." One boy slaps the back of the girl's head before the two others with him dump some kind of dark liquid on her.
"Quirkless Yano."
"What assholes," says Eiko.
"They often are."
"They're in your class?"
"Unfortunately." Yuko sighs. "I'll deal with it." She waves goodbye to her sister. Before she can even reach Yano Sasaki she's run off.
Yuko makes her way to the teachers' office. The bullying has gone on long enough. It started a few weeks into the new academic year and hasn't slowed down since.
She would like to think third-year middle schoolers would behave more appropriately, but this only further proves that regardless of the demographic there are people who will be malicious.
"Tashiro-sensei." She steps next to his seated figure. Perhaps he has been too busy to notice. The bullying is mostly done off class time. An authority figure who could give disciplinary action and be the voice of reason is greatly needed.
"What is it Kotogara?"
"Mori, Tanaka, and Abe have been bullying Yano Sasaki." She stares expectantly but he shows no sign of surprise. If anything, he looks irritable.
"Don't you think they're old enough to sort it out themselves."
"She's in the bathroom crying because they emptied a jar of eel sauce on her, and that's after they mocked her for not having a quirk."
"Life's not fair. Better to learn that now than later."
Yuko curls her fingers into fists at her side. Why does she try? Why does she continue to try? When was the last time an adult, an authority figure, didn't let her down? Has it been months? Years?
"If you care that much you should do something about it. You are class president, aren't you?" Yeah and he's the teacher!
Yuko can feel her eyes prickling. She can't cry. Not here in front of him. Not now. Not when one of her classmates is actually the one suffering.
This world. It flaunts messages of hope but where is the action? Does it only matter after someone's been labelled a villain? Does it only matter when it's a public matter? She knows the answer to that. She's seen the statistics. A part of her wants it to be wrong though.
Yuko thinks of her sister. She isn't like her as much as she wishes she was. She doesn't have a list of solutions prepared. She doesn't know how to build someone up when they've repeatedly been torn down. She's remembered a bunch of facts and figures but what good is that when she can't put anything into action.
She needs to stop looking at others for solutions. In this moment, she needs to protect Yano herself.
"I'll see myself out."
Yuko grabs her gym uniform then walks to the third-floor bathroom where the gossip seems to imply Yano is currently at crying.
The crying can be heard the moment she opens the door. She unbuttons her blazer then her blouse. Unzipped her skirt and tossed it on the pile of clothing. She changes into her gym uniform before grabbing her school uniform and knocking on the stall door. "Yano…I have clothes you can change into."
"Go away! You're just going to make fun of me too." Yano lashes out. "Nothing ever changes." Has she been suffering all these years? Yuko can't say. She transferred in at the beginning of the second term last year and they had been in different classes.
"…maybe I should just die."
Memories swarm from when her mom was first admitted to the psychiatric hospital then to the urn with her ashes.
"Don't let those assholes make you feel worthless. They're immature and stupid. Definitely not worth your life." Yuko speaks in a soft even tone even as her heart palpitates. Yano's emotions were no doubt haywire and she needed her to calm down.
There's no response but she can hear her changing her position.
"Sensei won't do anything, but I will. Okay? So, let's get you tidied up."
Yano cracks open the stall door just a little to peak out. Whatever she sees must not be threatening because she accepts the offer of clothing.
Yuko helps wash as much of the eel sauce out of Yano's hair before changing.
With that done they head to class.
"What are you wearing Kotogara? We don't have P.E. until this afternoon."
"I spilt tea down the front of me."
"Enough to change outfits? Just wash up. It can't be that bad."
Yuko refuses to answer but turns to Mori, Tanaka, and Abe who stare and snicker at Yano.
Part of her really wants to lash out at them. Primal instincts of physical violence, yet as always a bigger part of herself doesn't want to hurt anyone.
Tashiro-sensei said to deal with it. She doesn't know if he had been serious or using that to dismiss her, but she has an alibi for what she's going to do.
She shouldn't have to do this. This is legally under the jurisdiction of teachers. The reason she went to Tashiro-sensei in the first place.
Yuko picks up a piece of chalk and writes of the blackboard. It's a list of anti-bullying, harassment, and other unacceptable conduct policies, and reiterated them vocally to the class. "Anyone found breaking these rules going forth will face the consequences."
Mori looks down at her desk. Her hair shadowing her face looking stressed and worried.
"Who made you the boss?" questions Abe as he jumps off the desk he had been sitting on.
Tanaka grabs Abe's wrist and shakes his head. "Dude don't. Haven't you heard? Kotogara defeated a villain when she was 10!"
Wait? What? Yuko hears their conversation. Where did people hear that?
"Yeah right. It's probably some shitty rumour. Kotogara has never even shown her quirk. She's probably quirkless too."
"Dude, I've seen the video."
Video? Yuko has a pretty good idea which video they are talking about, but how did people find it. It was what? Five years ago, or so. It didn't even get that much traction as it's burrowed among endless online content.
"Number 7: It is prohibited to speak of quirks, or lack thereof, in a demeaning or degrading manner. Is that understood? It's fine to take interest in quirks. What's not fine is using them to designate each other's worth."
Tanaka shows the video to Abe on his phone which attracts some other classmates to huddle and watch along as they had heard the rumours but were unsure about the legitimacy.
Class 3-D seems to come to unanimous decision that they would follow the rules going forward. Yuko doesn't like it. If they are just following because of a stupid video then they didn't learn the lesson, but if makes the year a little quieter and makes them form positive habits than who is she to complain. The outcome is what she wants but the spirit of it is totally lost.
Yuko and Eiko are walking home when they see a familiar figure sitting in an alley. They backtrack to the convenience store and buy a few food items before returning.
"Glad to see you're still alright," says Eiko as she places the bag next to him. "I wasn't sure if you vanishing meant something happened to you or if something in your life improved. I won't force you to do anything you don't want to—" A broken chuckle that sounded closer to a scoff than a laugh escapes the man's lips. "But if you want to go to a hospital I can take you. If not I know where some shelters and resources are. I can give you the addresses."
Eiko waves Yuko off who nods and walks off.
Yuko has seen him around the area a few times, but supposedly Eiko has run into him more. She wonders whether he visits one of the places she volunteers. If so, there's probably some confidentiality aspect.
"Can you do it again?" The man asks Eiko once it's just the two of them.
Eiko bites her lip. This is part of the reason she doesn't like using her quirk. Temporarily erasing one's negative emotions doesn't solve the problem. It's just another form of escapism, yet even then she understands that sometimes even just a moment of peace could help someone persevere.
She tucked her skirt and sits down. "You have 15 minutes."
Yuko stops at coin karaoke, it's always such a cathartic feeling, before stopping at the local grocery store before heading home.
She puts the items away in the fridge and pantry before making her way downstairs with the garbage and recyclables. A can stuffed in her sweater pocket.
She hears a meow and looks behind the bins to see a grey cat with a black patch over its right eye and white tipped tail.
"You are still here." She kneels down and extends her arm to which the cat cautiously approaches. The cat rubs its head into her hand. "You can't tell anyone but I brought you a can of skipjack." She opened the can and placed it down in front of the cat.
Yuko is content watching the cat but is startled by the sound of plastic bottles hitting each other.
"Huh? What are you doing behind there? Kotogara—is that a cat?!" The familiar figure of Yamada appears. He's wearing glasses and his hair is messily tied. He lives two floors below her and often saw him in the elevator.
The sudden noise causes the cat to run off.
"Well, it was."
"Sorry! Is it a stray?"
Yuko nods. "It's alright. I probably shouldn't be feeding it anyway."
"Why would you say that?"
"Don't you know? It's bad for the ecosystem. Still, it's a living thing and it always comes by here. Instincts to take care of it overtake harm it might cause in other areas. It's not like the cat asked to be a stray."
They walked into the building and pressed the elevator button.
"…Can I ask you something, Yamada?"
"Of course! What's bothering you little listener?"
"Why do people become heroes?"
He chokes, but he watches as Kotogara stares at him cold eyes. No accusation. No suspicion. Just…removed and tired. Huh? In this moment she kind of reminds him of someone. It's not a question he expected but it's certainly a question he can answer.
"To help people!" And beat down some people who totally deserve it.
Yuko frowns. It is an answer she anticipated. She doesn't know why she's expecting some nuanced answer from a neighbour. The elevator doors opened and they both enter. She presses her floor number before his.
"Then what happens when someone can't help?."
"Everything okay listener?" Is this her way of trying to reach out? Did she need help?
No. Everything isn't okay, but that's not what he's asking.
"Yes, just curious."
The elevator door opens. Yamada takes a step out but keeps a hand on the door for it to stay open. "People fail sometimes. When that happens it's time to learn and adapt don't you think? If that still doesn't work someone else will come and fill that role. Hope that answers your question! Bye!" He removes his hand and the elevator door shuts.
Someone will come and fill that role, huh?
Does Yuko have faith that someone will fill in the gaps she saw? Not really.
She pulls out the career form that she was given in homeroom. She needs to hand it in for parent-teacher conference about the direction of her future.
Eiko already seems set on some type of social service or humanitarian crusade, but what does she want?
The whole world is watching heroes. What better platform could there be?
Midoriya looks through an online quirkless forum. He sometimes finds himself here. A reminder that he isn't only quirkless person. That there's others going through the same things he is.
It doesn't make the situation hurt less, but there is some comfort in camaraderie. With his classmates making it clear they don't believe he could become a hero; he wants extra comfort today which means checking the forum before binging videos of heroes.
He comes across a photo taken in school. A list of rules. The post goes on to talk about there being allies out there even when it may not feel like it.
He's a little jealous. He doesn't want some unknown entity that may or may not exist to support him. He wants open support. Someone that would back him up. Even his own mom can't be that person for him.
As much as it bothers him that the support isn't available in his own life he's happy someone else did.
Yuko meets up with her dad at a small ramen stand.
"So…a hero?"
"Honestly, I thought you would be angrier." Yuko can't find it in herself to directly look to her dad so she focuses on the bowl in front of her.
"I'm not angry. I'm worried." Ishii places a hand on Yuko's shoulder briefly before taking a slurp of his broth.
She knew this was coming. Her classmates and teachers won't think anything odd of the career path. If anything, a lot of her peers probably wanted the same thing. Her dad was more on the cautious side though. The type to think that anything you do and say in public can and will come back to bite. A habit picked up on from his abusive father, she refuses to mention him by name or title, and his time in politics.
This moment had been coming for weeks. Perhaps she should have mentioned it sooner to get it over with, but she feared how her dad would react and let that consume her. At least he actually showed up. He rarely visits now of days and they got into a fight the last time they spoke. And the time before that…and the time before that. Unfortunately it's become a reoccurring trend, so she is pleasantly surprised as he takes everything in stride.
"I just want to let you know I thought about this a lot. If it doesn't work out I have back up plans. I really want to help people. I can't stop caring. I know it's not the only way, but for now I think it might be the best and even most practical way to achieve it." Yuko keeps her eyes on her food.
Ishii slumps forward on his seat. Yuko is the spitting image of Naoko, though she has his stubbornness and defiance. He knows that he would be unlikely to change her mind, and he has always encouraged she find her own path in life. He really wants to say no as if it's his decision to make. Yuko and Eiko have been through enough as is and being a hero would guarantee to bring her more pain. "If it's you I know you've looked into it, but I'll still worry."
Yuko looks towards her dad for the first time. He hasn't exploded in indignation. Is he really going to accept it just like that? Has she been fretting for weeks for nothing?
Ishii's voice became jovial. With a giant grin he said, "At least let me brag about you when you get accepted."
When, not if. Yuko's heart warms at the acceptance and belief. Even so, "The entrance exams are still eight months away!" She remembers Eiko's words: "I understand you were thinking of me, but please don't ever use me as a reason to stop you from doing what you want." Perhaps her dad thought the same underneath the protectiveness. "Also, please don't go around telling everyone. You know how I feel about that."
Two different ringtones ring simultaneously.
Immediately Yuko reaches for her phone as that tone was set for one specific person. "That'll be Eiko! Oh no."
"What's wrong."
Yuko show her screen towards her dad, showing him the message he undoubtedly received too. "Seems her 'luck' strikes out again. She agreed to wait around a while longer to give her statement to the police. She didn't use her quirk, and you already know she's not one to get into a fight, so she isn't getting charged with vigilantism. More importantly, she's not hurt and she calmed the guy down."
"I wish she would have used her quick. I worry about that one."
Yuko stays silent ending the conversation. Eiko is a year younger than herself but her views, intellect, and action makes her someone worth admiring. She wishes that their dad could see the things in Eiko that she does.
In the meanwhile, she needs to prepare. It's a good thing that if there's one thing Yuko's good at it's over preparing.
If some of this seems familiar to you, it's because I'm rewriting. Some chapters may seem more familiar than others.