Case file #22: Shinsou Hitoshi

"Dear Diary, I can't, even with all my years in the medical field, figure out why my assistant's condition isn't considered insomnia!

Yes, I know he wakes up and sleeps anytime he wants! But how do you explain him sleeping at every encounter with others before he seduces them?! Unknowingly seducing them!"

"Sloppy."

Shouta commented, looking at a hanging upside down Hitoshi. Hitoshi only groaned in response as he struggled to escape from the binding. Shouta only stood there and watched for a while before he finally released his grip on his binding scarf, dropping Hitoshi onto the floor.

"The practical exam starts in three days." Shouta emotionlessly commented. "At this rate, your chances of failing are higher than everyone else."

Hitoshi scowled as he pulled himself up, getting into his fighting stance.

"We're done for today." Shouta looked away and headed towards the gym's exit.

"I can still fight!" Hitoshi called out.

"I know." Shouta didn't slow down. "And if you keep going like that, we'll just be wasting both of our time."

Before turning the corner at the door, Shouta looked back at Hitoshi once more. "Come up with something different, Shinsou. Something better than just insults to get me to reply to you."

Hitoshi flinched.

"Your seat in the Hero Course depends on it."

"Midoriya." Hitoshi called.

"Hm~?" Izuku, with his head on the table, turned to Hitoshi with a relaxed smile.

"Why haven't you transferred to the Hero Course? No one's stopping you now, right?"

Hitoshi watched carefully as Izuku hummed in thought for a few seconds before the nurse just shrugged.

"It just doesn't feel right just yet~." Izuku nonchalantly answered, rolling his head side to side on the table. "Besides, I prefer this current job, anyway. I'll leave the difficult and important stuff to you guys for now~."

"Your job is important, too…." Hitoshi mumbled, not being able to look at the cuteness next to him.

"I know that." Izuku chuckled. "But you guys are the ones risking yourself out there. Best I can do now is make sure your injuries are well-taken care of."

As Hitoshi and Izuku exchanged compliments, they didn't notice the table they were seating at- the whole canteen they were at- turned deadly quiet. Next to them, Chikuchi's mouth hung open with a bewildered expression while the table behind them, containing Pony, Neito, Setsuna and Togaru, dropped their silverwares at the newfound information.

"Mi- Mi- Midoriya-!" Shaking off her shock, Chikuchi turned to Izuku. "What did Shinsou mean by 'No one's stopping you now'?!"

"He meant-"

"Aizawa-sensei refused to take him in because of his reluctance to throw hands." Hitoshi cut him off.

"It sounds bad when you put it like that." Izuku gently elbowed Hitoshi. "I just didn't score enough in the Entrance Exam. But that's when Recovery Girl took me in under apprenticeship to have a chance at transferring. I have that chance now, I'm just still unsure whether I should take it or not."

"But if you were to transfer," Hitoshi scratched his chin. "Would it be 1-A or 1-B?"

At a table nearby, Tenya's glasses crack, Tsuyu's ever bland expression turned into one of shock, while Ochako and Shouto leaned closer towards Izuku's table to hear better.

"That's an interesting question." Izuku hummed. "I think originally, if I was able to get in the Hero Course, I'd have been in 1-A."

From a table far away, with her sound amplifier, Momo quietly cheered.

"But realistically, I think 1-B would be a better and more suitable choice." Izuku smiled. "Kan-sensei specialized in Quirk training and controlling. I think he would be a better teacher for me. Aside from Chiyo-sensei, that is."

From another table far away, Itsuka shot her fist in the air in vindication.

"I see." Hitoshi nodded. "So which class do you like better?"

Chikuchi shivered from the sheer tension she felt in the air.

"In terms of?"

"Just in general." Hitoshi shrugged. "As in which class would you like to be in?"

Izuku absorbed the question for a few seconds before he finally spoke up.

"I think 1-"

"HEYA LITTLE LISTENERS!" Present Mic barged in the canteen with a loud greeting. "WHY IS THE CANTEEN SO QUIET-"

"Shut up, Mic-sensei!" Kyouka yelled.

"Quiet down, Yamada-sensei!" Juzo chimed in.

"You do know the only reason you aren't on suspension or expelled right now is because of Nezu and I, right?" Chiyo sighed tiredly.

"It's just a prank." Izuku pouted.

"You made Mic cry and Cementoss recited the Bible out of fear!" Chiyo hit Izuku with her cane. "Even Aizawa flinched when he saw you, and that man had seen some messed up stuff!"

"People take mushroom zombies too seriously." Izuku stuck out his tongue. "Kurose-sensei likes it."

"The mushroom zombie wasn't what she took her likings to." Chiyo mumbled. "But I'm tired of explaining stuff to you at this point. How's your family?"

"Just as usual." Izuku shrugged. "Mom did say she would love to speak to you again sometimes. When she is done with her workload, that is."

"Is the police department that busy?"

"She's just a workaholic." Izuku scratched his neck.

"Guess that runs in the blood." Chiyo smiled. "Tell her I'll be waiting."

"Will do." Izuku nodded. "I'm going to head home now. Do you still need me for anything?"

"Not here." Chiyo shook her head. "Swing by the gym and send any students who are still there home. Last thing I need is some block-heads get injured when no one's around."

"Sorry for the delay!" Izuku apologized as he sat down on the arcade machine. "There were some…. complications at the apartment."

"Whatever." The rough, scratchy voice came from under the black hoodie. "Just pick a fighter and lose."

"That's big talk from someone who's never won before." Izuku chuckled tauntingly as he gently tapped on the buttons of the arcade machine. "Isn't it already like 28-0 now?"

"Shut up." The man groaned impatiently. "Your win streak ends today, you hear?! I'm going to dust that shitty combo of yours today!"

"If you insist~." Izuku whistled.

As the 'FIGHT!' was signaled by the announcer, repeated tapping became the only noises between the two. While Izuku was playing the machine elegantly, with every move he made was with precision and careful, his opponent roughly and harshly slammed on the button repeatedly, as if he was gaining extra damages if the button was pressed harder. After 3 minutes or so, the winner was decided.

"Shit!" The man slammed on the arcade machine with his fist.

"Vandalism." Izuku calmly said. "I guess that's 29 to 0?"

"Yeah, and that fucking ends today." He groaned. "I'll dust you next week. So, what do ya want?"

"My microscope is broken for some reasons, so a new one would be nic-"

"I meant food, noob." He jokingly slapped Izuku on the head. "I lost so it's on me, remember?"

"But last time was on me-"

"Do you want the food or not?"

"Katsudon, if you kindly would." Izuku bowed.

The man in the hoodie let out a tired sigh before he pulled out his phone and typed something on it as they both walked to an alleyway. Within seconds, a black portal opened up.

"There's a really good place but it's in Osaka." He pointed at the portal. "It should take…. 5 minutes of walking or something."

"There's a really cheap restaurant down the block-"

"I'm not eating at that place." He cut Izuku off. "Also, the police and heroes frequent that place a lot."

"I see." Izuku nodded as he gestured at the portal. "After you, older cousin."

Tomura scoffed before he walked through, not forgetting to leave Izuku another slap on the head.

With another painful yell, Hitoshi threw a punch at the sandbag. The impact from his hook sent the bag swinging a little before Hitoshi held and hung onto it, trying to regain his breathing.

"I do hope you have a teacher's permission to use this gym?"

Hitoshi turned towards the door to find a familiar face and set of green hair stood there and waved at him with a soft, gentle smile.

"... I do. Aizawa-sensei's." Hitoshi shortly replied.

"Where is he, then?" Izuku peaked his head in and looked around. "This gym is only allowed to be used under the supervision of a staff member."

"He left 5 minutes ago." Hitoshi answered, throwing another punch. "Figure I should stay and practice for a little longer."

"How long have you guys been practicing before he left?"

"An hour, maybe two." Hitoshi said between his breaths. "Couldn't tell."

Suddenly, his punch was stopped as the punching bag was held firmly on the spot. Hitoshi glared over at Izuku, who did not drop his smile.

"Then I guess you should continue this tomorrow." Izuku told him. "You shouldn't be overworking yourself. Especially when the exam is coming up."

"That's why I'm still training." Hitoshi groaned. "I'm fine. Move."

"I believe you." Izuku did not budge. "That's why to continue being fine, you should stop, change, go home and rest. Maybe have a big meal and 8 hours of sleep."

"... Maybe you should care more about yourself before poking your nose into others' business." Hitoshi said pointedly. "Your eyebags look worse than mine."

"This, unfortunately, is a condition I'm living with." Izuku only chuckled soft-heartedly. "Or at least, too busy to fix. Yours, on the other hand, seem like a self-inflicted condition. Please go home and rest up, Shinsou-san."

Hitoshi remained his glare on Izuku for a few minutes before he finally relented and let out a defeated sigh. Izuku let out a brighter smile at the sight of Hitoshi unwrapping his gloves. Izuku took a quick look around the gym for any anomalies before making it back to Hitoshi.

"A one-on-one session with Aizawa-sensei, huh?" Izuku sat down on a gym bench and asked. "That's new. From what I heard from Chiyo-sensei, he never gives students private lessons."

"... Maybe I'm his first pity case." Hitoshi grumpy scoffed. "Not everyday you see someone with a 'Villain Quirk' playing Hero. A terrible Hero, at that."

"'Villain Quirk'?" Izuku tilted his head confusingly. "What do you mean?"

"You know what my Quirk is." Hitoshi looked away. "Figure it out."

"Your Quirk is called 'Brainwashing'. You can take away the control of a person's body if they reply to you verbally." Izuku read out Hitoshi's Quirk. "Pretty useful in hostage or negotiation situations, in my opinion. Hell, it's especially effective against people who love to monologue."

"'Brainwashing'." Hitoshi emphasized. "Even the name sounds 'villainous'."

Once again, Hitoshi watched as Izuku's head remained tilted as his expression became more and more confused.

"I…. still don't get it." Izuku scrunched his face in thought. "'Villain Quirk'?"

Hitoshi scowled in annoyance. "If you're here to mess with me-"

"Are you a Villain?"

"... What?"

"Are you a Villain?" Izuku repeated.

"No…?"

"Have you ever used your Quirk for anything…. 'Villain-like'?"

"N- No?"

"Have you hurt anyone with your Quirk, deliberately, before?"

"N- No!"

"Then I still don't get it." Izuku continued as he scratched his chin in thought. "How is 'Brainwashing' a 'Villain Quirk'?"

Hitoshi remained still, even when Izuku had waved him goodbye as he left the gym.

"Please keep your phone on, master Tomura." Kurogiri requested. "It is crucial for me to immediately reach out if anything happens."

"Yeah, yeah." Tomura waved him off. "I'm just out for some video games. Stop being such a tutorial NPC."

With that, Tomura slammed the door shut. On his way to the department store, Tomura's mind wandered off, and it only singled out one conclusion:

Everything became boring after the USJ.

He came to USJ with full hatred and determination to kill All Might. He failed on that, even with Nomu's help.

He used Stain for publicity. He…. somewhat succeeded and failed on that. His name got out there, but everyone's focus was on the shit-Stain himself.

Even Sensei grew dissatisfied with him as days went on. The man's focus seemed to be entirely on something else. Or someone else, if he had to wager a guess.

But none of that matters now.

Not when he'd found a Player Two.

Tomura grinned at the image of the fearless kid glaring at him. His refusal to dodge Decay to complete an escort mission. His counter to Decay itself.

That strange, familiar feeling he had when he saw the boy for the first time.

Tomura whistled happily, creeping out a few people nearby.

A/N: Just a short one to let you know I'm still alive. For now, at least. Fuck university and its assignments.

Also, is putting Bakugou and Shinsou against All Might a little too lazy? Without Izuku, the matchings get a little…. quirky.