Trigger Warning:
- mention of abuse
I stand in front of the bathroom mirror, fidgeting with the cuff links of my suit.
A light green three-piece suit with a red tie.
Given the risk I am about to undertake, I figured I should wear auspicious colors for fortune.
And we Japanese heavily regard green as lucky.
I'm not a particularly religious person, but I do pray from time to time. Especially for my deceased brother. Now, I pray for myself. And for her. To any ancestor or god out there, give me your blessing just for tonight. I'm going to step into the lion's den. Please let me free her from the beast's maw.
If everything works out, Selene and I will be back at the dormitory tonight, with all her luggage in hand and no one the wiser. Although, it wasn't easy getting to this point. I recall all the cards I had to play to get Dad to agree to this dangerous yet meticulous plan.
"Look, I don't have much respect for you," I argued, slamming down a gold bar recovered from the raid at a mafia hideout. "You know it, too. But I promised to give you a chance to redeem yourself. Now I'm literally offering you a golden opportunity." I look at the second bar in my hand. "Pun intended."
Dad shook his head. "You know I resent that man. I agreed to invite him and his daughter to our home on your insistence that one time but this is too much. You want to flee with the girl? Absolutely not."
One more block. "I hate the bastard, too. Because she is being abused by him. She's not like him."
He shook his head and began calculating the total market value of the riches. Endeavor offered to guarantee that all the loot was recovered before handing them to the police because Tsukauchi-san - the officer in charge of the raid – was already preoccupied with the triple murder case, Selene's sexual assault, the impending financial crime trial, and finding out the League of Villain's plans. I thought it was a good chance to bring up the subject with him, so I suggested staying behind while Bakugou and Midoriya went home.
"Shouto," he said. "Rebelling me is one thing. You are my son; my anger will be tempered toward you." I raise an eyebrow, remembering all the consequences of his 'tempered' anger. He sees it, since I make no effort of hiding my dubiousness. "Okay. Stop accusing me like that. You get my point. The problem is that that girl's father will not be as restrained as myself."
"Her name is Selene," I mutter. "When will you start calling her by her name?"
"Maybe when you get her out of your head," he replies.
I nearly threw the next gold bar at his face. "How can you say that? She is not some sort of plague or madness. Selene's my friend. My best friend."
Dad glared at me. The signature glare he gave villains. My fury was still incited, but his scorn knocked enough sense into me to just bang the metal onto his desk. "You think I don't notice the way you look at her? Talk about her? Try to protect her? My marriage with your mother may have been strained, but I am not an idiot at reading behavior. You love her. That's why you're ready to go to such lengths."
There was no point in denying it then.
"Yes," I confirmed. "I am in love with her. Which is all the more reason you should help me."
"No," he countered. "Because the way you love will bring about calamity. I know you keep up a front around everyone. With your friends, with Fuyumi, Natsuo, me, and even your mother. You maintain a cold, controlled demeanor; otherwise, only expressing anger when it overpowers you. Not with her, though. " Dad's face fell. His tone softened. "With that girl … you release your inhibitions completely. I see it whenever her name is simply mentioned. You love with everything you possess, Shouto. Wholly, loyally, and fulfillingly. That kind of love either brings souls together for eternity. Or tears them apart forever."
And you are afraid that the latter will happen to me. That if I lose her, I might lose myself, too. There was truth to that. As much as I usually disagreed with Dad, about this he was right: I do love Selene intensely. "That is precisely why I cannot bear watching her get hurt anymore. If you don't want to watch the successor to your Number One title succumb to his own grief, then do this for me."
He was still reluctant to acquiesce to my wish. But I still had one more chance. My final attempt. My trump card. Setting down the last block of gold, I said, "Being a hero means protecting not only the innocent but the people you care about. If I cannot save Selene, then I do not deserve to be a hero."
That sealed it. That combination of incredulity, rage, and shock was all the affirmation I needed that Dad agreed. Selene would not have liked it if she knew I gambled my future to protect her, but I never made that promise with her. Dirty of me, I know. Yet it was necessary.
And here I am now.
About to reap what I sowed.
I hope it's gold and not pyrite.
We discussed this plan so many times. Refining methods, erasing flaws, minimizing the possibility of everything screwing up badly. I was the liaison between Selene and Endeavor. She knows the plan, too.
So when Dad and I sit in the car, and he begins driving us to the lake near the Hanada manor, I play out the strategy in my mind. After I have rehashed it about four times, we finally arrive at the place. Even from this distance, the mansion is a massive structure. We traverse the gap between the car and the building by foot.
This is my third time coming here, and its ominous aura has not diminished since then. Despite yellow light filtering from the windows and the mingling sounds of a hundred guests speaking over one another, the mansion is not a place of warmth. This is all a facade. A mask to hide what really goes on in the four wall rooms.
"Be careful to not let your hatred show," Dad grumbles quickly as we pass the main gates.
I scoff, "Look who's talking. Don't worry about me. If I can see that Selene is all right, my mood will brighten naturally."
I start moving to the entrance before he can retort. Dad joins me soon enough. We stand in front of the butler, dressed in tuxedos, sprayed with cologne, fitting right in with the atmosphere. He passes the invitation to the butler, who verifies it in his roster and ushers us through.
Inside, I see just how much this place changed since January. The party is taking place in the same enormous chamber where the funeral was held, but instead of three daises with caskets and incense, there are tiered chandeliers and marigolds, peonies, and hydrangeas. A rainbow of colors greets the eye, and a myriad of fragrances welcomes the nose. Given the high ceiling, curtains of large windows are pulled back. It reminds me of one of those royal romances in manhwa and manga, where the female lead enters a room that screams opulence and luxury. To the left is a bar, spanning the entire length of the wall. Undoubtedly, there are patrons frequenting the spot. To the right is the passage into the dining area. The rest of the chamber is reserved for the guests to walk and talk. Already, groups of men and women have formed, gossiping about the latest fashion or political news.
I am looking for a familiar girl with long, flowing hair and likely flowers entwined in the curls.
I am not disappointed.
There. By the dragon tapestry. She is mingling with a group of three to four women, who engage her in some conversation I cannot make out. She throws her head back, laughing at some remark, and I get to see her properly.
By the angels, she is marvelous.
Dressed in a green as dark as serpentine, it is the perfect complement to my sage green suit. The design is simple yet very elegant. A wide, circular neckline that trickles down to a long skirt, accentuating her figure. Matched with equally dark gloves and choker. Part of her white hair is fashioned into a high French-braided bun chignon, while the rest runs down her back. Light reflects off the silver ear shells, which makes me notice the other interesting feature of her ensemble tonight. Small gold flowers sit in the braid at equal intervals. Kerria, I realize. Otherwise known as the Japanese rose. The story is that long ago, a man dropped some coins in a valley. Later, those coins blossomed into these roses. Hence the flowers are associated with wealth and prosperity. Which of course is the theme of this party.
Selene catches my eye.
Bowing and taking her leave from the ladies, she saunders toward me. "Welcome, Todoroki-kun and Endeavor-san," she greets politely. "Did you have a safe journey coming here?"
Glancing at the venue again, I raise an impressed eyebrow. "This place has changed so much." Then I look at her. "So did you. You look radiant." A tinge of pink blooms across her cheeks. She adjusts her spectacles to mask the shyness. Cute. "I mean it. Even in a dress with no flower embellishments, you're beautiful. As if you were made to commandeer the business world."
Her cheeks blaze a cherry red, but to my pleasant surprise, she decides not to back down. With a delicate cough, she says, "Had I known that green provided the extra dose of dashing and daring, I would have challenged you by wearing the exact same shade. Just to see who would outdo the other."
It's my turn for embarrassment to creep up my neck. When my hand rises to cover my nape, she smirks cleverly.
"Congratulations on your debut, Hanada Selene," Dad interrupts. His glare toward me is an obvious silent warning that screams, Please stop flirting in front of me! "I hope you progress to unimaginable heights and bring glory to the Hanada name. Where is your father?"
She bites the inside of her lip and gazes pointedly toward the bar. "I'm sure you'll find him with a martini or sake over there." Dad immediately leaves both of us to our whims. If his ability to read the room is so good as he proclaims, then he must know that Selene and I are just ready to leap at the chance of mischief. She loops her free arm through mine and guides me toward the dining area. Inside, most of the patrons are teenagers around our age. Like any normal teenager at a party, the focus is food. Already, many of them are helping themselves to the snack buffet.
"Finally, they'll stop hounding me," she mutters under her breath.
I glance at her from the corner of my eye. "Who?"
Selene juts her chin just slightly at the boys and girls. "Them. Not all of them are horrible, but some are just absolutely incorrigible." She tells me how before I arrived, our peers in age were her conversationalists. They would not stop parroting question after question about the most mundane of topics. "Oh, are you single?" she began mocking in a singsong, high-pitched voice. "Are there guys into canes and stuff? If I asked you to dance with me, could you? You go to U.A.! Oh my gosh! Are you interested in anyone? Could you set me up?" Quiet chuckles escape my lips as she continues expressing her frustration in a cheap parody of her guests. Selene rolls her eyes and grumbles, "You'd think sucking up to others would comprise more fruitful discussions. Not whatever nonsense this was. I mean, on one hand, I am trying to talk about their future goals with whichever company they hail from. On the other hand, they think I'm some sort of love guru."
"But with you linking arms with me, won't they just ask you more about love?"
She gives me that same cunning smirk from earlier. "If they are indeed such experts in love, then they should be able to recognize two things: 1) I will not set up a date for them; 2) My dance partner for this evening is present."
"Dance partner?"
She nods and beckons to the room we just came from. "You were the last guest to come, but once everyone is well-situated, Hanada-sama and I will formally announce my ascension. After that, many long dances will follow."
Okay. This is definitely a chapter straight out of a manga.
Although, I am not opposed to the idea of dancing with Selene.
"Also …" her voice drops to a hush. While she maintains a placid smile to the adolescents, her tone belies her seriousness. "Their behavior reminded me that I cannot leave this party without someone noticing and asking where I'm going. Having the son of the Number One Hero with me will prevent them from prying too much. If anyone dares, I can simply tell them that I am showing you around."
That makes sense. Selene is the hostess. It would be rude of the hostess to leave her guests without a viable reason. Because of Dad, I am an extra special member and the ticket to her freedom. What she has not mentioned but I know is the threat of Miyamoto. So far I haven't seen his face at this party, but Selene believes Hanada-shi will grant him access somehow. By chance she is alone, he won't hesitate at the opportunity to force himself on her. As long as I'm with her, he can't try anything.
Slowly, we traverse the width of the dining area. Occasionally, awestruck people come up to us, while resentful ones stay close to the walls. One guy asks me if it was really me who summoned a gigantic ice wall at the Sports Festival; one girl presses Selene about the ear shells. They're nice about their curiosity. We humor them for some time. However, we really need to get going.
Finally, I come up with an idea. "I think the cooks are about to bring in another batch of cookies," I lie. The distraction works. Typical teenagers can't resist the temptation of fresh food. As soon as their attention is diverted elsewhere, I pull Selene with me toward the indicated exit.
Selene shuts the door behind us, and after a pause and a mutual glance, we break out into simultaneous laughter.
"Extroverts, am I right?" I joke.
"Indeed," she replies. After our laughter dies down, she points at the end of the corridor we entered. "Come with me." This corridor leads to some powder rooms for the guests, she explains. There are no cameras here. During the past few nights, Selene and I concocted our plan, she told me how Hanada-shi had installed security cameras and other tech gadgets inside the manor after the murders of his sons. Selene bribed the head butler to get her out of the house undetected to meet me at the lake, but the butler ratted her out. The rest of the story … well, I witnessed it.
She had described the route that the butler showed her to me, in case of an emergency. I recalled the promise she made me take: to leave her behind if things became dangerous. That route was the escape if things devolved. Otherwise, she was going to use her light and shadow abilities to camouflage us with the surroundings.
We would walk around the mansion in open light and no one would be the wiser.
The issue is the duration Selene can maintain the concealment until her arthritis kicks in. That's why we have to work efficiently.
Selene places her hands on my shoulders and traces indecipherable patterns. Wisps of shadows and beams dart around me. I look at my feet. I cannot see them. Below my knees is just the floor. Soon that vanishes, too. "I've never done this on someone else," she admits suddenly. "That's why I thought if I touch you and activate my quirk, this might work."
"Oh, okay," I reply like an idiot.
I mean, watching oneself slowly become one with the architecture is kind of impressive. Soon enough, I cannot see my hands. Then Selene appears to be touching nothing but air. "It's done," she tells me. One hand trails down my arm to link fingers with mine, while the other draws those same shapes on her thigh. Selene, too, becomes one with the walls and floor. We have just each other's voices to rely on and our intertwined hands. "To maintain the illusion, physical contact is best," she explains in a quiet tone.
Just like the first time, I give a dumb response. "Cool."
She pulls me with her through all sorts of hallways, doors, and stairs until we reach the wing of the mansion where she lives. The dreary atmosphere has not lessened. It doesn't matter now. Not when we will have nothing to do with this place soon.
There is caution tape across the entrance of her bedroom. Sorry, first bedroom. The one she lived in before the League of Villains attacked. The door is shut, so I have no idea what it looks like inside. I'm not sure I want to see. Selene pauses momentarily in front of it, appearing as through she wants to say something. Then she decides the better of it.
"This way," is all she says.
After one turn, we reach her new bedroom.
She releases my hand, dropping the concealment on us instantly.
The room is nothing remotely like her. Instead of midnight blue, plain white is the paint used on the walls. The bed is simple without a mosquito net. No alcove leads to a small library with a piano. Selene's aesthetic is the night. Magical. Mysterious. Mystical. Although her belongings are here, this bedroom is like a prison cell.
"Is this where you've been sleeping since January?" I ask, incredulously.
She nods. "Hanada-sama forbid me from stepping into the room where his sons died. He said that even after the investigation was over, that bedroom was off limits. He shifted me into one of the spare bedrooms. Said that whatever I could carry, I could bring to the new bedroom. The problem is that there is no place here to store my books. My piano is also in that room."
"No wonder you began spending so much time at the library," I comprehend. "Even the rare times you appeared in the common room, it was for the piano." I stare at Selene, seeing her in a new light for not the first time. "You missed your little alcove."
She smiles forcibly for my sake. "I'm going to miss them." Just for a moment, Selene embraces the grief before schooling her features into a mask of coldness. "Like you said, I got the suitcases ready." I look in the corner, she beckons. There are at least seven black, bulky guarantees of freedom with wheels waiting to be filled with paraphernalia.
I stare at her.
She stares at me.
I smile.
She returns it, not weak or fake this time.
"Shall we?"
"Indeed."