Hyori was cycling through the empty gardens of her college-preparatory school. A big hat sheltered her from the unforgiving sun rays of four in the afternoon on a summer day. She was wearing a large blouse and wide pants to let the humid wind glide through and cool her skin. The gardens were a maze of green plants, probably in consideration for the pupils and staff suffering pollen allergy.
Fountains were standing at some crossroads, acting like roundabouts. After a while and a few turns, she arrived at the spot she had been looking for. Under a wide glasshouse, flowers were blooming. It was one of the college-preparatory school's facilities she had wanted to see but hadn't had much time until now. The building ex-centred on the academy's domain and was divided in four sections for each season. The area could be the size of a football court.
Hyori left her bicycle before entering the glasshouse. There was a small closed cabin by the entrance and benches here and there. Each section was parted by a path covered with arcs decorated with flowers. The summer path was decorated by suspended lavender plants. A line of blooming bushes lined the path on the ground and rows of flowers were stretching on each side.
Hyori sat on a bench towards the middle of the path for a better view of the scenery. She removed her hat and retrieved a neurology paper on the laws of attraction. To be precise, the document reviewed the Mimetic Desires in the Human Brain and six studies concluding that "participants rated objects as more desirable once perceived as the goals of another agent's action".
As much as humans were social animals, the girl was new to peer influences on people's neurological functions. When she was in the pension, she focused on how her quirk worked on a single person in a secluded setting. Therefore, she was completely blindsided by how her use of her quirk on someone could affect others, in a negative or a positive way.
She was already aware the idea of the control she could exert on people's actions against their will was generally worrisome and sometimes frightening. But that was regarding her brainwashing abilities. Her dazing abilities were more subtle and weaker. At least, that's what she used to think based on the fact she couldn't command dazed people. Now that she was more social than ever, living inside the dormitories, she saw the consequences of her dazing and hazing abilities in a different light.
Her classmates were clustered in inner circles. Shoji, Kouda, Tokoyami and Sato were one inner circle of close friends in the class. Shoji seemed attached to her since he rescued her. Kouda got in touch with her through Shoji. Kouda had liked her since she used her quirk to haze him during training. Satou had been making special treats and tweakings for her everyday he had been cooking during the week, four days already.
She couldn't cast all of their actions as romantic but their intentions didn't escape her. She could see they were contaminating each other in their dispositions towards her, often trying to get her alone.
For context, she compared their circle to the one formed by Midoriya, Lida, Asui, Uraraka and Todoroki junior. Midoriya had been the first to approach her and he did so in an openly friendly manner, inviting her to his friends' activities. Afterwards, Asui, Uraraka and Lida had invited her to different games and group activities.
The two circles' approaches were similar in how they had mirrored the first member's intentions with varying levels of involvement or intensity. For reference, she had noticed a similar contagious effect when Toya started training with Kiku. The two had displayed an on-going competition for her attention every time she had been inside the dojo.
She would need to overview the evolution of these dynamics in the long term. She might be exaggerating or not having the whole picture. Afterall, people generally share the same thinking processes and likes with their friends. It wasn't far-fetched to assume they would like the same people their friends did in a similar fashion, even if Touya and Kiku weren't friends and had never been.
Her thoughts were interrupted by another figure entering the glasshouse, Miss Nanase. The woman retrieved a liquid spray from the cabin at the entrance and walked towards the summer section.
"Fancy finding you here, Shinsou." Greeted the woman.
"Good Afternoon, Miss Nanase." Greeted Hyori back before asking. "Are you the one tending to the glasshouse? I thought it was automatic like the rest of the gardens."
"It is. I spray merely some magic here and there." Answered the woman.
The woman hummed a lullaby while spraying the liquid on plants. Probably due to her pixie quirk, the flowers touched by the spray looked instantly brighter. The scenery was even more beautiful.
"Do you want to try?" Asked the woman, handing the spray to Hyori.
"I can try but I don't have your magic." Replied Hyori as she left her tablet on the bench and stood up to retrieve the spray.
"It's your intentions that matter." Assured the woman.
Taking the bottle, she noticed the woman's complexion was fairly similar to hers. She wondered if they shared the same condition even if the woman's eyes weren't affected. The flowers she sprayed didn't look as bright as the others had. She looked at the woman whose kind and small purple eyes were observing her.
"You can sing to them. Flowers like that." Suggested Miss Nanase.
Hyori wasn't sure. She hadn't sung in a long time. Doing so for flowers was unsettling, especially with an audience.
"Is there something you want to tell me?" Enquired the woman.
"I haven't sung in a while. I may have forgotten. And it's a bit…" Then, the girl murmured "Embarrassing."
A good-hearted laugh escaped Miss Nanase's lips.
"I can teach you my favourite song. Follow my lead." Said the woman as she adjusted Hyori's posture.
The almost hug felt reassuring and the younger one who followed the lead, enjoying the moment. It was one of these moments she wanted her former homeroom teacher to be her Mother. Then, her thoughts drifted to Megumi. She wondered if the teen had encountered someone like Miss Nanase, feeling guilty of enjoying the woman's affection while she had separated Megumi from her family. She questioned herself on whether pushing the younger teen not to contact her Grandmother had been the right decision. Maybe the elderly woman had seen her wrongdoings? At the moment, Hyori thought she wasn't better than her lawyers for assuming the girl's Grandmother would be deceiving for money.
"Is there something wrong?" Asked Miss Nanase, bringing Hyori back to the present time.
"My little sister and I aren't talking anymore." Confessed Hyori.
"Couldn't your parents mediate?" Enquired the woman.
Hyori's mood soured even more and the woman turned her so that they would face each other.
"Look at me." Demanded Miss Nanase. "What aren't you telling me?"
"It's complicated." Replied the girl whose eyes had issues remaining focused on the woman's eyes.
"What do you mean? How come there is never an adult around for you? What aren't you telling?"
"I'm waiting." Pressed the woman in front of the girl's mute distress.
"I haven't talked to my Mother since I left my childhood home. Megumi isn't really my sister. We met in the pension and bonded over our similarities. It had only been the two of us until recently when my Father found me. He didn't know I existed and had wanted to get involved in my life. But Megumi doesn't have a family anymore. She said I won't love her anymore if I get to know my Father and his family and told me she didn't want to see me again."
The woman had wiped the few stray tears that rolled on the girl's cheeks.
"She's only afraid to lose you. And it's normal for you to want to know your family. I'm sure she will come around once she has calmed down." Assured Miss Nanase.
Hyori's apprehensive eyes locked with Miss Nanase forbearing ones when she asked. "What if she still wants me to choose?"
"You choose yourself." Concluded the woman. "You can hope for the best regarding your little sister but not sacrifice yourself. Do you understand my stance?"
The girl nodded and the woman hugged her. They both exited the glasshouse when Miss Nanase was done spraying the summer area, each towards their dormitory building.
She walked inside her bedroom to pack her changing bag for her weekend trip to Tokyo. Afterwards, she walked downstairs and heard noise in the kitchen room. Surprised to find Satou setting the dining table, she peered through the ajar door and saw Bakugou setting tools for dinner. She had forgotten they were on a rotation with Satou being the one cooking since Monday.
"Bakugou arrived earlier today and took over the dinner." Explained Satou before offering. "We can play a card game if you want."
"Or Shinsou could lend me a hand." Countered the boy inside the kitchen.
The blond boy was noticeably shorter and less physically capable than Satou. Having witnessed the kind of movements required to cook extra large meat pieces in extra large pans, it was understandable the feat was trickier for the day's chef. Hyori eyed her still manicured hands and thought about the upcoming meeting with her Father's family. She was reluctant to partake in cooking.
"I can help." Offered the tallest.
"You already cooked for four days this week. You can rest for today." Refused the shortest before shifting his demanding eyes on Hyori.
"Do we have gloves?" Asked Hyori.
The day's cook pointed at a drawer and she proceeded to put two of them on. Once ready, she was tasked with cutting vegetables.
"Do we have a slicing machine?" Enquired Hyori again.
"Never cut vegetables before?" Accused the exasperated boy.
"Not with a knife. I have a domestic robot home and my Father does most of the cooking." Justified Hyori.
"You might want to bring your robot here because we only have basic cooking appliances." Concluded Bakugou while handing her a knife.
Minutes later, the boy eventually back-tracked and urged her out of the kitchen as she was painfully slow at any given task. He ended up struggling and spent way more time than Satou did. In the meantime, their classmates had arrived and his circle eventually joined him inside the kitchen.
"You didn't help Bakugou in the kitchen? He barks a lot but doesn't bite. No need to be wary of him." The bonus classmate boldly voiced.
"That giant lavender plant didn't help me because of lacking any skill! Not because I'm scarry or anything!" Countered the abrasive blond.
"But Satou said he helped him!" Exclaimed the shadow.
"Probably by sitting pretty or something! Anyways, dinner is served!" Concluded Bakugou.
With that, the class sat at the table and enjoyed the curry they had for dinner. Hyori never had such a spicy meal and was glad she served herself a small portion. She was told the day's chef had a strong liking for spiciness and the curry was mildly spiced compared to what he was used to. Thinking Bakugou's taste buds were grilled at this point, she retrieved a bottle of vanilla flavoured milk to help her finish her portion.
The following morning, Hyori woke up in a good mood and was looking forward to the day's events. She left Hakone by bus at nine in the morning. Her studio was closed for the holiday and she had asked her Father to help her pay vouchers for the hotel's spa and beauty salon in Kamakura. She told him she was already used to the place and the middle aged man gave her a debit card information for the transaction. For two hours and a half, she had received massages and skin care, had lounged, styled her hair in a bun and groomed her face for the afternoon.
After the whole session, she felt fresh and hailed a cab for her apartment in Tokyo. Her Father was meant to arrive at two in the afternoon with her late nineteenth birthday party dress. She had picked a cherry red tulle gown that reached right above her knees. The light fabric helped the layers not weigh the dress down. A pair of evenly-coloured strappy heels completed her outfit with a floral headband and pearl jewellery.
While waiting for the man, she opened the courier she had received. Among the envelopes, one contained a voucher for the Gotemba Shopping Centre and a phone number with Enji's signature. She redeemed the voucher through the place's application, reasoning it would have gone to waste since it was already purchased.
The party took place at her Father's house located near the Park Hibiya. The terrace had been decorated with suspended daisy flowers and summer tulips bouquets for the small number of guests, namely Hyori and her paternal Grandparents. A portrait photographer and musicians had been hired for the occasion, along with a private chef.
Meeting her Grandparents had been less memorable than meeting her Father. She could see the similarities between the elderly lady and herself, and supposed she got her big head from the elderly man. The couple was lovely and doting but they hadn't radiated the same sense of security she felt with Mister Hanabata. She supposed she would gradually warm to them and even grow fond of them provided they had enough time ahead.
The most memorable part of the party was the peaches and berries ice cream cake. The fruity creamy mix had felt heavenly on the soft spongy cake texture. The treat hadn't been sweetened, just how she liked it. After the dessert, she was offered two enveloppes. One regular courier-sized and one sturdier and bigger.
Her Grandparents stated they knew they might not have much time left and wanted to give her a substantial gift. The party ended at six in the afternoon when her Grandparents had to head back home. The couple was looking forward to meeting again for Christmas and the new year's celebrations.
After they left, her Father had guided her inside a spare bedroom she could use for the night "and whenever she felt like visiting". The bedroom was similar to her own room inside her apartment. There was a closet and a personal bathroom. The girl took her shower and opened her gifts. The small envelope, her Father's gift, contained a new debit card. The bigger one, her Grandparents gifts, contained a gift letter written on a sturdy paper. Hyori secured the document back inside its envelope and easily fell into a slumber.
On Sunday, Father and daughter had cooked breakfast before the middle aged man offered to drive her back to Hakone. They had stopped by her apartment to let her change for the trip back to Hakone. Her choice of clothes had intrigued her Father who commented it was the first time he witnessed her wear pants that weren't pyjamas. They made a detour by a sports apparel shop inside the Yebisu Garden Place to purchase a specific swimsuit for her class pool activity at her request. She had sensed her Father's surprise when she picked a full coverage swimming dress with shorts, especially after she eyed the retro styled ones that were back in fashion. The man hadn't made any comment in the shopping centre but she knew he wanted to say something.
"Your choice of swimsuit surprised me. I thought you would want something more trendy." Said her Father once they were on the road.
"I do like trendy outfits. It's just that… I don't wear typical girls' clothes at school." Replied the girl.
She felt the man's inquisitive eyes on her as she had made her taste for coquette fashion obvious.
"It started in high school. I was… Harassed by my male classmates and decided to switch uniforms after changing schools. The habit stuck and I still do it. I also use a pseudonym at school since Hyori is mostly a girl's name." Confessed the girl.
The car had been silent for a minute before her Father inquired further.
"Are you afraid to be seen as a girl?"
"I don't know. Maybe. I know my classmates won't do anything." Maybe save from the purple gremlin. "But it would be awkward if I suddenly changed style out of nowhere. I think I'm too far gone."
Again, there was another pause until her Father stated she didn't have to change the way she dressed if she didn't want to.
"I can only imagine you have been through a lot. The way you present yourself is your choice. You don't have to change it if you don't feel like doing it. And you could never be too far gone. You can change style whenever you feel like doing so."
They spent the rest of the drive in relative silence until Hyori asked her Father about his legal family. He told her his wife had moved out years ago even if they were still legally married. They don't have children together since he made sure he couldn't, for promiscuous reasons. He hadn't been a loyal husband and she eventually had a child with her youth sweetheart. The two of them had moved together even if their child was legally his. He didn't interfere in the boy's upbringing and hadn't cared for a family until a few months ago. His wife moving out had been the best move for her and the child. Keeping the appearances was the least he could do for her after her many attempts to make their engagement work.
After a little over an hour of driving, escorted by the man's guards, they arrived before the Ultra Academy's side gates. Her Father stopped the car on the outer side of the road. The middle aged man retrieved her changing back from the trunk before they hugged. They parted after he left a kiss on her forehead. Like always, her Father had waited for her to enter before leaving.