Core Pride - UVERworld (Blue Exorcist Opening 1)

"The bonds forged through life give me strength

And this strength is why I still walk forwards to fight

Fight to my last breath just like the blue sky once did."

…

"Huuuuuuuuuuhhhhhh?!"

Classes A and B were sat in the assembly hall, which made sense as to why neither were in their tutor rooms. I frantically searched for my classmates before I realised that there might have been an assembly this morning. Once again, I had woken up quite late to school. But it really wasn't my fault this time, I blamed Nejire and her incessant screaming that our office was somehow 'haunted.'

"You… don't know about the upcoming groups for our monthly school trips?" Midnight asked me in confusion. "I mean seriously, do you keep your head under a rock or something?! We're talking about THE school trips! The one's on the news!"

"What monthly school trips?!" I sat down next to Tokage and Monoma, the former of which was laughing at me. Midnight's incredulous stare directed at me along with the blank faces of nearly every fellow student unnerved me. "No one told me anything. Fuck. Do I have to pay for travel? Clothes? Wait, wait, I have shifts booked in the main office soon! This doesn't make any sense, why am I going on holiday already?! Wait, is it to Vegas -,"

"Quiet down and maybe I'll be able to explain it to you," Aizawa cut me off. "After the Shie Hassaikai raid and the following election, resulting in our new Prime Minister, Hachi Yamaguchi, her cabinet as well as U.A. entered a sort of… partnership. Each month both Classes A and B are split into smaller groups and sent across the country to different cities and towns and display their heroics in public."

"A publicity stunt."

"Of sorts," Aizawa half-agreed with my statement. "I'd consider it more of a socio-political experiment. After all, each member of Class A and B comes from widely different backgrounds, social classes and whatnot. We're not just asking you to work together as a group - We are asking you to put yourself out there as a team. A unified front. The newly elected government looks good in promoting Class A and B, and by extension, U.A. and heroes in general can be shown in a positive light. Because of you."

I slowly nodded at that.

"So, how does it work?"

"Eight groups of five are sent to eight different locations across Japan for a week where you will be given a set of tasks to complete by the locals. Perhaps it's saving a cat, or taking down a band of thieves," Nezu explained. "Of course, it wildly depends on the day and what place you have been assigned to. Each group will also be placed with a U.A. staff member or trusted alumni to oversee the trip. And of course, these trips only last for a weekend, which means you'll be going tomorrow."

I sighed in relief.

Thank God it was only for the weekend-,

"Tomorrow?! Oh, fuck me," I said a little too loudly as the room burst into laughter. "I haven't packed anything."

"Don't worry, I'll help," Monoma patted my back reassuringly. "We can be packing buddies! Oh, it is an absolute honour for me to help you pack! Do not worry, Sora, I'll make sure that you have everything you need! I can help you pack up right away! We can even skip our day of lessons to help you pack!"

Aizawa's and Vlad King's combined glare shot Monoma's suggestion down, however.

I was not reassured.

"Ahem. Anyways, your groups are as follows," Aizawa cleared his throat as he read out names from a piece of paper. I tuned out by that as I waited for my name to show up. "-And finally, going to Sendai are: Yui Kodai, Izuku Midoriya, Neito Monoma, Mina Ashido and Sora Yamazaki. Your train departs at nine AM tomorrow and your supervisor will be Midnight."

Aha…

Fuck.

Chapter

Fifty

Six

'Sendai Trip (1)'

"Uh, you don't need to bring a toothbrush," Monoma told me as we sat in my room with my suitcase opened up in front of us. "You can buy a cheap one in Sendai. Same with toiletries, plus the hotels we are put in are quite expensive. They always provide toiletries anyway, so you're fine when it comes to shampoo and things."

I nodded at him, placing some folded pyjamas inside the suitcase.

"Alright. Since my costume is… well, since it just consists of my long coat and my badge, I might as well wear it tomorrow in the morning," I told him. "Realistically, it's just my sword that needs to be transported. And I doubt they'll allow me to bring my sword strapped to my belt on the train with me, will they?"

Monoma laughed as he shook his head.

"Nah. I doubt they'll allow that either. Still, I'm pretty sure I have a guitar case you can use," He replied. "It should fit your sword. I guess it'll be annoying to slug a guitar case around, but that's better than nothing."

"Yeah, I'd rather have the safety of my sword than without it," I agreed with him, placing a spare pair of shoes in the suitcase. "Never know when you might be attacked. I guess I'm lucky that my 'costume' is so basic. Unlike yours, or Midoriya, I'm not going to have to lug around two suitcases until we get to the hotel. That just sounds like extra effort, especially when we're going to be on the train for four and a half hours."

Monoma sighed.

"Yeah. I'm sorta jealous of you in that regard, you lucky bastard," He joked, helping fold some shirts for me as I placed them in my suitcase. "But I don't envy you one bit. We got Midoriya and Mina in our group… arguably the two loudest people against your return. Don't think I haven't seen their glares and comments behind your back. I seriously don't know how that's going to play out between us."

I shrugged my shoulders at him.

"I think it'll be fine. Midoriya and Mina can at the very least be professional, and I'll try my hardest not to piss them off accidentally," I replied. "I'll stay out of their way and be nice to them. I'll leave them two to you and Kodai, how about that? I was going to do that regardless, ultimately if I just ignore Class A, hopefully, they won't decide on ruining the trip, yeah?"

"That still won't work," Monoma told me as he passed over another set of neatly folded grey trousers to me. "We all have to be a team. We have to complete the tasks together after all, and the media's going to hound us like dogs. If they catch even a small whiff of us not being cohesive, well, I guess it'll be on the front page of the Sendai newspaper. I think you're the one underestimating how badly this can go."

I rolled my eyes at that.

"Tch. That's a pain. Like I said, I'll try my hardest not to cause a scene and if they're still being bitchy about it, then what do you want me to do about it? I can't exactly control them, can I? I'm not going to take shit from them, especially if it's affecting your trip too. Their grievances lie only with me, I've told them that multiple times now. If they can't accept that then maybe I'll try beating the lesson into their head."

Monoma laughed at that as he shook his head at me.

"Don't worry, I got your back. Kodai too, even if she's a little shy. You don't deserve the treatment Class A has been giving you, well maybe not fully," Monoma replied. "I feel kinda helpless, you know. Watching you go up against your old friends, even when it hurts like hell. I guess that's the best you can do, but I hate feeling helpless. Like when I found out you were fighting Overhaul all by yourself and nearly died."

"I gave up my powers," I tried defending myself. "It was a conscious decision on my behalf. In a sense, it's sorta because of Nighteye. I'm not blaming the hero, not at all. I lost control and let Overhaul get out, I was a liability at that specific moment, Monoma. I told you this. And I know you don't blame me, not for what happened and what I did after, and I thank you for that. But if I tell them… They already blame me for leaving them. I don't want to give them another reason to dislike me."

"They won't dislike you."

"You're right, maybe they'll hate me this time," I replied with a grin. "And wouldn't that be a change? I think it would be funny actually. Like I said, I don't blame them. I'm the one that went over the line and put them in this position in the first place. Class A has a reason to detest even if it's not all of them that dislike me, after all some only just want an apology and for things between us to go back to the way they once were. It's the few others who reject me entirely, they are the ones who ultimately have caused the rift."

"You could have died," Monoma pointed out to me. "It's not like you knew what you were doing. Even Tokage was worried about you, and she knows everything there is to know about you. So if we can accept the truth and blame you, why can't they? You know, I'm glad you told me the truth about you. About your Quirks, your mother, as well as your relation to Kurogiri. Even if I don't know why it all happened, I'm happy you're being more open with your friends."

"It's a far cry from my old self, yeah," I said, folding my final top and placing it inside the suitcase. "But, I have to ask. Aren't you a bit disappointed? I'm nothing like the Sora you once knew, nothing like Aozora, the hero you respected a lot."

"I think I prefer you now compared to back then," Monoma answered honestly. "Sure, you're different. You are also a lot more open. You're not as secretive anymore, and more than that while I never doubted that you cared - You genuinely don't hide how you're feeling. Maybe you never did that back then, but it felt like you were trying to put a lid on it. Trying to control the anger and sadness inside you to be happy. But now? Now you're fine with showing all those different sides of you, even if you don't accept them. At the least, you're allowing us to accept you."

I nodded at him, zipping up my suitcase.

"I guess hitting rock bottom does that to a man. Thanks, Neito. You didn't have to help me pack. Or listen to my ramblings. It's embarrassing that I've been here for a month now, and all I've managed to achieve is become a Detective and mess about with you and Tokage. Oh, and added Nejire and her craziness into my life. That's a lot different from what I was expecting when I came back, you know. I thought I'd have no one."

"Nonsense! You're my best friend after all," Monoma waved it off. "I'll always be here for you. Tokage too. She tries and pretends like a tsundere but she doesn't hide the fact that you mean a lot to her. And so many more people feel the same. Jiro, the blonde ponce Kaminari and even our , want to call Yui? I bet we can prank her."

I snorted at that.

"Go on…"

Monoma took out his phone, and I watched as he called his girlfriend with a massive grin on his face. I rolled my eyes as I thought about what to say, which is when it hit me. That's perfect.

"Neito-?"

"Oh, yeah!" I tried shouting in a high-pitched, feminine voice. "That's the spot, Neito! I'm about to cum everywhere," Neito's face fell as he realised that he had also been pranked, which was made worse as Yui screamed at him through the phone. "Oh, yeah! AAAAAHHHHHH!"

"Neito? Are you cheating on me? What the fuck-,"

I couldn't help but laugh at the two of them, clutching my stomach as I rolled over my floor with tears coming out of my eyes. Eventually, Yui calmed down and realised it was just me horsing around - Which then turned her ire towards me.

"It's ten PM, you fucking prat!" Yui berated me over the phone. "I was about to book a train ticket to Musutafu and castrate my boyfriend. Tch. Next time I see you, I swear I'm going to kick your shins! Hard."

"OoO, scaaaaary," I waved my hands in the air. "You kick my shins even once, and I swear I'll German suplex you down some stairs. Or I'll run you ever with my bike. Try that for size, bitch."

"You wouldn't dare-,!"

"Try me, bitch."

Monoma chuckled at that.

"He's just joking. I hope so. Anyways, how was your day?"

"It was fine. I helped around the family inn and got one of my test results back. I got a B on my history test, which is fine I guess," Yui told us. "Oh! I did go out and get some ice cream with some of my friends! You remember Tachibana and Reika, don't you?"

Monoma nodded.

While the two of them had their conversation, I couldn't help but smile at them as I zoned out. I had never seen Monoma look so happy before, and Yui too. They were a perfect match for each other. I stood up as I opened my door and winked at Monoma, who realised what I was trying to do.

"Go on lovebirds. Go have your e-sex alone, in private," I joked. "What do you do anyways, Monoma? Smash your cock against your keyboard as you scream Yui's name? A bit kinky if you ask me, but oh well. Not my place to judge."

I wasn't able to avoid the kick Monoma directed towards me, or the hundreds of cusses thrown my way by Yui. Not like I wanted to avoid them either as I snickered at them, blowing kisses mockingly as I shut my door.

…

I sighed, lying down on my bed.

Jiro.

Even though we hadn't been an item in over a year, I couldn't help but think back to our time together. I was the world's biggest loser, still clinging onto a girl who had moved on, but I couldn't help but remember the times Jiro and I had those types of conversations - The intimacy we had. Well, outside of holding hands, hugs and kissing each other, we didn't do much either.

But it felt…

Right.

I clicked my tongue in annoyance and stared at my clock. Realistically, I wasn't going to be able to go to sleep. Not when I had to wake up early and go on the train for four and a half hours. At the very least if I stayed up and napped for a little bit, as well as the entirety of the train ride, I'd be fine. Grabbing my coat, as well as my lighter and cigarettes, I slipped onto the remaining pair of shoes I hadn't packed and left the dorm as I walked around campus for a little while.

Vlad King was lying down asleep on our couch with a few empty beer cans next to him. Unlike Aizawa, Midnight and a few others, he wasn't going on the monthly trip this time. Unfortunately, he was stuck here teaching the remaining hero classes alongside Snipe and Present Mic.

Lighting a cigarette, I took a long drag out of it as my feet carried me across the different parts of the empty school. It was like I was on auto-pilot walking to the place I recognised the most, and ultimately, it felt like I'd never gone.

But eventually, my feet dragged me to the one place I was most familiar with.

Class A's dorm.

Even at night, I could still vividly remember the memories I had within the dorm. The snow fights we had, convincing Aizawa to order us food because we were too lazy to cook, the movie and game nights we all shared - Our shitty attempts at cleaning the place after we snuck alcohol in and tried having a party.

I smiled in nostalgia as I approached the place and managed to take a peek through their living room window.

They were all huddled around the TV and had fallen asleep watching a movie.

Hah…

"What are you doing here?"

I turned around to face Midoriya who was sitting outside all alone. It was clear that he had been doing some training judging by the bead of sweat that trickled down his forehead, and I felt my mouth turn dry as his accusatory look shot my way. And I couldn't blame him. The last time I was here truly, it was one that neither Class A nor I could simply just ignore fully.

"Would you believe me if I said I got lost?"

"Lost in your memories? Yeah, I'd believe that," Midoriya replied. "But your memories might just be faulty. You're not welcome here. Not until you apologise for what you did. And even then, I'll never trust you again. I wasn't the one who betrayed everyone's trust, Sora. You should go before someone wakes up. I don't want an argument to start."

"..."

I stayed silent as Midoriya stared at me, sitting back down. He didn't even flinch as I sat down next to him, playing around with my lighter. Eventually, I decided to reach for my cigarettes despite Midoriya's disgusted look toward my habit.

"Do you guys hate me?"

"No. Why would we hate you?" Midoriya asked me, shaking his head. "You hurt our feelings, yeah. You spat on our faces when all we did was offer you love. And yeah, we had our problems. But… You had the chance to tell everyone about what happened during the raid. Instead, you just left. Don't get it twisted, Sora. The reason why I dislike you is far different from theirs."

I nodded at him.

"You were the only one there that day."

"I was. And you know I don't blame you for the outcome, I saw the look of despair on your face and how you burdened it all on yourself. And I also saw your last stand saving my life and countless others even at the cost of Overhaul and everyone he had absorbed up to that point," Midoriya replied. "I also know that ultimately, you blame yourself for every death that occurred that day. I also know that you hate yourself so much that you can't even accept our love. That's why I hate you; for being such a hypocrite that you were able to love us at our worst but we can't do the same when it's your turn."

"..."

"And so you became a bad friend to justify that voice in your head that keeps on telling you that you don't deserve this," Midoriya pointed at the dorm of Class A. "And even when you change, you're still afraid of reaching out to us. So you try your hardest to help us, but you're just helping yourself. You're just deluding yourself again that an outcome where you lose and where we win is one that's worth pursuing. You are once again isolating yourself because it's not about running away, it's about being able and willing to accept love."

"You think I can't accept love?"

"I know you can't. It's why you never let us help you, in that twisted mind of yours you think you aren't worth it. There's a part of you that wished you died that day, wished you had never existed. Even if you'll never accept it, I know it's there. And that's what I'm afraid of. Why I'll never trust you again," Midoriya told me. "Because for as long as you reject yourself, you'll always be a liability. You'll still be a ticking time bomb. I don't want to see my friends ever get hurt the way they did because of you ever again."

"I won't-,"

"You will, Sora. You can trick Jiro and Tokage, Kaminari and Monoma. You can trick everyone in this school, but none of them were there during the raid. None of them ever saw the look on your face as Eri sacrificed her life to save yours," Midoriya cut me off. "Because you were shocked, yeah. But I also saw something that's haunted me ever since. Pure malice. Your eyes that day weren't one's I had come to recognise, they were one's of someone who would gamble everything just for a shot at victory. And you know I'm right."

"...But I didn't," I whispered. "I could have, and I nearly did make the ultimate gamble. And I agree, no one will know or understand outside of you. How close I was to that edge. You know, I nearly killed Overhaul. When I saw him lying on that beach, he ran away from me calling me a monster. If I didn't lose my powers at that moment, I think I would have killed him in cold blood. But I didn't. It's not fair to blame and fear me for something that didn't happen. Something I won't allow to happen again."

Midoriya scoffed at my words.

"But you're the one still angry. You're the one who's admitting this. You're the one who got close to that cliff, and it can happen again. You think just because you accepted responsibility and are trying to live differently that if Zero, Yozora or Shigiraki kills Jiro or Tokage that you won't become that person again?" Midoriya asked me, and I didn't have a response. "Do you think that you won't go berserk? That you won't use that malice and anger you have hidden inside you and betray us once again? The crux of the problem isn't us, it's always been you."

"...You'd do the same."

"But would I? I could have against Overhaul. I could have used every last drop of One For All against him, but I didn't. Because you taught me not to sacrifice my life," Midoriya explained to me. "Maybe in a different world I'd do the exact same thing as you did. But I won't. I never will. Because I know there are people who depend on me, and in that moment you didn't even care about the consequences. You were so selfish that even if you died, you would have been happy about the outcome."

…

"You…"

"I know what self-hatred is like. And I escaped it. I've grown more confident thanks to everyone, even you. But you had that support system, no matter how flawed it was," Midoriya replied. "You had everyone who wanted you to be safe and alive. You had everyone's love and you are the one who betrayed it all. Don't make yourself out to be a victim here, you're just another villain who wants sympathy because in your moment of weakness you just acted on what you wanted. You fought Overhaul because you wanted to fight - kill - him; not out of a heroic duty."

"..."

Midoriya sighed at me.

"You tried to commit revenge and failed. And because you're a sore loser you took it out on us, that's how I've seen it. Maybe I could be wrong, but it seems like to me you feel guilty about what happened that you want to make things right. You don't give a shit about us, that much is clear when you were a bad friend-,"

"Hey! I do care! I've always cared. I was a good friend-,"

"Would a good friend nearly tell everyone about One For All," Midoriya cut me off. "That's my secret. You didn't hear me reveal the fact that you have more than one Quirk, because that's for you to share. But it's not just that. You and I are the only ones who know about what happened that day, not even Aizawa knows how Eri died. I know because I asked him. You can call him your Uncle all you want, but you can't even tell him the truth. And I doubt you told Monoma and Tokage that you're the reason Eri died. And yeah, that's what I do blame you for."

…

"You mean when I lost control? You're wrong," I told Midoriya. "Aizawa does know. And so do Tokage and Monoma, even my other friend, Yui. Miwa and the rest of my family have an idea of what happened as well. And I'm pretty sure Jiro figured it out a long time ago. I'm not trying to hide anything, Midoriya. I may think Eri died because of me, but that's not for you to decide. I can also accept that others don't blame me for what happened. And I'm working towards trying to accept that myself."

"And, that's it? After that, you'll come back?"

"I guess so."

"A hero endures," Midoriya told me as he stood up from the bench. Even if he was more built than me, I was still a few centimetres taller than him. "You could have endured, the same way I did. Because it was my actions that also led to the raid playing out the way it did, Sora. You may not accept that - But I do. We could have endured together, as friends. As a Class. But you can't endure. You ran away and now you're back asking for my forgiveness when I've moved on."

"You're right. I can't do what you're asking me to do," I agreed with him. "And I never will. I'm not going to endure through anything when there are barriers I need to overcome. Because to endure means to stay still. To never change. To never be better. Sure, I could have 'endured' but the reason why I am who I am today is because I'll always get over the barriers in front of me. I'll never endure it if it means forgetting that fact. If it means never getting better."

"What's the point in overcoming the barriers in front of you if it destroys you, Sora?" Midoriya asked me. "You haven't changed at all. You're still the cocky and arrogant person you've always been. Do you think charging forwards is going to work over and over without you failing? At least enduring with my class has a different result. At least I won't blow up the same way you did. All Might has endured-,"

"All Might isn't a God," I cut him off. "He's not infallible. Yeah, I'm an idiot who doesn't understand the concept of danger. I mostly wear my heart on my sleeve, and I won't think at times - I just act. But you see this," I pointed at my detective badge. "That means something to me. I'm not going to sit still and 'endure' because things are the way they are, I'll overcome those barriers as well. And I'll change this world too. I've never been one to sit still and let things be, and deep down I don't think you like that either."

Midoriya didn't reply as he barged past me.

"Don't cause trouble for us in Sendai. I'll speak to Mina about playing nice."

I shrugged my shoulders at him.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

Standing outside, I sighed as I put out my cigarette as Midoriya slammed their door shut. The lights were out and I scratched the back of my head, turning around to face the window. Whoever was standing there moved quickly, but it wasn't fast enough for me not to get a good look at their face.

"...You know. If someone was eavesdropping. It's not a good habit."

I didn't get a response nor did I need one.

"Hah. Goodnight, Kyoka."

She didn't respond to that either.

But I didn't need her to.

Her muffled cries were more than enough of a response.

Neito Monoma POV

Neito Monoma sat on the train to Sendai, fidgeting with excitement. The prospect of a trip with his classmates was thrilling, but he couldn't help but notice the tension lingering in the air. Of course, there was tension, but he had hoped that it would dispel by the time they had boarded the train. Yet, as the train whistle blew, he turned to find Izuku Midoriya and Mina Ashido sitting across from him, seemingly lost in their thoughts.

"Hey, guys! This is going to be so much fun!" Neito tried to break the ice, but the response he received was lacklustre. It was to be expected after all, but that didn't mean that neither he nor Yui Kodai, who sat beside him, were all that happy about the prospects of the awkward trip ahead of the group.

Midoriya mustered a weak smile, while Ashido's cheerful demeanour seemed slightly forced. As the train departed, Neito noticed Sora sitting a few rows away, and while Neito knew that his friend wasn't trying to be rude - he was trying not to cause a scene - He really wasn't helping. Sitting all alone with a guitar case carrying his sword inside sitting beside him, he was engrossed in the land outside the train.

"Don't you think we should invite him to sit over here?" Kodai asked the group.

"I agree. It doesn't feel right for us to be sitting all together while he's sitting all alone," Monoma added. "At the very least if he wants to sit away from us, he can stay close. Maybe one row behind. Not five."

"It's his decision," Midoriya replied, folding his arms. "He doesn't want to sit with us, so why should I budge? I never told him that he couldn't sit here. And neither did Mina-,"

"We didn't tell him that he couldn't sit here, but we didn't exactly invite him either, did we, Deku?" Ashido asked her classmate. Midoriya's expression remained conflicted, but he eventually nodded in agreement. Ashido sighed and ran a hand through her pink hair. "I guess you're right, Neito. It's just hard when we used to be so close."

"So why can't we try to change that at the very least? I know you're all still angry at him for what he did, and I'm not saying you're wrong for feeling that way," Neito told them. "But things are different now. I think none of you have been putting in the effort to try to understand Sora, you're all still wanting to be victims in a situation where everyone was hurt."

"It's different-,"

"How exactly is it different?" Kodai cut Ashido off. "Sora comes back after a year of not having his Quirk, of being powerless and cut off from everyone. Yes, he decided to leave, but why was it that he left? Why did he leave the way he did? It wasn't a kind decision, yet the decision was made. And when he finally came back, when he finally understood that he was wrong, you guys are the ones preventing him from accepting himself and being better. It's like you still want Sora to be your villain."

Neuto nodded at that.

"More than that, I think Sora's accepted his role as a villain in your lives," Neito added. "And since you aren't going out of your way to tell him otherwise, he's convinced himself that he has to help you."

"We don't need his help," Midoriya told them. "We did more than fine without him for over a year. We've spent more time without him in our class than with. If we truly were nothing without them, than surely we would have failed by now-,

"Everyone needs help, Deku," Midnight finally chimed in from the row next to them. "Even heroes. And a year ago, even someone like Sora needed help. But he couldn't accept it back then. He was too prideful, or perhaps he genuinely thought he could hide that from everyone. No one is saying that he deserved to hurt you, but you can't deny that he's been back for over a month and outside of a select few of you, Class A has largely ignored and belittled Sora's attempts. You constantly told him that his place isn't at U.A."

"It isn't," Midoriya hotly replied. "He left once, and I promise you, when times get tough he's going to leave again. Sora's a selfish person, and deep down he only cares about one thing - Protecting the people he cares about. If it's a choice between saving innocents or one of his friends, the decision's clear in his head. He'll save only those he cares about. That's his toxic love that we of Class A had to deal with, and we don't want to deal with it ever again."

"Deku…" Ashido began. "Sora's right in some regard. We also hurt him, didn't we? We say it was toxic love, but ultimately, we revelled in it. We created our own worst enemy. And you can't deny that. I know you're afraid… I'm afraid too. But… Jiro told us something last night when you went to bed. She overheard some of your conversation."

Neito watched as Midoriya's eyes widened.

He didn't even know that Sora had snuck out last night to talk with Midoriya. A sideways glance at Kodai made Neito painfully aware that no one had, perhaps not even Tokage. Sora, despite his openness, still had a few quirks left to iron out.

"That's-,"

"Maybe we're the ones who are wrong."

"I refuse to believe that! This is just some plan of his to get us to feel sorry for him!" Midoriya replied, refusing to look at Ashido's direction. "He's going to hurt us again, I know it. My danger sense is being triggered. I just know it."

But Midnight sighed as she pointed to where Sora was sitting.

His head leaned against the window and Monoma could see that he was sleeping peacefully. Even Midoriya's face crumpled as he saw that, and if Ashido wasn't aware of it, a small smile formed on her face. For them, it was a nice journey among friends. But for Sora, it was a lonely journey. He looked so different when sleeping, Neito realised. It was the only time that he could be himself.

The only time his guard was down.

For a hot second, they all forgot who and what Sora had done. All they could see was a teenager sleeping on their train to Sendai, all they could see was by all intents and purposes someone who wasn't even an adult yet.

Perhaps it was Neito's own fault - and he realised that everyone in their group was thinking along the same lines. Maybe it was their fault that they looked up to Sora so much, because ultimately he was like them.

Just a human.

"There isn't a need to wake him up. I understand that some bridges between you two will never be repaired, time doesn't heal all wounds," Midnight said to them wisely. "But Sora is trying to make things work. Maybe he hasn't apologised properly, and maybe he never will find it in himself to do so. But he's also your colleague. If you can't be friends with him, at least try to work with him. It's better than whatever your current relationship is with him."

"...Fine," Midoriya sighed.

Ashido grinned, her usual cheerfulness returning. "Absolutely! Sendai, here we come!"

Hours passed, and Neito couldn't help but look at Sora, who still slept peacefully.

But was he sleeping?

Perhaps it was the sudden twitches from Sora, the fact that his head didn't move one bit. Neito knew his friend, he knew him well enough to know that Sora would pretend he was asleep to make sure an argument didn't erupt on the train. Neito knew that Sora had gone to the depths of Hell itself for his friends and family, and despite that, he never once asked for them to thank him.

Never.

That was the man Neito Monoma looked up to.

Even as the train entered Sendai and slowed to a halt, it was Sora who was the first to get up from his seat. Swinging his guitar case around his shoulders and dragging his suitcase behind him, it was Sora who exited the train first without saying a single word in response to them. Only a half-nod. It was always Sora that was looking forwards, relentlessly, without ever looking back.

And it was always them who stared at his back

Perhaps Midoriya was right about Sora to some extent, he had known him far better than Neito ever did. But Neito knew the current Sora better than Midoriya, or anyone in Class A. Sora wasn't the same, nor would he ever return to be the same person he once was a year ago.

And that's why Neito would defend his friend - No matter what!

The group left the train, and their camaraderie cautiously rekindled. As they stepped into the bustling city, Neito hoped that this trip would be a chance for healing and bonding among friends. There weren't many opportunities for it to happen, but Neito would never forgive himself if he allowed this opportunity to slip between his fingers.

In the same way Sora had helped them all before, it was now Neito's turn to help his friend.

And hopefully, Sora Yamazaki could begin to forgive himself.

I yawned.

"The Sendai Royal Park Hotel isn't far from here," Midnight told them. "However we have a few hours until check-in. As such, you are all free to explore the city as you wish. If you want to leave your luggage here with me, that's also fine. I have to call Nezu and check in with him."

I watched as Mina and Kodai immediately dropped everything off with Midnight and practically ran to explore the place. I heard whispers of them going to a nearby shopping centre and looking at all the stores and eating local Sasakama and Gyutan, food Sendai was famous for.

Monoma went off to call his girlfriend, Yui, with a dopey smile on his face. A smile that I translated to one that meant he wouldn't be free for a few hours as he showed her a tour of the city.

This left only Midoriya and me alone with Midnight.

"I have… things to do here," Midoriya eventually said, dragging his suitcase beside him. "Ryukyu's agency is nearby and I have a few questions to ask her on an old case we worked together on. As well as some tips for any cases we get to do during the trip. Yamazaki… would you like to…"

I blinked at his offer.

"Sorry, but I already have plans," I told him honestly. "Maybe another time."

Midoriya nodded at me uncomfortably, refusing to meet his eyes as I watched him walk away. Huh. I guess Midnight's talk to them all might have changed things. I know for one that Monoma probably caught on that I was pretending to sleep, but, heh. Even someone like Midoriya needed to do some more training.

…

I dropped my suitcase with Midnight and kept the guitar case with me as I smiled at Midnight. She was sitting down at the lunge of the hotel with everyone else's luggage as she indulged in some lunch.

"You're going as well?" She asked me.

"Hah, well I want to see if a bar will let me in," I replied cheekily. "I'm only three months away from turning eighteen. Maybe my facial hair will convince them? Not to mention I do want to indulge in some gambling. Oh, and maybe I can visit a strip club-,"

"You're not eighteen yet."

"I have a fake ID," I joked with her. "Kidding. I have two old friends who live here. I haven't spoken to them in a while, so I thought I'd go and see them. You know how it is, life moves on while it feels like you're standing still."

Midnight rolled her eyes at me.

"All right, all right. Just be sure to get to the hotel by two. You do have tasks to complete."

I saluted her in response.

"Aye, aye, captain!"

As I walked away, I took out my new phone and read the same message they had sent me earlier this morning. Lunarase Crest Apartments, apartment number Ninety-Eight. As I plugged the address into the Coocle Maps app, I sighed as I saw it would take me around half an hour to get to their home.

The city of Sendai was big, almost as big as Musutafu - Which was one of the biggest cities in Japan. But unlike Musutafu, everything looked more modern. Perhaps it was the fact that Sendai was more North than Musutafu and thus had to deal with harsher winters, or perhaps the city was experiencing a level of opulence that my city could not afford with all the reconstructions and gangs on the streets.

Maybe it was the fact that Sendai hadn't dealt with one of the worst tragedies to befall on Japan in over a decade. Buildings that looked to be even taller than one's I was used to in my city, even the people here wore more premium clothing. Long coats that kept them warm, hats and scarves that fought against the chilly atmosphere, even the food stands smelt so nice.

As I lugged around my new guitar case with my chokuto inside, courtesy of Neito who said he didn't need the case anymore, I couldn't help but feel small in a city like this. Well, it was rather unfamiliar to me - not the feeling of the city itself, but rather the verticality of it all. Compared to Musutafu, Sendai was much like a maze. Perhaps it was because the Northeastern quarter of Japan had changed radically with the advent of more technologies which helped to mitigate natural disasters.

Something Sendai used to frequently deal with.

The city was rather elevated with tons of stairs and lifts moving people up and down the city. Much to my surprise, the big shopping centre of the city was underground. And the shit ton of posters and advertisements for Ryukyu was staggering, if a bit expected considering this was her playground. After all, she was known as the Dragoness of Sendai.

It was a cool nickname.

One that reminded me of an old Yakuza guy I had read many case reports on. The Dragon of Musutafu, someone that was classed as a vigilante despite being a Yakuza member. That was the nature of society here, I suppose.

Eventually, I found myself standing right outside the Lunarase Crest Apartments. A more modern build in an area of similar flats, and it did look quite expensive. Five floors for each building, including the one they stayed at. I cleared my throat as I approached the entrance which by the side had a small panel filled with different buttons and labels.

And hummed to myself as I pressed the doorbell for number ninety-eight.

Tapping my foot, I waited for the buzz to let me in, and within seconds I heard that buzz. I opened the door and began to walk up the stairs, reading each sign to see what apartments were on each floor before I made it to the fifth floor. I sighed as I walked to the left and stood right outside their door.

Shirou and Sakura Ito, they were two of my oldest friends from Middle School.

They had both moved to Sendai before the whole… Overhaul ordeal. Because Shirou, being the smarty-pants I knew, had gotten an apprenticeship at the Toyota main factory and office here to become an engineer with them.

But before I could even raise my hands to knock on the door, it was wildly swung open as I was dragged inside by a grinning girl. Sakura Ito. Short pink hair styled in a bob as well as her red glasses made her look more mature than a seventeen-year-old, which fit her white blouse and black jeans nicely.

"Sora!"

The genuine happiness that radiated in her voice paired nicely with the fierce hug the girl gave me, catching me off guard as I took a couple steps back in surprise, warmly smiling at the girl as I hugged her back.

"Sakura…" I softly smiled at her. "You're the same as ever."

"You've grown, Sora. And your hair has changed as well," Sakura whispered as she buried her head in my chest. Tears started to fall down her face as I patted her back in reassurance that I wasn't going to leave, that I wasn't dead. It had been ages since I last spoke to them, and a lot had happened. "I thought-, We thought you had died. Then Jiro didn't speak to us for ages, and then you messaged us once-, What the hell is wrong with you!?"

I patted her head in response, wiping her tears away.

"You know if you hold me like this, your brother might get the wrong idea," I teased her. "And we both know how protective your brother is over you."

Sakura snorted.

"Please. As if he has the balls to tell me who I can and can't date, isn't that right, Shirou?" Standing at the doorway, a familiar face greeted me. Clean-shaven, but he had shoulder-length pink hair with bangs on the right side of his forehead and rectangular-framed glasses, giving him a scholarly look. He was also roughly the same height as me, which was unexpected. "And you're the same with Miwa, Sora. Protective brothers suck."

I thought Shirou was taller than me…

But I guess enough time had passed for it to not be true anymore.

"Oh please, you show me every boy you talk to and ask if you can invite them over for dinner when you already know my answer," Shirou replied as he walked over and pulled me into a tight hug, just like his sister. "And it's no - And it always will be. Glad to see you're still alive, Sora."

"Just about," I replied, following the brother and sister into their sizable living room. "So, how's your apprenticeship treating you? Toyota, right? Something to do with mechanical engineering."

Shirou nodded at me.

"Yeah. I'm surprised you remember since it's been over a year and a half since I left Musutafu… since I last spoke with you," He looked away guiltily at that. "Then and again, within that year, you died."

"Publically," I retorted. "Though reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated. By me of course. I wish I could have jumped in on the Aozora merchandise craze, I reckon' I would have made a killing."

Shirou snorted at that.

"Shoulda, woulda, coulda."

"We thought you were really dead," Sakura whispered in response. "No one said anything to us for a while. Miwa didn't answer anyone's calls, and after we buried Denji… well Jiro simply disappeared after that. For a while, we grieved you, and then Miwa messaged us saying you were alive but different. That you had left U.A., and that Denji's death was your fault-, Is that…"

"True? Yeah. I killed him."

…

"What happened?" Shirou asked me. "He was our friend as much as he was yours. We deserve to know. All of us. Even our other middle school friends you decided to ignore in that city of yours."

…

"Denji told me the truth. By going to U.A. I was ignoring everyone, that our middle school broke up because of it," I told them honestly. "You don't need to tell me that it's not true, I already know it's what happened. Denji blamed me for everything, even if he didn't outright say it. He joined the Shie Hassaikai, and we fought. Instead of arresting him, like I should have done as a hero - I let him go. And he died when a piece of rubble fell on him as he escaped."

Sakura's sobs snapped me out of my trance.

Right.

They hadn't gotten closure on what happened, considering Jiro barely knew what happened, how would Shirou and Sakura get this information? Or Renji, Keiko, Sui or anyone else in our old middle school group. Shirou hugged his sister as she cried out for what seemed like an eternity, and I couldn't blame her. Her friend had died.

"You still blame yourself."

It wasn't a question.

I nodded at them.

"I do. I always will. Someday, surely I'll be able to forgive myself, but today isn't that day," I replied, pouring both of them a cup of tea. "But that's just me and my journey. I bet you're wondering why I left U.A. in the first place. How the tale of me coming back is even stranger, and why it took so long for me to reach out."

"Well, I certainly was thinking about it," Shirou joked. "Seriously though, why'd you break things off with Jiro? You two were so happy together. Man, I thought you were going to get married and start a family and shit. Now she's dating some guy in your old class, I think I might have met him."

I shrugged my shoulders in response.

"You did, but that's besides the point. Sometimes when you love someone, you want them to be happy. Happier than you currently are, because you know your unhappiness will drag them down - You're already drowning underwater, and I guess you simply want others to live," I explained. "I was trying to punish myself, and I didn't want to punish anyone else with me. That's it."

"You're an idiot. Jiro was the best thing to have ever happened to you."

I laughed at that.

"I agree. But she's moved on now. She's in a happier relationship with someone new, someone that treats her right," I said to them. "That's better than anything I could have asked for. You know I lost my Quirk after everything that happened, and I felt so powerless. I've never felt like that ever. Even when I couldn't save Denji, I still had my Quirk. But without it? Who exactly was I? What was I supposed to do…"

"Is that why Aozora died?" Shirou asked. "Why did you leave? Why were you silent for ages?"

I nodded in response.

"Yeah. I couldn't be a hero anymore and felt like Aozora had to die. Life goes on. I left U.A. and went to a public school, working in Denji's family restaurant to make things right with his grandad. I ignored everyone and suffered in silence thinking it was for the best. Then I got dragged back into this mess and well, I guess you know the rest," I sardonically smiled. "I had to learn a lesson the hard way. Maybe a painless lesson simply doesn't exist. So here I am, my Quirk's returned and I'm back at U.A."

"With brown hair," Sakura pointed out. "Some stubble, taller and with an ear piercing too."

"Yeah. Brown hair, but this too," I pointed at my detective's badge. "Not really a 'hero' anymore. I'm sorta doing my own thing, so I guess that's cool. Life goes on, even when you think it's been at a standstill for a while. I have other things I want to accomplish now, barriers I want to overcome and not stop getting over - I will find someone important to me. You could say I've changed a lot from the person you once knew. Call it what you will, but it's the truth."

"You have changed, we can both see it," Shirou told me. "In too many ways I think. You're a lot more open for one, not to mention you're relying on us. The old you would have come to Sendai and completely avoided us because you didn't want us to help you, and because you didn't want to tell the truth. You believed you could do everything on your own. I'm glad to see you've become better in that regard. But you still suck at messaging. Really? A 'yo, I'm coming to Sendai what's your location?' is the first thing you message us?"

I chuckled at that.

"What can I say? I'm just horrible at texting like I've always been," I looked at the time and winced. "Anyways, I've spent more than enough time here. Sorry about this, but I have to go. The world isn't going to save itself."

Sakura giggled at me.

"You've decided on saving everyone now? I thought that was too much effort for you, I thought that you only saved those you cared about?" She asked me curiously. "Don't tell me you've gotten all sappy and everything."

I shook my head at her, standing up as I put my shoes on and slung my guitar case over my shoulders.

"Nah. I think I finally understand my responsibility though," I answered honestly. "I can't save anyone by myself. But I can try to do my best with everyone by my side. And that's better than nothing."

Shirou grinned as he stood up and shook my hand.

"Look at you, all grown up and shit. Man, if only everyone could see how far you've come," He laughed loudly. "I'm proud of you. Seriously. I know we don't talk often, we do live seven hours away by car. Four and a half by train. We're both in different stages of our lives but just know I'll always root for you, Sora. And now you have our address, whenever you're in town just knock. You'll always have a place here."

"Yeah!" Sakura agreed with her brother. "Even if we aren't heroes, we can still listen to you! I know we aren't as close as we used to be, and we probably never will be, but I'll always consider you to be one of the best people I've ever met in my life! I don't know where life will take us, but at least know one thing! You'll be invited to my wedding at the very least!"

I chuckled at that.

"And your father? Arata, how's he doing with that hip of his? And his cancer. Did he beat it?"

Shirou and Sakura paused before they nodded at me. It was a weird pained look, and their delayed reaction said a lot more than any words ever could, but all I had to do was just pretend I didn't see them.

"Yeah, Dad's just at the hospital. He says he's sorry that he couldn't make it…"

Ah.

I see.

"All right, looking forward to it. Thanks, Sakura, Shirou. See ya' later."

I closed the door behind them as I sighed heavily. I was never good at goodbyes. It was because I died and never got to say goodbye properly to my old life because Denji, Eri and so many others were murdered that our goodbyes weren't even that - And Yukari… her death was the beginning of everything. I held my head high as I walked down the apartment complex and left the building with a smile on my face.

Things were slowly beginning to change.

The world underwater which I felt like I was trapped under for so long was long gone. And even if Class A and I weren't exactly on the best of terms, at least I knew it was possible for things to get better.

The path which I was following wasn't wrong.

The barriers that were in front of me suddenly looked less big.

And one day, surely I'd be able to get over even them.

"Sora…"

I sighed, dropping my bags off in our hotel room.

Five single beds.

I turned to look at Mina, who was horrified with the predicament, and Midoriya, who looked just as shocked as Kodai and Monoma. I then turned to look at the smirking Midnight, and I instantly knew what was going on. U.A. and their never ending plans, Nezu and his little schemes.

"Do you really think this is going to work?" I asked her.

Midnight shrugged her shoulders at me.

"What will work? Tsk, you and your silly tinfoil hat theories," Midnight brushed aside my accusation with ease. I narrowed my eyes on her. "Anyways, you lovely lads and ladies will be staying in this one room. Apparently, every other room was booked, so you'll have to make do. Toodles~!"

"Hold on!" Mina grabbed our teacher's hand. "Sensei. You seriously wouldn't leave me, your favourite student, alone here, right? I mean think about it, you have a double bed, right? Why would you waste it on just yourself."

"My, my, are you proposing we have a little escapade?" Midnight replied seductively, making even little me react to that. "Sadly, you're my student. And you're not of age. If it wasn't for those two things, perhaps I would consider your offer. But you aren't my favourite student, that is reserved for Tokage."

"Well, if I leave U.A. and use my fake ID, will you take me up on that offer?" I joked.

"Sorry hun, you're too much like Aizawa to sleep with me," Midnight replied with a saucy wink. "Seriously, he calls you his nephew. That means you're my nephew too. Don't forget that I knew Oboro as well."

I sighed at that.

"Incest is wincest?" I tried, throwing my bags on my bed as I already knew the answer. Damnit. The moment of my dreams was ruined by a man I had never met and freakin' Aizawa. Not that I ever had a chance with Midnight, I was still a kid. But our little dynamic hadn't changed even after all this time.

Monoma snorted as he pushed me onto my bed before jumping on his, and Midnight quickly left us alone in our room. Mina and Kodai took the beds furthest to the right while I took the bed closest to the bathroom. Monona was next to me, and Midoriya was to the right of him.

I sighed, turning on the TV.

"What're you doing?" Midoriya asked me.

"Watching Boy, Girl, Cat, Dog, Mouse and Cheese," I replied, opening a packet of sweets I had bought on the way back to the hotel. "It's not that bad not gonna lie. Wanna' sit and watch with me?"

"We have work to do."

"None of you apart from me are in costume, so until then, I'm watching TV," I told him with a smirk. "And if you have a problem with that, then take it up with everyone else who doesn't give a shit. I know you have a problem with me, but could you at the very least try to not make it get in the way of our trip? Especially when I just want to watch my show for a few minutes in peace."

Midoriya huffed as he ignored me completely and began to get changed into his hero costume. Monoma was pretty much nearby, and Kodai and Mina were taking turns in the bathroom to get changed. Eventually, the five of us stood in the lobby of the hotel as we waited for Midnight to come down and give us our tasks. Even if it was only half past two, the sun was still shining brightly.

"Sorry I'm late, I had a call that I couldn't miss," Midnight apologised as she handed our group a slip of paper. "All of your tasks are right there. Gaze and look at the torture Sendai has prepared for you."

Midoriya practically snatched the piece of paper from her hands as he read it out loud.

"Find a missing cat, help test the security measures of a lady's party and investigate a crate of missing experimental technology from one of the nearby factories," He read aloud. "So, what do you all want to do first? Oh, and we have to do our patrols as well tonight. Which means we have to leave the tasks for tomorrow. If we don't get even more."

"How about we do the cat one first?" Monoma asked. "During our patrol, I mean. It's not like we don't have the time so what's the point in wasting it. Plus, it'll mean tomorrow we only have two tasks if we get lucky and don't get even more."

"I agree," Kodai nodded her head.

"That seems like fun!" Mina pumped her fist up in the air.

"I'm allergic to cats," I reminded them. "So, enjoy I guess.

"All right, Classes A and B let's prepare to-, Huh?" Midoriya turned to look at me in confusion. It reminded me of a gaping fish. "You… you're allergic to cats?"

I nodded.

"Yeah. I can still help though, just don't rely on me trying to capture the damn thing."

Midoriya slowly nodded at me.

"O…okay, anyways let's complete our patrol for tonight!"

Another shorter chapter.

Ultimately this was a fine enough stopping point, even if it's a little shorter there was a lot of ground covered. Some more world-building and an impactful conversation that's important to Sora's character.

Sure, I could have added an extra 5-10k words of them doing extra things around the city, like finding a cat or patrol - But I don't think there's a need to write it out fully. It would just be retreading on the same plot lines that I've been emphasising in this chapter and the previous ones.

Sure, it would be fun to write out a comedy scene where Sora and Midoriya can't work together.

Or, I can move to the stuff that I want to write.

Part 1 could be considered bloated, sure. But it made sure that everyone's relationship with Sora was thoroughly explored so in Part 2 I don't have to spend a significant amount of time highlighting it.

Now I can just get to the cool shit we've all been waiting for :)