About a few days have passed since I made friends with Akari. During the times I've been with Akari the gossip around me has been little. I also started to remember that Izuku was meant to be bullied since in the story he was bullied for being quirkless.
The adult in me wants to stop the other kids from bullying Izuku but logic says it's best for him if I let it happen even though I want to step in. I know it's not the right decision to not help him but I don't want to intervene too much in the timeline to not divert the timeline that I'm trying to remember. But since I'm already here I must have diverted the timeline already, so would remembering how some events play out really matter if I already changed it?
But enough of that stressful thinking, let's go to a more simple way of thinking. Right now Akari and I are at the playground, the best place to find a friend. I want a trio and if Izuku is out because in the original he usually hangs out with Katsuki, who could be the final member? I heard things come great as a group of three, maybe seven or thirteen but three is the closest we can get with my reputation. The other kids don't want to be around me or Akari anymore since somehow everyone just so happens to know what our quirks are which begs the question.
"Hey Akari what's your quirk?"
"Huh. Why are you asking me that question now," I could hear the nervousness in her voice.
"What, does your quirk do something bad? If it is then we can be bad guys together."
"It's called See Through."
"Oh. That's it? I thought it would be something more flashy."
"No… I could see through people. Like when someone lies or when someone is in pain or what their personality is usually like."
"Do you not like your quirk?"
"It-it's not that I don't like my quirk. In fact, I love it since it's the same as my sister's. It's just I'm afraid of what I might see with it."
"What do you see in me right now?"
Akari stares at me and her eyes glow a little then she says "I see that I'm you're my best friend."
"Yep and what did I say best friends are for."
"Being late and making girls cry."
"What no, that's not what. Umm... Well... Hehe you got me there," I clasped my hands together then bowed down, "Sorry."
I heard Akari laugh then said, "Yeah, I know you actually meant that best friends will be there even if they are a little late, and best friends make each other cry happy tears, right?"
"Exactly," I snapped my finger, smiling standing straight from my bow, "And we need another best friend so that our best friend group is at peak best friend power and I know just the boy."
"Is it your brother?"
"What? No, not him. I'm talking about that boy who saved us from that fall."
"You mean, Youta?"
"Was that his name? Do you know him? Akari looks down and just stays silent. "Was he one of your friends before something happened," I see her head nod. "Do you want to talk about it? I'm always here to listen."
"Youta was my first real friend," my ears perks up when I heard her somber voice. "When my quirk activated I saw that all my other friends didn't really look like they wanted to be my friend, but Youta looked different from everyone else. One day the girls who I thought was my friend was talking about quirks and when I told them what my quirk was they became dark and scary. They told me that my quirk was amazing and cool but I saw scary things. When I told them what I saw in them they got mad at me. That's when Youta came and told them I wasn't lying and when I saw Youta he looked bright. The other girls left and said mean things about me but Youta stayed and told me to not stay with people like them. But I didn't listen. I went back to the girls to apologize for what happened but they pushed me down and told me to stay away from them because they don't want to be friends with someone who says bad things about them. After the girls left Youta came and helped me up. I was sad that my friends didn't want to be my friends anymore but Youta was there and that's when we became friends. He introduced me to his other friends but they all looked the same as the group of girls that were my friend. They also asked what my quirk was but I didn't tell them and kept it a secret. When Youta awakened his quirk everyone liked his quirk it was flashy but I saw that every time he used it he looked different."
"Different? What did you see?"
"I saw that every time he used his quirk he would change to something scary, but I wasn't scared. I talked to him about it and he said that he was ok and to keep this a secret from everyone and I listened. I thought he would be fine but when he was showing off his quirk he stopped moving and he..."
I put a hand on her shoulder after a short moment of silence, "He didn't, did he... It wasn't your fault."
I could see tears coming out of her glowing eyes, "After we notice he stopped moving we called an adult and they said he was dead. But I knew he wasn't dead yet, I thought that it was just his quirk. I hoped he would just come back like he always does but he didn't. My sister and I went to see him in the hospital and they said he would be fine but didn't know why his heart stop. That was when I told them how his quirk worked and they were mad at me for keeping it a secret but my sister protected me and we left. I know he's mad at me for telling someone his secret."
"Did you make sure he was actually mad at you?"
"Why? I already know he is because he hasn't talked to me."
"Akari... What are best friends for?"
"Huh."
"What are best friends for?"
"Why are you asking me that," Akari said sniffling.
"Just answer the question."
"Best friends will be there even if they are a little late and best friends make each other cry happy tears, right?"
"Wrong. Best friends are for being late and making girls cry and if you don't believe me then look at me."
Akari looks at me with tears still in her eyes and she asks, "Why are best friends like that?"
"Because Akari, I'm not your only best friend and you're late."
"Late? late for what?"
"You need to have a talk with Youta."
"But..."
"No buts. You need to talk with him. He is still your best friend."
"But..."
"No Buts. You don't know if he is mad at you or not. You are his best friend and he is late and he is making you cry."
"But..."
"NO BUTS!"
I see Akari's eyelids close and tears still falling from her face, she runs away. "NO! I'm Not Going To!"
"Wait! Akari!" I started to chase but stopped. Thinking back I was a little insensitive but I was only trying to help. I should have done it differently. Akari is not in my line of sight anymore and now I'm alone again. I should have known how to deal with a simple kid. I should have just... No, what am I thinking about? I slap myself in the face. Akari isn't just a simple kid, Akari, she is my friend, my best friend. "Akari! Wait!" I started running in the general direction of where she ran off to.
Akari is nowhere to be seen. I ran down the street and back to the apartment. I knocked on her door panting and Akari's mom opened the door "Excuse me *HUFF* did Akari *HUFF* come back here *HUFF* by any chance?"
"Oh, you're Akumi, right? No, Akari didn't come back here, why?"
"Ok thanks anyways," I'm now running back.
"Wait what happened to Akari," I hear Akari's mom yell.
I don't have time to answer her question because I have a friend to console. I ran out of the building and now just running around looking for Akari. Through alleyways, the park, the school, the stores, and even underneath a bridge but I couldn't find Akari anywhere. But there was that one place, that one place where there was a fence blocking a forest where I remember that forest scene when Izuku tried helping Katsuki after he fell. I have a gut feeling that Akari is there.
I arrived at the green fence and didn't see anyone there. I don't see any trace of her there either but I still had this strong feeling that she was through that fence. I walked through to the other side and started searching. She was not near the entrance so I went deeper into the forest. I call out to Akari but I don't hear an answer. Looking around, all I could see were the trees and insects, no sign of Akari anywhere, but I still had the strong sense that she was there somewhere.
I spent quite a while in the forest where I could see the sun start to set. I feel like I searched everywhere but I don't know if I passed her or not. I don't even know why I was here. Maybe it was just an instinct but now I think I should check another place. I start to head back to the entrance but realize I'm lost. I spent most of the time trying to find Akari so I didn't pay any attention to where I was. I sigh and call out to Akari again as I was walking in the direction I thought was the way out.
After a little bit of walking, I could hear sobbing and a boy's voice in the near distance. I quietly approached the area I heard the noise from and saw Akari sitting curled up and the boy that saved us from the fall sitting on the right of her. "It's getting late, Akari. We should probably head back," said the boy. There was no response from Akari.
"Or we could talk here," I walked up to them and I seemed to have surprised the boy and I could see Akari flinch.
"How long have you been here?"
"I've only just arrived. You must be Youta I guess?" I sit down to the left of Akari.
"I've tried, but I guess you have a better chance at it."
"Wait, so you have tried talking!?"
"Yeah, I tried earlier but couldn't get her to stop crying."
I looked at Akari and could see that her eyes were closed. "Hey, Akari..." No response from Akari. "I guess you didn't need to talk with him... I'm sorry."
Her eyes opened and it was still glowing or did it just activate I don't know but she looked at me and said, "Liar."
"Well, what do you want me to say? Nothing gets past your eyes. Haha." It doesn't look like my joke was funny because she closed her eyes again. "So Youta how did you first meet Akari."
"Huh? Why do you want to know?"
"Since Akari here doesn't want to talk, let's talk instead. Here, I'll go first, I first met Akari when I knocked on the wrong door to my apartment."
"HaHaHa. Was that how you two first met?"
"So how did you two first meet?"
"Hmmm. I think it was when I woke up in the hospital."
"I thought you knew each other before that?"
"Yeah, that's what she said too but I don't remember anything before that."
"We met here when my old friends dared me to go into the forest and I got lost," I hear Akari and she has her eyes open but her eyes aren't glowing anymore.
"So that was how we all first met Akari. Now when did I first meet Youta? I think it has to be when you caught us when we were falling."
"I first met you on that day as well."
"I first met Akumi when you scared everyone in class with your quirk."
"You still remember that. Haha. Yeah, I'm sorry about that one too."
"You scared everyone? How did you do that?"
"Well, it's my quirk. It just went crazy."
"What's your quirk?"
"Right, I forgot you weren't there when I came into the school." I got up and walked in front of Youta and stuck my hand out for a handshake, "Hi my name is Akumi Midoriya, nice to meet you."
"Isn't it a bit late for an introduction?"
"It's never too late for an introduction. Right Akari," I hear no response from Akari, "Well let's introduce ourselves anyway. What's your name?"
"I guess it's been nice knowing you too. My name is Youta, Youta Okazaki." He shook my hand and then tried to let go but I pulled him up. "Hey, what are you doing?"
I look over towards Akari and she is still curled up so I also grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her up to her feet with ease. "AAAh," she screams.
"And there." I put their hands together, "Now that we are here let's solve our problems together."
"Umm. Don't you think we could have not done this," I could see Youta blush a little.
I see Akari looking away, "Come on Akari we can't solve our issues if you keep looking away." It takes a moment but eventually, she looks at us. "Now that we are all here can we all say that we are friends?"
"I don't know if I could even believe you two," said Akari.
"And I don't even know you two that well," said Youta.
"Well if you don't believe us Akari don't use your quirk to see what we are, use our actions, and Youta I don't know either of you well either so no excuses."
"But why do you want me to be your friend? I see that you and Akari get along well by yourselves."
"No, we need to have three people and that's final." I look over to Akari and her eyes are now glowing again, "Hey didn't I say to not use your quirk."
Akari starts to laugh tears still running down her face, "I don't even know what I see anymore."
"Ok let's wrap this up quickly, it's getting dark. We need to head back soon. All in favor to be friends say AYE!"
Youta smiles and says "I don't remember who Akari is and I don't even know who Akumi is either but I'm willing to try and be your friend again Akari. AYE!"
Akari's eyes glowed for a second then stopped. She wipes away her tears and smiled then said, "I will try not to rely on my quirk so much to decide to believe you or not. I'll make sure to confirm all my doubts before assuming anything. So I will be your friend again. AYE!"
"Alright, now that we are friends for now we need to go back. It's so dark now I can barely see five meters in front of me."
"Oh, no worries. I got this."
Youta stops moving for a second then I remember what his quirk was "Wait you shouldn't." Then a bright red light appeared and lit a small area.
Youta got out of my grip and walked away and turned back at us, "Come on follow me I know the way back."
I look at Akari and she is still smiling then I sigh, "Well if Akari is fine then I'm fine too. Let's go." While still holding Akari's hand we followed Youta out of the forest. We arrived at the fence and it was quite dark now but now that we're closer to the city it was a more lit area.
Youta deactivated his quirk and pointed in a direction, "I live that way so I think it's best if I go back alone since my mom and dad might be worried."
"Oh, ok I guess, we'll see you tomorrow then," I wave goodbye.
"Yeah see you later. Akari, Akumi," Youta waved goodbye and then ran off.
I look over to Akari and her eyes are glowing but they stopped, "So Akari we should get going. I think your mom is worried about you." When I said that Akari stopped smiling and I could feel something was wrong, "Akari?"
"You mean my sister, right?" Akari stuttered.
I think this is another touchy topic so I lay off on questioning it and just went along with it, "Yeah I meant you're sister. Haha." I tried to change the topic quickly and walked ahead of her pulling her along, "Come on hurry. We might get in trouble if we don't go back home."
"Okay… You don't have to pull so hard," I see a smile on her face when I turn back to look at her.
We didn't have any difficulty getting back home since I knew pretty well how to navigate back to the apartment. It didn't take too long to arrive at the apartment building and I left Akari to go to my apartment. I saw her door open and she waved goodbye to me and went inside.
My door opened and Mrs. Midoryia opened the door and then when she saw me she hugged me, "Akumi! Where have you been? We've been so worried about you."
"I'm sorry I was playing with my friends and lost track of time."
"Next time tell me if you are going to be with your friends. I was so worried you might have accidentally used your quirk again and got sick."
"Ok, I will and can I go inside now? I'm tired. I've had a long day."
"Oh my. Look at you, you're so messy. Come on, you need to take a bath."
"Yeah. I need one," I laughed and she let me inside.
