It's been about a day since the entrance exam. Now we wait until our results which should come within a couple more days. Izuku has a blank face though he's trying to stay optimistic. I asked how many points he got and he seemed to fade from existence. I wasn't paying attention to how many points I had either so I can't blame him for not remembering.
For now, since Izuku is being unresponsive I'm currently walking along the newly cleaned beachside. I look out into the ocean, "I wonder if I should be feeling something?"
"Yeah, you should," Doll Maker's voice suddenly spoke in my right ear.
I flinched my arms up, nearly hitting Doll Maker's face. "Doll Maker! Wh-what are you doing here?"
"Just wanted to see my assistant's benefactor before I embark on my adventure."
"You know I haven't even seen her since… Well since she shoved me out of her room." I shrugged my shoulders.
"Yeah, I know that. But whatever she saw in you or whatever you said seemed to have, for the most part, dissuaded her from vigilantism. At least for the time being. Or at least that's what I think."
"You think? Just what has she been up to? Not even showing up to class. Did she even pass Jr High?"
"She's doing well. I mean her quirk is making my memories confusing so I don't know what already happened or what didn't already happen. She's also been avoiding direct conversations with me right now. But that's a good thing," he says looking over the ocean with a half smile on his face. "This little job might be too much for her right now."
"What are you up to? Don't get yourself hurt. Maeko has already lost enough."
"Oh, it feels like it was just yesterday. But this time it's different," Doll Maker said, sounding reminiscent, holding his hat to his chest.
"Did you mess up big time or something?"
"Yeah. It cost me a friend or two. I'll make it right this time though."
"Ah, so you too?" Shimizu-San's voice from behind me.
Turning around in surprise then I shouted for joy, "Shimizu-San!"
"Long time no see Akumi," Shimizu-San said as she approached us. "I heard someone cleaned this beachside recently so I wanted to visit it since it was close by."
"Could this be a fateful encounter," Doll Makers voice now his usual banter as he fixes his hat to his head. "Found comradery in a similar past."
"How has Akari been? No, how have you been? No, where have you been? No, what have you been up to? No, why—"
She grips my mouth holding it shut, "Shhh. I'm not here to answer questions, I'm here on break. If I knew you'd be such a headache I would have just quietly left without ever saying anything." She looks over at Doll Maker as she lets go of her grip and asks, "Who's your friend there?"
"I'm the neighborhood vigilante Doll Maker," Doll Maker responded.
"You aren't thinking of becoming a vigilante are you, Akumi," Shimizu-San said, staring into my soul.
"No, of course not. Why would I want to be a vigilante?"
"That's true," she sighs. "It'll really suck if you don't become a hero."
"I'm still waiting for the results. But don't you worry even if UA doesn't accept me I still have other options. But enough of that, why did you cut off all contact with me, Izuku, and Youta?"
"Look it wasn't my idea ok. All I can say is that Akari thought it best for her to focus on what she had to do and having contact with her friends would be too big of a distraction. Especially if you decide to do something dumb."
"You're joking, right? I mean what could be taking all her focus away that she doesn't even have time to talk with us."
With a heavy sigh, she says, "I came here for a small getaway. Not to get more headaches from my sister's friend. Just sit quietly and listen to the ocean waves." Shimizu-San sat down watching the ocean's waves. I didn't notice before but she has dark rings under her eyes, her hair a bit disheveled, and she looks like she was done with it all.
"Having trouble with family too. And it all revolves around one girl. What a coincidence." Doll Maker sat down next to Shimizu-San. "Want to talk about it."
"Look here, Doll Maker. It may seem like I'm leaving myself vulnerable right now but I warn you I'm not. You should try a different approach when talking with women. So go take your vigilantism act elsewhere."
I sit in between Doll Maker and Shimizu-San. "You know, I feel a strange connection with you two for some reason. You guys don't happen to know each other right?"
"Never seen him in my life."
"I don't forget the people I met and I can safely say she is not someone I've met before."
"For some reason, I feel regret and yet also at peace right now." I put a hand out as if I was reaching for something. "Almost like someone or something was trying to call out but I can't hear it."
"Hey, I know you missed Akari but…"
"I didn't know Maeko left that type of…"
They both said their sentences simultaneously and paused for a moment as they looked at each other in confusion.
Then with a smile, Shimizu-San says, "Ah you must not know. She's definitely referring to Akari. I don't know who this Maeko is but clearly, you got it wrong."
Doll Maker smiles back saying, "Me, wrong. I've never been wrong my entire life. Clearly, you're in the wrong here. Maeko's quirk has left a special connection and only Akumi here can pick up on that connection."
"Really now? I don't see any special connection. Are you sure it's not just your imagination? After all, isn't your memory a bit jumbled because of this Maeko person?"
"So you want to go there? Well, I should say the same to you. This Akari person makes you have such a headache you're not thinking straight."
"Guys come on. I'm not even—"
Shimizu-San puts a finger to my mouth, "Not now Akumi, the adults are talking."
"But I am an adult."
"I mean come on. You should see how much Maeko wants to converse with Akumi again so that even Akumi can feel it," Doll Maker continues. "You said so yourself that Akari is far too focused on other things to be sending any signals to Akumi here."
"Ha, I don't think you've been paying attention to the conversation because, while Maeko wants to speak with Akumi, Akumi wants to speak with Akari."
"You just prove my point even further. Akari doesn't want to interact with Akumi while my Maeko does. Therefore she must be referring to Maeko."
"Likewise Akumi wants to interact with Akari and not with Maeko. Therefore she's referring to Akari."
Feeling a bit crushed by this argument I stand myself up shouting, "Alright you two, enough already! I'm not referring to either Akari or Maeko! I'm not even sure what I meant by what I said. I just felt strange so I spouted out some nonsense. So let's just forget about it already!" They both stared at me in silence. Then Shimizu-San started laughing. Doll Maker stood back up patting the sand off his pants. "Where are you going?"
"My job here is done. I made a good impression and I still have that little job I need to do. So I'll be taking my leave. But before I go," Doll Maker snapped his fingers, flicked his hand then out popped a yellow-green flower. "A flower for you. I've read on the internet that this particular flower symbolizes happiness, wealth, and passion. Also, it has the side effects of warding off evil."
"Thank you I'll gladly accept," Shimizu-San takes the flower. "You can say I'm going to be surrounded by one of those things you mentioned."
"I hope to see you around," Doll Maker begins to walk away.
"No flowers for me?"
"You don't need one. You're already the best flower anyone could receive. But if you really want one, maybe Maeko might have one for you," Doll Maker replied, continuing to walk while waving goodbye.
I look back at Shimizu-San and she's holding on to the flower staring at it for a good while before looking back at the ocean. "He's not a bad person. But he could do so much better."
"So did you know him or not? You two are giving me such a mixed feeling."
"No. If there's one thing we can agree on it's that this is the first time we've met. Even my quirk says so or more like sees so."
"Is that so… Hrmgh, it felt like you knew each other or more like… I don't know how to describe it." I scramble my brain to try to think of something but nothing comes out. "You know."
"Just leave it at that. You're going to hurt yourself if you keep thinking that hard," Shimizu-San got up. "I think it's time for me to head back. It's going to get complicated if I'm gone for too long."
"Already. But we just met up again. Can you at least give us a call?"
"No can do. Sorry, but it's better this way for all of us. Knowing Youta he would be all over this and things would get more complicated than it already is. Don't even get me started with Izuku. Quirkless, incompetent, and has no political power. At least Youta has a chance. That's why I've been trying to…" Shimizu-San stopped herself from speaking, rubbing her eyes. Then lightly slapping her face awake she said, "Almost said too much right there."
"What are you trying to do? Why can only Youta do it? And why hasn't he or you brought it up to us yet?"
"He doesn't know anything yet. At least not that I'm aware of. But I need to go now. You better not let this conversation out to the two boys."
"Wait, what can I do to help? If I can, that is."
"You at least have a quirk. But worst of all, you're a woman. Unless…" She eyes me up and down for a good second or two. "No, that's not possible in the first place. Just like with Izuku you just don't have it."
"What, political power? Because that's the only thing I don't have on your list. I have a quirk and I am capable given enough time."
"No, not those things. You just don't have… Well, if I had to be honest you just don't fit in my plan. You threw everything off course so much so that I didn't have to do anything and Akari would be better off without my input."
"Then why do you look so tired and have so many headaches? Why the secrecy?"
Shimizu-San rolled her eyes and started walking away, "Like you don't have secrets yourself. Akari and I always knew you were hiding something when we first met you. And you're still hiding that very same thing now. So let's also leave this at that and I'll be on my way. Some things are just better-kept secrets. At least for the time being."
I couldn't argue. She had me there. I was also keeping secrets from them from everyone. "If I told you my secret, would you tell me Akari's?!"
"You'll have to ask Akari herself."
I had nothing left to say. I watched as Shimizu-San disappeared into the distance. I thought about following her but my body wouldn't move. Instead, I fell onto my back on the sand and looked up towards the sky as a plane happened to pass overhead. I didn't realize it but the sun was setting already. "I'm losing touch on things. Not noticing people or time. What's next, my quirk!" I aimed and shot at the plane in the sky. Not that I was trying to hit it or even able to hit it at this distance.
"Well, at least my quirk is working right." I sat up and watched the sunset. "I'm not feeling anything right now."
