Chapter 36: Deku No More!

My eyes opened to see a familiar ceiling above me. That was to say that I recognized it immediately as the same one that is used for hospitals. Not to mention that the uncomfortable bed I'm lying on is also one used for the same purpose. I averted my eyes from the nauseating fluorescent light and looked around me to see that I was the only person in the room. This lasted for a little while as I tried to move but no matter how much I tried, just moving my fingers felt like a challenge.

It was then that I recalled the fight with The High-End Nomu, and how many times I went far beyond my limits to put him down for good. So, it's no surprise that I'm experiencing the 'results' of overdoing it. When Sakura died, I was fully prepared to use everything that I had, even if it killed me, if it meant obliterating that monster off the face of the earth. It's a miracle that I'm still alive… right? At least I want to feel that way, but the pain of not being able to do anything for Sakura or even reciprocate her love for me, is still eating away at me.

'And even after she sacrificed her life… you can't feel the same way about her. That guilt for not being able to give anything back to her even after her death, is eating away at you. It's as if she's right there behind you, gnawing on you, for denying her some 'meaning' to her demise.' It's just as Jokata said, I didn't love Sakura the same way she loved me. Even after she gave up her own life to save mine, I still can't help but feel that she was just a friend. And I can't help but feel guilty over that.

But even ignoring how I feel about Sakura, what am I really going back to now that I'm awake? My identity was revealed to Hirata, Sudo and Ryuuen. I wouldn't be surprised if everyone knew who I really am now. Which means that it's all over isn't it? I'm going to be arrested for 'pretending' to be a hero and thrown in some prison, never to see anyone that I've come to know at AN ever again. But maybe it's better that way. Because if I'm given the chance to return or even say my last goodbyes before being sent to jail, their beliefs will never change. Not when-

'I rule Class A. And let's just say hypothetically I didn't and everything I've been telling you was bullshit. So what? I'm a woman. A poor defenseless woman who says she was taken advantage of by a man. Do you really think they are going to take your side? You see, Midoriya, I won far before I even had to lift one of my fingers. Because no matter what happens next… no one will EVER believe you.' She's still around. I didn't want to believe that anyone from my class was my enemy, and I still don't want to. But without a shadow of a doubt, Kushida has made things impossible for me to return to any semblance of a normal life.

So, what point was there to me surviving? As far as I can see there wasn't. Sakura died for nothing, and I survived for nothing. I don't even have any desire to return home anymore. I've failed to do something as simple as save the person right in front of me. I no longer have the right to say that I deserve to live, much less call myself a hero. If only I was stronger, I would have been able to save both Sakura and All Might. But I'm not. My entire life I've been the weak and pathetic 'Deku' that Kacchan thought I was. Everything I sought to protect, my entire life…

… Was all for nothing. If only I had never become a hero in the first place, then maybe Sakura and All Might would still be alive. But just as I realized that truth about me, I heard a 'creak' as the door to the hospital room I was in was opened. And the person who walked inside was a young nurse. The moment she saw me awake she dropped the cup of coffee she was holding before running out of the room, with the intention of letting everyone know that I was awake. But since I could barely move a muscle, I laid down on my back and waited for what would inevitably happen next.

Shortly after that, a doctor came into the room with the nurse from before as they explained the situation to me. I was told after overexerting myself well beyond my limitations, that I would have to undergo physical therapy in order to walk again. For now, I would have to use a wheelchair for the time being. But they also made clear that I would be able to walk again in due time. But whenever that would be would depend on me. Perhaps, I'll stay this way. That way in this state I wouldn't be able to hurt anyone, like I did with Sakura.

But as I was rolled out of the hospital room by the nurse, the doctor stayed behind. And unbeknownst to me, he looked at me with a face full of regret. And as the door closed behind him-

"For what reason must I keep the truth a secret from him, Ujiko. That it will only be a matter of time before he…" The Doctor muttered to himself before trailing off as he did not want to finish that sentence, believing that if he did then my fate would be just as how he said it would go. In order to avoid that outcome, the Doctor refrained from finishing speaking and quietly left the room. Before I knew it, the nurse had helped me make my way to another room of the hospital. There I noticed Chairman Ayanokoji, along with two people that I didn't recognize. They both approached me upon noticing me.

"My name is Stanford Edgar, but you can call me Stan. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Midoriya." The man named Stand Edgar grasped my hand and shook it with a smile on his face as I took in his appearance. Edgar was an older man who appeared to be in his early to mid-sixties. He had brown hair that was greying and was presumably African American. But even though he was clearly someone from the United States, he spoke Japanese rather eloquently much to my surprise. Especially when compared to the last American that I had encountered recently. As for the other person, he was-

"Homelander. Nice to meet you at last, sport." Homelander spoke with a smile of his own while shaking my hand. But as he did so, my eyes went wide as I took in his appearance. His blonde hair, red and blue outfit with a golden belt that had the bald eagle on it and the cape that showed off the American flag. There's no doubt it, the man in front of me is America's number one hero. The same man who's the leader of The Seven and considered to be the world's greatest hero. And now here he is, shaking hands with me. But for what purpose? Why is he here now? But just as I thought that-

"Izuku Midoriya, what you did to defeat that monster, has been shared across the entire world. Before you ask me, who did it, I honestly have no idea. But what matters is that you risked everything to rid this world of that utter abomination. You have done your country, no, the world itself a great service. You have my lacks young man." Chairman Ayanokoji declared while shaking my hand with a smile on his face. This told me that my battle with The High-End Nomu was recorded by someone, most likely Garaki and put onto the internet, probably through the dark web. And this also made things crystal clear…

… Everyone now knows that I'm the 'vigilante.' In the end everything that I sought to protect really was all for nothing. But this also raised another question, why was America's number one hero here along with someone else? That didn't make sense to me. But even still, I couldn't help but glare daggers at the man named Atsuomi Ayanokoji. Because I had a strong feeling that he wasn't innocent in all of this. He noticed this and smirked at me for a second before taking his hand away from me and continuing.

"If what concerns you is how that… girl died, then don't be. I have already handed out a generous donation to her parents for losing their daughter. So, chin up kid, only one person died. If you didn't step in, the list of casualties could have been astronomical. What you did to save her was for the good of the wo- Chairman Ayanokoji continued but I had just about enough of him talking and not addressing my friend by her name.

"Her name was Sakura. Not 'girl' or 'her.' Airi Sakura. She's… dead. And it's all my fault." I admitted with a face full of regret. Chairman Ayanokoji noticed the look on my face and was at a loss for words. Similarly, the man named Stan Edgar thought about how to respond to what I just said, and as for Homelander-

"Pfft!" He was covering his mouth in order to stop his laughter from escaping. This made me and everyone else in the room look at him as he noticed us staring. He then looked around the room before continuing.

"Wait. You're serious?" Homelander asked with a grin on his face as I was beginning to get an idea of who America's number one hero was. A deplorable person much like The Deep was who had no empathy for the lives of humans. And after everything that happened, I couldn't help but glare daggers at him for it. Edgar noticed this and whispered, 'Outside now.' To Homelander before they both exited the hospital room for a moment. And unbeknownst to me they had a conversation outside. Which was-

"What do you think you're doing?" Edgar whispered with a serious look on his face and a tone of voice that matched it. This made Homelander smile.

"I mean, I don't understand what has you or him so worked up. So, what if he lost someone. Big deal. I've lost people I've cared about. What am I supposed to do? Let him bitch and whine over some girl he was fucking? Yeah, I don't want to hear that shit. Not when 'she's' had to undergo much worse than whoever the fuck had to go through." Homelander replied nonchalantly while not caring if anyone heard him. After all, he was in Japan and couldn't understand a single word any of these people said. So, he didn't expect them to understand what he said either. Edgar noticed this and his displeasure only grew with the passing of each second.

"Now you listen to me. The person in there can be used as a valuable asset to Vought gaining some PR over the damage control that you made me pull when you know who revealed themselves as a Nazi." Edgar replied while continuing to whisper just in case any person around them actually understood English. But noticing this only made Homelander scoff, especially over the last thing he said.

"You know she has a name, right? Damn it, Edgar. She was supposed to be mine. And now she's a fucking vegetable and rotting away all because of my son! I can't even look at her without feeling embarrassed just to be in the same room as her. And it's all fucking William's fault that I can't even see my son. So, forgive me, if I really don't give a damn about whatever the fuck her name was." Homelander snapped back as he couldn't help but feel immense hatred for the man named William, or more commonly known by the name Billy Butcher.

"I'm not asking you to care. I'm TELLING you to care. Right now, as it stands, my company is at a crossroads. Translucent's dead. A-Train and Deep might as well be dead too. What we need is someone new to join The Seven and this kid is our best bet. Not to mention, he's Japanese meaning that it will make us look good in the long run if we start accepting people from other countries. That's why we need this." Edgar replied but this made Homelander wave his finger in his superior's face in a very childish way, much to Stan's displeasure before continuing.

"No, no, no. 'We' don't need this. Only you do, Edgar. What I need is my son. So, no. I don't think I'm going to be supportive and say something like 'You did your best champ, but now she's in a better place.' And what that kid needs to do is the man fuck up and get over it already." Homelander replied while grinning from ear to ear as he didn't take this conversation between him and Edgar seriously in the slightest. However, even though he was far more powerful compared to his superior the man named Homelander was but a dog to his master. And Edgar was still holding the leash.

"Fine then. Once we return to the states, I'll have Starlight become co-captain of The Seven, effective immediately." Edgar replied while Homelander was about to walk away before doing a double take after he registered what Stan had told him.

"I-I'm sorry… what did you just say?" Homelander asked with a confused look on his face. Even though he heard Edgar clearly, he couldn't believe what he had just heard escape from his superior's lips. In response, Edgar looked back at him with a no nonsense look on his face before continuing.

"You heard me. So, do what I say and do it right unless you want to face the consequences. You hear me, John?" Edgar replied referring to Homelander by his real name that being 'John.' Homelander heard this and couldn't help but laugh while twitching his eyes for a moment. And then…

"Okay! Guess, I'll put on the ol waterworks for the kid." Homelander replied with a fake smile before opening the door back to the hospital room that Midoriya and Ayanokoji were in. All the while Edgar stood there while thinking 'That's what I thought.' With an unamused expression on his face before accompanying his dog. And shortly after that-

"You know, I just couldn't believe it. I was… so… caught off guard when you said that… she died. But you know, you did your best champ. She's in a better place now. Everything's going to be alright now. After all, I'm here." Homelander spoke in between sobs while kneeling toward me so that we were face to face. But all I could think of when he was confessing to me was that-

'I-Is he serious?' I thought internally while clenching my fist for him having the audacity to give me such a fake apology. Edgar noticed this and quickly intervened.

"What he means to say is that we both share our condolences with you over your loss. Which is why I'm offering you a proposition to do something that will not just better your wonderful home country but the world itself." Edgar spoke but I was still confused over what he meant so I replied with 'Which is?' But before Stan could finish, Homelander beat him to the punch.

"Kid, how would you like to become the newest member of The Seven?" Homelander asked as it took a moment to take in his words, and when I did, I did a double take and replied with 'Huh?' I genuinely couldn't believe what I just heard. So, I looked back at Chairman Ayanokoji as I had no clue why they were offering me this after my identity had been revealed. After all, Ayanokoji swore to put me in prison over what I did. How come he was just letting 'this' happen? But to my surprise, he noticed this and smiled.

"Is this seriously that much of a shock to you? Believe me when I said that I meant every word I said at the school auditorium. But that was before what you did. Now that you fought tooth and nail to protect not just me but all of your fellow classmates along with people you must have barely known, I have no desire to punish you for that. In fact, for your contributions, I'm giving you the choice on whether to remain as a student of AN or join The Seven. Though I know what I would choose if I were in your shoes. I mean who wouldn't want to work alongside the great Homelander?" Chaiman Ayanokoji explained as I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"This guy gets it." Homelander spoke with a grin on his face while putting a hand onto Ayanokoji's shoulder. But in the midst of that, I could have sworn that I noticed a look of discontent on the Chairman's face the moment that Homelander touched him. But it went away quickly so I summed it up as something that I thought I saw but wasn't really there. But upon noticing me looking at him, Homelander made his way back toward me before extending his hand toward me. And then…

"So, what do you say sport? Want to work alongside a real American hero?" Homelander asked while smiling. If I didn't know any better, I would have accepted his proposal on the spot since his looks reminded me of All Might. Not only did the both of them have blonde hair but they wore outfits that illustrated their undying love for the west. However, I did know better. Which is why I-

"… No." I flat out refused his proposal not even an instant after he asked me. This caught Homelander understandably off guard as he looked around while maintaining a smile on his face. Almost as if he couldn't believe that someone just said 'no' to him, much less a kid like me. But I did. And that's why he-

"I understand. It's a lot to take in. You must have lots of friends that you will miss but don't worry, they will admire you for joining the cause to fight alongside us American he- Homelander spoke but Edgar cut him off before he could finish speaking much to his surprise.

"If this is about your concealing your identity then I can assure you that as CEO of Vought International I have the power to silence any rumors about who may be under that costume. The footage in this video was also of low-quality meaning that your face was obscured for most of it. I also have your costume right here. I wasn't able to get the 'blood' out of it. But as a hero working for Vought, I can give you a brand-new costume and more. Whatever you want, I will have given to you on a silver platter." Edgar explained but I wasn't interested. In fact, just looking at my old costume, made me remember what happened to Sakura…

… And seeing it again made me want to dispose of it as quickly as possible. I never want to so much as look at that costume ever again. Because just acknowledging its presence is a constant reminder of how I failed to save a person, a friend, who was right in front of me. So, I took the costume out of Edgar's hands before responding to him, which would put this pointless conversation to bed.

"What part about 'no' don't you understand? You don't seem to understand how I'm feeling so allow me to elaborate for you. When I said 'no' I meant that there was no way in hell that I'm joining The Seven. Nothing you do can change my mind. I've given up on protecting people. I was so bad at it, that people that were so precious to me almost died as a result of my recklessness. But I got lucky, and now my luck has run out. That's why I'm NEVER putting back on that costume EVER again." I declared while making it crystal clear that I had no desire to wear that costume, or much less be a hero ever again. I don't deserve it. Not anymore.

"Then get out." Homelander replied with a voice as cold as ice as I did just that by moving the wheels on my wheelchair out of the room and closing the door behind me. And when I did, Homelander muttered 'Fucking cripple.' Under his breath before turning his attention to Edgar.

"Well, we gave it our best shot. I guess it just wasn't meant to be." Homelander spoke with a genuine smile as he enjoyed this outcome much to his heart's content. In response, Edgar clicked his tongue before leaving the room alongside Homelander. And when the both of them were gone-

"It's just as you said, Ujiko. He's broken. I doubt he'll ever go back to the way he once was." Chairman Ayanokoji spoke through his phone as he was no doubt talking to Garaki on the other end of the line. In response, Garaki let out a laugh before continuing.

"Good. The plan worked like a charm. Finally, at long last, the hopes and dreams of Izuku Midoriya have been put to a decisive end. Now, he won't be getting in our way. Soon young Kiyotaka will gain allies of his own and fulfill our desire of taking down Vought once and for all." Doctor Garaki declared before sitting back in his chair and devising his next course of action. But before that-

"But what happens now, to Izuku Midoriya, I mean. Whether he has the motivation to challenge us or the ability to walk, he's still a threat. I don't like having him around. His presence alone has the potential to jeopardize our future plans." Chairman Ayanokoji replied as he saw what carnage Midoriya was able to pull off by accessing the video of him destroying Ujiko's monster on the dark web. If somehow, he is able to regain his drive to continue the fight, then he has the potential to put an end to their plans before they could ever begin. And that idea annoyed Ayanokoji to no end. Garaki noticed this.

"Then what do you propose?" Garaki asked, already expecting what kind of response he would receive.

"Simple. We have my son snuff him out. Right now, is the best chance to have him killed before he can make it back to AN. I know that you gave him an arsenal of powers. Surely one of them would allow Kiyotaka to kill him discreetly. He has one of those 'Quirks' right?" Chairman Ayanokoji asked but Garaki was not ready to have Izuku Midoriya die. Not until he suffered like his master did. And that's what he was about to make abundantly clear to his pawn.

"Even if he does, I refuse to let that happen. You see, my vendetta against Izuku Midoriya is not over yet. He took someone precious away from me. So, I took someone precious away from him. But you and I both know that I'm not going to let it end right when it's starting to get good. I want him to SUFFER for what he did. Not just for a few days, or weeks, but however long I see fit. Until then, he will NOT be hurt in any shape or form, you hear me, Ayanokoji?" Doctor Garaki replied before Ayanokoji replied with a 'yes.'

"Then we are in agreement once more. You should expect good news in the not-so-distant future. It shouldn't be much longer, let's say by the end of the year, your son will have all of the allies he needs at his disposal to take on Vought and end Homelander once and for all. That I promise. Until we meet again, Ayanokoji." Doctor Garaki finished before ending the call. Now alone once more, Ayanokoji muttered 'Shit.' Before stomping his foot against the ground in a fit of anger. And not long after that, the door to the room opened, as Kiyotaka walked in with an amused look on his face. His father noticed it immediately.

"I take it you saw Homelander?" Chairman Ayanokoji asked before Kiyotaka nodded in affirmation.

"He's the same as he's always been." Kiyotaka replied in a roundabout way of speaking just in case Homelander was listening in. But what he said was the truth. Because this was the second time that Kiyotaka and Homelander had encountered each other. As for their first meeting, that was a story for another time.

It wasn't long after rejecting Homelander's proposal to join The Seven that I was allowed to return back to the small island off the coast of Japan where AN was located at. But when I was being driven back to said location, it began to rain as I noticed dark stormy clouds above me. To me, it looked like it was going to rain for a while. Who knows when the sky will revert back to being blue and nice to look at again? It was hard for me to tell because I had no skill in giving a weather forecast nor did I ever want to do something like that.

'VROOOM!' While the car's obnoxious engine roared and pieced my ears I noticed that there was construction going on, (Particularly near the places I fought The High-End Nomu at.) But we passed it by before making it to a large apartment complex, no doubt the same one that contained my room. The building was partially destroyed due to the fights that took place there, but it had been completely renovated during the time I had been unconscious. This made me curious regarding how long I had been unconscious for.

"Excuse me, what's today's date?" I asked the driver in front of me. (Since I was in the back seat, and he was in the driver's seat.) He flashed me a nervous smile as I knew that couldn't be good. But I was not prepared for what he was about to say next.

"It's October 5th." The driver replied as my eyes shot wide open out of sheer surprise. The amount of time I had been unconscious for was an entire month?! That long?! I genuinely couldn't believe what I just heard as I had difficulty processing all of this. But before I knew it, the driver parked the car right next to the apartment complex before helping me get back into my wheelchair. He then pushed me inside through the double doors so that I wouldn't be drenched with rain. But there in the lobby of the apartment complex, were some of the people that I had come to know over the course of my tenure as a student of AN…

… Or at least I thought I knew them. They took a moment to notice me as I entered the apartment complex. And with their backs facing me I knew who they were with only a glance. Those people being Horikita, Hirata, Sudo, Karuizawa, and last but not least, the person whose plan made sure that they would never trust me ever again, Sakayanagi. I quickly noticed that Manabu wasn't present. Though I wasn't all too surprised that he didn't show up. He probably had much better things to do.

But in the midst of that, they noticed me. Karuizawa audibly gasped the second she noticed that I was in a wheelchair, while the others were speechless. They probably had a lot to say to me, but after seeing me like this they struggled on how to respond to me. That much was crystal clear to me, not to mention everything that happened and how much time had passed certainly made things even more difficult. But seeing them look at me with concern only made me feel even worse because I didn't deserve it. Not after letting Sakura die. That's why I didn't want to draw this silence out any longer, so I broke the ice between us.

"How did you know I would be here?" I asked bluntly with what was certainly a serious look and a voice that matched it. This surprised each of them no doubt. But I wasn't in the mood to talk with any of them. I just wanted to be left alone. But I also knew that they weren't going to let me leave without saying what they wanted to say to me. So, I sat there in my wheelchair and awaited their response. And the person who replied first was-

"Professor Chabashira let us know that you were coming back from the hospital today. Midoriya, I'm- Horikita spoke but I cut her off before she could finish speaking.

"I assume that she told you guys, right? Then why is she here?" I replied while pointing at Sakayanagi who averted her gaze away from me the moment I did so. But this confused some of the people in the apartment complex's lobby, particularly-

"What's your beef with Sakayanagi? She's just as concerned as us. We're all worried about you dude." Sudo replied with a serious look of his own. I wanted to believe them. I really do. But after they betrayed me, not once but twice, how was I supposed to believe in any of them? Especially 'her.' I couldn't believe that she was here after everything she had done to destroy the friendship and trust I built with my classmates. That's why I wanted her to be gone as soon as possible.

"Oh, that's rich. You know, you're really good at acting if you got them to believe you. Maybe you should consider becoming an actress as a possible career choice in the future Sakayanagi?" I spoke with what was certainly a smirk on my face before turning my attention to the girl I was referring to. She noticed and heard me, but only mumbled something that I couldn't hear. But this only pissed me off that she wasn't being straight with me after what she did, so I moved the wheels on my wheelchair before making my way to her.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you all that clearly. Could you, I don't know, speak up? Just a bit would do." I asked as I was genuinely curious what she said under her breath. I wouldn't be surprised if she said something like 'Serves you right.' She was probably glad that I was reduced to such a sorry state. But even though I knew that I was being awfully rude to her. But I couldn't help it. After the plan she had concocted with Kushida, I had no desire to treat her any other way. But unbeknownst to me, Sakayanagi knew this. And that's why she said-

"I'm… sorry." Sakayanagi apologized with the same tone of voice that I heard her use when her father had his mental breakdown in front of everyone. That's why I knew that she was being genuine. But that only made me even more angry. And after losing so much, the metaphorical bottle that I used to bottle all my anger up had long since been destroyed. That's why there was nothing stopping me from what I said next.

"No! You don't get to say that! Not after what YOU did! How can you actually be sorry!? You hate me! And I can't even blame you for that! I'd feel the same way if I lost everything. But that's the thing… I did. It went exactly how you said it would go back on the cruise. You remember what you said to me back then, don't you. If not, allow me to remind you, you said- I spoke but paused for a second as I recalled Sakayanagi's words before continuing.

'Izuku Midoriya… this isn't over yet. You may have enjoyed knocking me off my pedestal. But know this. I WILL have my revenge. I will make you suffer just as much as I have. That feeling of betrayal, where everyone who was once so nice to you, only for them to take back their kindness and treat you like garbage. Mark my words, I will make you experience that feeling just as I have.' I reiterated her words right back at Sakayanagi much to her surprise.

"That's what you said, and you were right. I know that feeling of betrayal far more than I ever thought I would. So, it's okay. There's nothing for you to apologize for. Because I lost everything. Congratulations, Sakayanagi… you won." I declared with a voice as cold as ice. I couldn't forgive Sakayanagi. Not after what she did. Not after how she made me feel. She knew this and just like how I wasn't able to do anything for her back then, she knew that nothing she could say would change a single thing. That's why Sakayanagi chose to take her leave while only leaving her tears behind. And seeing them…

… Only made me feel much worse. It's not that I wanted to hurt her, but I couldn't stand the sight of her after everything she had done to hurt me. But even still, just seeing those tears made me feel regret over what I said. But as I was about to call out to her to wait-

'SLAP!' I was slapped right across the face. It was a familiar burning sensation that I had felt not too long ago, and I looked up to see that it was Hirata who struck me. Up to this point he had been silent and kept his distance from me. But now he's right next to me, glaring daggers at me. But in the midst of this, the others saw Hirata hit me, and Karuizawa rushed over while saying 'Yosuke! That's- Before being ruthlessly cut off by her 'boyfriend.'

"Enough? No, I disagree. I was giving you the benefit of the doubt after everything that happened. A part of me even felt bad for you. But that's no longer the case. If you're curious, I was the one who told Sakayanagi. She had been worried sick about you after the 'incident.' And even after she apologized to you, you pushed her way. I wanted to believe that maybe I was wrong about you. But I've been right on the money the whole time. And I fucking hate you for it." Hirata admitted much to everyone's surprise, except for mine.

I saw this coming from a mile away, after what happened at school last month. And I couldn't blame him for it. He has every right to hate me after Sakayanagi and Kushida made everyone believe that I was a deplorable piece of garbage only interested in raping women. But I knew no matter what I said, nothing would change between us.

"Then we're done talking." I replied before moving the wheels on my wheelchair as I was about to take my leave but before I could, a person put their hand on the wheelchair to prevent me from escaping. And that person was much to my utmost surprise was-

"K-Karuizawa." I muttered with a dumbfounded look on my face as I noticed that tears were streaming down her face. But I wasn't the only person to have this sort of reaction, and so did Hirata.

"Kei, what are you- Hirata spoke but he was cut off before he could finish speaking by his 'girlfriend.' She paused for a moment before mumbling something that was inaudible even with me being so close to her. But she knew that she couldn't be heard so she raised her voice ever so slightly higher.

"Those texts that Midoriya sent to me. It was all a lie. He didn't send them, it was Kushida. Both her and Sakayanagi planned this. I don't know why they did it, but they told me to cooperate with them. So, I lied to everyone about it. That's the truth." Karuizawa admitted while rubbing her tear-stained eyes as everyone was speechless over what they just heard. This included me of course, because up to this point, I genuinely thought that Karuizawa was oblivious to everything going on behind the scenes. But this whole time, even back then in the classroom-

"Y-You knew?" I muttered while Karuizawa noticed me with a pained look on her face. But even knowing that she was suffering in some capacity, I couldn't understand why had kept this hidden for so long. That's why my anger from before quickly returned as I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth. And then…

"You… KNEW! And you just sat there and let it all happen?! Why?! D-Did you hate me this whole time?" I yelled out as I could barely process what Karuizawa just told me. So, I assumed that her motivation was similar to Sakayanagi. And that she did everything out of hatred. But after hearing myself say it, I just couldn't believe it. I knew that Karuizawa didn't like me at first, but I thought that maybe she was starting to like me. That maybe we could have been friends! But was it all a lie?

'Yeah… I'm alright now. Because I'm… not alone anymore.' Was even that a lie?! I genuinely couldn't believe that I had been lied to by her! All this time I felt horrible believing that she had thought I was some monster, but this whole time even back then she knew?! But while my brain went into overdrive to process what I had just been told, Karuizawa noticed the look of anguish on my face and took in my words while clutching her chest before continuing.

"No! How could I hate you!? It's not like I wanted to do it, I was FORCED too! They had blackmailed me and were willing to divulge my past and if they did then my reputation would be destroyed! Everyone would have hated me! I don't want to be hated! I've already been despised by people long enough!" Karuizawa snapped back as her choice of words and look on her face did very little to hide her anger. Not at me but at the situation for having to lie for the sake of preserving her reputation. But even knowing that I-

"So, you chose to destroy my reputation to save yours? Now that I think about it… I shouldn't be too surprised. You were always concerned with what people thought about you more than anything else. So, I've got to ask. Was it worth betraying someone who trusted you?" I asked with a voice as cold as ice as I couldn't hide my animosity toward Karuizawa after learning that she wasn't innocent in this. I genuinely trusted her! I thought she understood what it meant to be bullied! But even though she did, she let the same thing happen to me when she had the ability to put out the fire before it even started. In response, Karuizawa bit her lip hard. And then…

"Kei… I can't believe you. You know, I couldn't understand why you tried to stop me way back then. For the life of me, I couldn't figure it out. But now I understand. It's because you knew he was innocent the entire time! And even knowing that… you made me, the entire class believe that he was out to rape you?! How could you do that?!" Hirata yelled out as he genuinely thought he was in the right. I couldn't blame him for that because the lie was so convincing that it would have been impossible for anyone to believe in me unless one of the perpetrators came in and exposed the truth of the matter. But all Karuizawa could say was-

"You'd… hate me if I told you what I was hiding." Karuizawa replied while averting her gaze from Hirata. He took a moment to respond and when he did, it would be the final blow on their relationship.

"No, that's not true. Because I already hate you now." Hirata replied with a voice as cold as ice before taking his leave while all Karuizawa could do was bite her lip even harder until it bled.

'Drip. Drip. Drip.' Karuizawa's bloody lip dripped blood onto the floor, serving as a reminder of all the pain and suffering that she caused. I couldn't stand to see it nor look at her, after what she did. So, I was about to take my leave as well but before I could, Karuizawa stopped me once more.

"Midoriya, please… I… don't want you to go." Karuizawa muttered while begging me not to leave. But I was done. I was so done being toyed with by her. I didn't mind being used by her if it made her feel better. But that was before she lied to me over and over again. That's why I no longer have any sympathy to give her. So, all I could was say-

"Karuizawa… just get the fuck out of here." I finished with a cruel voice as she let go of my wheelchair the moment, she heard me finish. I then took my leave while leaving the three people behind. That's why unbeknownst to me, I didn't see nor know what happened next. As soon as I vanished from the scene, Horikita turned her attention to Karuizawa and approached her. In the midst of that, Karuizawa tried to say 'Horikita I'm-

'SLAP!' Before being ruthlessly cut off with a slap to the face. But it didn't stop there. Horikita slapped Karuizawa again and again until Sudo restrained her by grabbing both of her arms.

"Let go of me! I'm not finished with her! She hurt Midoriya so much and she had the audacity to try and say that it wasn't her fault! To push the blame onto others when she knew what was really going on?! I can't accept that! I can't accept how despicable you are!" Horikita lashed out at Karuizawa as she tried to break free from Sudo's grip but couldn't with him being far physically stronger than she was. Sudo knew this. And that's why he-

"Just go." Sudo spoke with a serious look on his face and a tone of voice that matched it. Knowing full well that by staying here she would only make things worse, Karuizawa decided to run away from her problems like she did many times in the past. And upon her escaping from the scene, Horikita lost the will to fight back and crumbled to the floor. Tears flooded from her eyes while Sudo kneeled down toward her and whispered that 'Everything was going to be okay.' And as the scene faded to black, I made my way outside the apartment complex.

'Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip.' It was raining hard over me to the point that it was crystal clear that a thunderstorm was going on. One that would not end for the foreseeable future. But as I got drenched by the pouring rain, I made my way through the alleyway just outside the apartment complex. There was a trashcan positioned right next to the surrounding wall. And with my bloodstained costume in hand, I approached the piece of metal. I didn't have any need for it since my days as a costumed hero were long over. That's why I no longer needed it anymore.

'Bam.' So, I opened the lid of the trashcan before throwing my costume inside of it. And as a result, I let the lid slam down. I then took my leave knowing that if I stayed out here in the pouring rain any longer, I would inevitably get a cold. So, I returned to the safety of the apartment complex and more specifically my room as I wasn't planning to leave anytime soon, nor associate myself with anyone in particular. I just wanted to be alone so that I could grieve for what I lost.

This story may seem like it has reached its end, but this was only the start of something else. Because this story wasn't just about how I fell and lost everything that I had gained in this world. There's a bit more to it than that. Of course, I didn't know that at the time. So, while I returned to my apartment, I didn't see a figure emerge from the shadows and picked the lid of the trashcan up before retrieving my costume. There, she took a moment to look at how stained with blood it was before holding it tightly in her arms.

That's right. This was the beginning of another turning point, because this girl I had barely begun to know throughout my tenure at AN was about to change everything for me. Her mid-back length silver hair, that was tied with black ribbons was soaked by the rain. But she didn't mind it. After all, she had an idea of how much I had been suffering. And she internally vowed not to let that go on for much longer. That's why-

"… Deku." The young woman named Hiyori Shiina muttered my name with tearstained eyes as she was fully prepared to do what she would do next…

… Which was to make an effort to change things for the better.

To Be Continued…

Next Chapter: Izuku Midoriya and Hiyori Shiina

Go Beyond!

Plus Ultra!