I want to be sedated - The Ramones.
"Vacations are so annoying,
Why can't I just have fun all the time?"
"Huh?"
Hachi laughed at my shocked expression.
"I want you to win the international Hero Sports Festival that I've set up," Hachi told me, although it felt more like an order. "Or rather, I'd ideally want anyone from Class A or B to win it. I want U.A. to be the only school with students in the finals. In fact, that is the only reason why I even decided to accept the proposals for an international Hero Sports Festival - Especially after the troubles this city has gone through recently. The troubles our country has gone through."
"Hold on," I interjected, shaking my head at her. "You did what?"
"...I retooled the annual U.A. Sports Festival this year to invite Hero Schools from across the world into one tournament," Hachi explained to me. "I wish I could have gotten Shiketsu involved, but they declined my request. Nezu on the other hand… Well he has his game, and I have mine. As such, it was mutually beneficial for Nezu to accept the proposal. The official announcement of the international Hero Sports Festival will happen later tonight. In preparation for the tournament, your Class along with Class B will be sent around the world in different cities and make yourself even more known."
"Why?"
Hachi smirked at me.
"Why, you ask? Isn't it simple? You figured out the truth yourself. There are forces in play actively trying to destabilise this city that founded Heroes, a city that represents the very idea of Heroes with U.A. and Class A and B's presence seeped into the foundations of this place, and I cannot allow myself to stand by any further and watch this city and later this country be destroyed on some mad man's folly," Hachi told me. "I can negotiate and ally myself with other politicians, but there are those that still stand to destroy the very peace we have built. Those that will look down upon me for my age and my ideals. It's why I allied myself with you and your class, Sora."
"To get votes?"
"To gain support. To gain a platform in which societal issues won't be swept under the rug by Heroes, although even then that way of doing things has begun to unravel itself into a complicated mess," Hachi explained to me. "You've seen it yourself. This country is marching towards a future without any Heroes in it at all. This entire world is pushing for Japan to follow that path, economic sanctions, pulling of foreign investment, even threats of war. I tried the peaceful route, I really tried with the peaceful route, and things aren't progressing. It's time for me to be proactive, and this is the first step in my plans."
"How is this going to prevent anything?"
"It's simple, Sora. If you and your Class win the tournament, people in this country and around the world will have to accept the fact that U.A. and Heroes are needed in Japan - It's a show of power," Hachi told me. "Those in this country that are trying to outlaw Heroes, their entire arguments rest on the fact that All Might died, that no one is taking up the mantle. Those arguments from the U.N. and other countries that we can't handle the threats we are currently facing. You provide a good showing, and those arguments will begin to fizzle out. Do you understand now? Especially now that Yotsubashi wants to make Musutafu it's own city-state, this is the only option we have left."
I sighed.
"I-, Yeah, I get it. I'm just confused as to why you're doing this now. It's been four months since All Might's funeral where you stayed quiet and praised us for doing our jobs. Four months since the economic sanctions were put in place by the U.N. that forced Daguchi to speed up the process of Musutafu becoming the economic hub of Asia," I pointed out. "This whole ordeal this city just went through? It was because of you and your inexperience in being a politician. The press ain't right for calling you out and being so harsh, but they are right in saying you are a hopeful optimist. Yotsubashi became the mayor of this city because of your failures, you know that? And you do realise who he is, right?"
"Would you like me to apologise?"
"Fuck is that going to do? This city has its scars, they're fresh and raw from the hurt caused by the corruption in this city. If we want to heal from those scars, we'll have to work together," I told her. "And this city is doing exactly that. Minus Yotsubashi and his schemes, we're trying to work together to heal. What's an apology from you going to accomplish? All it'll do is just prove to the world that you're incompetent. Which they already think that you are, by the way. You should see some of the comments online, 'this is the worst Japan has ever been in four centuries!' Crazy talk, am I right?"
"At least they didn't go back five centuries. That'd be embarrassing."
I scoffed at that.
"Why are you here, Hachi? Seriously?"
"...As I said, the problem has become far too big for me to handle on my own. I tried to stop the laws that restricted Heroes from passing, but it went through with a majority vote," Hachi explained to me. "I did everything in my power to prevent this. What happened a month ago here in this city was the final straw, and as the Prime Minister of this country I will not sit back and watch as the very peace we have all built is torn down by whoever is in charge of this plot. It's a simple fact that Heroes are needed in our society. It's a simple fact that our enemies also share the same goal."
I hummed at that.
"How do you know it's not the League of Villains or Cult of Stain behind this?"
"How would they be? If they were, they would not need to attack All Might's funeral to spread their message if they already had a foothold on a politician," Hachi told me. "It's not in Stain or Yozora's nature to do something as underhanded as that, they're far more loud and open than they'd ever care to admit. Like heavy metal, they want their message to be spread. As for the League of Villains? I'll admit, I'm unsure of them but I don't think it's their style or even benefits them to do this. They seek to destroy the foundation of this world, why work with one of their enemies? That doesn't sound like something Shigaraki would do."
"You don't know them."
"You mean I don't know Zero? You're right, perhaps they have a link to whatever is happening, but there isn't any indication to believe that," Hachi replied. "I'm not going to base my suspicions on a whim. You're a detective, surely you'd know better than that? At the end of the day, all this is our enemies trying to break our defences and take us by surprise. I won't allow that to happen."
Haha.
"Things are looking bleaker than ever, and you think that a mere tournament is going to change that?" I scoffed at her. "Don't be so naive. Even if you support this and us, it's not going to change a single thing. Society itself is starting to wisen up that maybe the systems in place ain't good enough, maybe those in power are so corrupt that the entire system needs reinventing. But you didn't hear that from me, I'm just a messenger at the end of the day. I'm just regurgitating what most people say online."
Hachi raised her brow in response.
"Oh?"
"I'm in no position to try and change this world, don't give me that look. Frankly, it's too big of a ask for someone like me. Class A and B? Yeah, they can and will be the ones to help change the system for the better, I'll just be the guiding light for them till they get to that point," I replied with a grin. "I don't have long left, but you probably know that. Isn't that why you're here, asking me instead of someone like Midoriya or your sister, Yaoyorozu? Because you think that my time is short so I'll just do whatever you say. I hate to break it to you, but that's not how this works. I'll do what I want, that's how I've always worked."
Hachi laughed at that.
"...I'm not asking you to do anything. I apologise if my tone left little to debate. At the very least you and your Class have been through many ordeals, and I have done very little to prevent them - They've been out of my control, and I couldn't shield you from the horrific truth this country hides. How corrupt it truly is," Hachi said to me sadly. "However, I became Prime Minister of this country to change that. To change this world for the better. I may not wear a mask, but I believe that I can salvage this country for the better. I believe that I can work together with everyone in this country to provide a better future. I know that I can."
"You've said that before. I just have to ask, why do you care so much?" I asked her. "Surely, if Heroes were outlawed your life would be a lot easier. Maybe you wouldn't be compared to freakin' dictators, and the U.N. would lift their economic sanctions and maybe people wouldn't be suffering on the streets. Maybe if Musutafu become a city-state under Yotsubashi's control, things would be more peaceful. You're going against what the public wants, and for what? They could impeach you. With the rate you're going at, they will impeach you. The first Japanese Prime Minister to be impeached since Kiichi Miyazawa. Has a nice roll on the tongue, don't you think?"
Hachi hummed at that.
"I agree, that would be quite funny."
"If it's so funny then you might as well resign. Let someone more experienced take over the position of Prime Minister 'cause you're running this country into the ground and people are suffering," I told her honestly. "Personally, I don't care about all that. It was the stupid masses that voted for you in the first place. Everyone knew that you were young but you stole their hearts using the Aozora and Overhaul incident to your advantage and playing on the public's heartstrings. Cunning. And now that very same public is turning on you. Ironic."
"The public doesn't know what it wants."
I raised my brow at that.
"Ain't the Prime Minister supposed to serve its people?"
"That is the reason why I was elected, yes," Hachi agreed with me. "But in an era with such turbulence as this? The general public is more confused than ever. They don't know who they can trust or rely on. On some level, the Cult of Stain is right. There are many fake Heroes in society that use and abuse their positions for self-gain rather than for society's benefit. Likewise, the League of Villains wishes to turn society on its head and expose its many hypocrisies - I understand my enemies quite well, because on some level I agree with both 'terrorist organisations'."
"..."
Hachi continued, smiling at me knowingly.
"And I know that you agree too, Sora."
"I'm a detective. What I think doesn't matter."
"You're actively following a case leading to the heart of a conspiracy in this country, and you think that your actions don't matter? Honestly, and you call me naive and inexperienced," Hachi huffed out. "Call it what you want. I know that I'm not well liked, but that's no reason for me to stop. That's no reason for me to give up. The same public calling for a vote of no confidence is the same public that wants to get rid of the role of a Hero forever. And that's something I cannot allow."
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.
"...Why?
"It goes against what I think is right," Hachi told me honestly. "In this world of Heroes and Villains, everything is viewed as good or bad. In our old world, nothing was ever so simple. We had to work together as humans to provide a better future after conflicts, but in this society? The people here never tried to make bridges with one another, never truly opened up, because they had Heroes that stood in the way. What I'm saying is society hasn't really progressed in this world. Not the way we progressed, not the way we were able to work hand in hand creating a better tomorrow. Sure, as humans we stumbled, but the next generation always carried new ideals into the present. Here? It doesn't happen."
I nodded at her argument.
She wasn't exactly wrong.
In a sense, while Heroes protected society they were also robbing it from its progress.
"I agree. People relied on Heroes so much it's no wonder they're blaming them instead of taking a hard look at themselves, we created these systems that harm us but we're choosing to blame those trying to make things right," I added. "Heroes now represent 'protecting' the system instead of trying to change it. And I think that's a shame. Heroes should help change the system. Is that what you're trying to accomplish here, Hachi? You want to start a revolution from inside the system. You're not trying to defend the actions of a broken system, you're not trying to force it to change like the Cult of Stain or the League of Villains. You want things to change from within."
Hachi smirked at me.
"Essentially, yes. Change can only occur when we are all working together as a country, when we can finally open our hearts to one another," Hachi said to me as she stood up from my seat. "...You know, I understand how the people of this country feel. Heroes should be the one's shielding everyone from danger, but nothing in life is that simple. It's why I want to help everyone - Why I decided to become Prime Minister. You see… In our previous world, I grew up in a war torn country. It doesn't matter which country, at the end of the day there wasn't a single corner in our world that war hadn't touched."
"Huh?!"
"It doesn't matter where I came from. The point is that I read a lot of books as a young woman to escape the horrors that I saw with my own eyes, and at some point I simply wished that the world would be able to see eye-to-eye one day. That Heroes would come and save me and the world," Hachi whispered, tracing her fingers against the window behind her. "I died before I was able to reach sixteen. I don't remember my death, just a loud bang before I woke up with All For One's sadistic grin the first thing I saw. Call me a hopeless optimist, but I do think that as humans we can work to build a better world together. Which is why I'm standing against the forces in this country that seek to destroy this world, it's why I'm allying myself with a Class of Heroes."
It was funny how strong her resolutions were.
Her eyes looked like they were carved out of stone, immovable in any way.
And in a sense, I understood now why despite the pressures mounted on her, she didn't want to budge. Despite the mistakes she had made due to being naive, at the very least I could understand her a bit better.
She truly was optimistic.
It honestly put some of us Heroes to shame with how optimistic she was.
Yet, I couldn't say that I didn't share the same sentiment.
"...Fair enough. Can't say I disagree with what you're saying, or that I even want to disagree with you," I sighed. "Does it create more work for me? Of course, but there's nothing I can do now, is there? I already decided on trying to at least start to be the change that'll lead to a carefree tomorrow. But it'll be my class that pulls that off, not me. Really, you should be asking them to win. I couldn't give two shits about winning a tournament or not, I never once cared for it outside of teaching a few idiots a lesson or two."
Hachi raised her brow at me.
"Why are you fantasising about your death? If you have enough time to do that, then live as hard as you can and try to change this world for the better, that's what I'll be doing, and that's what your friends will be doing too," Hachi replied with a grin. "No one knows when they will die. Even something like your body breaking down shouldn't stop you from achieving what you want. If that really was a barrier you couldn't overcome, I wouldn't be speaking to you right now. You've never let anything stop you before, so why now?"
I laughed at her.
"...You do know the more I get into fights, the faster I speed up my death."
Hachi's eyes flashed in surprise.
"...I see."
"If I help you here, I'm just speeding up my trip to whatever lies after death," I told her. "Are you prepared to have my blood on your hands if that happens? Along with the blood of everyone else your incompetence has killed along the way?"
"I wouldn't be here if that wasn't the case, Sora. I understand the position I'm in and the consequences of if I fail quite well. I know the mistakes I've made due to my optimism and naivety, and I've accepted that I'll continue to make mistakes along this thorny path of mine," Hachi replied confidently. "I'll never lose hope for a better tomorrow despite that. I'll never forget my dream, a world in which our hearts are united as one. Where the bridges between us are built and we can discuss and work together without compromise. So long as I still have that dream, I'll never be led astray. And if I am led astray… Well, I give you permission to kill me."
…!
"H-huh?"
"From one friend to another, if I ever am led astray on the path I promised to walk upon, I give you permission to kill me," Hachi repeated with a sad smile. "If I truly am hurting this country and its peace, then I'd want to be killed. Not to prove my commitment to the cause. But because that girl who grew up knowing nothing but war is truly gone and what replaced her was a selfish woman. It's my biggest fear. Not failure, becoming a politician that stands back as nothing is done to improve the world. To have become another cog in a machine where children are hurt and grow up wishing for peace instead of living in peaceful times themselves."
…
"..."
"What?"
"It's just-, Yeah, I understand that sentiment," I replied with a small smile tugging at my lips. "Fine then. I'll work with you, Hachi. Hell, I'll follow you till we both die. If there's one person I don't mind following, it's idiots that dream a little too much. Take it from another idiot who spends his days dreaming, it's a lot easier to fall and lose your way. But if you're willing to take responsibility for it, then I'll throw my hat in the ring with you. I'm yours, Prime Minister. Just don't use me too much."
Hachi's grin was unmistakable.
Not as someone I couldn't trust.
But someone that was thankful for anyone that supported her.
"Heh. Thank you, Sora. It means a lot to me, really - To have someone by my side when it feels like the rest of the world is against me," Hachi told me. "You should also know that Natsuki is settling in quite well in a classified position."
"Classified?"
"He's working as the head of the research and development department of a certain place. Needless to say he's ready to work hard to create inventions that'll help society, I think he shares the same outlook as the two of us," Hachi told me with a small smile. "People like us tend to forget the fact that the past is the past. No, all of us suffer from that condition I'd like to believe. Because our past still affects us. None more so than us idiots trying to change the present so that the past can never be repeated. It's the fate of fools like us to succeed or die trying to change this world."
"...You know that applies to that bastard Yozora. As well as Zero."
"I know. As I said, I understand my enemies quite well," Hachi reiterated. "They're both people so tied to their past that they can't help but live in it even now. One wants to convince the world that they are savage animals that give into murder and chaos, and the other is trying to convince himself that going back to our old world is the correct path. And in a sense, you fall under the same camp as them, Sora. A polar opposite of Zero and Yozora, but nonetheless extreme."
I laughed at that.
"Why's that exactly?"
"Because your eyes reveal the truth, Sora. One eye is focused on the present, but it doesn't feel like you appreciate or understand what's currently happening as that other eye of yours is stuck in the past," Hachi explained to me. "Memories that will never be relieved. Bonds that can't be reforged. Of all people, you still haven't moved on from your past and accepted that it's over. That it's never coming back. But that's a discussion for another time."
I hummed at that.
"Is that all?"
"You seem disappointed? Want me to reveal to you all the cards I'm holding? We can of course, but that won't help either of us. Right now, I need you to win the tournament no matter what. Although, that leads me to another point of discussion. I know about Nezu… About the fact that he helped the person behind these incidents. Behind the missing money. And if I'm being honest, I have a good idea of who the person behind Nezu is."
"You do?"
Hachi nodded at me.
"I don't have any conclusive proof yet, but I have sent one of the best detective's I know to try and find some evidence. While Nanao is out focusing on that case for the next month, you'll be flown out to multiple different cities across the world and perform patrols before the Sports Festival starts in early July in London," Hachi explained to me. "...You look conflicted, is there something wrong?"
There was just one problem with that.
One issue I still couldn't wrap my head around.
"The HPSC. Okay, so you want Heroes to remain the same, Nezu is working for a mystery person that wants to get rid of Heroes but Nezu himself wants to even the playing field to ensure the fate of the country is decided fairly, then what's the HPSC's role in all this?" I asked her. "Aren't you an executive board member of the HPSC? But they're also a third faction in this 'shadow war'. So what's up with that?"
Hachi nodded at me.
"The HPSC is essentially on our side. Although, they believe that the role of Heroes needs to change. Evolve. That it's time for what we currently call 'Heroes' to end and for the next era so to speak to start," Hachi explained to me. "But we are on the same side. At the very least, Endeavour and his agency under the HPSC are dedicated to ensuring that Heroes will still exist to protect citizens no matter what. It's less of a third faction but an extension of my own ideals. Just ultimately they want even more reform than I do."
Ah.
I see.
They were allies.
In a sense we were fighting for the same cause, but we had different end points. I still didn't trust the HPSC, but, at the very least they weren't the people trying to screw over society here.
"Right, got it. So, when does this tournament of yours begin?"
Hachi smirked.
"Well, you and your Class will be going abroad to Italy tomorrow."
…
…
…
"Eh?"
Chapter
Eighty
Two
'Yellow Hair, Yellow Eyes'
I sighed as Miwa and Gekko ran around my room, packing my suitcase for me. According to them, the two neat freaks in the family, it was a disgrace that I let my room be as messy as it was.
"Perhaps they have a point," Katsumi told me as she ate her sandwich, watching the chaos unfold. "I've never seen so many dirty socks all piled up at once. Aren't you supposed to throw them in the wash?"
"That's exactly what he was supposed to do," Hinata replied. "But Sora's always been dirty that way. I think he forgets that his clothes don't magically transport themselves to the washing machine."
I sighed.
"I don't even live here anymore."
"It's still your room," Hinata told me. "Even when you have a family and a wife, this will still be your room. Don't give me that look! You're eighteen! Don't think that I don't know what you get up to in your spare time! Kyoka told me all the rumours about you and your escapades!"
…
"Rumours?" Katsumi innocently asked. "What rumours?"
Hinata simply shook her head in response.
"It-it doesn't matter! Sora's just a silly billy who can't settle down with a girl and instead likes to lead others on!" Hinata told her. "Even you think that's bad, right Katsumi? Go on and tell him off!"
To her credit, Katsumi shrugged her shoulders.
"Does it even matter?"
"Well… He's hurting their feelings."
"But I don't care about them, I only care about my brother," Katsumi replied robotically, tilting her head at Hinata in confusion. "Why does it matter that they are hurt? I don't get it. Is it a bad thing?"
"Sweetie… Yes."
"But why?"
"Because Sora is a sexual deviant sleeping around with multiple random women!" Miwa proclaimed loudly, throwing my pillow at me. "I've heard all the rumours too, and I'm sick of it! There is no way that they are true! It can't be true!"
"Miwa! Kyoka wouldn't lie-,"
"Who's Kyoka?" Katsumi asked in confusion. "Is she your ex-girlfriend?"
"No-,"
"Yes," Hinata cut me off. "Kyoka is Sora's ex-girlfriend. They broke up a year and a half ago now."
"Why would she spread a rumour about Sora? Is she a whore?"
Hinata was too stunned to reply as I buckled over with laughter.
"Kyoka isn't a whore. Or anything like that. It was a nasty rumour spread by Setsuna as a joke which Kyoka thought actually happened and spread around," I lied to her, the truth was that I started the rumour in a pathetic display to make Kyoka jealous. It didn't work. "Honestly. Why the hell would I want to sleep around? I mean what's the point? Unless I'm looking to have some fun before I die, hah."
…
…
…
"...Ah. Right."
"That's not a funny joke, young man!" Hinata sternly told me, wagging her finger at me. "You should be far more concerned about your health and happiness! I know exactly what we're doing come the New Year, I'll get you dressed up in a kimono and we'll be praying as a family for your health and happiness!"
"Mum. That's six months away."
"And?!"
"I think, honey, what Sora is trying to say is that there is no point in talking about the far future like that," Gekko chimed in, calming his wife down. "Most of all, Sora seems to be fine now. Sure, he has some… issues now and then, but he's taking the medicine Recovery Girl gave him that'll make his headaches go away at the very least."
Headaches.
Headaches?
HEADACHES!
"Oh, that's why I got headaches!" I yelled in understanding, clapping my fist into my open palm. "Whenever I tried to use my other Quirks, I always got headaches! That's because my healing Quirk was spread out too thin and my body started to break down before it repaired itself! Aha!"
Miwa sighed.
"Can we not speak about your impending death so lightly?"
"I agree, it's rather morbid," Hinata agreed. "Please can we move onto another subject? Ah! Katsumi-chan, how was your day at school today? It's sad that you and the second years will have your Sports Festival here in Japan next week instead of internationally in a month and a half. But I suppose U.A. can't afford to send all of its students abroad, only the third year students."
"School was adequate. I learnt how to pot a plant today."
Hinata's eyes flashed at that.
"Oh! We have a small garden plot if you want to pot some plants! I'm sure Gekko and I can help if you want to!" Hinata yelled excitedly. "We can grow veggies and other flowers! That is if you want to."
I watched as Katsumi processed the information.
Even now, she wasn't used to people just being kind to her.
"That sounds like… fun."
"So, Sora, what are your chances of winning the tournament?" Miwa asked me as she helped Gekko pack my clothes. "If I remember correctly, you didn't even want to be in the previous sports festival."
"Really?" Katsumi asked. "Why?"
"Because I wasn't interested in winning a tournament making kids fight for the crowd's amusement! And my views on it still haven't changed," I replied with a sigh. "I'll make sure someone from Class A wins. That's about it. I just want to take this sports festival as an international break. You know, getting away from Japan and all the crazy things happening here all the damn time."
Gekko hummed at that.
"Mmh. It sure has been a hectic few months for you."
"Tell me about it. I wish I could go back in time seven months ago and tell the old me that hey, getting your Quirk back doesn't magically solve all the issues in this world," I sighed. "Oh, damn. I'm going to be spending a month and a half just travelling across the world before the start of the international tournament. Ugh. I wish I could stay here with you guys and not spend it with Class A."
"Huh? I thought you made up with them?"
"Most of them tolerate me. Some are good friends with me. Others… Well, they ignore me and I ignore them," I replied honestly. "I've been meaning to reach out, but how can I? I don't even know where I'd begin. Seriously. I have apologised, they've accepted me back, but there's nothing else more that I can do, you know?"
Katsumi hummed at that.
"Why don't you use this trip to get close to them again?"
"Right!" Miwa nodded her head at the idea. "It's a great plan! Just go on patrol with them and slowly come to an understanding! Even if it's not perfect, it's better than leaving things the way they are!"
I sighed.
"It's not so simple. But… I'll try."
"Then you can also try winning the tournament," Hinata told me seriously. "I don't like seeing you just not trying for things that are important! I know you may think it's stupid, but, at the very least I'd like to see you give your best effort at something before…"
Before I die.
"Yeah! It'd be so sick if you won it! It's not like you can't win it!" Miwa told me. "Please, can you try to win the tournament? I think the trophy would look so neat in your room and everything!"
Gekko laughed.
"True. You know, we're going to be there on that day. All of us. We'll all be supporting you!" Gekko gave me a thumbs up as he zipped up my suitcase for me. "It'd be a shame for your final year as a student to be spent coasting like always. You can win it, if you try. At the very least, it'd be fun to see you give it your all for once."
I hummed at that.
"..."
"Why don't you want to win it?" Katsumi asked me. "Are you afraid of failing?"
"Nah. I just… I don't think someone like me can win it," I told them honestly. "But, I'm not selfish enough that I won't try. If you're going to come all the way from Japan to watch and cheer for me, I'll try my hardest to win. I'm not sure how far I'll get, but I promise I will do my best to win it. Alright?"
Miwa jumped up and down excitedly, grabbing Katsumi's hands who smiled softly at me.
Gekko grinned as he ruffled my hair annoyingly, and Hinata…
"Grah! My baby! Look at you all grown up!" Hinata leapt on me, tears on her eyes as she hugged me fiercely. "You're an adult now! Eighteen! You're going to win it! I know you will! We'll all be there to support you-,"
"Mum. Space."
"Don't you 'space' me! I'll hug you whenever I want, I'm your mother-,"
I watched as Aizawa counted heads at the nearby airport.
"Psst. Got time to talk?"
"I'm sort of busy right now," Aizawa replied, a serious frown developing on his face. "Unless you want me to accidentally leave a student behind, I'd rather not mess this up. So please, make this quick."
I rolled my eyes at him.
"Uncle, you ain't ever going to miscount our heads."
"Don't call me uncle. And you never know, I'm a human, Sora," Aizawa replied, clicking the inside of his tongue. "And I've made plenty of mistakes before. Silly mistakes. Such as not checking up after a student found out the truth about their birth and existence in this world…"
"That wasn't your fault."
"No, but as an adult in your life I had a responsibility to you. Everyone's parents and careers gave me their explicit permission to protect their children on this long school trip, this is a serious matter," Aizawa told me. "You know the flight is going to be a long one. We're first travelling to Florence and over the course of a week travel across Italy. The flight to get there from here is seventeen hours."
…
"S-seventeen hours?!"
Seventeen hours?!
I heard Setsuna sigh from beside me.
"Yeesh. Good thing I packed a ton of snacks and movies for us to watch," She told me with a grin. "Though I doubt we'll be able to stay awake for the entire flight, want to try and make it a competition to see who stays up the most?"
"Why would I want to do that?!"
"It'll be fun!"
I groaned in response.
"Setsuna. It's seventeen hours."
"And you'll be sitting next to me, your best friend!"
"That's not the issue. I don't mind seventeen hours straight with you, the issue is…"
"Oh. I get it. You're afraid of aeroplanes," Tokage summarised. "...Heh."
"It's not funny!"
"I'm not laughing at you, dumbass. I've never been on a plane before," She told me. "I was… too sick to travel when I was younger. In fact, this is the first time I'm ever leaving the country. It's why I brought all these movies and snacks, to sort of keep my mind occupied. It's a shame I'm sitting on the window seat, though…"
…
"I'll switch with you. I'm in the middle seat," I told her, watching as she looked at me incredulously. "Don't look at me like that! You seem really nervous, so I'll sit next to the window!"
"...Thanks."
Aizawa loudly sighed.
"Now that your poor attempts at flirting is out of the way-,"
"S-shove it, old man!" I yelled angrily. "We're just friends!"
"Yup! Don't read into things too much. He's my best friend and I'm his best friend. No one understands each other better than the two of us," Setsuna replied with a smile. "Although I'm surprised you're afraid of planes, Sora. Since you know, you fly with your Quirk and everything."
"That's WHY I'm afraid of them. What if we crash?"
I heard Aizawa scoff at that.
"We won't crash."
"How do you know?"
"I'm a trained pilot," Aizawa revealed with a smirk. "Trust me, I'll take control of the plane and fly it to safety. And if needed, I have you to help me Sora. You and your Quirk would be handy in helping me steer the plane if needed. Not to mention Midoriya with his Black Whip, Uraraka with her Gravity Quirk and others like Sero and his tape, Yaoyorozu and her ability to create things plus we can't forget Kaminari and his ability to recharge the plane. We'll be fine even if a crisis happens. The civilians will be safe."
"Civilians? I'm more worried about myself. And this idiot," Setsuna said. "Who bloody cares if they make it or not?"
"...You're a Hero."
"I mean she's always been like this," I replied with a soft smile. "She says this, Uncle, but don't worry when push comes to shove - She'll be protecting the civilians alongside us. It's sort of cute that you act like a deranged psychopath who doesn't care for anyone other than yourself."
"I'm not acting! I swear, you'll rue the day you teased me, Sora Yamazaki! RUE!"
"Then I'll have to wait till my next life to rue that," I winked back at her, ignoring the 'glares' she sent my way. "By the way, who's going to be sitting next to Setsuna and me? Is it you?"
Aizawa shook his head in response.
"No. I'm sitting with the rest of the staff coming on the trip with us. You're sitting with Kaminari."
Setsuna blinked in surprise at that.
"Denki? Huh? Why?"
"...Because of his parents. Or lack thereof, right?" I asked Aizawa, who nodded in response. "Yeah, that makes sense. Setsuna, you're in the same boat as Denki and I. The three of us are adopted."
Setsuna's eyes narrowed.
"I didn't know Denki was adopted. Are you sure of this?"
"Yes. Don't worry, everything is fine."
Setsuna pressed further however.
"Are you sure? I don't remember you telling me that Denki was adopted."
"Is it an issue?" Aizawa cut in, clearly annoyed. "Tokage, I don't mind switching the seats but if there is an issue, please tell me beforehand so that the flight is as painless as possible for all of us-,"
"There isn't an issue, Uncle. She's just hungry. Come on, Setsuna," I grabbed her hand, leading her away from our group. "We will be back in ten minutes or so! Just getting some food in our stomach before our flight! Tell Denki not to board without us!"
Aizawa huffed in response.
"Fine. Don't be late. I won't wait for you."
"Yes you will."
"Seven minutes."
"Ten."
Aizawa rolled his eyes at me.
"Whatever. Get me a Red Bull if you can. And remember, you won't be able to smoke on the flight so make sure you get it out of your system now-,"
Grk-,
"You forgot about that rule."
"...Are you sure I can't spark one in the bathroom-,"
"No."
His tone of voice gave little room for discussion as I led Setsuna away from Class A and B who were tired since it was getting quite late. After all, Japan was seven hours ahead of Italy. By the time we got to Italy it would be morning for them and the evening for us, which would totally wreck our bodies and minds - Although I was excited to be heading back to Europe for the first time in eighteen years.
"...Are you nervous?" I asked Setsuna as we rounded a corner and went into a small dark hallway. Setsuna's face was half-covered by the darkness as I saw her eyes widen at my question. "...You haven't been back to your home since… You don't speak much about your old life. About Italy. I don't blame you for being nervous when going back there, you know."
"I'm surprised you remembered."
"Of course I remember. It's an important part of you, I'd be a bad friend if I forgot it," I replied, placing my hand on her shoulder comfortably. "I'm here for you if you need it. Whether you want to try and see if your family ever lived in this world or just visit your old place. Where did you even live?"
"In some town… in Florence…"
Oh.
Oh.
I hummed at that.
"I'm sure we can sneak out-,"
"You'll just get yourself in trouble. It's as Aizawa said, I really don't have parents in this life," Setsuna replied harshly. "No one is going to scold me if I go. I still speak the language well enough, I'll get by on my own. There isn't a need to burden yourself with my past."
"I want to."
Setsuna glared harshly at me, but even then her gaze melted over time.
"Why? Because we're friends?"
"Because I care about you, Setsuna."
I watched as her eyes widened at that before she glared harshly at me.
"You shouldn't say that to a woman so carelessly. One of these days, a gal might just fall head over heels for you and your constant teasing - It's cruel to lead them on like this," Setsuna replied with a smirk. "Just think of what Kyoka might say if she saw us right now? The only chance you have with the love of your life would be thrown down the drain. How cruel would that be?"
I slapped her hand away playfully.
"Not as cruel as ignoring what we were just talking about."
Setsuna huffed loudly, pouting at me.
"You're incessant."
"I'm… determined."
"Stubborn. Foolish. An idiot. I'll let you take your pick, King of Morons," Setsuna replied. "...If you really want to come along with me, I don't mind. At the end of the day, it's just my past. Whether something is there or not doesn't mean anything to me. But that's besides the point. You didn't tell me that Kaminari was like us?"
I sharply inhaled at her words.
"He's not like us."
"And you know how exactly?! Face it, Sora. If I didn't reveal myself to be a reincarnate to you two years ago during our first Sports Festival, you would have no idea about me," Setsuna told me. "Appearances can be deceiving. Don't you find it suspicious that Denki Kaminari is an orphan in this class of all places?"
"He was a character in canon-,"
"And so was Setsuna Tokage. Look at how that turned out."
I-,
"Listen," I told her slowly. "Denki's not like us. He's my other best friend. He's like a brother to me. Even you know how close he is to me. I've never let someone sleepover in my room before, I've never let someone in like I have with him. I get why you're cautious, but trust me, he's not like us."
Setsuna hummed at that.
"Fine. I trust you. It's just… I don't trust him."
"Well yeah, you get jealous of my other friends."
"It's not that," Setsuna replied, shaking her head. "Sure, you could say I was jealous of how close you were with Jiro - before you dated I mean. But Kaminari has always given me the creeps. Whenever a major situation happens, he just disappears. During summer camp? All Might's funeral? He's flaky. He's never here when shit goes down, and for that reason I don't trust him."
"He doesn't like combat. He's a coward that forces himself to fight for his friends," I defended Denki. "Plus, during the Yakuza war while you were visiting Shion, it was Denki who helped break into the Millenium Spire with the rest of us. He fought off waves of Yakuza all by himself to give me time to stop the whole mess. I trust him with my life."
And for once, Setsuna didn't reply.
She merely nodded in understanding.
"Yeah. And that's the issue, Sora. You trust people too much."
"I trust you."
"And I wish you didn't," Setsuna replied with a frown. "I'm not exactly a great person. I am selfish, far more than you. I am rude, and there are many more things I am which I won't repeat. I should be telling you to buzz off and not get in trouble, I should be telling you to rest and not push your body but here I am, accepting the fact that you're going to be yourself no matter what. Whether I like it or not, I'm contributing to your death."
Ah…
I laughed at that.
"Setsuna. You're not helping me die faster, if anything, it's because of you that I want to continue living," I told her honestly. "It's because I know I have someone like you that will always be there for me no matter what, someone that I can rely on, that I'm able to keep on fighting."
I watched as Setsuna's cheeks turned a rosy shade of pink as she sighed even louder.
"Really? You know, maybe you are a womaniser."
I grinned at her.
"Did you just realise that now?"
"Toying with a girl's heart makes you scum."
"I'm scum? I thought I was lower than that."
"You are. I just wanted to reiterate my previous point."
I laughed at that.
"Yeah, yeah. Just make sure you don't vomit on the plane or something. I can't handle vomit. And the last time you vomited was Valentine's Day, need I remind you how drunk we got-,"
I paused.
Ah!
"...Sora?"
"Say, Setsuna, if I bought a bottle of duty free alcohol right now. Or even two. What would you say in response to us getting drunk on the plane?" I asked her. "Knowing Denki, he'd back us all the way too. Meaning the three of us would be getting absolutely hammered. Since neither of us can smoke for seventeen hours, plus our nerves of going on the plane, and for you going to Italy again…"
Setsuna's grin was the only reply I needed.
Maybe this was why Aizawa didn't like leaving me to my own devices?
Right.
I really was an idiot.
"Ugh."
"Haha."
"Why are you laughing, you prick?" I groaned, glaring at Kaminari as we were one hour away from landing in Italy. "We drank two bottles. In seventeen hours. We stayed up the entire time because you thought it was a good idea to mix it with Red Bull."
"You didn't have to drink it."
"You used MY alcohol, bastard! I wanted to save some of that for the hotel!"
"You can just buy another bottle."
"Alcohol isn't cheap!"
Setsuna sighed, shaking her head at the both of us.
"Can you both shut up? I think I'm going to vomit."
"To be fair, no one asked you to mix vodka and rum."
"True, that was a bit of a demented idea to be honest," I added. "We did warn you that we drink heavily but you wanted to continue to keep along with us. I told you to slow down. You have no one to blame but yourself."
"Mmh…"
I watched as Setsuna grunted in response, closing her eyes as she rested on my shoulder. It was cute the way her chest lifted up and down as she snuggled next to me, despite the fact we were on a plane. I reached out with my jacket that I had taken off with one hand, placing it over her. It was cold in the plane, a far cry to the June sun that showered me from the window, and I didn't want Setsuna to catch a cold.
"...You're close with her, eh?"
I briefly turned to look at Kaminari who was grinning like usual.
"She's my best friend."
"So was Jiro."
"Jiro was… different."
"Why was she different?"
I hummed at that.
"I… I loved her. From the bottom of my heart, you know? Kyoka was - is - the only person in the world I've really let in. The only person I ever discussed my fears with, the one person I wanted to impress the most and make proud," I told him honestly. "It's no coincidence that when I left, I used all my courage to say nasty stuff to you and everyone else. But not Kyoka. Never Kyoka."
"And then she rushed to your house and demanded to know why you hurt us."
"And then we broke up," I added sadly. "And now you're with her."
Kaminari flinched at those words.
"Do you still…"
"...The world didn't stop moving once I lost my Quirk, I did. It's as simple as that. Even now that I've gotten my Quirk back, my position in this school back, my friends back, it's not the same as before. I still haven't accepted that things aren't the way they used to be in a sense," I told Kaminari truthfully. "That means accepting the past is the past. That it'll never happen again. That they are just sad memories that will fade one day. I don't-, I don't want that. Ever. That's far too tragic, to just let things go."
Kaminari nodded grimly at that.
"I… I… I get it. Really, I do. It's like giving up a piece of your life that you'll never get back. But, why do you need to accept the past to live?" Kaminari asked me. "It's sort of stupid and presumptuous to think so. The past is the past, something we'll never be able to change or go back to no matter how hard we wish for it. It's a weight we'll carry for the rest of our lives, you simply have to live with the burden of that weight in the present."
I hummed at that.
"What if you can't carry that weight? What if it's too big of a burden? At that point, reconciling with your past is probably the better option," I replied, peering down at Setsuna who was sleeping peacefully. From the very first time I ever met her to now, Setsuna was the same as always - Someone who's past never allowed her a decent night's sleep. "...While I do agree with you, Denki, I know it's not healthy. There are those of us who aren't as strong as me or you. Those whose burdens prevent them from being happy."
He laughed at that.
"Oh, I get it. We're both so similar, Sora. Two men burdened with what happened in our past, things we can't shake off. Not really. Heh. You know, I've never told anyone this, but so far the highlight of my life was that first year at U.A.," Kaminari told me wistfully. "I wish I could go back and relive those days. When everything was so carefree. Nowadays, everyone has changed so much. We can't go back to those days of hanging out and doing nothing, everyone has too many responsibilities now."
"...We grew up, Denki."
"I know. I just wish we didn't, you know? I wish we got to live out more of our youth," Kaminari told me, stretching his arm up. "Soon, we'll be graduating. Soon we will be adults, and well, we'll drift apart. Some of us aren't friends now, let alone in a few years. Heh. It just doesn't feel right, you know?"
"...Why's that?"
"You're asking a lot of questions, Sora! Are you suspicious of me?" Denki asked me, tilting his head in confusion. "Oh. I get it. You're wondering if I'm going to hurt Kyoka? The woman that you still-,"
I simply scoffed at him.
"Don't finish that sentence."
I was wrong.
Not that I shouldn't listen to Setsuna, but there was nothing wrong with Denki.
He was fine the way he was.
Normal.
"I do agree with you, Denki. Although, at the very least, if I ever got to go to the past I'd want to change it and not just relieve it," I told him honestly. "I'd want things to be better for the future. You know. If you're too focused on living in the past, you'll forget that you still exist. You're just depriving yourself the chance to move on and make something of your life, at that point you are just going through the motions."
Denki raised his eyebrow at that.
"Is that what you do, Sora?"
I hummed at that.
"And what about you, Denki? Don't you do the same?"
We both stared at each other for a few quiet moments, studying the other's eyes. His blinding golden eyes clawed their way into the front centre of my eyes, and for once I remembered why I detested his eyes so much - They reminded me far too much of Yukari. There were noticeable differences, Yukari had brown eyes like myself, but perhaps it was the yellow - Yukari had blonde hair.
Mashiro and Tomoya had yellow eyes just like Denki.
"...Hey, no need to just go so quiet," Denki replied with a sigh. "You got something on your mind, bro?"
I-,
"You know about Raiden, right?"
Denki blinked at me in confusion.
"Your brother? What does he have to do with anything?"
"He'd be around our age. I don't even know what he looks like," I said with a sigh. "Out of anything, these past few months my case on finding Raiden has crawled to a stop. Now with the tournament and travelling around the world for the next month and a half, I doubt anything is going to change. And time seems to be the only enemy I'll never be able to beat."
Denki nodded at that, a serious look enveloping on his face.
"I mean I've said it once, and I'll say it again. It's okay to fail. Failure is natural. But, maybe, you don't have to find him, I mean there are more important things to you, right?" Denki asked me. "Us? Helping us, I mean. Getting to the bottom of your case? Helping find a cure for yourself? You have too much on your plate, and I know you still ask for help, but - Maybe it's a lost cause?"
…
"What?"
"...If anything, finding Raiden is the most important thing to me. No matter what," I honestly replied, staring out of the window as I refused to meet his eyes. "I know, it's selfish. But I don't care whether I live or die so long as I fulfil Yukari's promise. I can't do everything. I'm never going to be able to change this world, but you guys can. I'll never find love and get married and start a family, but you can. I probably will never find a cure to save my life, but you guys can continue living."
"...that sounds lonely."
"It's not lonely. I'm with you guys."
"Are you?" Denki asked me seriously. "Or are you just existing with us? Waiting for fate to take its course and kill you? I don't mind. It's not like I don't do the same, I can freely admit it. We're both in the same boat, or rather, on parallel journeys I'd like to say. I'm a Hero fighting dangerous villains, and I'm not that strong, so I'll die one day."
…
…
"C'mon, what's with that look?"
"You talk as if accepting your death is an easy thing, Denki. Because that's exactly what we're talking about, existing until the day we die," I told him. "Whatever happens, happens. I'm in no position to complain. I'll just roll with it till it's my time to go, whenever that is. I just don't understand how you think you're similar in any way shape or form?"
"...Dude. We have enemies. Enemies that want to kill us," Denki pointed out. "...Neither of us are naive enough to say that no one is going to die. We don't know that. You don't know that. No matter how hard we can try, we can't predict the future. It's why I'd rather live in the past, at the very least it's safe. Known. At the very least I can control what I know and not leave everything up to something as dodgy as 'fate.'"
Hm.
"I guess you won't back down on this."
"Neither will you."
And so, for the rest of the flight, the two of us sat in a comfortable silence.
Setsuna stirred beside me, her eyes wide open as though she had been listening to our conversation the entire time as she tried to pretend that she was sleeping, but I knew that from the beginning. Setsuna was crafty, but she wasn't subtle. But I didn't dare make a move as I rested my head next to hers, staring holes into the window as the only comfort I had outside of Setsuna was the clouds.
But even one day, those clouds would die.
It was everyone's destiny in this world after all.
To eventually die.
"Woah! Italy is so bright!"
We were stuck outside of the airport, and thankfully I had managed to get my hands on a cigarette after asking a local nearby nicely. Setsuna had helped, speaking Italian fluently for us as she wowed the entire class.
"Everyone has unique skills!"
"Yeah, but not speaking another language fluently!"
I sighed as I took a long drag out of my cigarette, the comfort it provided me would never not cheer me up. We were waiting for the coach that U.A. had hired for us to take us to our hotel, although it was starting to run late judging by the worried frown on Aizawa's face.
"Hey! That's mine!" I watched as Setsuna snatched the cigarette from my hands with a sly smirk, blowing smoke in my face. "You can't look sad when we're on holiday! I won't forgive you, bastard."
"...Why are you so cheerful all of the sudden?"
"It's nostalgic. The air, I mean. The people. The culture. After all, this is all still a part of me," She told me with a beautiful smile. "Come. Let's go to a coffee shop or something! It's still early in the morning here."
It didn't take much convincing for Setsuna to drag me away from the group, my strained smile being the only apology I could give them as Setsuna and I distanced ourselves from the group.
"Do you know what Tuscany is most famous for?"
"The setting of Assassin's Creed II?"
"Hey! None of that! Answer honestly!" Setsuna replied, shoving me lightly. "We're known for art. In various different forms. Like traditional art, but also architecture too! Heh. In Prato, the city we are in right now, there are tons of leftovers from the Renaissance… At least in our world. I don't know if they even still exist here in this world."
"We have time. We can look for them."
"Really?"
I nodded at Setsuna, smiling warmly at her.
"Yeah! Honestly, just take me around this place! I assume you've been here before?"
"Well, my hospital wasn't that far away from here," Setsuna replied. "But I don't think we have enough time to go that far out. For now, let's just stick to places around the airport, just so you don't get into that much trouble!"
I nodded at her.
"Alright."
Another weird transition chapter, although a lot more progress than the previous one. These next few chapters are the build up before the tournament, but it's also a chance for the characters to simply relax and talk about how they're feeling!
They're still teenagers at the end of the day.
I'm doing this because after this arc, there isn't going to be a moment of reprieve or peace for anyone in Class A or B. As I've said before, I like characters who plateau in a sense - Characters like Sora feel like they need to constantly be moving forwards and changing else they'll be stuck in a rut.
And I want to take the time to explore that.
From the start, Sora's best trait has been the fact that he always wants to move forward which is also his biggest flaw as a person, the fact that he sucks at looking and accepting the past.
The previous arc was a start, allowing him to express himself fully.
But he's not there yet.
Part 2 is pretty much halfway done, so I think this little low-stakes and personal arc is an important bridge. After all, everything that was set up in the previous arcs WILL be resolved.
In a sense, these next few arcs are going to be really emotionally draining for me to write, let alone for you the reader - In a good sense! I think the most famous Superhero stories (Including canon) always have an Act 2 where everything turns to shit.
And this story isn't going to be any different.
If you don't like slice-of-life/characters communicating, I'd highly recommend waiting for this arc to end first before you read onwards! Or if you're reading this in the future, all you have to do is press on!
This IS an important arc for various reasons.
It makes me sound self-entitled when I say that, but just trust me!
The night is darkest just before dawn, and we're heading to the darkest parts of the night soon. If there was another tag I would put on this story outside of adventure/comedy it would be tragedy.
Because Sora has always been and always will be a tragic character stuck in a world of hope - He's just a kid at the end of the day. I unintentionally wrote him like that at the start and I've rolled with it ever since because of how much his story inspires me.
Crazy right?
I'm writing this a few weeks away from my 20th birthday. By the time this will be published, I don't know how old I'll be but I won't change this AN because I like to preserve things. (EDIT, I am 20 now lol. But I wrote this back in March/April and changed up my schedule as this was supposed to be published near December of this year.)
I started writing this story a few weeks before I turned seventeen, and in a sense, I've outgrown Sora. All the lessons he's learning now are things I've had to begrudgingly learn myself/or are still in the process of learning.
And I don't know how to feel about that.
Art is immortal, but we are not.
But the messages we try to invoke through our art? I hope that it stays forever in each of our hearts, a guiding light of sorts. Just like what Sora is trying to be for better or for worse. But more importantly, Sora is also learning lessons I haven't learnt yet and I'm understanding why I need to learn them in order to be an adult.
Anyways, that's enough yapping on my behalf - See you all next time!