- . My Hero Academia 180 degrees. -
5. "Where they reflect on Shigaraki's motivations, Uraraka and Toga are happy, and Todoroki talks about his past.
—What are you saying, young Midoriya? —Toshinori exclaimed, his voice echoing across the dark and deserted beach—. Did you say you encountered Tomura Shigaraki!?
Deku stopped pulling the huge piece of scrap metal he was dragging toward the shore, letting out a long sigh as he wiped the sweat off his forehead with his forearm. The city lights sparkled in the distance, reflecting on the water's surface, creating an almost ironic contrast with the gravity of the conversation they had just begun.
—Have you heard of him? —Midoriya asked, looking at Toshinori with curiosity.
Before Toshinori could respond, Todoroki stepped between them, carrying a metal box that seemed heavier than anything Midoriya had lifted that night.
—He was a close collaborator of All for One —said Todoroki, his voice firm but restrained—. I heard my father talk about him several times. Apparently, he has a terrible power.
—Yes —Midoriya affirmed, shivering as he recalled how Shigaraki had disintegrated the ball with just a touch right in front of them—. It's definitely a terrifying quirk. It makes me think it's better to have been born without any quirk than to have to be careful not to touch things and destroy them...
Todoroki glanced at one of his hands, his fingers tensing slightly.
—And what was he trying to achieve by attacking the yong lady? —Toshinori asked.
Midoriya continued pulling the scrap metal with the ropes while keeping up the conversation. Perhaps it was his way of relieving the stress caused by recalling how Uraraka had been in danger because of him.
—Shigaraki confessed to her... that he was the one responsible for destroying the bridge built by her father's company, and that he was upset... because Uraraka got in his way... saving that car.
—And did he tell her what he intended by attacking the car?
—He didn't say. But he did tell her something very strange before —Izuku recalled when he saw Shigaraki handing the cell phone to Uraraka—. He probably thought Uraraka... wouldn't survive their encounter, and that's why he told her that a long time ago... he also had people he truly cared about... and remembering that caused him great distress.
Toshinori remained silent, frowning in thought for a long time.
Could he be referring to his family? Toshinori knew, from his own investigation, that Shigaraki was the grandson of his mentor, Nana Shimura. All for One had used that information in their last battle to try and distract him. However, until now, Shigaraki had never shown any interest in thinking about his origins. Could it be that, now that he was no longer under the direct influence of All for One, something in him had changed?
—I apologize for interrupting your thoughts —Todoroki said, standing in front of him—, but I'd like to know how it went with my father.
Toshinori smiled ironically, raising a hand to show his burnt tie before tossing it into the scrap metal. —He's definitely not happy —he said with a mocking tone—. Especially when I told him I wouldn't tell him where you were. But in the end, he understood that he hasn't been doing things right.
Then, with a calm movement, he pulled an envelope from his jacket pocket and handed it to Todoroki. —He asked me to give you this.
Todoroki's eyes narrowed, his expression hardening. —I don't want to hear his excuses —he murmured, looking away to the side.
—This is from your mother —Toshinori added softly.
Himiko Toga skipped along a dark, deserted street. The dim light from the streetlamps barely illuminated her steps, and the nighttime breeze played with the strands of her blonde hair. The city was quiet, enveloped in a calm that contrasted sharply with Toga's effervescent energy. As she moved forward, her curious eyes explored every corner, searching for something to break the monotony of the night.
Passing by an electronics store, something immediately caught her attention. On one of the lit screens, a familiar face appeared—one she hadn't seen in a long time. Toga hurried over, almost pressing her face against the glass of the display, with a broad and excited smile.
—Ochako!? —she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with a mix of surprise and excitement.
On the news, Ochako Uraraka appeared with a worried expression. Beside her, a boy was talking to the press, his words inaudible to Toga through the glass, but the protective gesture of his posture was unmistakable. At one point, Ochako and the boy looked at each other, and they both smiled, a shared smile that radiated a special connection.
—What?! —Toga placed her hands on her cheeks, her excitement growing with each passing second—. That boy looks so much like my first crush from high school! —She reminisced with a sigh—. Not that I care now —she giggled—. But it seems like we have similar tastes after all!
She continued staring at the screen, her eyes fixed on the image of Ochako and the boy together. A small spark of something unknown—a mix of jealousy and fascination—flashed through her mind. It wasn't exactly envy she felt; it was more of a twisted recognition. As if, in some distorted way, she understood what she was seeing.
Finally, Himiko turned away from the display, her back to the television. Her hands came together in front of her chest, clenched with excitement. Thoughts raced wildly in her head, mixing past memories with present desires.
—Maybe now you can understand how I felt back then, Ochako... —she murmured to herself, her smile widening even further, almost to the point of becoming a dangerous grin.
...
...
—Wow, it's a pink shirt! —exclaimed Uraraka excitedly as she pulled the gift from the box, her eyes shining with special delight.
The delicate fabric of the shirt felt soft between her fingers, and its pink color was perfect—not too bright or too muted, just the shade she liked. She smiled with joy, imagining Deku carefully choosing the gift with her in mind.
Without waiting another moment, she quickly tried it on in front of the mirror in her room. The fabric slid over her skin with a pleasant lightness, and she noticed how well the shirt accentuated her figure. She turned from side to side, inspecting how it fit from every angle, and couldn't help but feel charmed by how well it looked from behind too.
—It's so cute! Just like Deku! —she said aloud, smiling without realizing.
But as soon as the words left her lips, reality hit her. She froze, the heat rising rapidly to her face as a wave of embarrassment washed over her. Had she really just said that out loud? Even though she was alone in her room, the feeling of having confessed such a personal thought made her feel exposed.
—What am I saying? —she murmured, blushing even more. She placed her hands on her cheeks, trying to calm the burning flush on her skin.
Feeling embarrassed, she carefully hung the new shirt on her hanger, as if it were a delicate treasure that needed to be protected.
—I'd better go to sleep! —she decided, trying to convince herself that sleep would be enough to erase the embarrassing moment—. It's been a long day, and I'm not thinking clearly!
She quickly turned off the light, the darkness wrapping her in a cloak of calm. She lay down on her bed, tucking herself under the covers up to her head, as if hiding beneath them could conceal her thoughts. But even under the blankets, her nervous smile remained.
She tried to breathe deeply, repeating to herself that everything was normal. But why did she feel that warmth in her chest every time she thought about him? Why did the idea of him choosing a shirt specifically for her make her feel so... happy?
As she struggled with her thoughts, fatigue finally began to take over. The weight of a long, emotional day slowly led her into restless sleep. Yet even in her dreams, Deku's image lingered, his smile still shining in her mind, and the pink shirt he had given her floating at the edge of her subconscious, like a symbol of something deeper that she wasn't ready to accept just yet.
—Deku...
Deku sneezed, lying on the extra futon in his room.
—Are you catching a cold? —Todoroki asked from the bed, and Deku shook his head.
—No, just a sneeze —he replied, readjusting himself under the blankets. After a moment of silence, he gathered the courage to ask something that had been on his mind all night. —Sorry, if you don't mind me asking, have you thought about what you're going to do regarding your father?
Todoroki was silent for a moment, his eyes fixed on the dark ceiling of the room as if searching for answers among the shadows cast by the faint moonlight.
—I haven't made a definitive decision yet —Todoroki began calmly, though there was a latent tension in his words. —The root of it all is that my father wanted to create a successor who could surpass All Might at any cost. That's why he married my mother, hoping that the combination of quirks would make the user someone extraordinarily powerful.
Deku nodded, contemplating what was being said. It was incredible to imagine someone being born with two quirks, both potentially very powerful.
—Two quirks… —he repeated, absorbed in how amazing that sounded from a superficial perspective.
Todoroki's face tightened slightly, his expression showing contained anger.
—No matter how you look at it, it's immoral to have used his status to arrange a marriage for that purpose —Todoroki said firmly. —That's why I don't want to become my father's puppet using his damn quirk.
Deku listened intently, feeling a deep empathy for his friend's dilemma. He wanted to ask more but wasn't sure how to address the topic without seeming insensitive. Still, he ventured:
—And what does your mother think about this?
The room filled with an uncomfortable silence. Todoroki looked away for a moment, as if recalling something painful.
—My mother was admitted to a mental hospital when I was still young —he finally said, touching the scar on his face. —She did this to me, throwing boiling water at me because I looked too much like my father.
Deku looked at him in shock and disbelief. He knew Todoroki didn't have an easy relationship with his family, but hearing that was something entirely different.
—I'm sorry, Todoroki… I didn't know…
Todoroki interrupted him with a sigh, as if he didn't want to stop there.
—My mother's mental state deteriorated after the death of my older brother, Toya, who died burned by the fire he created himself, trying to gain my father's recognition.
Deku was left speechless. It was too much information, each revelation more painful than the last. The image of Todoroki as the perfect son, created to be a tool of revenge and pride, was crumbling before his eyes, replaced by a more human and painful one.
—That's why, if I could get rid of my father's fire power, I would do it without a second thought —Todoroki continued, with a calm resolve, though his eyes shone with an intensity that showed his desire for liberation.
Deku frowned, considering his words.
—That's what All for One used to do —Deku said finally, in a serious voice. —He promised people who wanted to get rid of their quirks that he would free them from them, and in turn, he promised those who were born without quirks, like me, that he would grant them a quirk. That's why he gained so many followers in a short time.
—However, he began to hoard the best quirks for himself and became extremely powerful —Todoroki continued, frowning. —In that aspect, because of his ambition for power, he reminds me of my father.
Deku nodded slowly, seeing the parallel.
—Mr. Yagi told me that Tomura Shigaraki, the person who attacked my friend Uraraka, had a similar father-son relationship with All for One, but when he realized that All for One wanted to use him, Shigaraki abandoned him —Deku recalled, reflecting aloud. —Seeing it that way, I think I'm fortunate that my father just left when he found out I didn't have a quirk.
It was the first time Deku had made that statement aloud. He had no proof, but he assumed it was the most likely scenario. The absence of his father, an open wound for so long, suddenly seemed to have a more tangible explanation.
—Well, at least you get along with your mom —Todoroki pointed out, softening his tone a bit. —In the letter my mother sent me, she says she wants me to visit her, and I'm considering going tomorrow.
Deku smiled warmly at him, feeling a wave of relief at his friend's decision.
—Then do your best; everything will work out —Midoriya encouraged sincerely.
Todoroki nodded, offering a slight smile. It was a small gesture, but for Deku, it was a sign that perhaps his friend was beginning to find a way to heal the wounds of his past.
Author's Notes.-
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