Characters:
Yukimo (OC)
Midoriya Izuku
Bakugo Katsuki
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Upon waking up, Yukimo's first thought was of the searing headache. The hospital bed she found herself lying on felt cold against her skin as she blinked to adjust to the brightness of the fluorescent lights.
"Miss Yukimo, you are finally awake," the nurse said with a warm smile, sitting in a chair next to her bed. She then stood up and began to jot down some notes about her patient's health.
"W-what happened?" Yukimo mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper, fear and confusion flickering in her eyes.
"You had a head injury and were unconscious for two weeks. I stayed here with you and monitored you closely to ensure your condition didn't get worse," the nurse explained, "Luckily, surgery wasn't necessary."
As Yukimo tried to process the nurse's words, memories began flooding back—fragments of the terrifying scene she had witnessed on that fateful day: the villain, Katsuki in peril, and Izuku rushing to help. A knot tightened in her stomach. Then, at the climax of her panic, she remembered her own actions.
As Yukimo adjusted to the light, she glanced at the nurse and noticed that the nurse was staring at her intently. A wave of self-consciousness washed over her when she realized her bangs were tucked behind her ear, and she instinctively covered her right eye with her hand.
"Oh, no, please," the nurse said, her gaze softening with concern and a hint of understanding. "I didn't mean to stare. Your eyes are beautiful."
Yukimo felt a rush of vulnerability wash over her, and for a moment, the warmth of the hospital room enveloped her like a soft blanket. "I... I just don't like being seen like this." Her voice trembled, nearly swallowed by the weight of her memories.
'Oh no, I didn't mean to stare... they are beautiful...' Upon hearing the nurse's thoughts, Yukimo slowly rested her hand back on the bed and tried to push herself up to sit. The effort made her head spin, causing her to pause, willing her surroundings to stop swirling to regain her composure.
The nurse, noticing her struggle, immediately rushed to her side, gently placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Take it easy, Miss Yukimo. You've been through a lot, and your body needs time to heal. Just relax."
"Sorry..." Yukimo muttered, slumping back into the pillows, embarrassment flooding her cheeks. Although she could sense the nurse's genuine concern radiating from her, the awkwardness of being gazed at lingered, despite the kind intent behind it.
"Don't be sorry," the nurse said softly, her tone reassuring. She offered a warm smile as she continued, "Your emergency contact is the Midoriya family. I need to inform them that you are awake."
"You were in critical condition and were not permitted to have visitors for some time. A dark-green-haired fellow visited almost every day; I'm certain he'll be thrilled to hear the news," the nurse said, her gentle smile radiating warmth as she stepped out of the room.
"The Midoriya family, huh..." she muttered.
The hospital room fell silent as the nurse closed the door. Ignoring her nurse's advice, Yukimo slowly sat up, carefully adjusting the IV in her arm and leaning against her bed counter, tucking her bangs back to cover her right eye. She took a deep breath, feeling the weight of her heartache pressing down on her as memories of that chaotic day bubbled to the surface.
Katsuki's terrified expression as the sludge monster enveloped him echoed in her mind, mixing with the feeling of fading consciousness. It would be a lie to say the thought of saving him didn't fill her with a strange sense of triumph, even if it had cost her so dearly.
All she could recall was teleporting to join the battle, using her telekinesis to push Izuku away, and then teleporting with Katsuki away from the villain. The last thing she remembered was hitting the ground and blacking out. She had no idea what transpired after that. Did she successfully teleport with Katsuki? Was it a failure? Or worse, did she harm him?
Yukimo's heart raced at the thought of Katsuki. She clenched her fists, fighting against the tide of worry that threatened to drown her. The hospital smelled antiseptic, but there was an underlying current of menace lingering in her memories. No matter how many times she replayed the events in her mind, the answer eluded her.
She gritted her teeth at the memory of using the third variant of her quirk, a power she had sworn never to use. To make matters worse, Katsuki and Izuku now knew about it and would undoubtedly have numerous questions regarding both her quirk and her eye.
Suddenly, the door creaked open, and in walked a familiar face—Izuku Midoriya. Or that was what she thought she would see—or at least his mother. Yukimo shut her right eye tightly and was taken aback to find a pro hero standing before her.
"I'm here!" All Might exclaimed. "So you are finally awake. How are you feeling, kid?"
Yukimo's heart sank into the pit of her stomach. All Might, the legendary hero, stood before her like a towering wall of unyielding strength, his bright smile a stark contrast to the heavy weight of her secrets. Despite his cheerful demeanor, she felt the pulsing eyes of the hero examining her closely, as if searching for something hidden beneath the surface.
"M-much better, thank you," she managed to stutter, her voice barely whispering past the lump lodged in her throat. Why was he here in the first place? All Might's eyes sparkled with an odd mixture of intensity and warmth, the kind that made people feel both comforted and uneasy. He nodded slowly, taking a step closer to her bedside.
"Is everyone safe? Did I do something wrong?" she asked. Her mind raced with anxiety, every insecurity clawing at her as she struggled to understand the implications of her actions. Did she truly fail to rescue Katsuki?
"Wait, hold on, don't jump to conclusions! You did indeed save your friends!" All Might assured her, his tone gentle yet firm. "My reason for coming here is because I learned from young Midoriya that you had no intention of becoming a hero."
The room fell silent once more at this revelation. Yukimo cast her gaze downward, her bangs concealing her eyes.
"Based on what I witnessed that day, I can guess you have some sort of teleportation quirk, and the way you pushed your friend away suggested either great strength or telekinesis," All Might elaborated. "However, Young Midoriya told me that you have a psychic quirk. You can use telekinesis, telepathy, and, much to his surprise, teleportation."
'Damn you, Izuku-kun, you blabbermouth...' Yukimo thought, clenching her teeth together.
"He also mentioned that you always conceal your right eye with your bangs or wear an eyepatch. Young Midoriya recounted catching a glimpse of your eye when you saved him, noting its purple color, and saw a few purple sparks coming out of it. Other heroes present also witnessed a purple lightning flash from the crowd, leading them to the boys when you suddenly appeared..."
'Damn you, Izuku-kun... DAMN YOU!'
All Might looked at Yukimo, who remained silent. Instead, she brought her knees to her chest beneath the sheets, huddling in on herself. Seeing she did not correct him indicated that everything he had just said was indeed true. He continued,
"With this quirk... you could become an excellent he—"
"Everyone keeps saying the same damn thing! I can become an excellent hero! You have an amazing quirk!" Yukimo interjected, the frustration spilling out like a dam bursting. She had grown tired of hearing the same old line, of putting on a straight face when she heard it over and over again,
"If it truly is that amazing, then why has it only brought me misery!"
All Might stood taken aback by her sudden outburst, his large frame momentarily shaking under the weight of her frustration. The warmth in his gaze faltered for just a moment as he took in the pain behind her words. "Young Yukimo, I—"
"No," she cut him off, her voice choked with emotion. "You don't understand! You don't know what it's like! People think my quirk is wonderful, a gift, but it feels like a curse! I'm not like Bakugo or Izuku-kun... I can't control it! It ruins everything!"
As fervor coursed through her words, the memories rushed back in rapid succession. The shame of her classmates' whispers, the constant worry of burdening others with the heaviness of her mind, and the terrifying moments when her telepathy would unveil thoughts she had never wanted to know. She had spent years trying to build walls around herself to keep the chaos at bay, to protect herself and those around her.
Yukimo pushed her bangs behind her ears and finally met All Might's gaze, revealing the difference in her eye colors. It was futile to hide it from him at this point. All Might was not taken aback by her eyes, but rather by the tears streaming down her cheeks. She began to recount her past to him.
"My parents abandoned me because of my quirk! When I acquired my teleportation ability, my right eye changed. I was bullied because of my eye, but my parents reassured me that everything would be okay.
Whenever I overused my teleportation, I would occasionally wind up in the hospital due to the strain it placed on me. However, one day...
I discovered another consequence of my teleportation ability. I was being bullied by some kids and had finally had enough. I wanted to teleport away, but due to my lack of experience, I didn't teleport far enough. So, I tried to use it continuously one after another, with no pause in between. On my third teleport, something took control of my body. When I regained my senses, I was on the ground with a pro hero holding me down. Confused, I surveyed my surroundings. All the kids were on the ground, severely beaten.
I later learned that I had unknowingly used my teleportation power to continuously attack my bullies. However, the hero could not see what was happening. All he witnessed was a streak of purple lightning passing each student, followed by a blow.
Once all the bullies were incapacitated, he finally noticed me standing still, gazing down at them with a bright smile, laughing as though I were enjoying the situation. The hero pinned me to the ground, because if he had not, I would not have stopped.
The hero and my parents prohibited me from using my teleportation ability. The bullying eventually stopped, but then everyone at school began to ignore me. Then, things took a turn for the worse as my telepathy and telekinesis manifested shortly after.
Initially, it was my telekinesis that appeared first, and when I first used it, my telepathy ability emerged. However, I was one of the unlucky ones who couldn't deactivate her own quirk.
Even after being taken to a hospital and given headphones to block the telepathic thoughts, the damage had already been done! I had already heard their thoughts about me!
They had lied to me! They found my purple eyes disgusting! They hated me! I kept hearing their thoughts, and they labeled me a monster because of what had happened with the bullies.
I had always professed to them that I wanted to be a hero someday, and they had always praised me, claiming it could happen. Even that turned out to be a lie... I had heard it...
They knew I knew the truth. I was well aware of their real feelings. That day when they brought me to the hospital to get my headphones... they had already made their decision. They were aware that I would hear their thoughts and avoided me all day that day. It was the homeroom teacher who took me to the hospital... that's when I discovered...
Regardless of whether the headphones worked or not... they would abandon me.
I had been raised by a foster family, but even they have abandoned me. I was a total outcast at school.
I began to look after myself and transferred to another school. That's where I met Izuku-kun."
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Yukimo awaited All Might's response after sharing her story. Her quirks were out of control, and she posed a danger to people. She could end up hurting them instead of saving them. He listened intently, absorbing each word she spoke, and felt a knot tighten in his chest as she shared her painful story. The raw honesty in her voice dug into him, painting a vivid picture of her struggles and despair.
"And yet, in the nick of time, you had saved your friends, despite knowing the risk of using your quirks. That's how heroes act," All Might said quietly. Yukimo jerked her head up at his words, her wide eyes meeting his, filled with disbelief,
"I am going to say it once more, you can become a great hero and prove everyone, including your parents who abandoned you, wrong."
'Now I understand why she didn't want to become a hero. Because of her past and believing everyone's words and thoughts.'
'It's true that her quirk has a lot of setbacks, but so does everyone's. She just has to practice a lot and start believing in herself.'
Tears continued to streak down her cheeks as Yukimo processed All Might's words, the hopeful tone intertwining with the grievances that had long weighed her down. The things he was saying matched with his thoughts. He truly believed that she could become a hero despite knowing her past.
"I can't guarantee your acceptance into U.A. Academy. If you want to get into U.A., you'll have to earn it. For now, I can only help you take the mock test you had missed," All Might said with a smile. "For the upcoming test, you have ten months to prepare yourself. I have faith you will get accepted. But who knows, maybe you'll perform even better."
"Thank you, All Might..." she said as she cried her eyes out. As Yukimo drained the final remnants of anxiety from her system, she couldn't help but feel a spark of hope flickering within her, ignited by All Might's confidence in her abilities. It was a feeling she hadn't allowed herself to experience in years, a feeling that whispered that maybe—just maybe—she could carve out her path, even with the shadows of her past looming over her.
This was completely different from that time Izuku had told her that he had faith in her and that she could become a hero. No, this time the words had come from a pro hero, an adult. Adults who only told her and thought that she was a monster and could never become a hero.
Her homeroom teacher didn't even count because they only meant half of what they said. He wanted her to get into U.A. because this way, the junior high school would have the reputation and honor of saying that two students had gotten accepted into that prestigious school. He knew he couldn't count on Katsuki because of his bad attitude and wanted to count on Yukimo.
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~One week later~
"Yuki-chan!" Izuku burst into the hospital room, accidentally slamming the doors open in the process. This earned him some heavy glares from a couple of nurses who were walking by.
"S-sorry," he bowed before shutting the door. He turned to look at his friend, and it seemed like she was completely unfazed by his sudden appearance. She was just sitting on her bed, completely lost in thought and staring out the window.
"Yuki-chan..." he whispered and began tearing up. She had been in the hospital for about three weeks now. The first two weeks, she was completely unconscious, and in the third week, the doctors and nurses wished to monitor her closely for any changes while she was awake. So, Izuku was unable to properly see her then as well. Only Izuku's mother was allowed to see her.
The tension in the room melted as Yukimo finally noticed him standing there, the sunshine catching the gleam of his wide, worried eyes. Her heart swelled with a mix of relief and gratitude; it was comforting to know that he had come—he had always come.
"Izuku-kun," she greeted softly, unsure of how to express everything that had transpired. Izuku was too busy using his sleeves to rapidly wipe his eyes to notice that Yukimo was looking at him, "I'm glad to finally see that you're okay."
After finally calming down, Izuku composed himself enough to realize that she was just staring at him. It wasn't her usual stare, but one where she wasn't exactly present.
"Yuki-chan?" She flinched as he called her name and gave him a soft smile. He stepped closer, his expression flooding with concern.
"So how is the preparation for applying to U.A. going?" she changed the subject, knowing full well that he wanted to ask her what she was thinking about.
What she didn't know was that the question made Midoriya nervous. He didn't know what he could say to her; not only was that the problem, but Yukimo could also easily hear his thoughts and know he was lying. It was something he wasn't ready to talk about. A secret he couldn't share. Not now...maybe not ever. Just before Izuku could answer and Yukimo could read his mind, the nurse opened the door.
"Alright, Miss Yukimo, your paperwork is done," she announced. "You can go home."
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"I'm home," Yukimo announced to her empty apartment. The silence echoed, amplifying the feeling of emptiness that often consumed her at the beginning, but now she had gotten used to it. Even if no one would reply, it was out of habit to announce it.
xxxxx
Izuku had walked her home and, of course, asked her about ten times if she was okay. He also talked about what had happened that day and how amazing she was, thanking her for saving him and Katsuki, even though it had put her in the hospital. She could clearly tell from his expression how guilty he felt. He somewhat felt responsible for that. Even after assuring him that it wasn't, he still felt guilty.
Yukimo asked Izuku not to reveal her third ability to the school, and in return, she had explained almost everything to him about her third quirk. She only hid the fact of what happened to the bullies and twisted the story a bit. Instead of her losing control, she told him that she couldn't control it and that it was very dangerous for her to use.
In front of her house, Izuku excused himself because he needed to train. Yukimo knew he was serious about applying to U.A. and didn't mind. She only advised him not to push himself too much and tried to listen to his thoughts about what he was planning to do but couldn't because he was muttering and calculating how many days and hours he had left to train. It made her somewhat dizzy, so she stopped listening to his thoughts.
xxxxx
Yukimo took off her shoes at the door, then placed them neatly off to the side before walking further inside. She went to her living room and noticed her school bag was on the couch. Either Izuku or his mother had dropped it after she ended up in the hospital.
She wandered into the kitchen and retrieved a glass of water, letting the cool liquid wash over her dry throat. Reflecting on the past few weeks, Yukimo considered how much had changed. She had gone from being the girl who wanted to hide away, plagued by the fear of being discovered and misunderstood, to someone who stood before a pro hero and shared her vulnerabilities. Inside, however, her heart swelled with uncertainty.
"Whatever. I'll be fine," she whispered to herself, pushing those thoughts aside. It was easier to dismiss them than to expose her fears.
She made her way toward her room and stood in front of her desk. The bag she had been carrying ever since she was discharged from the hospital swung over her shoulder and held it in both of her hands. She held it upside down and let everything fall out of the bag. As the bag upended, a flurry of papers and pens cascaded onto her desk and some onto the floor.
'U.A. Application exam' was written on some of them, and others contained information about the school. All Might had left it for her and asked her to read it before making any decision to apply or not.
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~The Next Day~
"Hey, Yuki!" she heard a familiar voice calling out to her from behind while she was opening her shoe locker. She quickly exchanged her shoes before shutting it closed and turned around to see Katsuki rushing down the hallway.
"Morning, Bakugo," Yukimo greeted, but he only grunted in response, "I'm glad you're okay."
"I didn't need your help," he grumbled, crossing his arms defensively, "But... thanks..."
He mumbled the last part in a way that made it nearly silent, but Yukimo caught it. She chuckled softly to herself, grateful that beneath his bravado lay a thread of appreciation. It was a mystery how he could be infuriating one moment and oddly endearing the next. It was for the best not to comment on it because they would just end up arguing instead. She knew it really bugged him to say thank you and was completely surprised by it.
Suddenly, Katsuki raised his hands and moved her long right bangs to the back of her ear, revealing her right eye. Yukimo's heart raced as the subtle gesture took her by surprise. Nobody had dared to touch her hair like that since she transferred schools. Her mind scrambled to make sense of Katsuki's action, and she instinctively took a cautious step back and lifted her hand to cover her right eye again.
'Go ahead and make fun of my eyes... just like everyone...' she unknowingly thought towards Katsuki. He scoffed before he said,
"Deku told me..."
"I'm going to kill him," she muttered under her breath, a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment flowing through her.
"Stop hiding. It's just an eye," he said, voice low but firm. Not giving her a chance to reply, he started to walk away, "whatever."
'She shouldn't hide it... stupid Yuki!' she heard his thoughts and couldn't help but smile at that. She felt an unexpected wave of warmth wash over her and watched as Katsuki walked away, feeling a whirlwind of emotions swirl within her — confusion, gratitude, and a hint of exhilaration. Perhaps there was more to Katsuki than the arrogant facade he so often presented.
Right before class started, everyone was saying how glad they were that Yukimo was back and healthy. Apparently, while she was unconscious at the hospital, the attack on Katsuki was all over the news.
Scared of her being on the news as well, she immediately searched on her phone to read what they had announced about the two of them. The only things that were revealed were how Katsuki was captured and used as a hostage by the villain, but not once was it mentioned how she had saved him from the villain; only that she did, and received heavy damage and was sent to the hospital.
Yukimo sighed in relief after seeing that no one had mentioned her teleportation. She could guess that no reporter or hero was able to understand what had happened.
Luckily, she wasn't behind in her studies because Izuku had taken notes for her. Speaking of Izuku, Yukimo couldn't help but notice he had arrived late. During class, she noticed he was scribbling something in his notes and had a hard time focusing on the lecture. She tried to listen to his thoughts, but just like yesterday, he was muttering a lot. After school, he left rather quickly, forcing her to run after him.
"Izuku-kun!" she yelled, and he stopped running.
"Ah, Yuki-chan," he looked over his shoulder, "Sorry, I have somewhere to be!"
"Wait!" He didn't stop this time and continued at his pace, leaving the school gates. Yukimo hurried to catch up, her heart pounding as she trotted after Izuku. She had so many things she wanted to discuss, especially about the upcoming U.A. application, but seeing him so preoccupied stirred a knot of concern in her stomach. She knew he was busy preparing himself, but not this busy. Leaning against the wall of her school entrance, she sighed and stared at the ground.
"What? The loser ditched you?" Katsuki snorted derisively as he approached, his arms crossed and a smirk decorating his face.
"He's probably busy preparing for the U.A. entrance exams," she replied, unfazed by Katsuki's teasing, and gave him her usual poker face, which pissed him off every time.
"Like Deku actually has a shot," he hissed and continued walking towards the school gate. After noticing Yukimo hadn't moved an inch, he stopped and looked over his shoulder. She was wearing her poker face and staring in his direction. He could clearly tell that she wasn't actually looking at him but just thinking about something.
Sometimes he wished it was the other way around. If he had telepathy instead of her, then he could easily listen to what she was thinking. She knew it was impossible for people to try to guess what she was thinking and feeling when she was using her poker face, which pissed him off for some reason.
Yukimo suddenly pushed herself off the wall and slowly walked back inside. He noticed she hadn't brought her bags with her and thought she might go and grab it, not that he cared.
'Whatever,' he thought and continued walking out.
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Back inside, after Yukimo had packed her bag, she made her way out of her classroom. Instead of heading toward the exit, she made her way toward the teacher's office. She knocked first before entering. After the teacher told her to come in, she opened the door.
"Miss Yukimo, I'm surprised to see you here. Is everything okay?" Surprised by her sudden appearance, the teacher set his pen down and looked up from his desk.
"I'm going to apply for the U.A. Academy."
*-* To Be Continued *-*