At that moment I had just realized what I had said. I quickly took a step back, my body turning ice cold.
"I'm sorry!" I blurted out, a little sweat trickling down my face. I don't why I had insulted him at that moment, why I had used such an assertive tone. My heart hammered in my chest, and I felt my forehead heat up.
The indigo-haired boy fell silent, his expression changing as he turned around to face me, folding his somewhat lanky arms across his chest. He raised a thick, bushy eyebrow.
"You had the guts to talk to me like that, huh." His deep voice sounded again, this time it sounded more aggressive, yet also refined—as if he was holding back his emotions.
"Is...that a problem?" My body remained frozen, as if the ground had grown arms that held my body in place.
The boy shook his head. "Not really, it's honestly quite admirable." He cocked his head to the side, as if curious about me.
"You're unlike a lot of people here, whatever your name is."
The air hung silently around us, but I could feel the tension begin to gradually dissipate. "Isaac..." I muttered under my breath.
"Speak up." He barked, but not loud enough to appear cold or mean.
"Isaac!" My eyes darted to the ground as I felt my body tense again.
"I told you to speak up, not shout." He groaned, rolling his eyes. "Weird name."
Upon hearing his statement I scratched the back of my neck. "Well...It's American."
"You're from America?" The boy with eyebags asked, a flicker of curiosity crossing his stoic expression.
"I am. Although my memories of it are...blurry." My shoulders slouched.
"Well, who am I to judge?" The towering boy took a step back, opening his mouth. "Name's Hitoshi Shinso."
"Good to hear." I placed the assignment paper against the wall, writing down his name, although I'm not sure I spelled it right.
"So I'm working with you?" He asked, stepping next to me. He extended his arm and grabbed the paper, looking at his name which was sprawled across a line. "Hihtoshy Shinsoo?"
His gaze drifted back to me as he lowered the paper, his brows creasing inwards as he sighed. "That's the worst anyones spelled my name. I can tell you're American." He stuffed the paper back into my arms with a small amount of force, almost like a shove.
"Change it. It's spelled H-I-T-O-S-H-I S-H-I-N-S-O." As he spelled his name his right foot rapped against the tiled floor, his arms crossed over his chest.
After I finished rewriting his name I turned back to him, scanning the surroundings at the same time. "You mind if we head somewhere?"
"Not really." Hitoshi scratched the back of his neck, which was already stained with red lines. It appeared we had the same habit. "Where to though?"
"Just outside, I tend to focus better in the breeze, not air conditioning."
I led Hitoshi outside, sitting on a bench near the school nestled under a cherry tree. I looked towards the indigo-haired student and rustled the paper. "So my question for you is...what does it mean to be a hero?"
The boy's eyes suddenly narrowed as he ran a hand through the indigo tufts on his head. "Well...that's...quite complicated." His voice lowered, almost to the point of a whisper. He leaned back against the bench, his head lolling back as he looked towards the sky.
"What do you mean?" I looked at Shinso with a puzzled expression. The boys matching purple eyes locked onto me, their dull look losing its luster for just a moment. He opened his mouth and swallowed.
"I've always been told my quirk is one for villains." His voice was uncharacteristically gentle, but he still maintained his stoic atmosphere. "Being able to brainwash people isn't the best ability one can have. That's why I was sent to General Studies."
My suspicions were correct in a way. Shinso was a General Studies student, and he didn't seem willing to answer the question or at least provide a viable response. I felt a pang of empathy in my chest as I leaned a little closer to Shinso, but not in a way that would invade his personal space.
"Well, I'm quirkless, that's certainly worse, right? Being powerless in a world where almost everyone has it"
Shinso's brows furrowed as he scooted away, resting a hand on his neck as he commenced with his scratching. "Consider yourself blessed to be honest. It's better to be a nobody than to be a villain, or at least...someone who's seen as one."
His eyes drifted to the grass below as he continued to scratch his neck. He remained silent for a few moments before speaking up again. "I can't answer your question because I've never thought I'd be asked that. In General Studies it's like...school with extra power bullshittery."
"Well..." The words wanted to emerge, but they seemed lodged in my throat. "Just because you've been seen as a villain doesn't mean you are one."
"I know." Hitoshi snapped, his teeth gritting as he looked towards me. He rested his hands on his knees and lowered his head. "I've never been one to make friends—I've never been—so if you're trying to be nice to me...I insist you leave."
Shinso's words echoed through both the air and my mind. I wanted to say something to assure him, I wanted to do something to help him—to make him feel comforted, but I felt like if I made a move he'd snap and bite my head off.
"Ok...I'll just leave." I said softly, picking up my paper as I stuffed it into my worn backpack, looking back at him for a few moments, staring into his indigo eyes, before I gained the courage to look forward, walking away.
Shinso remained on the bench, staring at the ground. his mind raced with numerous jumbled thoughts. He felt like he shouldn't have snapped like that, but at the same time he felt like it was necessary. He was never one to make friends or welcome people with open arms—at least people he didn't trust. His gaze lingered on the green grass below before they raised, looking in the direction where I once stood—noticing that I already left.
He clenched his fists.
...
Ayumi gazed at the blonde-haired boy with tired eyes, his rambling putting her on the verge of exhaustion. Before he could continue the girl raised her palm. "I get it, you hate Class 1-A. But you've done anything but answer my question."
"You asked a question?" Monoma raised an eyebrow, a look of genuine confusion crossing his expression. The black-haired girl groaned softly, her grip on her paper tightening to the point where it wrinkled.
"You're such a pain in the ass." She snapped, running a hand through her hair. "What do you think it means to be a hero?"
"Well..." At that moment Monoma paused, leaning against the lockers lining the hallway. "I can copy others' quirks."
"That doesn't answer the question." Ayumi looked into Monoma's greyish-blue eyes, scoffing.
"Fine. I think being a hero means doing the right thing regardless of the cost. Heroes make sacrifices, heroes put themselves in the line of danger, heroes are the shining stars of society." As he spoke, Monoma's voice ebbed with boredom, annoyed about being asked to answer a question akin to a lecture.
"Quite the boring answer." Ayumi grumbled softly, jotting down the boy's words onto the lined paper. She tried to keep her handwriting neat, but the speed the boy was explaining his philosophy was too overwhelming for Ayumi to keep up.
"You said your name was Monoma, right?" She looked up from her paper, cocking her head.
"Correct, Neito Monoma." He adjusted the cuffs of his uniform, re-tying his tie. He then looked down at Ayumi with an indifferent expression. "Are you going to ask anything else?"
"That's all." Ayumi turned around, slowly letting out a long sigh as she began to walk away. The blonde boy watched her depart with a solemn expression, before turning and looking back down the now empty corridor.
...
"He was quite annoying." Ayumi placed her paper on the bench, allowing me to take a look. "Did you consult anyone else?"
"Unfortunately, no." I laughed self-deprecatingly, leaning back against the bench as I gazed up at the pink flowers of the cherry blossom tree. "I did meet this boy who could brainwash people, but he seemed...distant from the question we had to ask him."
"What do you mean?" The girl looked up, her eyes flickering with curiosity.
"Well...Shinso..." I looked down at the paper, erasing his name. "He's always been looked at like a villain by everybody. He seems...lonely, and he said he doesn't want to make friends with anybody."
"Well, let me tell you something." Ayumi stuffed her pencil into her messy black bun. "The loneliest of people are the ones who want help the most. Maybe try talking to him the next time he sounds open to it." She opened her small bag, taking out some bubblegum, offering me a piece.
I declined her offer, gazing down at the empty paper except for Mr. Ryujin's answer: "A hero is a good person, someone who doesn't want to embrace evil."
Sure, the quote was simple, but it made me think back to Shinso. He said he doesn't want to be a villain, yet he had been born with a villainous quirk. I couldn't help but think he was braver than kids his age. If I were in his place—I would've cornered myself in my room.
My fists clenched on my sides as I stood up, reaching out and pulling Ayumi up. "I want to find that boy."
"Well...ok." Ayumi's face contorted with confusion from the suddenness of my declaration, but the way she looked at me told me she wasn't taken aback by the idea.
...
I pushed open the door to a cafe, a cat cafe. Lining the doors, windows and counters were numerous fluffy cats of all shapes and sizes. "You aren't allergic, are you?" I looked back at Ayumi stepping back outside the door.
"I have a pet cat, her name is Lavender." Ayumi said with a smile, peering inside.
The moment we entered, a few of the cats fled the scene, a few others approached us and brushed against our legs, letting out constant, low purrs. One of the cats was brown with gray spots. It was small but not frail in a way that was concerning. The creature's ears perked up as it let out a meow, walking over to me and brushing against me.
It was the cat that I found underneath the drainage pipe!
"What are you doing here?" My voice softened to an affectionate whisper as I picked up the animal, the brown and gray cat curling up in my arms and closing its eyes.
"She's our newest guest." A voice suddenly sounded from a corner. One of the baristas laid out a tray of cat food on the counter as she smiled at me.
"How'd you find him?"
"He appeared at our doorstep meowing. I figured I'd let him in." She explained, slowly stroking an older looking white cat who was munching down some kitty kibble.
"Do you allow adoptions? This cat...I actually found it in the rain and tried to keep it, but it ran off." I looked down at the small animal in my arms, noticing how the cat had almost fallen limp in my grip.
"He does seem to love you; I've never seen a cat so affectionate before. Let me get the papers and I'll have you on your way." The barista gave me a smile as she departed to the back room. Suddenly, Ayumi spoke up.
"Why'd you take us here to begin with? I mean...not that I have a problem with it."
"He smelled like cats?"
"Who?" Ayumi had a black cat on her shoulder—one that complimented her hair.
"Shinso."