Chapter 10: Healing
MHA and its characters, whether in written or visual formats, belong to Kohei Horikoshi.
Izuku took a deep breath.
Now that he was living with the Kobayashi's, he was feeling much better than he had in a long while. While he had seen the small mouse yokai in the park, he had yet to see any yokai in the Kobayashi's home.
Unfortunately, the Kato's had more than their fair share of yokai in their old, worn, and poorly kept house. Izuku had barely lasted a month in the toxic cesspool of ill-energy and abuse the family, and yokai meted out on him.
Thankfully, in the few months since moving in with the Kobayashi's, the bruises and burns sustained while at the Kato's had finally healed – now that he was not constantly beset with new injuries.
Izuku could feel the light breeze in the air and smell the scent of water and reeds from the nearby riverbed. It was so refreshing, as though the very air could clear away the lingering toxins within him from the Kato's home – if such a toxic place could even be called a home.
As he meditated and opened his senses, Izuku began to feel the calming presence of Ginro and Kekyu.
They had been the one constant since his mother's death, and they were the ones to save him from the Kato family. After moving in with the Kato's, it only took his first visit with the two yokai for them to literally drag him to the social worker's office so he could show her the damage. Ginro had even given him herbs and other ingredients to help heal his aches, burns, and bruises. Ginro continued to provide the supplies even after Izuku moved in with the Kobayashi's and started visiting their doctor.
The memory of the Kobayashi's doctor set Izuku further at ease.
He liked their doctor.
The doctor was caring and always telegraphed his movements. He also always informed Izuku of what he was doing and why he needed to do it.
The Kobayashi's were even better. They always respected Izuku's privacy, making sure he had a choice as to whether they were in the room or not when he saw the doctor. They also always let him know when it was not a choice as to whether they had to know something – like medical records or other things.
Izuku grinned.
The Kobayashi's doctor had been surprised by how quickly Izuku was healing. But Izuku was not. Ginro's supplies and having a safe place to sleep had done wonders for Izuku's overall health.
Izuku took another deep, steadying breath.
As his senses fully opened, the cool ebbing flow he recognized as Ginro's aura and Kekyu's bristling but warm aura flowed around him. Distantly, he could also feel the presence of others moving along the nearby paths.
Izuku relaxed more deeply.
Because the Kobayashi's home in Hamamatsu was close to the border with Musutafu, he had been able to meet with Ginro and Kekyu more frequently than when he was living in the other homes. The Miyobi's house had been the closest to the two yokai before the Kobayashi's.
Unfortunately, the distance of the other homes from his two friends made staying with those families feel all the more isolating – but it was better now. It was not that he did not visit them while living with the other foster families. After all, he had not wanted to lose that sense of belonging he so desperately needed, but the distance made maintaining their connection difficult.
After two very difficult years, it was amazing what a good home could do, so it did not take much convincing from the two yokai to persuade Izuku to start training again. Once he made his decision, meditating and going through the forms, Ginro taught him felt like the most natural thing in the world.
It was peaceful.
He needed them, and he needed to perfect his abilities – for his future. While he still shuddered at the thought of the more powerful yokai he might have to face, now that he was living with the Kobayashi's, who in general encouraged his dream of attending U.A., he was all the more determined to develop his abilities so he could use them as his "quirk."
All the tension left Izuku as his breathing deepened further, and he felt his senses heighten.
Ginro's voice croaked, "Good. Imagine casting spells. You drew borderline. Must practice more. Need more strength – practice command. Imagine words like rock. Pin down yokai with words."
Izuku thoughts turned back to the time he had inadvertently drawn the borderline when he confronted the dog yokai goading Bakugo-san all those years before. Even now, he needed to use talismans to banish the yokai from his school. He had done so in all the schools he had attended so far, but he had yet to learn how to truly use his power to imbue his voice with a command.
Commanding others was not quite in his nature, but it would be necessary if he did go down the path of a hero using the sight.
As Izuku focused on the spiritual energy ebbing and flowing inside him, he felt Ginro nod, "Yes, feel your spirit energy like air around you, like holding cucumber."
Izuku's lip twitched into a smile. Obviously, Ginro was still thinking about the gift Izuku had brought.
Kekyu shook his head at Ginro's example and then addressed Izuku.
"You need to learn to speak strongly. Command with your voice. Drawing borderline is good, but it can only prevent some from coming closer and make the weakest flee."
Ginro nodded, "Body strong like mountain. Voice strong like river."
Izuku pondered for a moment, "So, just like how I focus my energy into my center for a strong body during training, and how I sort of – I don't know – expel it for a borderline through my fingers, I need to focus it into my words?"
"Yes!" Kekyu cheered. Its thoughts turned back to the time Izuku first fought a schoolyard yokai, and so did Izuku's.
"I think I've done that before – when I fought and ordered the yokai when I was still living – still living with…."
Kekyu nodded, its voice softening, "Yes, but need to be stronger. Need to practice borderline, too. Practice commanding my minions and practice borderline with me."
Izuku jerked, eyes flying open, "But…"
"You do not want to hurt. Your thoughts affect spell. Practice is practice." Kekyu's face twisted. "If you want to block – it block. If you want to banish – it banish. Borderline will change. Practice one will make other stronger too."
Izuku's eyes widened, and in his excitement, he cut Kekyu off.
"So, I can change the intent of the borderline? And, by practicing one type, I will strengthen my casting overall, allowing me to cast different types of borderlines with different intentions?"
Izuku nearly hopped up in his excitement.
Kekyu grinned and nodded, as did Ginro.
"But it would still be good for me to cast the other types, like the one for banishing, too, right? I guess if any of the schoolyard yokai bother me, I could try on them… but I've already laid the talismans down. What if I RunIntoAnotherYokaiAtThePark?I'veRunIntoAFewButMostOfThemAreRelativelyBenignAndDon'tBotherMeSoIDon'tWantToHurtThemButThereAlwaysCouldBe…"
Kekyu's grin widened – happy to see Izuku muttering again – and ecstatic that Izuku himself suggested using the borderline on the pesky yokai who tried to harass him.
Cutting off Izuku's mutter storm, Kekyu encouraged him, "Yes, borderline responds to will. Even if stronger when blocking, all borderline will be stronger. If you know name of yokai, even better – use it."
Izuku smiled and hopped to his feet while maintaining his meditative state to the best of his ability. Grinning widely and eyes lighting up with determination, Izuku spoke with conviction.
"Okay. Let's go!"
After training, Izuku raced home. The first day of training borderlines and commands went well, in that, no one was hurt.
Izuku grinned as he remembered making the little fuzz-ball yoki line up and dance as directed. He had even been able to draw a borderline that had only prevented Kekyu from crossing it. The furry yokai had beamed despite not being able to approach Izuku for the rest of the session as Izuku tried to maintain the spell.
The question was, would it work against yokai who were not intent on helping him and not amicable toward him. Kekyu, Ginro, and the little fuzz-ball yokai's intent to help Izuku might also be a factor.
Izuku continued to jog, and the apartment building came into view down the street.
I need more work, but with the meditation as preparation, everything was so easy! What if I can move into my meditative state more quickly? Would that be better? Ginro said that the state of heightened awareness can have adverse effects, well he said bad, not adverse…
Izuku giggled, then grew serious again.
…I could have adverse effects if used too often or improperly. Neither want me to use it outside training. I wonder what those are. It's not always clear, but I think we'll figure it out between all of us.
Izuku ran up the steps to the second-floor apartment two at a time and clambered inside as soon as he managed to open the door.
"Izuku?" Kaoru-san's voice drifted out from the living room, and Izuku spun to face her, stiffening involuntarily.
Kaoru-san smiled, "Did you have fun?"
Izuku relaxed and beamed, "Yes! I just did some mediation by the river where…"
Izuku jerked to a halt, voice faltering.
I can't tell her about Ginro and Kekyu! How would I explain it?
Izuku felt a moment of panic. He could not introduce them to the Kobayashi's since they were not human, despite the house rule that Izuku would introduce the Kobayashi's to his friends. Even though he had visited the yokai several times, this was the first time he had said anything about what he was doing.
He was feeling so much better that he had forgotten himself.
Kaoru-san's smile softened. It was a smile Izuku was growing accustomed to, and while it caused a slight pang in his chest since it was so achingly warm, he still hesitated to tell her everything.
Kaoru-san knew Izuku would not want to share everything. So, like she had ever since he arrived, she was reassuring, "It's okay, Izuku."
Izuku nodded, feeling bashful, a small smile on his face.
Is it really? But it doesn't seem like she minds if I don't tell her.
"Izuku," Kaoru-san's voice drew Izuku out of his thoughts. "It's been about two months now, and your first trimester is about half done. Summer will arrive quickly…" Kaoru-san's voice trailed off.
The social worker had told them the date of Midoriya Inko's death, but the Kobayashi's were intent on giving Izuku the space he needed while not tiptoeing around everyday conversations.
Izuku felt his heart clench, but not as tightly as before. His eyes shifted as he debated what to say – if he should ask. The sheer disappointment if the answer was 'No' would destroy everything, but the hope that this time the answer would be 'Yes,' especially now that Musutafu was so close, made him want to hope.
Maybe it's because today was such a good day and because the Kobayashi's have been so kind that I'm expecting the answer to be different.
Izuku's eyes drifted up to meet Kaoru-san's. She stood perfectly still. Allowing Izuku to work through his thoughts.
The third family was okay up until the incident. Izuku scowled, eyes pained. But even before that happened, they didn't offer to take me to see her, and I just couldn't ask – Musutafu was so far away, and it just… hurt.
Izuku squeezed his eyes shut. The disappointment from the first two homes had been so new when he first arrived at the third home that it had left him far too timid to ask for anything. Even a few months after arriving, the thought of asking them to take him halfway across the country to visit his mother on the first anniversary of her death felt like an insurmountable task.
Izuku bit his lip.
I just want to visit her.
Izuku's hands began to shake. He blinked and tried to control his breathing like in training. His eyes fell to the floor.
Kaoru-san looked a little sad. She knew it was hard to ask. None of the children who had lost parents asked, even Hana.
Over the last few days, Kaoru and Hinata had thought long and hard about how to broach the topic with Izuku. They did not want to give any of the children who stayed with them a reminder they were not ready to face, but she also wanted them to know it was okay to ask. Burying and trying to forget a tragic past was not healthy, but accepting not just the past but trusting enough to ask for help was always hard. This trust was no different for Izuku than the others, and the healing they wanted for him was no different.
While Izuku had not been with them long, it was obvious to both adults that he had been denied so many things while in his previous homes. In two years, the trauma was still so obviously new, and the abuse from the previous homes had let Izuku far more closed off than the other children who had passed through their care. Izuku never asked for anything – except to take walks.
"Do you want to visit?" Kaoru-san asked softly.
Izuku's head shot up at the question, and their eyes met again.
"Umm." Izuku's gaze shifted as he searched Kaoru-san's face for any sign of deception, and Kaoru-san kept her expression as steady as possible.
After a moment, she spoke again, "We can go see her if you want. We've already set aside time in our schedule."
Izuku's eyes brimmed with tears.
"Yes," he nodded as salty tracks began tracing their way down his cheeks, leaking from the corners of his eyes. Izuku quickly rubbed them away, "Yes, Please."
Kaoru-san approached Izuku slowly and placed her hand gently on Izuku's back, rubbing small circles. All the while, she said nothing at all. After all, words are cheap.
They stood there for a long while. Only the sound of the door unlocking prompted them to move. That night, dinner was a quiet affair – ordered from the favored local shop.
Grey granite surrounded them, but at least the sun was shining.
Kaoru and Hinata stood at a distance, giving Izuku space before it was time for them to introduce themselves to Midoriya Inko.
Hinata spoke in a whisper, "I heard from the social worker this morning. The family before us – they're not going to be officially charged, but their foster license will be revoked."
Kaoru snorted softly, not wanting Izuku to hear and misinterpret, "Only have their foster license revoked? Like that's a punishment. They didn't deserve it in the first place if they were going to be abusive."
Hinata hummed, "True."
"And the other homes?"
Hinata gave his wife a sidelong look, "There are no official charges. I know we told Izuku we'd wait to hear about it from him, but after reviewing the medical records and the overview from the therapist, I contacted the social worker and pressed her for the basics. She finally gave me a 'reason' why Izuku left each home after I argued with her. But even after I presented her with the therapist's concerns, the social worker only gave me the barest information.
"Apparently, the first home was supposed to be temporary anyway, but Izuku was 'acting out' and didn't get along with the mother. The second home just 'didn't work out.' The mother 'wanted to help' but was upset the Izuku was so 'closed off.' And at the third home, there was some major incident where Izuku apparently 'mistreated' one of their friends. The social worker wouldn't go into detail about what happened, though."
Kaoru stared in shock, "None of that sounds like Izuku."
"I did get the sense that money had something to do with it, particularly at the first home," Hinata grimaced.
Kaoru's eyes widened, "Oh no," and then her eyes narrowed. "Those little…."
"Hush, Kaoru. Izuku will hear."
Karou spoke in a seething whisper, "Those lowlifes were more concerned about the money they would get for taking care of Izuku, weren't they?"
"Well, the state is giving less for taking in Izuku than other children. I asked, and it's because he doesn't have a quirk. I didn't think about it at first, but after hearing the social worker's explanation, it crossed my mind that the amount was less."
"They didn't!"
Hinata grimaced but said nothing.
Kaoru glanced at Izuku, "Well, we're putting most of it into the nest egg for Izuku anyway. Should we supplement it, then? I don't think Hana will think it's unfair if we supplement the nest egg with a bit of our money to even it out…"
"Already ahead of you," Hinata grinned mischievously, and Kaoru smacked him lightly on the arm.
Movement caught both of their eyes. Izuku was standing and shuffling his feet, looking at them hesitatingly.
The couple approached, and Izuku smiled softly, eyes red and puffy from tears.
"I'd like to introduce you to my mother!"
Kaoru smiled and turned to the grave, bowing, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Midoriya-san."
"Like-wise," Hinata nodded toward the tomb.
Izuku turned toward the stone, "So, as you can see, I'm doing fine, Mom. The Kobayashi's were super nice and brought me here. Again, I'm so sorry I couldn't come last year, but I'll come every year from now on."
A small but sudden gust of wind swept past them, ruffling Izuku's hair. Hinata placed his hand lightly on Izuku's shoulder, and Izuku turned toward them, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, even if his eyes betrayed the sadness overwhelming him.
Izuku shuffled his feet, "Um… when I was still home, Mom helped me develop a good diet and exercise schedule," Izuku turned to face the grave, "Didn't you, Mom?"
He turned back to the Kobayashi's. "We did a lot of research… and I was… I…."
Izuku's voice died as anxiety caused his chest to seize.
Kaoru smiled, "Oh! Really? I've been thinking of ways to make the meals healthier. Thank you, Izuku! This is good. You're growing, after all, and we need to make sure you get a healthy diet.
"As for the exercises, did you do them in the morning? I've been thinking about adding some light exercises to my schedule. You said you've done research. I'll need to do some as well, but we can look into it together. I know I always do better when I have a partner for those kinds of things."
Izuku inadvertently smiled; Kaoru was so naturally disarming.
"I would like that," he said softly.
Izuku lightly bit his lip, a small smile spreading across his face. Then his head whipped toward the grave again, "You hear that, Mom!"
Izuku turned back to Kaoru and Hinata.
Hinata smiled back, "We'll help you along. Physical fitness is important!" The man nodded sagely, then, facing the walkway back to the car, asked, "Are you ready to go, or do you need more time?"
"I'm good!" Izuku turned to face the grave once again, "I'll see you next time, Mom!"
Hinata slung his arm over Izuku's shoulder and the two began walking off – Hinata asking questions about the research Izuku and Inko had done.
Kaoru smiled, watching them as they headed toward the car. She turned to face the grave, "We'll take care of him to the best of our abilities, Midoriya Inko. I promise."
Two weeks later, the Kobayashi's and Izuku had cemented their exercise regimen and menu. Kaoru and Hinata were impressed with Izuku's knowledge and happy with the change.
Izuku was pleased that they let him make such major adjustments to their lifestyle. He knew full well that not all heroes had muscles like All Might. Some heroes were not much stronger than Izuku himself, but their quirks gave them an edge. So, Izuku needed to prepare in a different way to be ready to become a hero.
Between the diet and exercise in the Kobayashi home and the training with Ginro and Kekyu, he was slowly but surely reaching his goal of being able to develop his fake "quirk." Izuku was feeling more and more ready for U.A. as time passed.
He knew that physical training and meditation would be constant necessities for maintaining his physical fitness and spiritual powers so that he could continue to grow in strength to maintain his edge. Now, he needed to figure out two more things: how he would specifically use the sight as his quirk, and once that was decided, how he would go about telling the Kobayashi's and ask them about how to register his quirk.
As for using the sight, Izuku knew he could not say that he could see yoki, but he had to decide exactly how seeing yoki could help him be a hero. If his ability was older – that had to count for something. So, between the sight, his determination to help others, and the ability to analyze a situation – even the Kobayashi's were highly impressed with his hero notebooks – Izuku was confident he could become a hero.
Izuku's face scrunched in concertation – he was in the middle of yet another training session with Ginro and Kekyu.
Izuku built up his energy, and drawing a line made Kekyu bounce back. Kekyu landed on its backside, startled.
Izuku jerked, but then Kekyu burst into laughter, cackling merrily.
"Now you practice on yokai at school. Not line to push back, but line to create strong wall or cast away – not push back nicely, but push back hard. You are ready."
Ginro clapped his webbed hands, "Ready! Yes!"
Kekyu hopped up, "Now, make underlings line up!"
The little fuzz-ball yokai danced out from under the bush where they had been watching cautiously.
"Now, you are ready to try commands. You did not hurt me. You will not hurt them."
"Good control," Ginro nodded.
And so, Izuku did.
Weeks passed, and just as winter turned to spring, Izuku could command Kekyu's tiny underlings with ease.
Izuku had even practiced on the yokai that remained after placing the talismans at the school. While practicing, Izuku found that a few yokai could not be cast out with simple commands or the talismans. So, he needed to use a combination of a command and force on the more stubborn yokai. Eventually, most of the yokai who could not be cast out by the talisman left either because Izuku was successful or to avoid being used as practice for the budding Onmyoji.
Despite the fact that most of the yokai left, Izuku had to remind himself that even commanding the small yokai at school only worked about half the time. Now that so few remained, he had to seek out small yokai outside the school to practice.
Even with the setbacks, the successes encouraged Kekyu and Ginro to take the next step. Now, during training, Izuku was working on making his 'commands' more like a request while maintaining the power behind them. According to Kekyu, if he was powerful, the weakest might even follow a request since they might see Izuku like a protector, much like how the little fuzz-balls followed Kekyu.
A command was direct and, therefore, easier to put power and will behind, but a request allowed for yokai to choose whether to comply. So, making a request while maintaining the force of the spiritual energy and achieving the desired effect was more difficult.
Ginro thought once he was powerful enough to command with a request, he might be ready to move on to banishing even more powerful yokai.
Izuku's biggest success came just before graduation. While not exactly a powerful yokai, Izuku had been able to learn the name of the strongest yokai in his school. It was one of the few who stubbornly remained after Izuku placed the talisman and held out against his constant practice. After inadvertently discovering the yokai's name, he banished it from the premises for good. While finding the name had been sheer luck, it had given him confidence that he was capable of more.
However, both Kekyu and Ginro were cautious as neither were exactly strong themselves. They knew it would be better if another yokai, one with more knowledge, were to help. Kekyu had acknowledged it, even if begrudgingly.
So, with his new power over commands and casting, Izuku felt ready for middle school.
Chapter 11: The Trouble with Trouble
MHA and its characters, whether in written or visual formats, belong to Kohei Horikoshi.
Pink petals fluttered through the air.
The temperature was still cool, but every breeze promised new warmth.
Children of all shapes and sizes walked toward the large building in front of them. Some were complaining, some were playfully shoving each other, and once on the grounds of the building, others were displaying their quirks, trying to one-up each other in the hierarchy of their "hero worthiness."
The sight was bewildering to behold for the incoming class. While some cowered away from the older students, who were clearly comfortable in the familiar environment, others in the incoming class were caught up in the energy surrounding them. The ninth graders, who were in their final year of middle school, could clearly be identified, not just by the pins on their uniforms but by their clear excitement about starting their final year.
Izuku stepped through the front gate, shoulders hunched forward as his hands gripped the straps of his backpack. Middle school, the next stage of his academic career, was about to begin.
The blatant use of quirks by the upperclassmen surprised him. He was not expecting to see the same things here as at Aldrea.
Out of curiosity, he had visited Aldrea Middle School and noted the use of quirks there. He knew Bakugo was probably going to go there, but he did not want to see or be seen by his old friend. They would have time for reunions later, and maybe things would be better by then. After all, the last time Izuku had seen him was when they were nine. Nine was late for a quirk, but Bakugo did not need to know when Izuku's fake 'quirk' manifested.
Shaking his head to rid himself of the thoughts, Izuku took another look around Fuyu Middle School's grounds and again turned his attention to the people around him.
Maybe the temptation to use quirks when everyone is so close to high school and potential hero courses is too strong.
At that moment, a teacher stormed out of the school, calling out detentions for the students using their quirks, causing the corner of Izuku's lip to twitch. He had not seen that when he visited Aldrea. Even Kekyu had scouted Aldrea for a few days and said that the students there used their quirks all the time without consequence.
It'd be much more difficult to get through Middle School if there were constant reminders that I'm quirkless from everyone else using their quirks.
Izuku's grin widened, but then he quickly wiped the smile from his face when one of the students being scolded – a tall, stocky kid with what appeared to be an enhancement quirk – glared in his general direction.
However, Izuku was soon distracted by a familiar scene, stopping him in the center of the pathway. Looking forward, he sighed. In the middle of the path, Ginro lay flat on the ground. The bowl on his head, the sara – Ginro, had told Izuku its official name – was completely empty.
While no one saw Ginro, everyone still somehow managed to step around the yokai. While Izuku had seen the same sight several times in the last six years of his life, it never ceased to baffle him. Especially since he called the kappa sensei when they were training.
Fuyu Middle School was even closer to the city border than the Kobayashi home. So, the two yokai had promised to come to see him at school sometimes.
Izuku, who kept a bottle of water just for this purpose, quickly twisted the cap off and doused Ginro with water.
"When will you learn to be more careful? You're going to get hurt." Izuku scolded.
Ginro merely blinked up at Izuku, just like every other time. A toothy smile spread across the kappa's face, "Good luck!" He croaked.
Izuku smiled wanly, glancing up at the students passing by and the teachers who were now closely monitoring the students. If the teachers at Fuyu Middle were going to give him a sporting chance, he would need to be careful. Thankfully, the Kobayashi's were in his corner, but he knew things could slip past adults' attention, just like with his mom – just like with the third family.
The third family, the Shimizu's, had been prepared to help him in school. They wanted to prevent the school from discriminating against him and his "quirkless" status, but they never made him feel comfortable enough to try to ask for anything. Considering how things played out after the incident, he was certain that they had never truly cared about him, but were more focused on their larger goal. In his head, he knew that they probably thought they were doing what was best for him. All the same, he had still hoped that after a year of staying with them, they would have believed that, at the very least, he had meant their friend no harm.
Sighing, Izuku made his way through the crowds of students. He maneuvered to see the board where everyone's names were listed so he could find his class, and finally, he saw it.
Midoriya Izuku, class 1-C.
On his way to the classroom, he noted fewer yokai than in his previous schools, but still several that would undoubtedly pose a problem. This time, Izuku's lip twitched upward – he would have plenty of opportunities to try his borderlines and commands after laying down the talismans.
Izuku plopped down at a desk and discreetly observed the classroom, planning potential escape routes, taking mental notes on his classmates, and paying attention to any sign that yokai made this room their home.
And so, another year began.
Izuku fumbled with the talismans. While he had easily been able to sneak onto the grounds of his past elementary schools, it was much more difficult to leave early and sneak onto Fuyu Middle's grounds. First of all, the Kobayashi's actually cared enough to want to know when he was leaving. While it was nice that they did, it made his departure that morning much more difficult.
Izuku grinned despite himself. He shuffled the talismans once again as he slowly approached the gate, peering around the edge and into the schoolyard to make sure no one was in sight. When he saw no one, Izuku slipped onto the grounds and toward the side of the school.
If the same could be said of security at Fuyu Middle School as his elementary schools, the front door was a non-option. Regardless, Kekyu had checked the doors for him and ensured a side door was left unlocked. Izuku slipped along the side of the building, not making a sound. Once he was at the door, he listened intently and then slowly opened the door and slipped inside.
Acting quickly and avoiding the curious glances from the yokai lurking in the halls, Izuku placed the talismans as close as possible to the four corners of the building. He then slipped back outside, where he could hear a few students arriving at the school.
Perfect. Now I have an excuse to be on the ground while I place them outside!
Izuku grinned and hurried to the back of the school building and placed a talisman at each corner of the school's backyard wall. Walking along the side, he reached one of the wall's front corners, where he placed the second-to-last talisman. But it was as he crossed by the front gate that he was stopped.
"Hey! It's the quirkless kid!"
Izuku jerked to a stop. It was the upperclassman who had glared at him the first day of school. He and two of his friends sauntered up to Izuku.
"Hey! I heard you're quirkless. Is that true?"
Izuku froze as the bully's two friends peeled off and moved to flank him. Izuku adjusted his stance, ready to block any attack the bully threw at him.
The bully smirked, "What? Think we're going to fight some quirkless nobody? You actually think you're good enough for that?"
Izuku saw several students stop, but none moved to help – or left to find a teacher.
I hope the teachers are watching the gate, just like they did on the first day of school.
The bully took a step forward but jerked to a halt when a teacher's voice rang out across the yard.
"Hey! What's going on here?"
Izuku glanced quickly to the side and sighed, relaxing only marginally – just enough that the teacher would hopefully see he was not intent on fighting.
The bullies threw up their hands, "Nothing, Yama-sensei! We were only saying hello."
The bully smirked at Izuku, who kept his face as passive as he could.
Yama-sensei sighed, "Break it up. If I see anything like this again, I'm calling your parents."
"Yes-sensei."
The bullies and Izuku chorused.
The three boys moved on, but Izuku stood still.
Yama-sensei raised an eyebrow. So, Izuku smiled and, with a small bow, thanked him.
Yama-sensei blinked, "Well…, just get to class."
Izuku nodded and, regretfully eyeing the corner of the yard, moved toward the school.
That afternoon, Izuku was finally able to place the last talisman. Then, he imbued it with some of his spiritual energy and watched as several yokai burst from the building and flew or ran off the grounds.
Izuku stood slowly; unlike when he placed the talismans at his elementary schools, they had not forced nearly as many yokai to leave. He could still see several yokai roaming the grounds. Some did not even seem fazed by the talismans.
Izuku felt his body give an involuntary shudder, and he bit his lip.
I guess I'll have to use borderlines and commands more regularly here. Maybe I can make this a good thing? It definitely means more practice.
Izuku took a deep breath. He was much better at borderlines and commands than before, but he was hoping to only need to use them sparingly, at least while at school.
If there are still this many yokai left, it means there are even stronger yokai here. I wonder how this will affect the bullies?
The days and weeks flew by, and summer break soon approached.
After placing the talismans, the yokai became aware of his presence and abilities. Unfortunately, the talismans had not even banished half of the yokai. Just like at the elementary schools, the smaller yokai tended to hide behind the students when attacking him. But while the yokai at the elementary schools hid to protect themselves and to prevent him from using his abilities due to the presence of humans, the yokai at the middle school were strong enough that they did not need to hide to protect themselves. They hid behind humans as a tactical advantage, showing much greater intelligence than the elementary schoolyard yokai.
A few altercations with yokai had resulted in him being able to use a command or a borderline to banish a yokai or two, but several still remained, only to advance on him again after throwing off his words.
Today was not turning out to be one of his better days. Riku-san, the bully who had tried to harass Izuku when he was placing the talismans, made Izuku his target.
Izuku rubbed his arm, which still smarted from where Riku-san grabbed him, and glared at the bully, who stood smirking in front of him. One of the yokai had sidled up behind Riku-san and sunk its claws into his shoulders, whispering in his ears, much like the dog yokai had goaded Bakugo-san.
Riku-san laughed, "I heard you want to be a hero. Why would the Heroes accept a quirkless idiot like you?"
Izuku clenched his jaw and counted to ten, not just to clear the anger but to relax enough to gather his energy for a borderline.
The eyes of the yokai behind Riku-san widened. It was strong enough to sense exactly what Izuku was preparing to do, and it hesitated as it decided whether to use the human bully further or abandon it and attack Izuku directly.
That hesitation was all Izuku needed. Using his hand, like he was drawing a wall in the air, Izuku cast the borderline and layered it with a command, "Leave me alone."
The yokai jerked and scurried away.
Riku-san stared in shock.
Izuku's eyes burned with determination.
Now that the yokai was gone, Izuku spoke only to the bully, "I don't care what you think. I'll become a hero, even if I am quirkless."
And even if the Kobayashi's haven't said anything about the hero course, they believe that I can go to U.A., and if they encourage that, I can convince them. I can!
Izuku's heart clenched in trepidation. But he was determined nonetheless.
"Whatever, you freak," Riku-san muttered as he walked off.
The other students who had gathered round to watch also dispersed, whispering as they went.
"He wants to be a hero? He's quirkless."
"And delusional. He's gonna have a nice shock when they don't accept him."
"And did you see that? I mean, Riku was in the wrong, but boy, does that Midoriya kid have anger issues…. He could have just ignored Riku."
Izuku felt his face pale as the whispers faded. He did not move. He had stood up for himself, but it did not seem to matter. If he did not stand up for himself, the bullies continued. If he did, it was not just the bully who was wrong, but so was he!
There was no winning.
Out of the corner of his eye, Izuku saw another yokai grinning at him. It was a gangly, humanoid yokai with long claws. Izuku had noticed the yokai watching him before – ever since he placed the talismans.
I'll have to see if I can figure out its name. But for now, I'll dub it Trouble.
A slight foreboding came over Izuku as he watched it leave. Its eyes never left his, and Izuku did not look away either, but only left for class as soon as he was sure the coast was clear.
Summer came and went. Izuku, along with the Kobayashi's visited his mother's grave again and even went on a short tour of Osaka.
And so, Fall term began.
Izuku kept a lookout for Trouble but only ever saw the yokai watching, observing, and clearly biding its time. Meanwhile, Izuku continued using commands alongside the borderlines on the yokai who attacked him. Unfortunately, he also often had to use physical force on the yokai – and that made people talk.
xxx
"He always yells when people upset him, and I always feel weird when he acts all confident. It's like, when he says to leave him alone, I can't approach. He is quirkless, right?"
"Yeah, unless that's a lie, and it's some super weak persuasion quirk."
"Naw, he is quirkless. He's just strange. You only feel like that 'cause it's so weird that some quirkless kid thinks he's all that."
"He's creepy and scary."
"Yeah, did you see him in gym?"
"You mean how good he is at fighting?"
"You'd think the judo team would want him."
"Yeah, right… he shows up to class a mess all the time like he's been in some fight. Like they'd ever want some kid like that in their club."
"But who is he fighting? It happens during the day, and it's not like he left school. He's there and back too quickly, and no one has ever said he's attacked them… he just yells all the time."
"Kento said he saw him throwing punches in the air in the back lot before. Just ignore him; he's crazy."
xxx
Izuku, jaw clenched, walked away from the group of students talking about him. Maintaining his posture, he strode through the school and out the gates. There was no reason to stay after school was done.
I'll go see Kekyu and Ginro. We need to train more. We may need to adjust again so I can be stronger. I need to be able to banish the yokai for good. If I don't have to use physical force on top of the commands and borderlines, maybe the rumors will die down.
Winter passed, and as spring took hold, Izuku began his second year of middle school. Izuku, Ginro, and Kekyu continued training, but Izuku felt like he had hit a wall. While none of the yokai he had banished last year returned, only the strongest and most aggressive yokai were left at the school. These were the yokai who could throw off commands to leave him alone, even if they usually left in the moment.
Izuku walked into the building. The first term was nearly over, and things had been strangely quiet so far. However, before Izuku could enter the classroom, the looming presence of a yokai caused him to come to a stop.
Trouble, the only yokai to never have directly confronted him before, now stood in his way.
Izuku cursed inwardly. He had not been able to find out Trouble's real name.
Izuku diverted his path. Fighting a yokai in the morning, in front of the classroom where everyone could see, was not on his list of things to do that morning.
Izuku walked toward the side building. No one would be there at this time of day. The yokai stalked him, staying in his peripheral vision and keeping its distance but clearly growing more and more agitated.
As soon as Izuku made it to the side lot, Trouble descended in front of him, teeth bared.
Izuku faced it, "I'm not going to bother you if you don't bother me."
Trouble snarled, "That is not true. You place nasty talisman. You banished many. You see us and cast us out."
"I'm not going to stand around and let you all continue to goad bullies into harassing people, and I most certainly won't let you provoke them into harassing me."
"We are yokai."
"I know."
The two stared at one another.
Izuku took deep breaths and tried to hide his trepidation.
Don't let it see. Don't let it know. Stand tall, shoulders back, and project confidence. You can do it!
Izuku drew himself up and glared at the yokai.
The yokai searched his face, and Izuku knew when the yokai realized that Izuku was not as indifferent and confident as he was trying to be.
The yokai prowled closer, a small grin creeping along its face.
Izuku shifted his stance, ready for the attack.
Then, the yokai lunged.
Izuku dodged, and the yokai skidded across the ground behind Izuku before readying itself for the next attack.
Izuku turned on the spot and planted his feet just in time for the yokai's next lunge. The two clashed. Izuku was pushed back but didn't break his stance. Izuku shifted, managing to grip the yokai around the middle. He felt the yokai's claws scrape along his sides and back, but Izuku braced himself and threw the yokai. The yokai skidded back, eyes wide in surprise.
This time, Izuku advanced and threw a punch with his left while keeping his right arm up to block the blow the yokai threw.
However, the yokai was still so startled by the fact that a human had thrown it that it became unbalanced and landed on its back.
Just like Izuku had the first time he fought a yokai, he pressed his foot onto the yokai's chest.
The move apparently brought the yokai out of its shock, though, and it grabbed at Izuku's ankle, causing thin streams of blood to flow where its nails dug into Izuku's skin.
Izuku grimaced but drew from inside him all of his confidence and, drawing from his center, allowed the spiritual energy to flow through him.
"Stop."
The yokai flinched and stopped struggling, but didn't loosen its grip. It glared up at Izuku.
"You will not fight me anymore and will leave me alone."
The yokai snarled.
Izuku imagined his words as weights. Imagined them as chains wrapping themselves around the yokai. He felt his senses opening up – something that had yet to happen during one of his altercations.
Because he had only opened his senses in training, he had only ever felt Kekyu and Ginro's presence before. Now, all he felt was the swirling mass of anger and hostility radiating from the yokai below him.
Izuku stiffened, "This is why Ginro didn't want me to open my senses in front of the other yokai – but only draw out my spiritual energy."
Before Izuku knew it, the yokai had thrown him off. Izuku stumbled. His mind raced. So far, in middle school, a fight and imbuing his words had been enough for the stronger yokai. His mind flashed back to the last yokai from elementary school, where he had learned its name. Izuku was strong enough now that he would not need to use the name of a yokai of similar strength, but the yokai standing in front of him at this moment was different.
This time, he truly needed the yokai's true name, but he did not know it. The fact that he had needed to draw on his center and open his senses to gather enough spiritual energy – to draw on enough power to be on par with this yokai – unbalanced Izuku.
Izuku quickly prepared himself for another attack, and the two locked fists again.
Izuku willed himself to calmness, his senses still tingling as they were increasingly rubbed raw by the animosity of the yokai in front of him.
He spoke again, "You will… leave me alone."
The yokai snarled again, but the push of the command gave Izuku just enough of an edge that he could throw the yokai once more. It stepped back but did not forfeit the flight.
In the meantime, other yokai had gathered, drawn in by the swirling mass of spiritual energy that was beginning to wrap around them. Izuku could feel them coming, and the negative energy began to cloud his mind. It felt like his insides were being smothered in a sticky, suffocating miasma.
And suddenly, he wasn't alone.
Ginro was standing beside him, and Kekyu was standing behind them. Both were ready to fight. Izuku started but quickly settled. Their approach had been drowned out by the swirling mass of energy produced by the other yokai surrounding him.
Trouble stared, eyes widening at the presence of the two yokai standing in defense of the human.
Izuku felt confidence well up inside him, and as he began to project it outward, the yokai surrounding them began to flee.
Izuku did not relax, even as the yokai dispersed. Then, Izuku slowly allowed his senses to close off. All the while, his eyes darted around, trying to keep watch for an attack. With one last curse, even Trouble left, sulking all the way. Finally, Izuku took several deep breaths as his mind settled.
Izuku's cheeks turned red in embarrassment. So, he checked his watch just for something to do. It hadn't even been fifteen minutes. The realization surprised him. He looked at Ginro and Kekyu, who were still agitated.
"Thanks."
Ginro nodded, still looking perturbed.
Kekyu, on the other hand, was seething, "No good, attacking you."
Ginro kept his gaze steady despite his agitation, "Must train harder. The yokai was strong for schoolyard yokai. Good to use full spirit energy, but never needed in fight before. Need more practice using while fighting." Then, Ginro shook his head, "Not now. You need school. We meet after."
Izuku nodded.
Ginro had readily accepted the fact that humans went to school. Izuku thought it might have been because the water yokai had such a strong hierarchy in their culture and because they also trained under teachers when learning how to fight.
Izuku turned without another word, feeling Ginro and Kekyu's eyes on his back as he brushed himself off and slipped back into the school.
Minutes later, Izuku trudged into the classroom, some stubborn dirt still clinging to his trousers.
Most of his classmates ignored him. They were used to Izuku sporting a rumpled and sometimes dirty Gakuran, but it never stopped the whispers.
"Again?"
"Sheesh, just ignore him."
Izuku deliberately ignored the staring eyes. He was not surprised. A single year would not change their opinion, and everyone still avoided the "orphaned, quirkless" kid. It did not help that they also thought he was strange because of his "erratic" behaviors, mostly due to running into the yokai. Thankfully, the Kobayashi's seemed to accept his explanation that he was having some trouble with a few of the students, which was true – but, like always, made worse by the yokai.
Izuku turned his attention to the front of the classroom as the teacher strode in and dropped her materials on the podium with a loud thud – her only call to class – so homeroom began.
As the morning session drew to a close, the teacher surveyed the class.
"Everyone has submitted their permission notes. So, we'll spend the rest of our homeroom sessions preparing for the day trip at the end of next week. We'll be discussing the nature preserve we'll be visiting and why it is so important to maintain our environment. You also need to decide who will be your "buddy" to ensure no one gets lost, understood?"
"Yes, sensei," The class called back, and with a wry grin, the teacher left. As soon as she was gone, the buzz of chatter filled the room as several conversations started up at once.
xxx
"What are the third years doing this time?"
"Kyoto."
"Really? Gosh, I can't wait for the third-year trip. We only get a day trip this year."
xxx
"Why are we researching the preserve?"
"Do you think there will be a test?"
"A test? But it's supposed to be a trip! And we have exams afterward!"
"It might be on the final. But hey, we still get out of the classroom and get to go on a hike!"
"Ha! You're in sports, Kento. You'll be good at this! It's almost Summer now, and I stink at any kind of physical activity…"
"Or you're just lazy."
xxx
Izuku tuned out the class as he sat with his head propped on his fist and stared out the window.
He did not approach anyone, and no one approached him. He knew he would not have a willing partner for the trip. The teacher probably already had someone in mind as his partner and would foist him upon them and their chosen buddy.
So, Izuku stayed at his desk while the class buzzed with excitement.