It's late afternoon outside. The sun has already set below the rooftops, and your room has taken on that dark, orange light… the kind that precedes evening. It's almost dinner time, and you can tell by the rumbling in your stomach that has only just decided to make itself heard: grrrr. But your parents haven't come home yet.
You're sitting at your desk, surrounded by open biology textbooks and notes scattered everywhere. You're trying to concentrate and study, but you haven't left that room for hours now. You feel like a plant locked in a greenhouse… and, honestly, you think you desperately need a break.
Want to know what you're studying? Cells. Cell membranes. Those invisible mechanisms that keep every living thing alive.
And isn't it incredible? Small, minuscule... yet perfect. So complex, so ordered. Every part has a purpose, every function intertwines with the others in a way that almost seems magical. You can't help but be fascinated by this hidden perfection. Sometimes you wonder if heroes function a bit like cells: each with a specific role, each indispensable to keeping the world going.
Your pencil glides across the paper as you draw arrows and diagrams that no one else can understand. You are just finishing a diagram, mentally rehearsing the main concepts: phospholipids, integral proteins, passive transport... you also copied into your notebook what Tess wrote last week.
And you know it well: whatever difficulty you may encounter, she will always be there, ready to explain everything to you, step by step.
Sometimes you think having a friend like that makes studying... almost enjoyable. And in moments like this, you feel like you're never truly alone.
Well, you told yourself you had to go to the bathroom earlier, but now this urge has intensified, and you can't ignore it any longer! You sigh, placing your pencil on the open notebook. If you don't go, it'll be the end! You stretch your back, arms reaching above your head, fingers stretching toward the ceiling. Your shoulder muscles are creaking! Your back too, but you have to admit, the result feels truly pleasant. You stand up with a small groan, scraping your chair across the parquet floor.
You open the door, the hallway is dark, and all you can hear is the buzzing of Ryota's phone from his room; he's probably watching some Instagram reel. The bathroom door is half-open, and there's no one there! But you don't pay attention to it. I mean, you know very well that when you're used to sharing a house with your stepbrother and your parents, you don't think about many things, and sometimes everything just happens automatically.
So you push the door open with your fingertips, yawning, and you are ready to close it behind you like you always do, when...
Oh...your brain takes about a second too long to register what you see...
Ryota is standing in front of you, with his back turned, his pants pulled down to his thighs, his black T-shirt rolled up under his neck, as if he'd ripped it off in a hurry. The skin of his chest is shiny, soaked with sweat, his muscles tense as he moves with a rhythm that... leaves no room for doubt! His right hand...is on his...okay, you get the idea, his left hand is resting on the sink. You look up and see his face in the mirror: eyes half-closed, lips parted in an expression that's half-absent, half-concentrated. Suddenly, he lets out a low, guttural moan that makes the bathroom air vibrate. What do I do? What the hell do I do?
You're paralyzed.
You completely stop breathing. It feels like someone has a hand around your throat. Your eyes go wide, your pupils blown, and even though you don't want to look, you're forced to take in every detail. He moves just like... in the porn videos Tess showed you a while back! You also hear... the sound of his skin... rubbing against his hand, and... oh God, I'm all stiff.
I can't look! I don't want to watch my stepbrother...touch himself!
But you can't look away...you can't do anything. Help me, please. If he opens his eyes and sees me, he'll go berserk! You want to run to your room, pretend you didn't see anything, but unfortunately your muscles aren't responding, your legs are rooted to the floor. Oh God, now he's even starting to pant!
Terrified, you try to take a step back. Then another. Then another. But... your back hits the doorknob and... you make a noise! But damn...
He opens his eyes.
There it is, his furious gaze, you see it in the mirror. Your eyes meet for a moment. His mouth opens, his lips curling in a snarl...
"SHUT THE FUCKING DOOR!"
His voice explodes in the bathroom like thunder. You jump as if you'd been slapped. You immediately step back, your fingers desperately groping for the handle.
"Y-yes, I'm going."
You close the door with a sharp slam, the sound echoing throughout the hallway. You stand there for a moment, your heart pounding like crazy... You can't take it anymore, you have to leave. You start running toward your room. You slam the door with such force that it shakes an All Might poster hanging on the wall. Your breathing is uncontrollable, your face burns as if someone had rubbed your cheeks with sandpaper. What happened in the bathroom just now?
You just want to throw yourself on the bed, and so you do. The mattress is making a mess, but you don't care. If you close your eyes, the image of Ryota like that is there, imprinted on your retina. His hand still moving, his abdominal muscles contracting, the sound of his skin... Why did I just stand there and watch!? I shouldn't have looked, damn me!
But now, the damage is done. You can't pretend nothing happened.
This silence in this house is becoming oppressive, you can't stand it anymore. You get out of bed, your legs still unsteady, but you slowly manage to get closer to the window. You move the curtain with two fingers and look out. You see the garden, the plants swaying in the breeze...but suddenly, a sound makes you stiffen. You quickly turn toward the door, your heart starting to race. The bathroom door opens. You hear his heavy footsteps in the hallway, then silence. You hold your breath, listening intently. Let's hope he's coming downstairs, let's hope he's coming downstairs in the kitchen!
Yes, you hear the creaking of the steps. Ryota is coming down, toward the kitchen. Thank goodness!
Your urge to use the bathroom, however, is still there, unchanged. You can't resist any longer, you have to go. You open the door very quietly, without making any noise (or at least you try). The hallway is empty. But, unfortunately, you were wrong before. Ryota wasn't coming downstairs: he's right here, in front of you, wearing the black T-shirt he wore in the bathroom, his pants zipped up but his hair still damp with sweat, his eyes burning with an anger you've never seen before. He doesn't say anything, he just looks at you. He grabs you and slams you against the wall, the impact taking your breath away for a moment.
Your head hits the wall.
"Oh! Are you stupid or something?" You scream, but before you can react, Ryota is on top of you, his arm pressed against your throat.
"Don't tell Mom anything about what you saw in the bathroom, do you understand?" he hisses. You don't respond, your heart is just pounding, and your nerves are skyrocketing. "Is that clear? Answer me."
You want to swallow, damn it, but you can't; the pressure of his arm is preventing you. You just nod. Ryota okay, he's an idiot, you know that, but you've never seen him like this. Not that dangerous.
He holds you there for a few more seconds, just long enough to make sure you've understood. Then he slowly pulls away, his arm sliding off your neck.
"If I hear just one word..." he adds, his fingers opening one by one, as if he were preparing for a fight.
"Don't worry. I didn't know...you liked doing that things with the bathroom door open," You add, adjusting your shirt.
"Shut up. What am I supposed to think of you, just because you stood there watching me?" He thunders, taking a step toward you. "I'm supposed to think I have a slutty stepsister who likes watching her brother touch himself until he cums, huh?"
"Oh my God, that's disgusting, stop it! It makes me sick!" You exclaim, running to your room and locking the door behind you. You're shivering, what a disgusting sight!
***
"We're home, guys." You finally hear Mom's voice from downstairs. You open the door again, rush down the stairs, past Ryota, and run to her, hugging her tightly. Your dad is with her, holding her hand.
"Hey, what's going on? Did you guys fight again?" Mom asks, tucking a few strands of hair behind your ear. You look at Ryota, his gaze fixed on you. If he could, he would have incinerated you on the spot.
"No, no, Mom, I'm just hungry!"
"We ordered pizza, so just be patient, okay?" says your father, Mirio, placing the grocery bags on the kitchen table. Ryota approaches your mother, as he usually does when they say 'hello', he gives her a kiss on the cheek, and helps her with the heavy bags.
"Okay. I'm going back upstairs. I have to finish studying. We have a test tomorrow." You say. As you head for the stairs, you pass Ryota; he follows you with his eyes.
"Wait, Eri. Ryota's dad is coming too. He's having dinner with us today, and his girlfriend is coming too. Could you go up afterwards? It's not nice that he's coming and you're not here with us." Your dad exclaims, smiling as usual. You nod and smile at him.
Meanwhile, Ryota sits on the couch, legs spread and chest out. As you help Mom and Dad put away the groceries, you feel his red eyes on you, looking you up and down. You do everything you can to not think about what you saw earlier, in the bathroom... and you don't want to say it... but... you saw his...!!! Tess will be happy to know this when you tell her tomorrow at school. (She's madly in love with Ryota, even if she doesn't want to admit it.)
Finally, the doorbell rings, and you rush to open it. Katsuki Bakugo is standing there, smiling, his hair tousled and those sharp, red eyes furrowed as always. Every time you see him, you can't help but think your mom might have been right: despite how much he and Ryota look alike, they don't look like father and son...they look like twin brothers. Behind him, his girlfriend Camie, radiant and effortlessly striking as ever.
"Hi, Eri!"
She squeals and almost leaps at you, planting a quick kiss on your cheek. You instantly blush and raise your hands in protest. You open the door wider, letting her in. Meanwhile, Camie practically lunges at Ryota, smothering him with kisses. He scrambles to push her away, wearing a mix of exasperation and mild disgust that makes the whole thing even funnier.
"Are you going to leave me or not?" he murmurs, trying to push her away.
"Come on, let me kiss you! I haven't seen you in weeks! God, you're so touchy!"
You lower your gaze, feeling your cheeks burn once again. But when you look up again... Katsuki is right there, in front of you.
"Where the fuck is Mom?" He asks. But why is he obsessed with my mother?
"She's in the kitchen with Dad." You emphasize WITH DAD, in case there were any misunderstandings. He nods, placing his palm on your head. "It's nice to see you again, Eri."
You smile and lead him into the kitchen. The evening already looks like it's shaping up to be interesting. With your heart still in turmoil and your thoughts drifting back to your studies, you'll leave things here for now. Bye!
***
It's Monday morning, and you've just arrived at the school, soaking wet from the sudden rain. The school counselor, as soon as she sees you, changes expression and comes out of the office, carrying a towel and a glass of hot tea.
"Togata-san, you're always the same."
You put a hand behind your neck, smiling shyly. "Sorry, but rain wasn't forecast today, so..."
"Yeah, okay, everyone says that," she exclaims, adjusting her glasses. "Look, your hair's all wet, and your school uniform... it's even see-through!"
You look up in front of you, and from the operator's office you spot a very familiar head of black hair. Your cheeks instantly flush red. Aizawa-sensei looks up at you, and you literally feel like...DYING! Oh, your heart is racing, your legs are shaking, and your smile grows wider and wider. He gets up from his chair, papers in his hand, and walks out the front door.
Yes, he's approaching you, maybe he wants to know why you've ended up like this, maybe next time he'll offer to pick you up, maybe...
Someone slaps you on the back of the head, pushing your hair forward. Tess stands in front of you with her hands on her hips and her legs spread, her gaze stern and her mouth pursed.
"May I ask why you never call me when you're in trouble?"
Aizawa-sensei freezes as soon as he sees her, turns around, and heads toward your classroom.
"Idiot, my...my love was just coming to say hello!" You exclaim, placing a hand on your chest.
"Shut up! Let's go, we're late."
You nod.
The U.A. school is gigantic, even if it doesn't look like it from the outside. Your classroom is on the top floor, a huge room filled with mannequins and chemicals to work with or experiment with. Once you arrive, you settle into your usual seats, always close together. Aizawa-sensei is already sitting behind the desk, intent on reading some papers.
"Are you done being late as usual?"
Reina Todoroki glowers at you as you walk through the door, arms crossed and one eyebrow raised. She's your classmate, the daughter of Pro Hero Endeavour and a beautiful Brazilian woman. Her Quirk, Solar Burn, is essentially a variation of her father's power: she absorbs solar energy and converts it into healing flames. These flames can burn away infections or toxins, but if she overuses them, she risks internal burns and severe dehydration. As you'll see later, she's incredibly competitive and proud...but she also has the heart of a hero. You and Reina argue often, but you always make up in the end.
"You see, they are right on time, Reina. Rather...Eri, don't you ever carry an umbrella?"
He's another of your companions, his name is Kaito Hendo, son of the R-rated heroine Midnight and a local civilian. His Quirk is called Waveform, which allows him to manipulate wave energy (any type: sound, light, and even life) to stimulate healing or destabilize the enemy. In your medical class, he uses his quirk to reactivate damaged tissue or soothe pain through cellular vibrations. You think he's cheerful and charming like his mother, but he's also a shy guy who gets embarrassed easily. He's very close to everyone in the class, but strangely, he's always around you (You think he likes you).
"Every time it rains, you always end up like this. Ryota doesn't have a car? Why don't you come with him?"
He's Ren Iida, son of Pro Hero Tenya Iida and Mei Hatsume. His Quirk is Turbo Core: he has miniaturized thrusters in both his forearms and legs. Not only do they allow him incredible sprints and agility, but they can also pump oxygen or medicine directly into a patient during emergencies. The fascinating thing is that during a mission, he can temporarily "overload" an ally's muscles to strengthen them! Cool, huh? He's a pragmatic, resourceful, and hyper-precise guy, like his father. He's the team's technical brains, with a penchant for timing himself even when cooking. His only flaw...when he gets nervous or particularly excited, his brain stops working.
"Are you crazy? I want nothing to do with him!" You exclaim, smiling as you sit down, trying to fix your hair. Out of the corner of your eye, you watch your Aizawa-sensei run his index finger across his chin and sigh. Your heart skips a beat.
"Next week, we'll let you know all the internship procedures. We're still working on it, don't worry," says the sensei, standing up. "Anyone who wants to intern with me, can write it down on this sheet of paper, which I'll hand out to each of you now."
Tess elbows you wildly, of course you'll go with him, what kind of question is that?!
Ren IIda stands up. "Sensei, I can help you hand out the papers."
Aizawa looks at him, shocked. "There are only five of you, I think I can do it alone."
Ren nods and then sits back down.
Without thinking twice, you grab the black pen and, with the sheet of paper in front of you, check off every box that corresponds to Aizawa Shouta's name.
"Tess, who would you like to go with?"
You ask, leaning your head toward her sheet of paper. The cross is marked "Present Mic."
She looks at you, as if to ask: Do I even have to tell you?
You run a hand behind your head, embarrassed. "Heh, I thought so."
"By the way, he and I are seeing each other tonight."
"Again?" you ask, your eyes widening. She nods. (They've been seeing each other more often than usual lately.)
"We're going to my house, the one by the sea, the one I was telling you about the other day. My parents only go there for summer vacation, so we'll be completely alone... if I really have to fuck, at least I don't do it outside."
She smiles, putting a hand over her mouth. She's been dating Present Mic, aka Hizashi Yamada, for a long time now. It's nothing serious from what you understand, they just hang out for sex every now and then, even though you know full well she's head over heels in love with your stepbrother Ryota.
Ah, that's what I had to tell her!...