English is not my native language, so I kindly ask for your patience and understanding if I make any mistakes. I am continuously trying to improve my communication skills, and I truly appreciate your willingness to read and respond despite any errors. Thank you for your consideration and support
-)
Normal POV
Mitsuki was annoyed… no, that was an understatement, she was furious, especially after clearly understanding what Izuku meant about the treatment he received at school and in society in general. That Sunday, first thing in the morning, she called the school to request a medical leave, which was granted immediately, just like last time, assuming it was for her son Katsuki. She was greatly surprised when she explained that the leave wasn't for the blond boy, but for the green-haired one. The moment she mentioned Izuku Midoriya's name, she could sense the change in the tone of the person on the other end of the line.
That's where everything went wrong. She tried to explain that the freckled boy had been involved in a villain attack, but the way they kept interrupting her and referring to her "nephew" made her realize how the boy was being treated. That's why she decided not to talk about Inko's critical condition, only mentioning that she couldn't attend to them at that moment, thinking the school might involve social services just to avoid dealing with the boy. And if what she gathered about them, based on what Izuku himself had told her, was true, they were definitely not an option.
She quickly cut off the other person's rambling and, in a very polite but threatening manner, demanded a recovery period or they would have to deal with her in person.
That's how she managed to secure a full week of sick leave for the green-haired young man, but not before hearing something in the background of the call, just before hanging up:
— "And so, that boy wanted to be a hero."
That sentence made her explode with anger. Even her neighbors could hear her, and both her husband and son were extremely worried. If it hadn't been for Masura asking why she was so angry, she would have called the school again and given them a piece of her mind.
"Honey, what's wrong?" asked Masura, the only chestnut-haired member of the family.
"It's that damn school! They wouldn't give Izuku a medical leave of absence!"
"What does Deku have to do with this?" Katsuki asked, immediately receiving a sharp slap from his mother.
— Ouch! Why did you do that?! You damn witch!
— For referring to Izuku by that awful nickname. He already told me they didn't get along, but now, more than anyone, you'll have to be understanding with him.
- Why's that?— Because Inko was seriously injured in the Villain Bomber's attack!
— his words landed like a bombshell.
"That's why you left in such a hurry last night," Masura declared, remaining impartial in his wife and son's argument. "Why didn't you take us with you?"
"Because Izuku asked her to come alone. I didn't question it at first, but once I had the chance, I did, and I can understand his reasoning better than anyone right now. And seeing your attitude, Katsuki!" The reprimand was clear to the younger blond boy, who glared at his mother in response to the scolding. "I understand why he didn't want to stay with us while Inko recovers."
— So, where will it stay? With social services?
— No, he'll be at home. I'll be seeing him on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
"Are you sure this is the best thing to do?" Masura's doubt was noticeable. In her mind, at that moment, she thought Izuku needed to be with them so they could take better care of him.
"I'm sure. Considering what Izuku told me and what I just heard, it's best not to talk about Inko's condition at school," Mitsuki said firmly. Even so, she noticed she wasn't completely convincing her husband, and with a quick glance at her son, she could see he was paying attention. "The two of you weren't there for the conversation with Izuku; it was… painful. He's suffering in a way I can't explain. Maybe I should have tried harder to convince him to come with us, but I didn't. I've already made a decision and reached an agreement with him, so we need to keep an eye on him and support him in any way we can and as much as he allows. He doesn't want to be a burden at all, so we need to be understanding. Is that clear?"
A silent nod from her husband and a snort from her son were all Mitsuki needed to know that her message had been received.
When the world becomes accustomed to taking something for granted, even if it's a common annoyance, its absence becomes far more noticeable than one cares to admit.
And that was the case with Izuku Midoriya's absence from school. Even though he was considered an outcast within the institution, the fact that he never missed a day made his absence obvious. This became even more apparent when the teachers offered no concrete explanation for his absence that week alone.
So it was Bakugo who was questioned, since, in theory, he was the closest to the green-haired boy. Even so, the blond escaped the interrogation with a couple of shouts of "Leave me alone!" and the claim that he knew nothing (a lie that went unchallenged), thus leaving room for gossip and theories among the others.So that week ended up passing quickly for those not involved, but it felt very long for Izuku. On Sunday, he received a call from Mitsuki informing him that his leave had been approved; he thanked her before hanging up and began to think, a little more calmly, about what he would have to do next.
He reviewed the paperwork Mitsuki had requested to allow him to stay, and the figures on the bills overwhelmed him: they were enormous. His worry grew, as he knew the national insurance wouldn't cover all the costs of the surgeries, nor those of his stay, the duration of which he still didn't know. His only consolation was that the blonde had taken care of the first payment, and besides, these were monthly, giving him enough time to save money and get organized.
From then on, he tried to contact his father, which took a total of eight attempts before anyone answered. The call didn't end well. In the end, all he got was contempt and indifference from the man who gave him life: he received a "I won't contribute any more money than I already give you each month so you can live comfortably," followed by a cold, "If you're so keen on covering those expenses, get a job, even as a garbage collector," before he abruptly hung up and blocked his number for an unknown period. Izuku knew he wouldn't get his father's support, as had been the norm since his Quirkless diagnosis; he only hoped that his father would remain indifferent and not do anything to get social services to take him away.
The next thing he did was call his mother's workplace to explain the situation. He appreciated the company's understanding during the call, but still decided to remain vigilant and watch for any changes, aware of the possibility that his mother could eventually be laid off.
He spent that week trying to get most things in order, even though he didn't feel entirely capable. Mitsuki's help and presence were a breath of fresh air amidst his insecurities. He reviewed receipts, payments, deposits, credit card statements, and the designated emergency account. With that, he managed to put together a budget based on the family's normal expenses, which impressed Mitsuki because of how little time it took. Even so, his concern was evident, since it wasn't something Izuku should be dealing with at his age.
So he made the most of the week, also to largely process what had happened. That was his motivation for getting everything in order: he wanted to make sure everything was alright when his mom came home, even if he wasn't feeling completely well himself. However, he was aware that this week would be nothing compared to what awaited him when he returned to school, something he knew he couldn't postpone much longer.Eventually, time passed. Monday arrived, and Izuku knew things wouldn't be easy.
His classmates initially kept their distance, but the whispers in the hallways were anything but discreet.
Then, when he had his first class, the teacher called him out more often than usual, and also gave him a stack of homework assignments he'd never been given before. Katsuki didn't miss this, since he remembered that nothing like this had happened when Izuku was absent because of the Mud Villain. Besides, he knew that all that homework hadn't been assigned during the week the green-haired boy was absent.
Even so, that first-class incident wasn't an isolated event. Additional reprimands and triple the workload were repeated in every other class that day.But his first day of classes after the Villain Bomber incident didn't end there.
When the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, Izuku was dragged by some of his classmates to a secluded area of the school, where, taking advantage of the privacy, they began to beat him.
— You're welcome.
— Just so you remember where you belong.
— We missed you so much, Izuku; we didn't know where to unleash all this pent-up anger without you.
— It's been a while since we practiced using our skills, maybe it's something you don't know how it feels.
These were some of the words his classmates used throughout the beating, striking him carefully, making sure the marks weren't visible to others and that they didn't completely incapacitate him. An hour later, Izuku felt a little less sore and finally headed home, where Mitsuki was waiting for him, worried that he had arrived an hour later than expected.
Even so, Izuku said nothing about what had happened on the way out. His slight limp and slow movements didn't go unnoticed by the blonde, who insisted on asking about his condition. At first, the younger boy tried to ignore her complaints by concentrating on the chores, preparing lunch, and doing the homework he'd been assigned. Mitsuki didn't overlook the amount of homework, as she remembered well how much work her nephew had been given. However, seeing that her insistence on the preteen's physical condition continued, she felt she couldn't help but worry about the way the teachers were treating him.
When Izuku had run out of distractions and Mitsuki still hadn't left, he knew that the matter of his physical condition couldn't be ignored.for longer. So, he concocted a half-baked excuse, attributing his discomfort to lingering effects from his injuries sustained during the attack. It was obvious that Mitsuki didn't entirely believe him, but he understood that in this case, he couldn't force the younger boy to talk. Even so, he wouldn't stand idly by, as he understood that this was all connected to the school and that he had to do something to protect him.
Izuku's POV
Friday had finally arrived. Somehow, this week had felt longer than the week I'd been away; probably because of all the beatings and the mountain of homework they gave me at school, along with Aunt Mitsuki's interrogations every time she came around. It wore me down more than I thought possible. While I expected some treatment at school, I never imagined it would be to this extent. Another surprise was that Kachan didn't participate in the same thing and even stopped the others with his presence or by raising his voice; he probably knew what was going on.
Once I thanked Aunt Mitsuki for visiting and helping me, I went to my room to release all the pent-up emotion, as I had started doing every night before bed.
Today was no different. Just as my tears dried, I looked at the desk and saw the books I had bought that day, along with the two new journals I was writing.
However, my gaze fell upon the list of weaknesses, which reminded me of the reason I created it in the first place: anger, sadness, frustration, a sense of powerlessness, and a desire for revenge for seeing all those in power fall. It was during a moment of "inspiration," so to speak.
I got out of bed and went to my desk to grab my notebook and review it. There was far too much written in it, even though I hadn't spent much time on it, and I'd scribbled it all down in a frenzy. Knowing the weaknesses and even how a Quirk works puts the user at a disadvantage and gives an advantage to whoever possesses that information.
Like I did with that villain: I exposed him, and that allowed the heroes to achieve victory.
"That's the price of information!"
Those were his words after he'd blown up the buildings. He was aware of what he was doing and who he was hurting: me, for revealing that information. But what if I hadn't exposed myself? What if I hadn't seen? Maybe he would have blown up the buildings anyway, but not when Mom appeared and was most seriously injured. He did it when he saw me running toward her, and she was in the perfect spot for the collapse. She wouldn't be in the hospital if I'd stayed out of it, but still, the casualties could have been worse. But what if I hadn't? Maybe the heroes would have discovered his quirk sooner or later.I glanced through the notebook, examining each page: every individual, every villain, and every hero listed, to review Kamui Woods' case and the battle. Although his Quirk helped immobilize the villain, without knowing how it worked, he would have been at a significant disadvantage: his branches could have broken, or the fire from the explosions could have spread. In the end, the right information at the right time matters. Okay… information matters.
"The price of information"
I hadn't calculated the price of information at the time. Now I know that information has a cost. Information has power in the right hands… or the wrong hands. Power that I can grant or take away by sharing it or not. But who should I share it with? Anyway, should I care who or what they do with it if those I give it to don't even care enough about me, as was the case with "Onigiri"? Maybe I should…
Ring Ring
The sound of my phone on the nightstand broke my thoughts. I went to check it, intrigued to see who was calling: it was Aunt Mitsuki.
— Izuku, it's great that you answered!
— What's happening?
"It's your mom!" Her words chill me to the bone. "They called me from the hospital just now! She had a seizure, they had to operate on her again! I'm on my way to the hospital now! I'm so sorry I can't come get you!"
— No, no, don't apologize. You're worried about her, and your number was the one registered as an emergency contact, not mine. Just keep me updated on what the doctors say, please.
— I'll do it, Izuku. You know I'll take care of it, and I won't let anyone make the slightest mistake. They'll have me to deal with.
— I know, Auntie. Thank you very much.
— You're welcome. You know I would do this and more for you.
With that, she hung up. My mind was fixated on the fact that Mom had had a seizure. I didn't know what kind or how severe, but it was still a seizure, a possible additional medical procedure that would mean expenses, money I don't have. But money I can get with what I know how to do and what I can offer.
Could you give me some power stones? :)
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