Not the Good Old Days Anymore (bkdk MHA)

Chapter 1: New Beginnings

Ah, this picture is so perfect for this. Art is by @mudubu00 on twitter. 

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"Why don't you take a swan dive off the roof and hope for a quirk in your next life!" 

The notebook went up in flames, pieces flaking off into ash. I watched as he tossed it out the classroom window. Like it was nothing more than trash, not deserving a moment more of thought. Kacchan towered over me, his friends cackling behind him. I used to be one of his friends, but that was a long time ago. His hands crackled and popped as he set them down on my shoulder, my uniform smoking under the heat.

"Don't you dare try for UA," he sneered. "I don't need a useless Deku dragging me down."

I couldn't meet his eyes. Those eyes that were so unlike the childhood friend that lived in my memories. I had always admired him, even now. Despite everything he had put me through I couldn't bear to hold a negative thought towards him. I know I was a useless deku, someone not worth anything. I had always followed a few steps behind him, afraid that walking beside him would be out of my league. I looked up to him just as much as I did to All Might, one of the greatest heroes of all time. His confidence and quirk were incredible. He was sure to make it into UA. Unlike me, a quirkless nobody.

I let out an audible gulp before muttering, "I'm sorry Kacchan, I didn't know you felt that way."

I raised my eyes slightly, daring to look at his face. I caught sight of myself in the reflection of his eyes. Weak and trembling before him, tears threatening to spill over.

"That's more like it, nerd," his grin stretched across his face. "I hope to never see you again after I get out of this shithole of a school."

To make good on his point, his shoulder bumped into me rather aggressively, sending me stumbling into the nearest desk. He huffed in amusement before leaving the classroom, his friends practically spitting on me as they followed.

The door slid shut after them, making the frame quake at the force. Their footsteps faded away after a moment. I clutched the hem of my uniform before slumping against the desk, feeling a cool liquid drip down my face and onto my shoes. My favourite red shoes, the colour of his blazing eyes. The sobs hitched in my throat as I curled my knees tight to my chest. My life had been rough ever since I found out I was quirkless. Kacchan had always loved the strong, and in his eyes, having a decent quirk was the deciding factor. It hadn't been a surprise to see that he had developed such an amazing quirk. Even at a young age it packed quite a punch. An explosive quirk for an impulsive boy.

I had watched as everyone else developed their quirks one after another. It was upon my fifth birthday that I discovered I was a lost cause. Everyone was supposed to show some signs of a quirk by four. I, however, did not. My mother finally decided to take me to a doctor after a year passed by. The news was heartbreaking. A little joint in my foot was all it took to declare me quirkless. I remember my mother sobbing before me, repeating her apologies and saying that I couldn't be a hero. Some birthday that was. I told Kacchan the next day. His face was unforgettable. He immediately backed off, acting as if I had some contagious disease. After that day the distance between us slowly grew. I don't think he has considered me a friend for many years now.

My next birthday I would be fifteen, ten years of being quirkless. Ten years of pain and suffering. Wiping my puffy eyes, I gathered my bag and headed out of the class. I passed the small pond on my way out. In it, lay my hero analysis notebook. The title almost unreadable with the water damage and scorch marks. I didn't bother fishing it out of the pool, that dream should have ended a long time ago.

Pink and orange dusted the sky by the time I got home. Softly, I called out to my mom, letting her know that I was home before heading to my small room. I opened the door only to be met with the bright and shiny smile of All Might. Just what I wanted to see. My heart pricked at the sight of the hero. I could never be like him. My fingers shook as I tore the first poster off my wall, revealing the bleak, white plaster underneath. Sniffles and the tearing of paper echoed around the small space. It felt bare without all the hero merch and posters I had collected over the years. What a waste of time it was. All that money had been spent on a bunch of broken hopes and dreams.