Mystery from Another World

Part 46: Burdens

[OP: "In My Place"-- Coldplay]

Shoto didn't say anything to Shine until they were back at the dorms.

Endeavor had sent them home in his car, but hadn't gone with them, as if he knew it was best to give Shoto space.

Midoriya, thinking he should say something: had said along the drive.

"Miss Likstar, I didn't know you had a such a troubled past."

"I learned not to share it unless people bring up the topic first," Shine had her hands folded.

Wally put a hand on her shoulder. "It's nothing to be ashamed of," he looked at Deku. "But people do get uneasy with it. First time I heard it, I was knocked for a loop. It was... some next level crap."

"Wally met my father," Shine sighed. "That was fun. But I don't speak to him anymore."

"I thought you said you move on," Bakugo said, since Shoto was still too upset to say it, but he did look surprised.

"I did," Shine said. "He didn't. You don't seem to understand, my father's anger at me is far more than mine at him ever was. He's not bending over backwards to make any changes, so I had to leave."

"Eh, so it's different than Icyhot's," Bakugo said. "Maybe yours is worse."

"Let's not compare," Shine looked out the window. "'The heart know its own sorrow and no one else can fully share its joy'. Our pain and our true joy are both things only we know the depths of. That's why when you find your calling, other people don't get it. The light God put in us is unique... if you're blessed, you find someone with similar light, but it's never quite the same. And pain is no different. no matter how close it was, you have your own story, not someone else's."

"I think that's profound," Deku offered. "But, I'm.. uh...sorry that happened to you."

"Thank you," Shine knew he meant well, though, those words meant nothing to her. They just didn't touch the experience.

Deku and Bakugo cleared off when they got to the dorms, but Shoto looked like he still had something to say.

Shine and Wally went to sit outside--they needed to detox after that evening too.

"Maybe we should have said no after all," Wally said. "Sorry I told you to go. I had no clue how it would be for you."

"Well, we couldn't know that Natsuo would say what he said," Shine rubbed her face. "Maybe it would've been okay if not for that. There's always someone like that in every family."

"I can't really blame him for being angry but I felt bad for this sister," Wally thought it was rotten to Fuyumi to embarrass her like that.

Even if she seemed okay with it later... but then that wasn't a good thing either.

Shoto cleared his throat.

They both turned to him, startled. They had heard him come out.

"I've been thinking about what you said at that house," Shoto looked at Shine. "I didn't know how it was for you. I think, you must be a stronger person than I am. Because, I think if my father had done that on top of what he already did, I would have never spoken to him ever again. Maybe, I would have killed him."

"Uh, is that the best thing you could say to her right now?" Wally asked. "That was a pretty awkward evening."

"Did you know that your father actually asked us to be there?" Shine asked Shoto, ignoring what he'd said.

"He did?" Shoto looked stunned.

"He thought we might make things less awkward, after Fuyumi invited you two. Seems he had the same doubt you did about getting through a family dinner."