Shattered Dreams

You Can't Save Everyone

UA, Japan, April 1986

To say that Enji was in a bad mood as he entered Class 2-A's homeroom, was a serious euphemism.
He kept his face completely emotionless and his teeth clenched as he avoided VoiceOver's look, expecting any kind of remark.

The pro hero did not utter a word — simply motioning for the young man to take his seat.

...Wait, wha-

... okay, never mind.
Enji guessed he was just lucky for once, then — which was pretty convenient, since he had been too shaken to think of any plausible excuse for missing a whole day of class.

He sat as straight as a pole on his seat, all eyes on his teacher as he tried his hardest to clear his mind and focus on not burning the goddamn room down.

... okay there was no way in HELL that he'd be able to concentrate on anything today.

FUCK!!

Enji's eyes stung so hard it was becoming unbearable.
For that he blamed the jet lag, and the eleven-hour flight during which he had been absolutely incapable of resting.

The young Flame Hero suddenly raised a brow, as he smelt a weird kind of smoke — and dropped his paper sheet with a muffled curse as he realized it was catching fire in his clenched fist.
GodDAMMIT if he couldn't even control his fucking Quirk...!

Enji could immediately feel VoiceOver's piercing gaze on him as the pro hero called for Saakiwa, always so insufferably obliging, to deal out documents to the class.
As she handed the redhead one, she shot him a knowing wink and briefly batted her eyelashes.
- You're welcome~, she whispered, so low that only he could hear her.

Enji snapped out of his torpor and glared back at her, wondering what the hell she was on abo-

Saakiwa merely gestured to VoiceOver with her chin as she moved over to the next student.

"...Did she cover for me or something?' he paused.

A weird feeling rose in his chest — because it hadn't been the first time.

Ever since Saakiwa had walked in on Enji and Toshinori making out last year, her behavior toward the former had changed. She had been shocked (most probably like anybody else would have been) — but her reaction the next day had turned out rather unsettling. The lilac-haired teen was the nosiest girl alive; as soon as she found out about anything remotely shameful, you could be sure that all of the UA would be aware of it before the end of the day.

Yet, this time... Not only had she kept dead quiet about what she saw, but she hadn't tried to avoid Enji or anything — nor flood him with questions, either. In fact, Saakiwa had straight out started hanging out with him as if NOTHING happened, completely ignoring the aura of intimidation that kept most students away from Enji (which had been for the best so far, since he saw his classmates as competition).

At such an unexpected behavior, obviously, the young man had been surprised, then suspicious.

However, once he had been convinced that she had stopped fawning at Toshinori for good, Saakiwa had become what most resembled... a friend.

Enji vaguely nodded as thanks.

(His heart was still in a million dismantled pieces and he still felt like burning down the whole building, but at least he wouldn't have to go through their teacher's No-Filter Quirk experience. Finally a fucking improvement in his shitty karma...!)

~

Enji stuffed more rice into his mouth while Saakiwa set down her bentō and opened her backpack.
Doubting he was capable of speaking cordially enough, the young Flame Hero merely followed her movement with his smoldering blue glare, focusing on his mastication to try and forget about the horrible hammering sensation in his chest.