Blossoms of the Dark

XLVI Shouto: Rebellion

I've decided to change my schedule.

I get out of bed two hours before my former wake-up time because, after yesterday's event, I think I need more training. Unfortunately, I have to get that training from that disgrace of a father. I recall last night's drama.

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After I had locked away the drawings in my nightstand, I had left my room to find that Endeavor and Fuyumi were back. Fuyumi was setting tonight's dinner on the table. Tonight she made miso soup. I greeted, "Hey, Sis. Did you have a nice day at work?"

With her usual smile, she responded, "Yeah! The children were so well-behaved today. I gave them a math test today, and from the few I had time to check afterward, they seem to be grasping the content very well."

"That's good to hear," I said no more and take my place at the dinner table, far away from Endeavor.

A few minutes of silent dinner, in his usual deep tone asked me, "How was your trial of battle, Shouto?"

"It was fine. I won it swiftly." I took another spoonful of the soup.

Fuyumi discretely looked at both of us, wondering if she would have to intervene. With the way, Endeavor was not getting my cue of "Don't talk to me," I thought she would have to.

"Did you use your fire quirk?"

"No."

Endeavor sighed in exasperation. "Shouto, how long do you plan to keep this immature rebellion of yours up? If you want to become the top hero, then you will have to use the fire aspect of your quirk along your ice aspect."

"Maybe I don't want to become the top hero. Maybe I don't share the same ambitions as you. Maybe I just want to become a hero who helps others, regardless of title or position."

"Shouto, you have great potential. You think that defying your left side is going to help you become a hero. It won't. Your obstinacy is only hindering you from achieving the full scope of that potential. Power, determination, and intelligence. You have all of these qualities in you to become the top hero. So use them to their fullest."

I couldn't control my next words. They were seething with hate. "You have a lot of nerve saying that given what you've done to our family. Or what's left of our family. If you hadn't deteriorated Mom's mental health to the point of insanity, then I would have embraced my left side like you said I should. If you-"

Fuyumi interrupted me. "Shouto, stop." Her face was lined with wrinkles of worry. Her eyes darted back and forth between mine and Endeavor's. But I'm too angry to care right now.

"No, Sis. Let me speak. I have to get this out." I look back at Endeavor. "If you hadn't ignored Sis and Natsuo, then I wouldn't have defied you. If you hadn't worked the five-year-old me to the point of exhaustion, then I would have gladly shared your dream of becoming the future Number One hero. Actually, no. If you hadn't neglected Touya and his desire to impress you, then he would still be alive and would gladly share your dream of becoming the future Number One hero!"

"SHOUTO!" Endeavor shouted. He rose from his seat and planted both hands in front of him on the table. His eyes are full of barely controlled anger. Fuyumi covered her mouth with her hands, eyes almost popping out of her skull in terror.

I broke the unspoken rule in our house: never speak of Touya, my eldest brother. He died when I was about five years old. I didn't have many memories of him, but Natsuo and Fuyumi did. They told me all about him until Mom was sent to the hospital. But I don't regret what I said. "Everything I said is true," I said, with the anger slowly leaving my body.

In the while it took to collect myself, Endeavor spoke again. "I want you to get up two hours before your regular wake-up time every day. I think it's time I teach you some new moves to strengthen your quirk."

"Fine." For all his shortcomings, Endeavor did have useful tactical knowledge. As much as I loathed him, I intended to take advantage of that. I intended to practice his 'new moves' with my fire quirk only during training. After that, I would hone those moves with my ice quirk. Only my ice quirk.

I left my dinner unfinished and left the dining room.

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And here I am now standing in front of Endeavor's bedroom.

I knock on his bedroom door, and almost instantly it opens. Endeavor has already worn his hero costume: a skintight, navy bodysuit with lines of flames streaming across his upper body. He's even adorned his fire mask and beard. Thank God, he hasn't lit his shoes yet. He would burn a hole right through the floor if he did. But what really catches my eye are his eyes. They're rimmed red.

Endeavor takes in my appearance. He seems pleased that I'm not wearing my hero costume. I'm in typical exercise gear: black cotton sweatpants, shirt, and running shoes. My hands are tucked in my sweatpants' pockets, and I stare up at Endeavor. I raise an eyebrow. "Should we start now?"

He leaves the bedroom and beckons me in the direction of the dirt training field, half a kilometer from our house. "Come along."

I duly follow.

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