Dear Empress (Bnha x OC)

Chapter 3

Jing Ke had come running through the garden and into the pagoda, holding Congzhi's hand so as his brother wouldn't fall behind, shouting about a letter addressed to their sister. Yuheng had been playing the guzheng on the upmost level of the tower, the sounds of the traditional instrument echoing through the inside.

Though, she rested her hands atop the strings when she heard the slam of the doors on the lowest level and hummed the rest of the song while listening to the children run up the steps.

"What did our mother say about the doors, Jing Ke?"

He pouted. "Not to slam them open as, even though the structure is sound, it would hasten the damage. Also that it is just rude."

"Now," She relented. "What have you two come to deliver?"

"It is....a letter from...U.A."

Congzhi had answered, sneaking himself onto his sister's lap.

Yuheng opened it, taking out the small, silver disk inside, and placed it on the table beside her. Light shines from the object, her two brothers staring in awe at the advanced technology, then the principal shows up.

"Greetings. It's me, Nezu, the one who could be a dog or a mouse or a bear, but most importantly....I'm the principal!"

She grimaced at the chimera.

"As you can see, the school has decided to use projections to reveal you results. Things have gotten much fancier since technology has developed, but that's not the point of this message. I'm glad to say that you, Feng Yuheng, has been admitted into U.A with full marks! Your written exam was beautifully and efficiently done while your practical exam had surprised even me. As our top scorer in the recommended examinations, U.A hopes to see you in the coming school year.

We have high expectations for the young miss. Plus ultra!"

The projection shuts down and falls silent as Jing Ke shouts. "JIE JIE, YOU DID IT!! YOU GOT INTO U.A! Of course, that is to be expected, they would have to be idiotic not to accept you, BUT STILL-"

"Calm down, Jing Ke."

Yuheng begins to stand and attempt to placate the excited boy, yet she is held back. Congzhi, the quietest of all the siblings, lets out a squeal.

"Heng-jie jie....I am happy......for you."

She looks at him and pats his head before gently standing him up.

"Shall we go tell father and mother then? Along with Wu Song?"

______________________________

It's late into the night when she's back in her room.

The family had celebrated the news with a feast and had eaten themselves into a slumber, besides her and her mother of course, leaving the clean-up to the maidservants as they took care of the boys and one man.

The brush in her hands, the one that runs through her hair, feels solid, tangible unlike the reality she's in right now.

'Is it a dream? Or a nightmare?'

A shadow creeps across the door's screening, the figure imposingly tall, stopping right in front of her room. The footsteps were faint, Yuheng thought to herself as she grabs at one of the swords on the display holder and prepares to lunge at the infiltrator, yet the door slides open, quiet enough not to disturb someone who's sleeping.

A man walks through and she takes a fast swing at the neck, the ringing of her sword getting blocked by a shorter blade echoes slightly.

"Yuheng, I don't appreciate being attacked on my first night back home."

"Whatever do you mean? I was sure you were an intruder."

"Har har, I totally believe you."

Yuheng takes a look over at him, thinking of how he has aged.

His hair was kept long, reaching his waist, and he had a more muscular build than before, the black turtleneck defining his body nicely. He had a white stick hanging from his mouth, Yuheng hopes it's a lollipop.

"I did not take you for a smoker, Wu-ge." She puts her sword back.

"I'm not," Wukong pulls the lollipop out and sticks his tongue out. "See? Completely child friendly."

"You have grown old, your hair is even white."

"Fuck, where?! I ain't showing myself to Mom if-"

Wukong sees his sister smirking at him.

"You little fox," He lets out an offended gasp. "I'm only twenty-one, how did I even let you convince me like that."

They stared at each other before breaking out in hushed laughter, it was still night after all, and he ruffled her hair in his attempt at revenge.

"How are you doing? Bet the elders are still giving you shit for being a girl, huh."

Yuheng scoffs. "You cannot expect such old people to be clear-minded, they are going on in their years after all. Father has been adamant enough that they have only brought the topic up once every two months."

"Amazing!" He slaps his knee. "They used to send a complaint every day and oppose it every meeting."

"They will only develop arthritis at that rate."

"True."

The siblings sat down in Yuheng's reception room, staying silent for the most part. Wukong didn't mind at all, he knew his sister needed the silence sometimes, he knew it was therapeutic for her, so he always waits until she's ready to talk first.

This was his only sister after all.

"I applied for U.A....I have also been accepted just this afternoon."

"I would usually say 'congrats'," He casts a weary glance at her, as if treading on ice. "But you don't even want to be there, do you?"

"Not really, no."

"You wanna tell me why, or just leave it." Casual, without pressuring her.

She always felt safe to tell him these things, he never told anyone else about their small sessions.

"I desired some semblance of a normal adolescent's school life, it was just convenient that a hero school had drawn in some of the most naïve and cheerful ones. Unaware of the outside world or what being a so-called hero is," Yuheng sighs only in whisper. "Perhaps it was something I wanted to experience."

"I see where you're coming from, our family isn't exactly what you call normal."

"It would seem so."

"Take the chance to do whatever you want, Yuheng," He smiles, a much rarer sight than one expects. "You only get to be a kid for so long."

He gives one last pat to her head before getting up and sauntering off through the door, taking with him his once in a blue moon smile.