❝Rethink❞ (BNHA x BSD)

☆ Chapter 16 ☆

I was so angry I had no trouble catching up to the others and dodging when necessary. But I had to fight in order to practice. My inner monologue went crazy.

Let's rethink this situation. There's a hero somewhere creating these monsters. So these creatures are basically a part of her. Therefore, if I command these monsters as if I'm addressing her, it should work.

Right on cue, monsters emerged on my left. I activated my quirk.

"Hey, you, begone now!" was the first wording I came up with.

And it worked: the dirt collapsed back onto the ground. I couldn't help but celebrate.

Another one emerged on the left. I decided to try something new.

"Monster, begone."

That worked as well. So did just "begone." The wording was important, but also the belief that you had command over them.

"Guys, aren't we being pushed off track," Jirou yelled.

"Right," Shoji said before checking the course and correcting it.

Thrilled, I observed my new classmates from the back. Everyone had such good teamwork. Everyone seemed comfortable enough with each other as well.

"This is nice," I let out my excitement. Some people who heard me were confused at first but smiled back.

It took us hours to reach the actual camp – much longer than we were informed. There were too many monsters. People at the front were on their last legs. I was fine: for me, it was more like a long-distance run with talking. I was yawning due to the lack of sleep the night before.

We were greeted with food, which was absolutely delicious, even more so after such a long trip. All students conversed freely; the main topics seemed to be the rooms and hot springs later. Todoroki and I sat and ate rather quietly. In other words, no one could have added "quirk improvements" to the list of topics.

"Did you manage to use your quirk on those monsters, Eliana?"

"I did." What's this feeling? Happiness? Better not get used to it.

"That's very impressive," he admitted. "I thought it only works on humans."

"Well, technically..."

I shut up before I could nullify my own power. "My quirk is still improving. I shouldn't assume its limits."

"Sounds like a good idea."

After dinner, we went to enjoy the hot springs. Boys and girls were separated of course so I had to make conversation with my female classmates.

But I thought of nothing. No one directly spoke to me either, there wasn't anything I could say as a reply. I couldn't join the conversation because I didn't even know what they were talking about. I hadn't been with them during the sports festival, the USJ attack, or their first Hero Studies lesson.

What were they even discussing? Their quirks? I found their discussion too tiresome to follow. I was just bathing, bathing in my guilt and feelings of unworthiness.

I decided to get out. I don't remember what I said while leaving, but it didn't matter. Everyone seemed nice.

After drying myself I got into my pyjamas and lay on my futon. It was pretty late, but I couldn't sleep. I heard someone down the hallway. I tensed. I didn't want to be in that benevolent yet suffocating company.

I put on my PE jacket and went outside into the darkness. It was ironic, but I preferred to be alone. Being alone didn't feel as lonely as being surrounded by people you had no connection with. I entered the woods for some further privacy. Did I even want to be a part of class 1-A? I found myself missing 1-B's eccentricities.

I discovered a small clearing and decided to do the martial arts drills Chuuya had taught me. It'd been a while, but those skills might have come in handy once actual training began. Better get a head start on me. There I was in my pyjamas, throwing kicks and punches without breaking a sweat and dirtying myself.

"You're not shifting your weight properly. Again."

It was Chuuya. In flesh and bone. Not just the Chuuya I conjured up in my head to give me instructions for this impromptu training session.

I stopped and stood there without saying anything. I hadn't wished him there.

"Remembering the good old times, eh, Eliana?"

"I don't remember them being good."

"Depends on the time you choose to remember." He moved so close that there was barely any distance separating us. I became more aware of his presence than I had been before. But one word from me and this would all end. And yet I decided to step aside instead of saying anything. The memories that had emerged with this close distance made it difficult to speak.

Chuuya stood perfectly still for a moment before chuckling and changing the topic. "We now know what kind of quirk wielders will be attacking us and who are on their list of targets."

He handed me a folded-up paper.

"I don't want it."

"Oh? This info would prepare you for the threat you're about to face."

"I don't want it from the Mafia."

"That's right," Dazai joined the conversation seamlessly as if he'd been there the whole time.

"Dazai!" Chuuya was surprised at his appearance, although he must have realised I was with the Detective Agency now.

"Chuuya," Dazai returned the greeting with dead eyes as if realising that Chuuya was there too for the first time. Then he turned to me.

"Don't worry, Eliana, I've come to save you from the Mafia's plot." I couldn't tell whether he was serious or joking. I didn't mind either.

"No, she should know!" Chuuya protested.

"Let's keep her conscious clean," Dazai calmly responded and snatched the folded paper from Chuuya. The latter seemed irritated but not upset.

"Aah, I see." Dazai's voice was as light as a feather. "This is the same info we gathered. Don't worry, Eliana, we'll take care of it."

Chuuya seemed to become more annoyed every second he spent with Dazai and demanded an explanation.

Dazai chuckled with his feather-like voice before adding depth to his voice and saying, "Anything to torment you, Chuuya."

Marvelling at their strange relationship, I stood there quietly. But now felt the right time to say something.

"Chuuya, I know you're trying to attach strings to me again, but you won't be able to anymore."

"Well, if you change your mind, the Mafia is ready to welcome you back as if nothing had ever happened."

That was impossible. Someone would dig something up on me the moment they needed to. People wouldn't forget. The Mafia didn't forgive.

"This reminds me of something your dad said," Chuuya remarked. "I think we're thinking of the same thing."

"And that would be?" Dazai asked.

"Consequences," we both said in unison. The simple fact is that you can't get away with anything. The patience of fate doesn't change anything.

"You'll be able to see your father if you return to the Mafia with me, Eliana," Chuuya proposed.

"I don't need to," I snapped. "As long as I remember his advice, I don't need to meet him. I know he's happy. He knows there's no point in worrying."

Chuuya, unsatisfied with the answer, left, but Dazai lingered.

"Are you sure you don't want to drop this list near your teacher's pillow or something?"

"There's no point. He doesn't even believe I used to work for the Mafia."

"Very well then, good night then."

I returned to my room to hear everyone asleep. After locating my futon in the darkness, I closed my eyes and slept soundly too.