Solstice and Eclipse: Part IV

Chapter VII: Kids' Stuff

The end of the first week of September brought with it a sign of the approaching gloom to come in the colder months. The headlights of the black sedan were warped and scattered by the heavy rainfall which could be heard pattering on the aluminum steel roof of the car, drowning out the sound of the engine and the overworked wipers. In the backseat sat (F/N) (L/N). His body was slumped against the door and his heavy breathing fogged the window, covering it in a thin layer of condensation as the moisture from his breath gathered there. The briefcase holding his hero costume slipped from his sleeping grip and tumbled onto the floor as the car sped through the rain, sending large splashes up onto the sidewalk.

(F/N) had stayed up late last night, sitting on the floor of his bedroom talking with Momo. He'd admitted to her his reservations about accepting the work study invitation, and that he felt he had not yet earned her forgiveness. But of course, she had nothing for him other than patience and understanding. She reminded him of all the people he'd saved during his internship and encouraged him to keep an open mind. Afterwards, when she could no longer keep her eyes open, she'd placed a kiss on his forehead and bid him goodnight.

The car came to a rather abrupt stop, scattering more water like crashing waves. The inertia sent (L/N) careening forward, waking him with a frightful start so he just barely caught himself with his hands before faceplanting into the front seat. Normally the driver would have exited the vehicle and opened the door for him, but in this weather he could hardly be blamed for opting to simply sit and wait for (L/N) to leave. Grabbing the silver case from the floor, (F/N) activated his quirk to keep himself dry before stepping outside into the downpour.

As he entered the tall building, he couldn't help but remember his last trip to Kanagawa during his internship. The entire week had been a series of disappointments, from the most uncomfortable train ride of his life, followed shortly thereafter by a meeting with the most self-righteous and patronizing speck of a man. The whole experience had been forgettable, save the last day.

Looking back on it, he still didn't know what had caused him to act. All he could remember was the sound of someone crying, and then before he knew what he was doing, his body had started moving on its own. People still stopped him in the streets, recognizing him from the captured cell phone footage that had gone viral on the internet and across the media. Just that morning he had been stopped by an elderly shopkeeper who claimed he had saved his granddaughter's life, then proceeded to bow three times in rapid succession and pressed a steaming hot Yaki Imo in his hands.

Biting into the sweet potato as he sat on the train, (L/N) came to realize just how much had transpired in the past few months. For years his life had been a haze. Time simply passed him by with no real distinction. Then suddenly he had been approached by a mouse in suit who whisked him off and away to some high-end academy where he spent his days training to become the very thing he found so repulsive. It was there he met Yaoyorozu. Momo. And she saw something in him. And even if he couldn't see it himself, he could feel there was something different. He was no longer the same person he was back then. Even in the last two months he had changed. Still, he never expected to find himself back at this place.

The elevator doors slid apart accompanied by a soft bell chime and opened on a sizeable lobby. Slightly to the left of the elevator was the reception desk, where a familiar face was already waiting for him.

"(L/N), over here!" The young woman waved cheerfully. "It's good to see you! I was super excited to hear you'd be working with us again!" Matsui smiled.

(L/N) hummed noncommittally in response as he approached the desk. Setting the silver case on the counter, he opened the latches and withdrew a small stack of papers that had been sent to UA from on top his hero costume and handed them to the receptionist.