You Can Be a Hero Too

Chapter 87: I Wanna Be with You Guys

[Previously]

Izuku's body was seized by an agonizing surge of pain. He instinctively clutched his chest, his grasp tight with the intensity of his suffering. As the torment overwhelmed him, he stumbled and collapsed, coughing up crimson streams of blood. Gritting his teeth against the anguish, a trickle of scarlet oozed from his lips.

"Damn it," Izuku muttered to himself, his voice strained and desperate. In a swift and sudden motion, he succumbed to the overwhelming affliction, slipping into the unconscious depths of darkness.

[Meta Liberation Arc] I Wanna Be with You Guys

"The moment you have in your heart this extraordinary thing called love and feel the depth, the delight, the ecstasy of it, you will discover that for you the world is transformed." - Jiddu Krishnamurti

-You Can Be A Hero Too-

Izuku's eyes fluttered open, revealing a stark concrete ceiling above him. Slowly rising, he recognized the surroundings as his former room within the FOWL base.

'It seems she remembered where it was,' Izuku contemplated, stepping off his bed and making his way to the bathroom. As he caught a glimpse of his reflection, he noticed that he was still donning his Yuuei uniform.

Peeling off his clothes, Izuku allowed the warm water of the shower to cascade over his weary body. After completing his cleansing ritual, he faced his reflection in the mirror, confronted by an array of numerous scars marring his skin.

"All of these were because you were sleeping while I was fighting," Izuku said with a tinge of resignation. From deep within his mind, a growl of frustration escaped.

"Shut up and be grateful that we're even here." Ignoring Koyami's words, Izuku studied his reflection. The mirror revealed his unhealthy appearance—weight loss from neglecting proper nourishment and rest, yet he managed to retain his slender physique. Returning to his bedroom, he dressed himself in fresh clothes.

As he made his way to the kitchen, Izuku noticed Hiyoriko sitting alone at the table, cradling a cup of coffee. Their eyes met, and she spoke with a slight smile, "You're finally awake." He searched for food, and a sigh escaped from behind.

"I made coffee. You can have some." Though he preferred a proper meal, Izuku had no choice but to accept the offer, given the scarcity of food in their hideout. Pouring the dark liquid into a small cup, he took a seat opposite Hiyoriko and began sipping the bitter, black coffee.

'Bitter. Good,' Izuku thought, finding solace in the bitter taste. They sat in silence, their presence complementing each other in a passive manner.

For that fleeting moment, it was as if only they existed in this imperfect world.

...

"Yamada Hizashi is dead," Nezu solemnly announced, sending shockwaves through the room. Class 3-A was particularly taken aback, their wide eyes desperate for answers.

Jiro's voice trembled as she asked, tears welling up inside her, "Who... who killed him?" The situation was rapidly spiraling out of control once again.

"It was Izuku," came the somber reply. The revelation didn't shock them; in some strange way, it felt expected. Who else could it have been? Izuku had been pushed into a corner, and tragically, he had taken the life of one of their own. Yet, beneath the surface, Izuku had concealed many layers they had never uncovered before.

Throughout the night, Izuku revealed a side of himself that had remained hidden. To those who had once fought alongside him, it felt as though he had become someone else entirely as if a foreign entity had taken possession of his body.