Hikari: 『Volume 2 - Omakes』

◆Past Predilection◇

10 years ago -

Before the proceeding events of My Hero Academia...

◇

Izuku fell back on the ground, his face sporting yet another fresh bruise. The boy behind him trembled like a leaf as he stared at the trio of boys towering over them, tears streaming down his face in waterfalls.

"Haven't had enough yet?!" Katsuki pounded his fists together and sparks flew from his hands. He glared at Izuku as he got back up to his feet yet again. "Tch!"

Izuku put up his fists as he got up in front of the other kid, tears prickling the corner of his eyes. "S-Stop it, Ka-Chan! That's enough!"

"Shut your trap!" Shouted one of Katsuki's underlings.

"Yeah, shut up!" Agreed the second one. "You ain't got no business talking like you can actually do anything!"

"You already made him cry..." Izuku replied shakily. "Stop it! I-I won't let you...!"

Katsuki blinked, then laughed cruelly. This time, when he slammed his fist into his palm, a slightly bigger explosion went off. "So Deku, the Quirkless Wonder... thinks he can play hero, huh?"

In the very next moment, the trio of bullies converged on him with their Quirks. He resisted their attacks the best he could, but what was a pair of fists going to do against an explosive power like Katsuki's?

It was hopeless. The pain he felt from Katsuki's explosive hit was mind-numbing and the sharp jabs kept coming over and over again from all sides. No matter how much he shielded his body, they always managed to get him from whatever angle they could think to find.

He didn't move when they left. It hurt too much to even try and raise his head from his chest, so Izuku lay curled up for a moment as he tried to move forward on his elbows. He clenched his teeth, tears pouring over his bruised cheeks the more he struggled to move.

"U-Um..."

Izuku went rigid, eyes widening when he felt a hand on the top of his head. Had Ka-Chan come back? No, it couldn't be him. This person smelt different; kind of fruity, like apples. Not to mention the voice sounded way too girly and soft to be Katsuki's.

So, who...?

"Excuse me..."

Izuku bristled slightly when the hand moved under his arm. The girl tried lifting him up and when he looked up at her, he was surprised to see a pair of green eyes similar to his, big black lashes fluttering in anxiety as she leaned in towards his face. Half black and half white bangs fluttered over her forehead which surprised him even more. Just what kind of a style was that?

"Are you okay?" The kind girl asked as she helped him stand. She spoke quietly, he thought, kind of like a mouse. It was... really cute. "I'm sorry."

"H-Huh?" Izuku asked, brows furrowing in confusion as he turned to face her. The girl with black-and-white hair bit her bottom lip and looked nervously at her pink pumps. "Why are you sorry...?"

"Earlier, I... I saw those three boys bullying you and that other boy, and I thought, maybe, I should..." the girl looked up at him, almost like she was swallowing her cowardice to face the truth. "I should do something! B-But I got scared of them and I didn't and you're really, really hurt now because of it... I'm sorry!"

Oh... that's why her eyes look so sad, Izuku thought. He frowned, not enjoying the despondency he saw swimming in her eyes.