Hated by Life Itself (mha male oc)

Chapter 3 - Rumours

The next day at school was filled with stares. Apparently everyone had found out about his run in with the villain, now he had even more rumours to deal with. Everyone seemed to think that he had set up the encounter in some way, why? He had no idea.

Throughout the day, he overheard fragments of conversations—stories woven with speculation and embellishments. The incident with the villain had taken a life of its own, transforming into a tale where Tatsu was the orchestrator of a perilous encounter. His attempts to set the record straight fell on deaf ears, drowned out by the pervasive whispers of his peers.

During lunch, Tatsu found himself facing a small group of students, their expressions a mixture of curiosity and skepticism. The ringleader, a brash teenager named Kenta, confronted him openly.

"So, Tatsu, did you really plan that whole villain thing? Trying to impress everyone, huh?"

Tatsu shook his head, frustration building within him. "No, Kenta, I didn't plan anything. I was just trying to protect my little brother. That's it."

Kenta scoffed, unimpressed. "Sure, sure. It just seems a bit too convenient, you know? You, a nobody, suddenly facing a villain. People are talking."

The surrounding students nodded, their doubt evident. Tatsu clenched his fists, grappling with the desire to lash out. Instead, he maintained his composure, a silent defiance in his eyes. "Whatever, believe what you want, just leave me alone!"

As the final bell rang, signaling the end of the day, Tatsu felt a mix of relief and weariness. Navigating through the crowd, he couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.

As he turned the corner he felt someone shove him against the wall. His heart froze as he looked up to see the group that had bullied him the day before. "So, Tatsu, playing the victim again? Your little villain encounter won't change anything." The leader of the small group mocked.

Tatsu's back pressed against the cold wall, a surge of anxiety and anger boiling within him. He glanced around, searching for an escape route, but he was cornered.

"Can't believe you faked a villain encounter, what? Did you think it would make you popular or something?" The girl laughed.

Tatsu's jaw tightened, his fists clenching involuntarily. Before he could respond, a calm yet authoritative voice echoed through the corridor.

"Is there a problem here?"

The students turned to see Aizawa, standing at the gates of the school. His presence alone sent a ripple of discomfort through the bullies.

Red haired boy smiled, trying to save face. "No problem, sir. We were just having a chat with Tatsu here. You know, trying to get the truth about his heroic stunt."

Aizawa's gaze remained unwavering, cutting through the facade. "Enough. I don't want to see any of you harassing him or anyone else again. If there's an issue, report it properly."

The bullies exchanged uneasy glances, aware that their actions were now under the scrutiny of a pro hero. With a final warning glare from Aizawa, they dispersed, leaving Tatsu still pressed against the wall, the tension slowly dissipating.

Aizawa approached, his expression softened just slightly. "Are you okay, Tatsu?"

"Yeah, I'm fine... what are you doing here anyway?" He questioned.

"Checking up on you, and it looks like it's a good thing I did"

Tatsu nodded, appreciating the unexpected support. "Thanks. It's been a mess since yesterday."

"Yeah, those kids seemed awfully cocky considering they should have been charged with outright assault." Aizawa grumbled.

The next day at school was filled with stares. Apparently everyone had found out about his run in with the villain, now he had even more rumours to deal with. Everyone seemed to think that he had set up the encounter in some way, why? He had no idea.

Throughout the day, he overheard fragments of conversations—stories woven with speculation and embellishments. The incident with the villain had taken a life of its own, transforming into a tale where Tatsu was the orchestrator of a perilous encounter. His attempts to set the record straight fell on deaf ears, drowned out by the pervasive whispers of his peers.

During lunch, Tatsu found himself facing a small group of students, their expressions a mixture of curiosity and skepticism. The ringleader, a brash teenager named Kenta, confronted him openly.

"So, Tatsu, did you really plan that whole villain thing? Trying to impress everyone, huh?"

Tatsu shook his head, frustration building within him. "No, Kenta, I didn't plan anything. I was just trying to protect my little brother. That's it."

Kenta scoffed, unimpressed. "Sure, sure. It just seems a bit too convenient, you know? You, a nobody, suddenly facing a villain. People are talking."

The surrounding students nodded, their doubt evident. Tatsu clenched his fists, grappling with the desire to lash out. Instead, he maintained his composure, a silent defiance in his eyes. "Whatever, believe what you want, just leave me alone!"

As the final bell rang, signaling the end of the day, Tatsu felt a mix of relief and weariness. Navigating through the crowd, he couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.

As he turned the corner he felt someone shove him against the wall. His heart froze as he looked up to see the group that had bullied him the day before. "So, Tatsu, playing the victim again? Your little villain encounter won't change anything." The leader of the small group mocked.

Tatsu's back pressed against the cold wall, a surge of anxiety and anger boiling within him. He glanced around, searching for an escape route, but he was cornered.

"Can't believe you faked a villain encounter, what? Did you think it would make you popular or something?" The girl laughed.

Tatsu's jaw tightened, his fists clenching involuntarily. Before he could respond, a calm yet authoritative voice echoed through the corridor.

"Is there a problem here?"

The students turned to see Aizawa, standing at the gates of the school. His presence alone sent a ripple of discomfort through the bullies.

Red haired boy smiled, trying to save face. "No problem, sir. We were just having a chat with Tatsu here. You know, trying to get the truth about his heroic stunt."

Aizawa's gaze remained unwavering, cutting through the facade. "Enough. I don't want to see any of you harassing him or anyone else again. If there's an issue, report it properly."

The bullies exchanged uneasy glances, aware that their actions were now under the scrutiny of a pro hero. With a final warning glare from Aizawa, they dispersed, leaving Tatsu still pressed against the wall, the tension slowly dissipating.

Aizawa approached, his expression softened just slightly. "Are you okay, Tatsu?"

"Yeah, I'm fine... what are you doing here anyway?" He questioned.

"Checking up on you, and it looks like it's a good thing I did"

Tatsu nodded, appreciating the unexpected support. "Thanks. It's been a mess since yesterday."

"Yeah, those kids seemed awfully cocky considering they should have been charged with outright assault."

Tatsu sighed, a mixture of frustration and resignation in his voice. "I just want all of this to stop. The rumors, the bullying..."

Aizawa placed a hand on Tatsu's shoulder, offering a brief but reassuring squeeze. "I understand. We'll do what we can to put an end to this. If you ever need someone to talk to or if things get worse, don't hesitate to reach out."

The teen kicked a rock as they walked, unsure of what to say. "...Yesterday you said you could help me get into UA, were you serious about that?"

"Well.. I can help you train for it, I can't do much more than that though..." The teacher clarified "but yes, I was serious."

Tatsu laughed dryly "I'd have to be an idiot to turn down an offer like that." He didn't really have much interest in being a hero, but then again he didn't have much interest in anything really.