the mechanic book 3 the trial arc

chapter 30

At therapy

Lee: You seem uncomfortable.

Izuku: Because I am. I've never been big on therapy; I mean, I just don't get it.

Lee: That's perfectly normal. Not a lot of people do; please sit down.

*Izuku sighed and sat down, like he promised Izuku Midoriya was finally in therapy. *Izuku's foot was fidgeting as he looked around the room.

Lee: Let's start with why you're here.

Izuku: There's not really a lot to say. I promised my fiancé that I would come here, and here I am.

Lee: and already deflecting my question. Want to try that again?

Zuku sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He didn't talk for a few seconds before he finally opened his mouth.

Izuku: My wife wants me here because of my need to put everyone before me. How about that?

Lee: not bad, but I can still sense your not being entirely truthful.

Izuku: I'm going to take a wild guess and say your quirk allows you to read people's emotions.

Lee:correct. I have a weak version of the lying detector quirk. Instead of knowing that they're lying, I can sense the change in emotions, which made me choose this line of work. I can sense something bothering you—a recurring nightmare—but not much more than that.

Zuku sighed, feeling annoyed that they were already touching that subject.

Lee: We don't have to discuss it until you're ready. Mr. Midoriya

Izuku: What if I don't want to discuss it?

Lee:that's fine I get paid either way; honestly, you can just sit there without saying a word and I would still get paid. But in turn, you would feel shame and like you were lying to your fiancee; you care for her deeply, don't you?

Izuku: Yes, I love her with all my heart.

Lee: So the nightmares are about her?

Izuku:....yes

Lee: I see, so we're dealing with Anakin syndrome.

Izuku:what?

Lee: Oh, sorry, it's just how I call it. You fear the death of your loved one, and how are you powerless to stop it?

Izuku: Because I am. I don't have a quirk; I'm disabled; there are days I can't even get out of bed because my back pain is too great; I use a cane; I can't do anything but run with her in case things get dangerous.

Lee: It's not healthy to live a life of fear. Mr. Midoriya

Izuku: hard not to when the majority of this island hates my guts. I'm sure you know the basics of what happened to me: my time in jail, the trial, stuff like that.

Lee: It must've been hard. Six years of your
Life was taken from you because of fear. Four years of hiding were because of fear. It's only natural that your fears are starting to sip inside your mind.

Izuku:que será será

Lee: What will be is yes. But you can't tell me it doesn't affect you.

Izuku: Of course it does. If it weren't for that fear, because of the Todoroki family, I would be a pro-hero right about now. I would be out there saving people.

Lee is married to Momo Yapyorozu, while Tsuyu would probably be alone or with someone else. I sense hatred. You don't like that outcome?

Izuku: The idea of Tsuyu being with someone else romantically is... Unsettling, to say the least