Royal Gambit

V

It had been a week since Shoto began attending classes at UA High School. He quite honestly could not believe how fast time seemed to be passing. Quickly settling into his daily routine, each day was full of learning and discovery outside of the classroom and deepening his relationships with his classmates. Midoriya had even insisted Shoto be comfortable enough to call them friends, and it seemed the rest of his classmates shared his sentiments. He felt such warmth to be accepted by these people so soon after meeting them, and he wished to spend as much time with them as he could. 

However, whilst he enjoyed trying out different sports with Kirishima and Bakugou, attending cooking classes with Uraraka which had varying levels of success, and listening to Jirou and Tokoyami talk about their favourite bands whilst he tried to make it seem he was aware of who they were talking about, he still maintained constant vigilance during school hours. 

Having to think deeply before he made even the shortest of replies was somewhat draining, and it was becoming difficult to be vague or create false truths whenever his classmates asked him about his previous school or his family. He wondered if there were ever moments where they could sense that he was lying, whether they doubted his intentions of wishing to become close friends with them, and so this rested in his heart every hour of the day. 

"I sometimes wonder what it would be like to tell them the truth. I know it is extremely improbable and highly risky to do so, but in such a short time they have become wonderful companions. I feel terribly cruel lying to their faces." Shoto told his mother one evening, taking a stroll in the garden to look upon the fresh spring blooms in the warm evening breeze. 

Fresh daffodils, tulips and hyacinths scattered the flowerbeds, the sakura trees bordering the garden sending a sweet scent through the night air. It did wonders to ease the ills of his heart, thanking his mother for making the suggestion of an evening stroll when he found his dinner difficult to eat that evening. 

"It is a sign of the good heart you hold, dear. I know you care for your friends, it is truly wonderful how they have embraced you as their new classmate in such a short amount of time. But in order to keep enjoying this experience it is a burden you will have to carry." She replied, her voice drifting gently in the breeze, carrying with it her warm intentions. 

"I understand." He spoke with a sigh. "Do you think there will ever be a day where I could tell them? Perhaps I could remain in contact with them after high school, but I suppose meeting in person would be increasingly difficult."

"The life we live is a privileged one, yet it carries a lot of responsibility." Rei began. "But in the end, it truly is up to you how you wish to live the life set out before you. Your father wishes the best for you, as do I."

"I wish I could be as courageous as Touya." Shoto saw his mother's eyes waver as he spoke, his words bringing back memories of a painful past to both of them. "Father wished him to study Politics, yet he chose Art with Business as a minor. He somehow manages to enjoy his hobbies and relationships whilst maintaining father's expectations of him. I do not know if I am capable of doing the same."

Rei paused their walk with a gentle hand on his shoulder, and he turned to face her to listen carefully. She brushed a hand through his hair, likely parting the red strands from the white, before resting a smooth palm on his cheek. Always cool and grounding. 

"It does not do well to dwell on the past, or to think too much of the future. You have such a wonderful opportunity to experience new and exciting things, and to meet people from diverse backgrounds with interesting stories of their own. Focus on that for now, and perhaps the pain in your heart will ease."

Shoto truly hoped so. These thoughts stayed with him for the rest of the evening, even following him into his slumber. Dreams about going to the arcades Kaminari told him about turned into nightmares of his friends turning their backs to him, calling him a liar, a fake, a cruel person, nightmares that left him waking up with teary eyes. It took a while for sleep to return to him again and he hoped he would become his usual self for school tomorrow morning.