Carry You Home

Chapter 6: Why Can't I Move On? (Aizawa's POV)

AUTHORS NOTE: Hey everyone,

Before we get to the story, I just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the loss of someone who meant a lot to so many of us. The news of Liam Payne's death is devastating. Today officially marks a week. Even though Some may not have known him personally, his presence, talent, and impact shaped our lives in ways. It's okay to feel sad, hurt, or even lost during this time. Grief doesn't require personal closeness, when someone becomes an inspiration or brings joy into your world, their absence leaves a real void.

If any of you need a place to talk, vent, or just reflect, I'm here. You're not alone in how you feel. It's okay to mourn, to process this in your own way, and to remember that loss like this affects everyone differently. This is a devastating moment, but we can find comfort in knowing we're not alone in our emotions.

Take care of yourselves, and feel free to reach out if you need anything.

With love,
Ash <3

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It had been weeks since the USJ attack, yet something about that girl had lodged itself in my mind. I only caught a glimpse of her, a flash of her face in the chaos, but that split second was enough to distract me, enough to make me lose focus. And I paid for that mistake. The Nomu almost finished me off because I let my guard down.

I shouldn't be thinking about this. She wasn't anyone important. Or at least, she shouldn't have been.

The girl looked so much like someone I once knew. Someone from a different life. But it wasn't her, there were differences. Her hair was darker, her demeanor colder. And she had a quirk. That alone made it impossible. Y/N never had a quirk. She was quirkless. But the girl I saw at USJ wielded energy blasts with deadly precision.

It's not her.

And yet, I couldn't stop thinking about it.

"Let's see if these students can handle this obstacle course, Eraserhead!"

Hizashi's voice echoed through the stadium, snapping me back to the present. I blinked and refocused my eyes on the arena. The Sports Festival had already started, and my students were making their moves. This was where my focus needed to be.

"Yo, Shota."

Hizashi's voice was quieter this time, meant only for me. He leaned closer, concern softening his usual booming tone. "You've been off since the attack. You sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine, Mic," I muttered without looking his way. I adjusted in my seat, the bandages around my ribs pulling tight, a reminder of what I'd nearly lost that day. "Just in pain. Nothing more."

Hizashi didn't seem convinced, but he let it go. Instead, he turned back to his microphone, resuming his commentary with the kind of enthusiasm only he could bring.

"Alright, folks, here we go! Let's see what these Kids are made of!"

The crowd roared, but the sound barely registered. My eyes followed my students as they ran through the course, but my thoughts drifted back to her. The girl from my past. The one I'd tried to forget.

She had disappeared years ago, leaving a hole in my life I never managed to fill. I buried myself in my work, in my students, because moving on wasn't an option. Hizashi, Nemuri, and the others always encouraged me to meet new people, to move forward. But I couldn't. Not really.

I had been stupid to believe she might still be out there.

My fists clenched beneath the bandages, and I winced at the dull ache in my hands. The girl from USJ couldn't have been Y/N. I knew that. It was impossible. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

Her face, the way she moved, it felt familiar. But it wasn't her. It couldn't be her.

I let my guard down once, and it almost cost me my life. I wouldn't make that mistake again.

"Shota, seriously," Hizashi said, cutting through the noise around us. "You've been staring off into space more than usual. Are you sure you're good?"

"I said I'm fine, Mic." I shot him a quick look, sharp enough to end the conversation. "It's just the pain. I don't need your worry."

Hizashi held my gaze for a moment, his expression unreadable, but eventually nodded. He knew me too well to believe my excuses, but I didn't have the energy to explain what was really bothering me. How could I tell him that the past I'd tried so hard to bury was suddenly haunting me because of a stranger's face?

I needed to let her go.

The girl at USJ wasn't Y/N. She was just another villain, nothing more. Y/N would never have become that. She couldn't have.

And yet, the feeling lingered. That gnawing sense of recognition refused to leave.

I leaned back in my seat, exhaling slowly, trying to shake the thoughts away. I had a job to do. These students needed me to guide them. I couldn't get lost in the ghosts of my past, not now.

She's gone, Shota. Accept it.

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I also want to sincerely apologize for not updating on Monday, I was at a memorial and stayed till late then Yesterday I was swamped with classwork its been a stressful week T^T. 10/23/24

I'm sorry for the short chapter too...

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/ づ💐 <- For my readers!
(its a cat this time since this is an Aizawa POV chapter)