Monoma Neito was used to watching from the sidelines. He was always analyzing, always studying his classmates, copying quirks he couldn't keep as his own. In a way, it mirrored how he felt about people too—close enough to observe, but not close enough to connect.
Shinsou Hitoshi understood that feeling better than most.
Their first interaction had been unremarkable: a meeting in the hallway outside the dorms, where Monoma had half-heartedly taunted Shinsou for being in Class 1-C. Shinsou had just glared, muttering something sarcastic before brushing past him, and Monoma had laughed it off as he always did.
But after that, they kept running into each other. It was subtle at first—a glance during a training exercise, a smirk during a heated debate about heroes and villains in the common room. Soon enough, they were getting paired in combat exercises. Monoma would tease; Shinsou would brush him off with a sigh, but he never seemed to mind the company.
One evening, Monoma found himself on the training grounds, practicing late. He was exhausted, but something in him kept pushing. He didn't notice Shinsou until the purple-haired boy spoke.
"Why do you keep pushing yourself like this?" Shinsou's voice was calm, but his eyes were sharp, cutting through Monoma's usual defenses.
Monoma blinked, caught off guard. "Aren't you one to talk?" he replied, though his voice lacked its usual bite. "I could ask you the same question."
They both stood in silence, a tension thickening the air around them. Shinsou's gaze softened just a little. "Guess we're both trying to prove something."
For a moment, Monoma didn't know what to say. Here, in the quiet, it was hard to hide behind his usual bravado. "People don't get it," he muttered, almost to himself. "My quirk—it's just...borrowing. Nothing really mine. Sometimes, it feels like I'm just watching everyone else become real heroes while I pretend."
Shinsou nodded slowly. "I know the feeling." He paused, then added, "But maybe we don't need other people to see us as heroes yet. Maybe it's enough to keep fighting for ourselves."
Monoma stared at him, feeling something unfamiliar. Trust, maybe. It was strange, the way Shinsou's quiet, steady presence made him feel less alone.
"Then..." Monoma began, hesitating before his voice softened, "...maybe we can keep fighting. Together?"
Shinsou smiled, small but genuine. "I'd like that."
They stood side by side in the quiet, unspoken promises lingering in the air around them, just close enough to start bridging the distance between them.
(OMG IT'S SO AWFUL)
TO BE CONTINUED
YOU ARE READING
Hidden Sparks
RomanceNeito Monoma had always felt like an outsider, defined by a quirk he couldn't fully call his own. Hitoshi Shinsou, on the other hand, knew the feeling of not quite belonging. As they crossed paths in unexpected ways, they found in each other the cou...
