Can We Be Heroes?

Chapter 21• A place called Home.

Shinso walked down the gloomy streets, his footsteps echoing softly in the dull activity of night. The events of the mall incident constantly replayed in his mind like a broken record. The thrill of being Shadow, the near miss with Eraserhead, and the way he had narrowly escaped—it all left him feeling rattled, jumpy, and on edge.

The calls from Monoma and Izuku had started not long after he left from the mall , but he ignored them. He couldn’t deal with their questions or concern right now. Instead, he just kept walking, his hood pulled low over his face as he tried to silence the rising anxiety in his chest. Why was he feeling so jumpy all of a sudden? Was is that the thought of nearly getting caught really rattled his brain or was it something else entirely.

Eventually, the purple haired insomniac found himself standing in front of the small, weathered house he was forced to call home. It wasn’t much—a single-story structure with peeling paint and a yard that hadn’t been cared for in years. Shinso stared at it, his stomach churning.

Was it even fair to call this place a home?

Home was supposed to be a safe haven, a place that brought warmth and comfort. But for Shinso, it was a battlefield, filled with unending shouting, broken furniture, and wounds that couldn’t be seen. Wounds which always reopened whenever Shinso thought that he was healing.

His hand trembled as he reached for the doorknob. Why? Well he was soon about to find out as at the very moment he stepped inside, he regretted it.

The scent of alcohol and stale cigarettes hit him immediately, making his stomach twist. The sound of something shattering in the kitchen followed, and Shinso froze as his father stormed into view.

The man’s face was red, his eyes bloodshot, and his fists clenched tightly at his sides. Shinso could tell right away—he was angry. When wasn't he? But why did his anger feel differently today particularly.

“I heard,” his father started, his voice low but laced with fury while Monoma nearly fainted. Had he found out about Shinso's double life. No,no,no. Please don't let it be what I think it is. “...that you got into a shuffle with some Bakugo kid at that school of yours.”

Shinso immediately relaxed. He doesn't know. Thank God. But he once again found heart sinking, body stiffening as his father slammed his fist onto the dining table, making the dishes rattle. Just because it was not what he thought it was did not mean he was off the hook. He should have known better. The man before him did not know mercy and so it was best to be prepared.

“Seriously, Hitoshi, what is wrong with you?” his father snapped, his voice rising. “What part of ‘don’t get into any more trouble’ did you not understand, boy? I told you that on your first day, didn’t I?”

“Yes,” Shinso replied weakly, his voice barely above a whisper.

His father’s glare darkened. “Answer me like a man, boy!”

Shinso swallowed hard, his voice trembling as he repeated louder, “Yes, Father!”

“And did you do that?” his father demanded, stepping closer, his towering frame casting a shadow over Shinso.

“No,” Shinso said even quieter now.

His father let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. “So what do we do when you don’t obey me?”

Shinso lowered his head, his hands trembling at his sides. This was it. “I get punished,” he whispered with a breaking voice.

His father grabbed him roughly by the collar, forcing him to look up. “That’s right. You get punished. Maybe this time, it’ll teach you to listen.”