Leave Your Mark | Various!BNHA x Reader

46: Conflicting Ideals

Shinsou Hitoshi has gone most of his life feeling like an outsider.

The world is unfair, in a lot of different ways. Like it or not, perception matters. People are quick to make judgments about others based on a first impression, and in this chaotic, superhuman society, the number one thing that people are judged on is their Quirk.

It's not like Shinsou chose to have a power like this. Of all things, it just had to be a brainwashing ability. Something that sounds perfect for a villain, rather than a hero. Not that anyone's necessarily accusing him of being evil, but given how his Quirk works, they can't help but be wary. He's even heard people say stuff like, "With a Quirk like that, you could get away with doing all kinds of things, without even getting your hands dirty! Just promise not to use it on us... okay?"

He doesn't mean to dwell on it. Truthfully, he wishes he wouldn't let it bother him so much. But it does bother him. It bothers him so much more than he would like to admit. Not only because of how people see him, but because his Quirk is the whole reason he couldn't get into the Hero Department.

So, yeah. He's jealous. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't jealous of others with simple, straightforward Quirks-ones that are perfectly suited for becoming a hero. He's always wanted a Quirk like that to call his own. He's always wanted people to look at him with admiration and hope, instead of doubt and scrutiny.

And yet, here he is.

Eating with a bunch of students from the department he failed to get into.

"Guys, this is Shinsou Hitoshi," you introduce with a bright smile. "He's another first-year, like us. And he's really nice!"

Shinsou stares at you in disbelief. He's not sure how in the world you could possibly know whether or not he's nice. You barely even talked to him. Although... it probably helps a lot that you don't know what his Quirk is. He'll try to keep it that way for as long as possible. So that you don't start looking at him the same way everyone else does.

"It's nice to meet you, Shinsou," Izuku says, and although his smile is a bit more timid than yours, it's still plenty blinding in its own right.

The table consists of you, Shinsou, Shouto, Izuku, Uraraka, and Iida. Thankfully, everyone seems really welcoming. It's also not an absurdly large group, which puts Shinsou at ease.

Or at least, that's how it starts off.

"Hm? Oh, hey, [Name]," Kirishima greets. He's carrying a tray as he walks alongside Kaminari, Sero, and Mina. The sight of Shinsou sitting with all of you made him stop, though. "Who's that guy? He's not in our class."

"This is Shinsou, another first-year student," you happily introduce once again. You also make sure to add, "He's really nice!"

Ah, well. Shinsou supposes there are definitely worse ways he could be described. It's a nice change of pace, if he's being honest. He can't recall when the last time someone ever called him nice was.

"Cool," Kirishima grins. "Actually, do you mind if we eat with you guys for lunch today?"

"Of course not. The more people, the better!"

While that isn't necessarily always true, it's obvious that you're extremely social and extroverted. Unlike Shinsou, you're used to being the center of attention. Most people wouldn't have the guts to do a Chubby Bunny challenge in public, in front of god-knows how many students were in the cafeteria that day. Shinsou can't even imagine. The thought alone makes him want to dig himself into a hole.

So, a couple more Class 1-A students join the table. They all seem really friendly, but again, Shinsou has yet to divulge what his Quirk is. That's how it always goes. The moment people discover he has the ability to brainwash others, they start treating him differently. He doubts this group will be any exception.