Hero Complex

Chapter 002: lost days, bleak future

❝ A MONSTER? NOT ANY MORE THAN THE REST OF US. ❞

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"Huh? No way!" The steady hum of gossiping students resounded through the long school halls. "Such a thing really happened on the first day?"

It was the day after the incident and school had just let out, as a single pretty-looking girl walked through and by the excited congregation, her pleated navy skirt swishing gently against her pale legs as she was accompanied by an exhausted-looking boy by her side wearing a face-mask covering the lower part of his looks. 

"Believe it! Those three girls were sent to the hospital with broken bones and internal bleeding!"

"What did they do in the first place?"

"Oh, they were bullying some abnormal."

"Seriously? Those abnormals sure are dangerous."

In this cruel and uncertain modern world, things had changed drastically only a few years prior with the emergence of a new class of humans, completely crumbling the previous norms and conceptions of humanity.

The mysterious emergence of 'abilities,'『 アビリティー 』strange powers that seemed to have been granted to a certain minority, caused mass panic, fear and confusion. They were deemed as "monsters," "demons," or simply "inhuman," and completely ostracized from society.

The government attempted to regulate these strange happenings by having all peoples with such powers go through a mandatory registry and as such they were often denied jobs, services and there were even designated neighbourhoods for them to live in, away from the rest of the populace. 

As a light rain pattered away outside against the building, the two figures slipped off their slippers and placed them away in their shoe lockers before changing into their appropriate footwear. 

Izumi-chan hadn't come into school that day on account of the incident and how it was probably going to be pinned on her for sending those three girls to the hospital.

Unfolding an umbrella, Daisuke Fūjioka walked out with Himikō standing under the same black shelter and slipped one of her delicate hands into his pocket, knitting their fingers together. 

The sound of rain and their shoes hitting the wet sidewalk accompanied their comfortable silence before the girl decided to speak, tightening her hand slightly with his intertwined one as they walked along the grey streets. 

"Are you going to be bringing Izumi to them?" She asked hesitantly, completely unlike her normal boisterous and outgoing self. 

"I'll have to." Was the serious factual reply. "It was one thing to have her abilities know just at school, but now that this incident reached the parents there'll probably be a school board council meeting on further controlling ability-users in our school."

"So... she won't be able to go anymore?" Himikō bit her lip sharply as she watched the rain puddles ripple as new droplets fell around them. 

"It wasn't your fault. She could barely attend her classes with how bad the bullying was getting. We all knew she couldn't last another year to graduate." Daisuke tightened his hand around hers.

There were many emotions running through Himikō then; guilt, regret, sadness and anger. She was almost ashamed of the difference between her and Izumi since although all three of them were ability-users, Izumi was the only one with an ability she couldn't conceal, while her and Daisuke's were untraceable.