My Neighbor, Deku

Chapter 12: Not So Different

I was stunned. Speechless. Who in the world was this guy?

This kid is just a year and a few months older than me. What would make him say such a thing?

"So... what about you? What's your story?" I asked cautiously.

He laughed, a mix in between amused and bitter as he ate some of his food, "Now you wanna know my story? I asked you first, but alright."

He forcefully swallowed his food and turned to get a better angle at me.

"My parents were murdered by the Hero Killer."

My jaw dropped as I blinked a few times in disbelief. "Stain?" .

"Yeah, in the flesh. And now I'm here. You see? Not much to tell for my story." He said bluntly, shrugging and dismissing it off easily.

I grabbed his wrist, practically on the edge of my seat, literally and mentally.

"Wait... what?! No, that can't be it. You're lying or something! Come on, this is serious. Stain is a really scary villain."

"Scary?" Satoru tilted his head. "More like-terrifying. I thought you were smarter than that. Seeing Stain, face inches away from mine, feeling his breath on my face, the air reeking of blood...it's something more 'scary' than words."

I let go of him in defeat, apologizing softly. He encountered something that I couldn't even imagine. I really underestimated him.

"I'm... sorry. I assumed that I was the one going through the most right now."

I guiltily looked at my unfinished meal and pushed it away, stomach churning.

He put a hand on my shoulder and pat a few times, grinning despite the story "Hey, I think we've both encountered something pretty terrifying at some point."

I glanced up at him, eyes full of doubt. I felt another uneasy chill.

He looked at me and smiled softly, "So, you ready to tell me yours?"

I shrugged a little, adjusting my weight on my seat.

"Yeah... I think I am."

I took a deep breath and spilled it all out.

"My dad... is a villain. He's known as Dark Phase. My mom is a pro hero, Mrs. Invincible. One night there was a fire; a really bad one. They both died and All Might took me here. The problem is that I was closer to my dad. My mom was never really home. Because of this, everyone believes that I will become a villain. That I will follow in my dad's footsteps. They believe he started the fire and rumors spread that it was to kill me and my mom."

Tears started to form as I looked straight at Satoru.

"But I don't believe it. He would never do that."

He looked with eyes full of genuine understanding.

"Wow, guess we both encountered villains in our lives," He said as he picked up his empty food tray, " and just like me, you assume... no, believe, that they are not as bad as they may seem."

I watched him walk off and I couldn't help but feel a smile creep up to my lips. We weren't so different after all.

He's not bad. Maybe misunderstood, but not bad."

Click. Click. Click.

My thoughts were quickly interrupted by the sound of heels stomping on the tile floor.

Hayle was suddenly next to me and tugged at my ear. "What did I tell you?!" She hissed, voice laced with venom. I tilted my head in her direction to try to make the throbbing stop from her grip.

"W-what?! I didn't-!" I stammered rapidly, panic and frustration fueling my words before I could think properly.

Satoru suddenly came back and tapped on Hayle's shoulder.

Ohhhh shoot.

"Um, Mrs. Hayle?" He asked as she quickly let go of my ear. I rubbed it tenderly with my fingers.

"Oh, Satoru! H-how is everything? Find everything alright? It's getting late, you should unpack."

I knew that she was trying to change the subject, and fortunately, he knew too.

"What were you doing to (Y/N)?" He asked as he glanced at me.

"That is none of your concern." Hayle replied as she stood up slowly, practically towering over him.

Satoru's gaze moved up to her's. He stayed put and crossed his arms. His eyes seemed to glow, although they were chocolate brown. It made his hair look brighter; the color piercing through the room, too painful for the eyes to look at.

"Is (Y/N) in trouble?" He asked as his expression turned a bit dark. His hair casted a deep shadow that made him look more serious.

"Y-yes. N-no. I-" Hayle stammered as she tried to break his eye contact. Something seemed to be holding her back, she hesitated, confused. Satoru's voice suddenly turned smooth, soft, like a lullaby that rocked a baby to sleep. "(Y/N) didn't do anything wrong. Can't you just leave us alone? You didn't need to do that. Maybe you should leave."

Hayle expression turned whispy. Her eyes seemed to gloss over and she gave a simple nod as she walked away from the table.

My mouth was in a gap, eyes glued on Hayle as she walked away aimlessly.

What the-? How-?

"Bet you're wondering about that, huh." He said when Hayle was out of hearing range.

I nodded rapidly in eagerness and disbelief.

"Well," he stared straight at me, "why don't you ask?"

Something like a chill crept up my spine. I felt out of control for a moment, the words coming out of my mouth unwillingly.

"How did you do that?"

We broke eye contact, and suddenly I felt relieved, free. Satoru laughed jokingly.

"Haha, sorry about that. It's my quirk," he explained, "I have the power to persuade people when I make direct eye contact. Sure, there are limits, but that's how I usually make people do what I want."

"Wow." I murmured as I took a closer look at him. I suddenly noticed something. He never really looked directly at me, his eyes were always directed a bit upward, towards my eyebrows.

"Do... do you like your quirk?" I asked, trying not to sound as hesitant. It was a genuine question, but I didn't realize the effect it had.

Satoru gave me a solid answer. "No. But who does? Some make you seem like a monster."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." I agreed tonelessly, staring at my own hands. "But that doesn't mean we are."