Smile for Me

Chapter 6: Memorial

Aizawa POV

It has been about a week since the attack on Shinjuku. Ms.Joke was never found; all that was found was her tape recorder, her belt...and her blood. DNA results say that it was in fact her blood, so there was no doubt about that. Midnight , as she was Emi's closest friend, has been chosen to deliver her Eulogy at her memorial service. Plans had been made, people had been invited, and today was the day. Today, the Heroes and civilians remember Ms.Joke and the smiles she gave to the world.

As Aizawa stood in his all black suit with his hair back, he felt something like guilt.

I'm honestly not sure how to feel about this. She was a pain, yes. But she gave hope to people, and brought joy to places I couldn't on patrols. Maybe I shouldn't have been so harsh to her...

Midnight walks up to the podium in her black dress, and begins to speak.

"Ladies and gentlemen. Hero's and bystanders. Friends. We are gathered here today to honor Emi Fukukado, otherwise known as the Smile Hero, Ms.Joke."

Aizawa was standing in a line of Heroes behind Midnight to honor the beloved Smile Hero. As he glanced at the crowd of people crammed into the small tent, the news crews filming, but in tears as well, and the people he didn't even know, he realized that Emi Fukukado had a bigger impact than he previously thought.

Midnight finished the speech and walked back into the line, and everyone politely clapped. Most of them smiling at the stories that were told of the sea-foam green haired heroine. Each hero went down the line and told a story of the time they had spent with her, and as it came time for Aizawa to speak, he felt...odd.

He stood up on the podium, and took a breath.

"Ms.Joke was a bright and happy hero. She never failed to make everyone feel hopeful that things would be okay...including me.

I don't like to smile very often, but Joke always tried to change that. She very early on realized that I would erase her quirk so she couldn't force me to laugh, yet she kept trying anyways. It was annoying at times, but one thing I admired about her was her persistence. That same persistence carried over into her hero work as well. She fought to keep people safe, and do it with a smile. Like All Might said earlier, that smile gave her fellow Heroes strength as well.

It is important to remember her as she was. Perky, joyful...annoying.."

The crowd chuckled at his comment.

"but the most important thing is to remember that she was a Hero who fought for the safety of others. Thank you."

The crowd clapped for a final time as Midnight came back to the podium to deliver a final statement.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this afternoon we will be holding a public memorial service for Ms.Joke.  To honor her memory, we are asking that you wear bright joyful colors, such as orange and blue, as she was bright and cheerful herself. Thank you all for coming."

Aizawa was too deep in thought at the moment to realize that her didn't own anything with bright colors.

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At the memorial service people talked and laughed and joked with each other. There were so many bright colors in the room that you could practically feel the Smile Hero's spirit.

He smiled softly at the thought of her among all these people, laughing and telling jokes.

"How 'ya doing Eraser?"

He turned around at the nickname to find Mic in a yellow suit with punch in his hand.

He returns back to his regular scowl. "Fine. You?"

"I'm okay. I think the bright colors help. It's what she would've wanted." Hizashi smiles as he looks out over the crowd of people smiling fondly at the large photos of her on the walls.

Aizawa agreed. She wouldn't have it any other way.

Aizawa remembers something in that moment.

"Hey, did you ever figure out what that tape recorder is?"

"Nah, man. Midnight still won't tell me. She did say though that she needs to talk to you...Oh! That's her over there by the punch. You should go over and talk to her instead of moping around."

"I wasn't....Fine, whatever. See ya."

Aizawa walks over towards Midnight talking to a small group of civilians asking questions about things her best friend had done for them. He politely waited for the conversation to end, then he walks up to her.

"Hey, Midnight."

She turns around to face him. "Oh! Aizawa, just the man I wanted to talk too. Can we go somewhere more private for a moment?"

"Sure." he mutters.

Could this be something about the tape recorder we found at the site?

She led him into a hallway next to the party as music started to play in the main hall.

"I'm sure you're wondering about the tape recorder we found.

Emi told us she used that tape recorder to "express her feelings", so most of us assumed it was like a video diary..."

"...But?" Aizawa urged.

"It was more than that. I was the only one she told this to, but these tapes had something to do with you."

"Me?"

okay, now he was thoroughly confused.

"I know, it sounds weird, but she liked you a lot more than she let on...In her will, she left something for you."

For me? Why would she do that? Probably a joke book or something.

"She left you a series of nine tapes that she recorded. They're out of order, but they're meant to tell you something."

He was stunned. She didn't just leave him something. She left him things that she made specifically for him.

"After the memorial service, the principle of Ketsubutsu academy will give them to you."

"Sure..."

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Aizawa wasn't sure why it had to be tapes.

Seriously, Joke? NO one carries players for these anymore? Were you hoping that would prevent me from watching them? If so, why would you even put them in your will?

Luckily for him, he still had his old tape player in a box he found in his closet.

It would've sucked if I had to watch these in a school building where someone could be watching.

He put the first tape in and watched.

He sat back in his chair, stunned.

She...liked me?

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OOF. More angst uwu. Hang on guys, more to come!