[AKUTAMI APARTMENT – EARLY MORNING]
Yuta woke to the faint sound of footsteps in the hallway.
'Huh?'
He rose, and saw a figure at the door.
Not his mother's wheelchair.
"Eri?"
He found the girl standing by his doorway, blanket wrapped around her shoulders, clutching the rabbit plush.
She didn't move. Didn't say anything. Just stood there, watching him like she needed to confirm he was still there.
Yuta blinked the sleep from his eyes.
"…Morning," he said quietly.
Eri flinched slightly but didn't leave.
He sat up slowly, careful not to make any sudden movements.
"Can't sleep?"
She shook her head.
"Nightmare?"
A pause. Then a small nod.
Yuta exhaled softly and patted the edge of his bed.
"Come here."
She hesitated.
Then walked forward, stopping just at the bedside.
Yuta shifted over slightly, making space.
"You can sit if you want. Just for a bit."
Eri climbed up carefully, sitting cross-legged at the far end of the bed, blanket pulled tight around her.
They sat in silence for a moment. "…You're okay?" she whispered finally. "Yeah. I'm okay. I'm better now."
The silence continued.
"Do you wanna talk about ... The thing?"
Eri went silent for a moment.
"I .. saw him."
Yep. Just as he expected. The best case scenario had unfortunately been avoided, with Eri having nightmares of Overhaul.
"It's ok. He's not here anymore. He can't hurt you."
"... But ... What if I hurt you?"
".."
Her eyes dropped to her lap.
"…People get hurt because of me."
Yuta's chest tightened.
"That's not true."
"It is."
"Eri—"
"He said so. Every time. He .." Yuta's frown deepened. "Damn you Chisaki!"
"He was wrong."
Eri shook her head.
"Listen to me." Yuta waited until she looked up. "You're not cursed. You're not a problem. And you didn't make me do anything. I chose to help you. That's on me. Not you."
Her lip trembled.
"But—"
"No buts." He kept his tone firm but gentle. "You're a kid. Kids aren't supposed to carry that kind of weight. Adults are. And I'm… well, not quite an adult yet, but close enough."
Eri stared at him.
Then, very slowly, she scooted a little closer.
Not all the way. Just enough.
Yuta didn't push.
"…Okay," she whispered.
"Okay."
They sat like that until Aiko's voice echoed from the kitchen.
"Breakfast! Both of you!"
Eri jumped slightly.
Yuta stood and stretched, testing his body.
"Come on," he said. "Mom's cooking is actually good. Don't tell her I said that."
[DINING TABLE – TEN MINUTES LATER]
The table was set with miso soup, rice, grilled fish, and vegetables.
Yuta sat down carefully. Eri sat beside him. Aiko rolled up to the table.
"Eat," she said, placing bowls in front of them. "You need your strength."
"I'm fine, Mom."
"Don't try that with me. I'm not buying it."
"I feel better than I look."
"That's not saying much."
Yuta took his chopsticks.
Eri didn't move.
She looked at the food.
Looked at Aiko.
Looked at Yuta.
Then whispered:
"...I don't… have to finish everything, right?"
Aiko's heart cracked so loud Yuta heard it.
"No, sweetie," Aiko said gently. "Eat as much as you want. No one will punish you here."
Eri nodded, slow and careful. She inched forward, picked up a piece of egg like it might explode, and started eating in tiny, quiet bites.
Yuta sighed internally.
'This is gonna be a long road.'
The TV in the corner was on—low volume, morning news.
Yuta wasn't paying attention until a familiar word caught his ear.
"—Shie Hassaikai organization dismantled following the death of its leader, Kai Chisaki, also known as Overhaul. Authorities report that most high-ranking members have disappeared, with only a handful of low-level operatives in custody. The incident, which occurred in Machida, left one unidentified victim hospitalized in critical condition. Police are still investigating—"
Yuta's chopsticks froze mid-air.
Eri went very still.
Aiko reached over and turned the TV off.
Silence.
"…They didn't say my name," Yuta said quietly.
"No," Aiko confirmed. "The Hero Public Safety Commission requested it be kept quiet. Principal Nezu agreed. Your identity is sealed."
Yuta exhaled slowly.
"Why?"
"Because you're a minor. And a U.A. student. It's best to keep you away from attention. Attention that could possibly ruin your life."
She glanced at Eri.
"And it protects her too."
Eri's hands tightened around her chopsticks.
Yuta set his bowl down.
"…Thanks."
Aiko nodded.
"Now eat. You're going back to school today, and I don't want you collapsing in the hallway."
"I'm not gonna collapse."
"I'll believe it when I see it."
Eri looked between them, then quietly resumed eating.
__
[U.A. – GENERAL STUDIES BUILDING – MORNING]
Yuta stepped through the doors of Class 1-D and immediately regretted it.
Not because of his body—he felt okay, all things considered.
But because the moment he walked into the General Studies building, three people materialized out of nowhere.
"YUTA!"
Hana sprinted toward him like a homing missile.
"Oh no—"
She skidded to a stop inches away, eyes wide.
"You're alive!"
"…Yeah?"
"We thought you died!"
"I didn't die."
Kimura appeared beside her, arms crossed. "You were gone for a week. No messages. No calls. Nothing."
"My phone got destroyed."
Tanaka adjusted his glasses.
"Destroyed how?"
Yuta paused.
"…Accident."
"What kind of accident?"
"The destructive kind."
Hana grabbed his shoulders. "Are you okay? Like actually okay? Because you look okay but you also look like you haven't slept in three days."
"Don't worry about it. I've looked worse."
Kimura squinted at him.
"What happened? You were in the hospital for several days."
Yuta sighed.
"Can we not do this right now?"
Before they could respond, Mrs. Nakamura appeared in the doorway.
"Akutami," she said flatly.
He straightened immediately.
"Ma'am."
She studied him for a moment.
"You look better than I expected."
"Uh… thanks?"
"Sit down before you fall over."
"I'm not gonna—"
"Sit."
He sat.
Mrs. Nakamura turned to the rest of the class, who were all staring.
"Before homeroom begins, I want everyone to know that Akutami is recovering from an injury he was previously hospitalised for. He's recovered enough to attend class. No one is to bother him about it unless he brings it up himself. Understood?"
A chorus of murmured agreements.
She glanced back at Yuta.
"If you need to leave early, let me know."
"I'm fine."
"That wasn't a question. If you feel dizzy at any time, go to the nurse."
Hana gasped dramatically. "He gets out of classes? Lucky."
Yuta glared. "Switch bodies with me, then."
"No thanks."
Nakamura sighed. "Everyone sit. And please don't pester him about his injuries."
Three hands shot up immediately.
Tanaka: "Can we pester him a little—"
"No."
_
[AKUTAMI APARTMENT — SAME MORNING]
Aiko found Eri standing in the hallway. Not doing anything.
Just standing.
Still. Silent.
"Sweetie?" Aiko softened her voice. "Do you need something?"
Eri hesitated.
"…Where's Yuta?"
"He went to school," Aiko said gently. "He'll be back this afternoon."
Eri looked down. Like the words hit her physically.
Aiko stepped closer. "Do you want to wait in the living room with me?"
Eri nodded.
But when she followed Aiko, she walked close. Not holding her hand. Then she sat quietly without complaint as the hours went by.
Aiko smiled sadly.
'Poor child… how much fear is she carrying?'
__
[LEAGUE HIDEOUT – AFTERNOON]
The bar was quiet, lit only by the flickering neon sign humming outside. Kurogiri polished a glass out of habit, even though no customers had ever crossed this counter for legitimate reasons.
Shigaraki sat hunched in a booth, hood up, new scratches on his neck. His voice had the brittle tone of someone who had spent a week losing sleep.
"Where is he?" he muttered. "If this guy wastes my time, I'll decay his shoes first, then his ankles."
Kurogiri tilted his head.
"He will be here soon. Giran said he found someone…unique."
"Unique better mean useful," Shigaraki said. "We can't afford another bunch of rejects."
As if summoned by irritation, the door slid open.
Giran walked in first — loose tie, cigarette in mouth, eyes half-open like he hadn't slept in a week.
Behind him walked a wall of muscle that couldn't quite fit through the doorway.
Kurogiri nodded politely.
"Welcome."
Shigaraki on the other hand, wasn't. "Kurogiri speaks highly of you. This better not be a waste of time."
"Yeah, yeah," Giran exhaled smoke. "This is Kendo Rappa. Ex–Hassaikai. Ex-hitman. Ex-everything. No hobbies besides hospitalizing people."
Rappa stepped fully into the room, boots heavy against the wooden floor. He didn't look impressed. Or intimidated. Or interested.
Mostly, he looked bored.
Shigaraki stared at him from the booth, tapping his fingers against the table—four at first, then all five before he caught himself.
"…He's big," Shigaraki muttered.
Kurogiri hummed. "Astute."
Rappa's eyes narrowed. "This is it? The 'League of Villains'?"
Giran coughed into his hand. "He doesn't mean that as an insult. Probably."
Shigaraki's head tilted slowly. "Is he stupid?"
Rappa shrugged. "I'm not here for a lecture. I came for one thing." He pointed at Shigaraki. "A fight."
There was a long, still silence.
Giran pinched the bridge of his nose. "I told you not to start with that."
"I fight people," Rappa said. "That's what I do. If he's the boss, I wanna see whether he's worth listening to."
Kurogiri folded his hands politely. "You cannot fight him."
"Why not?"
"Because he will kill you."
Shigaraki didn't deny it. He wasn't posturing either—just annoyed. "I don't fight for fun. I fight to break things."
Rappa snorted. "Weak excuse."
Shigaraki stood, scratching at a patch of skin on his neck. "We're done here."
"Tomura," Kurogiri said gently. "Hear Giran out."
Shigaraki glared but sat back down.
Giran flicked ash into an empty glass and sighed.
"Let me make this simple before you two try to stare each other to death."
He tapped his cigarette twice against the counter.
"Rappa here was part of a Yakuza branch that's—well—gone now. Collapsed practically overnight."
Shigaraki blinked.
"Yakuza? They still exist?"
"Barely," Giran said. "This one was called the Shie Hassaikai. Ever heard of 'em?"
Shigaraki shook his head.
"Exactly. Underground. Traditional old ways. Strict hierarchy. Lots of rules. Lots of kneeling."
He jutted a thumb toward Rappa. "And this guy was one of their top enforcers. Muscle for hire and packs quite a mean punch. Useful tool, don't you think?"
Rappa squinted.
"I'm not a tool."
Shigaraki stared at him with a blank, unreadable expression.
"…I mean, you kind of look like one."
Rappa cracked all ten knuckles at once.
Giran quickly stepped between them. "Okay! Moving on!"
He continued:
"Point is—Chisaki's dead. Their compound's gone. Their men are scattered. And Rappa, well…"
He gestures at the man towering over them.
"He's got nothing to do and way too much energy."
Rappa crossed his arms.
"I said it already. I want fights. Real ones. Not staged matches. Not holding back for the boss's plans. If your group can give me that? I'll stick around."
Shigaraki rubbed his thumb against his neck.
"So you don't care about our mission."
"Nope."
"You don't care what we do?"
"Nope."
"You don't care about money."
Rappa growled. "Do I look like I care about money?"
Shigaraki opened his mouth, closed it, then muttered,
"…No."
Giran shrugged.
"He's a simple investment. High return. No cost."
Shigaraki finally leaned forward, elbows on the table.
"…You'll listen to me?"
"As long as you don't bore me."
Shigaraki stared.
Rappa stared back.
It was like watching a Chihuahua try to intimidate a Rottweiler.
Unsuccessfully.
Kurogiri cleared his throat. "Tomura. With the failure to kill All Might and our underlings captured … we do lack manpower. You wouldn't want to find yourself in a similar situation like the last time, right?"
Tomura paused. 'Last time?'
That was the U.S.J attack. His army of villains, beaten by a couple of beats wet between the ears. 'Ugh!'
"Yeah. We wouldn't want a repeat of that."
Shigaraki looked between them—Giran, Kurogiri, then up at Rappa.
"Fine. But if you get in my way—"
"I won't," Rappa interrupted. "Just point me at strong people." Shigaraki tapped the table.
"And if I order you not to fight?"
Rappa paused.
"…Depends. Is the reason stupid?"
Shigaraki's eye twitched violently.
Kurogiri placed a calming hand on his shoulder.
"Tomura. Think of him as… a living battering ram."
"Yeah. With limited brain cells." Shigaraki said irritably.
"Whatever. Let's just get this over with."
"Perfect." A genuinely happy smile graced Giran"s features. "I"ll be expecting that finders fee. It's nice doing business with ya." He turned around and headed for the door.
Kurogiri inclined his head.
"Welcome to the League of Villains… Mr. Rappa."
Rappa rolled his shoulders, satisfied.
"Good. When do we start?"
Shigaraki didn't miss a beat.
"When we find someone annoying enough for you to punch."
Rappa grinned.
"Perfect."
__
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