Chapter Text
The scratching of pencils and impatient taps of feet filled the tense classroom. Only a minority of students were still on task, most watching the clock with unabridged anticipation.
5 minutes left.
Shuffling sounded as a few eagerly packed their bags. The teacher paid no mind, not bothered, instead focusing on the last few pieces of paperwork she was working at. You’d think she’d finally get a break, the amount of paperwork that came with teaching the brats should double her wage.
2 minutes.
Some more shuffling of people getting ready, now all but one was packed and nearly falling off the edge of their seat. Perhaps because the final one was laying asleep, head down and purple hair drooping over their arms.
1 minute.
Everyone was standing now. Bar one. Or two if you counted the teacher who had their brows knitted with frustration, scribbling over something with barely suppressed anger.
10 seconds. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1.
Nothing.
It seemed the whole classroom let out a sigh of exasperation, shoulders sagging.
Well, until a shrilling bell rang out. Signalling the end of the day. The end of the school year and the end of many students’ middle school career.
It was only a few seconds late, but decades in the hyperbolic eyes of the students.
The loud noise was followed by an even louder one as students pushed their way out the door. Shoulders bashing and curses spilling.
But it wasn’t long before the classroom was quiet again, the far off sounds of chatter and gossip only being heard. The sleeping student groaned, annoyed that his much needed nap had been so rudely interrupted. He was going to take a few moments to regain his bearing but was rushed along by the teacher standing at the door, papers under arm.
He sluggishly rose out of his seat, bones already aching once more, before grabbing his bag. He shuffled out the door.
He was walking down the corridor when he was stopped by someone calling out.
“Forgot to mention, well done on getting into U.A, kid.”
A proper look at the teacher’s face would show that they didn’t actually care, merely saying the congratulations as a formality of some kind.
He nodded his head in acknowledgement.
The second person to congratulate him in his month of knowing. And it was a teacher. If he was less tired he might’ve actually been able to bring himself to care.
Walking closer to the exit the noise of conversation got louder. As he walked out the door the source of it made itself obvious. Students were gathered in the courtyard, making plans to hang out over the break and discussing what high school they were attending.
He shoved through the gaggles, glancing side to side to see if he could spot the telltale tuft of green. He was only a few yards away from the gate. Perhaps he would make it out of the school without being attacked. Hope lit up in his chest, if only for a split second.
“Toshi!”
Ah, he spoke too soon, he thought as a weight barreled into his stomach, arms wrapping around his torso.
He barely kept his footing, stumbling for a few seconds before regaining his balance.
“Midoriya.”
Shinsou cringed as the name came out curt, sounding annoyed. He was, annoyed that is, but it wasn’t his intention to let Midoriya know that.
The pressure released itself from his abdomen. The green-haired boy beamed up at him, practically vibrating with excitement.
“So… I was thinking that we could hang out today to celebrate the end of hel- I mean middle school!” A sly smile made its way onto Midoriya’s face at the deliberate slip up. He looked ecstatic about the idea of hanging out for the day.
On the other side of the spectrum, a pit settled in Shinsou’s gut, feeling exhausted at even just the prospect of being around Midoriya for any longer than necessary. He was going to make up some excuse about having to prepare for U.A to avoid it, but then his eyes caught a glance of Midoriya’s face and he immediately felt guilty.
“Of course, what did you have in mind?” he said, perfectly maintaining a level voice.
As much as he dreaded it, he felt he couldn’t deny the kid one more day of enjoyment.
Just one more day. You never have to see him again after this.
Those words played like a broken record, repeating over an over inside his head.
“Well, I was thinking we could just go get ice-cream and then head to that beach that got cleaned up recently. You know, up at Dagobah?”
Shinsou nodded. He knew that beach, basically everyone had at this point considering it was miraculously cleaned within the span of several months from a garbage heap to a pristine paradise. It was rumoured that it was a blonde teenage boy who had done it, which Shinsou found hard to believe as it was a mammoth task to take on alone, especially by a mere teen.
“Sounds good,” he confirmed.
With that, they set off. Walking down the different streets, Midoriya rambled about a new hero who had debuted recently, animatedly recounting their first villain fight. Shinsou wasn’t listening particularly well however, more so trying to stop a demand for the quirkless teen to shut up. Still, he gave a few noises of acknowledgment in the appropriate spots, at least giving off the impression that he was paying attention.
A voice in the back of his mind berated him for shrugging off the boy’s analysis, calling him rude and downright arrogant, but it was drowned out by another voice questioning why the boy was still so full of hero worship. He would’ve thought that after being rejected from all U.A courses for his quirkless status alone, thereby having his dreams crushed, he would have given up already.
Eventually they stopped outside a shop. An ice-cream parlour to be precise. The one they had often frequented after school over the years.
Midoriya grabbed Shinsou’s hand and burst through the door, waving happily to the cashier.
“Ah, Midoriya-sama and Shinsou-sama! I was wondering whether you two would stop by,” she greeted.
“Hey, Yuri,” Shinsou replied.
“Yuri! How many times am I going to have to tell you to just call me Izuku?” Midoriya sighed dramatically.
“Likely till the day you die,” she responded playfully.
“Can we at least drop the ‘-sama’?” The pout on Midoriya’s face was almost laughable.
“Nope.”
“Ugh, Toshi, back me up here!”
“I don’t think I will,” Shinsou retorted, the snide remark instead coming across as sarcastic to the other two. Oh the joys of having a generally cynical personality, something Shinsou would forever be grateful for as it meant people normally didn’t take his cutting remarks too seriously.
“Tough luck, Midoriya-sama,” Yuri spoke, fake sympathy prevelant, “but you two came for ice-cream rather than a conversation with little old me, so what can I get you? I’m guessing it’ll be your usuals?”
Midoriya looked to Shinsou who nodded in agreement.
“Yep!”
Midoriya watched with glee filled eyes as Yuri made up the two desserts. After the scoops had been stacked into the cones she reached across the counter to hand them over.
The personalities of the two boys were obvious just by looking at the cones. Midoriya’s was scoops of bubblegum, covered in so many mini marshmallows and coloured sprinkles that they looked like they were ready to fall off at any moment. Meanwhile, Shinsou’s was much more reserved, only a little more than a scoop of coffee ice cream with no other additions, a simple desert that Midoriya had referred to as ‘boring’ more times than Shinsou cared to count.
Yuri rang up the order in the cash register, reciting the memorised price. Shinsou reached into his pocket to get change to pay for his but a hand on his wrist stopped him.
Looking up he saw Midoriya retrieving the money for both of their’s from his wallet. Shinsou gave him a confused look, normally they each covered their own.
Midoriya gave an understanding smile before handing over the money, “My treat.”
Again, that guilty voice echoed in the back of Shinsou’s head, calling him an asshole for taking advantage of Midoriya’s kindness and not offering anything in return. He crushed that voice immediately, reassuring himself that just by hanging around Midoriya he was giving something in return. It’s not like Shinsou enjoyed being around him, their ‘friendship’ was for Midoriya’s benefit only.
Well, slightly for Shinsou’s benefit also. Midoriya was the only one who was ever willing to talk to him in their damned middle school. Of course it was only the quirkless nerd who had the balls to talk to him.
He was shaken from his thoughts when Midoriya nudged him, pointing to Shinsou’s ice cream which had started to drip down his hand. Shinsou startled, questioning how he hadn’t noticed whilst licking up the drips.
With that, they left the store, calling out a farewell to Yuri and heading towards the beach.
They walked in silence while eating, Midoriya being too engrossed with his sweet treat to make conversation and Shinsou just not being bothered to engage with the other.
However, Midoriya was a speedy eater, having finished his before Shinsou was even half way through his own. With no distraction, he launched back into his analysis, somehow now having moved onto a Support Company which made gloves which concentrated energy and converted it to magnetic pulses.
The look of enthusiasm on Midoriya’s face was one Shinsou could only ever dream to match. How Midoriya maintained that level of energy after being both metaphorically and literally beat down his whole life was a mystery. Shinsou only got ignored by his classmates, something he would be eternally grateful for after seeing the unadulterated hatred Midoriya faced in the form of beatings and suicide baitings, and even he didn’t have it in him to keep that amount of energy.
During Midoriya’s speech, he’d made several large arm movements, each on causing his uniform sleeve to ride up his arm. The expanse of white bandages crossing over both forearms were strikingly obvious.
The voice piped up again, ask him if he’s okay. No. Shinsou reminded himself that he didn’t care about the boy’s wellbeing. They were most likely burns from Bakugou or injuries from other classmates anyway. He remained silent.
The beach soon came into view, the golden sand contrasting with the clear sea. The waves were relatively calm, lapping up the shore with a tentative reach. Without realising, the tension in Shinsou’s shoulders released a little.
Midoriya started ripping his shoes and socks off, running onto the sand and straight towards the water, hiking up his trouser legs as he ran. Whilst Midoriya took off like a bullet, Shinsou took his time in removing his shoes and socks, placing them neatly next to Midoriya’s.
He walked up to the tide, not stepping into the water, instead settling for watching the green-haired teen splash about, soaking both himself and his clothes. Shinsou rolled his eyes, sometimes Midoriya acted more like a child than a teenager.
By the time Midoriya was satisfied with how wet he was, the sun was beginning to set below the horizon.
They both walked back up to where they’d left their shoes. They both sat down on the soft sand, Midoriya leaning back so far that Shinsou could almost see the sand grains getting tangled up in the other’s green curls.
The stars started to peek out in the darkening sky, Midoriya pointing and naming different constellations, Shinsou giving his input every once in a while. This moment was probably the first that Shinsou had genuinely enjoyed since Midoriya had asked to hang out.
If Midoriya was as calm as this all the time, maybe he wouldn’t be as unbearable to hang around. To have a conversation with Midoriya about anything other than heroes was a blessing. The fact that Midoriya still dreamed to be a hero after being diagnosed as quirkless pissed Shinsou off. Not that he could ever explain why.
Unfortunately, it was cut short as Shinsou got a call from his mum telling him he needed to go home. Getting up and brushing himself off, he slipped back on his shoes, already getting irritated by the feeling of sand in the fabric of his socks and inside his shoes. He noticed Midoriya had made no move to get up, but he shrugged it off.
“See you soon!” Midoriya proclaimed.
No, you won’t, Shinsou thought, I’m going to U.A now, I don’t need a quirkless kid holding me back.
“Of course! Talk to you soon,” Shinsou said, like a liar. He turned to walk away, not looking back to Midoriya in case that guilty voice in the back of his head made him rethink his decision.
Midoriya was left sat alone in the sand, watching the retreating form of his one and only friend.
“No you won’t,” he muttered, silent tears tracking down his face.
He didn’t need to go home yet. Not for a long while.
The cold rattled his bones, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He didn’t know what time he finally started the journey back ho- his house, just that it wasn’t long after the sun had started to rise again.
That was the last time Shinsou saw Midoriya.
Well, the last time until now.