Chapter Text
She'd known it, yes. For a month - that felt like years - she'd known. She'd denied it, she'd accepted it, she'd mourned it, she'd gotten angry. But she hadn't told a soul.
But they all learnt about it one way or another. How long could they hide, it seemed every misogynistic pig out there sat behind screens ready to tear them down.
It was when they'd all gone shopping and separated from the boys that Ashido had brought it up. She'd seemed down all week, Ochako hadn't really noticed. She had her own demons to hide.
"Hey, guys..." She seemed subdued, immediately catching everyone's attention. "Uh, I found something the other day."
"What was it?' Tsu asked, overlapping with Yaomomo's "are you okay?'
Ashido shook her head, face crumpling at the thought of whatever she found. She looked like she was on the verge of crying. Not a good idea, they were in public and easily recognisable. The last thing they needed was to add crybaby to the list of all the things being said about them.
How come Deku didn't get shit for it, Ochako thought bitterly, before she realised how mean that was.
Ashido had pulled out her phone with the other girls crowding around her, while Ochako had been fighting her conflicting thoughts.
"Look," Ashido whimpered, squeezing her eyes shut so she didn't have to read her screen again.
'The only good thing about wanna-be hero ladies is that they're all sexy. i'd bang them if i could, even the yunger ones look sexy af'
'if the only thing they're going to do is model and seek fame and money, why not just choose a different career. They can go with modelling, or singing for that one Jitou chick (whatever her name was, I don't really pay attention). Now I'm not trying to be sexist (I'm a girl, you haters) I'm just being realistic.'
no you're not. Ochako wished she could speak out, but she always choked up when she read stuff like this. Pieces of her armour chipped away because now there was physical proof of every doubt she'd had this past month.
"This...where-how..." She couldn't find the right words to ask.
"I-I was just looking through a Rykyu forum," Ashido stammered. "The comments, in the beginning, were good, they were supportive and nice. I-I don't know why I scrolled."
Yaomomo pulled her close, an arm wrapped around her shoulder. Would someone have comforted Ochako a month ago, if she'd told them? Was it still too late for the comfort.
"I-I read them, too." Ochako swallowed, saliva, but not the truth this time. She came out clean.
"What?' Ashido's head snapped up. "When?'
"Is that why you've been acting weird?' Tsu asked, observant as ever.
"I've...read them too," Kyouka admitted. Now, this came as a shock, because she hadn't been acting any different than before. "Well, not about us, I mean. But I knew people said stuff about female pro-heroes."
"These comments..." Yaomomo trailed off, horrified. "Why would anyone say these sorts of things?!'
"This is so mean!' Hagakure squealed. "Wait...Is that about me?'
'lols, cant believe they think well put our trust in some stupid bitch we cant see?'!
Ochako could hear Hagakure's breath stutter. It was one little question, a few words. Sixteen, to be exact. Still, it hurt more than she herself could put into words - for her, sixteen was too much and nearly not enough.
She snatched the phone, Ashido yelping at the sudden action. Scrolling, she froze.
"Who-who is Toru Hagakure?' She read aloud, something in her shattering.
"Her quirk really suits her, I even knew Mineta existed and he's a piece of trash."
They couldn't see her tremble, but if the phone's shaking was anything to go by...
"Yo!' Eijirou startled the girls, Ochako even jumped a bit. Her neck heated up but luckily no one saw.
"What're you girls up to?' He asked cheerfully, slinging an arm around Ashido's shoulder.
"Nothing," Ashido said, stiffly, grabbing her phone from Hagakure's hands, who did nothing to stop her. Ochako watched her hesitate over the close button, instead not turning her phone off and not closing the website at all.
Ochako understood - it felt bad reading all those things about you (once you read them, you couldn't unread and you'd doubt yourself every day) but you couldn't stop. There was an urge to keep going, to read all the crap people were saying and thinking about you. It was nearly addictive, in the same unhealthy way drugs and alcohol were.
"I have to go," Yaomomo said, and slowly they all dispersed. The girls grabbed their things, leaving a poor Eijirou standing there, confused.
Later, he would be asked why the girls left early by Denki and the others, and have no answer to give them. They'd ponder it for a minute before they moved onto another topic, the worry in the back of their minds.