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At the age of 3, Yuki was a curious child always running around and following her older siblings like a duckling. Many things were changing in her day-to-day life, but due to her young age, she was almost entirely oblivious to it. She didn’t know when her older brother Touya would finally come home from Sekoto Peak like he said he would and play with her, or when her mother would come home from the hospital to read her a bedtime story.
But finally, it was her first day of Kindergarten! She excitedly got dressed in her cute little yellow hat, and pale blue dress and strapped on her sneakers, and rushed over to her big sister Fuyumi to brush her long red hair and put them into pig-tails for her. “Now remember to stick close to an adult when crossing the street, be very careful okay?” Fuyumi warned and Yuki nodded diligently, Fuyumi had already shown her, her school and classroom the day before so she knew the route.
“Can Touya-Nii bring me to school?” Yuki asked excitedly, yanking at her elder sister navy sailor seifuku. Fuyumi was 13 and finally about to attend her first day of middle school herself, and was nervously fiddling with her tie, and making sure her hair was okay in the hall mirror when Yuki asked her about Touya she seemingly deflated like a balloon, “Yuki I-...” Fuyumi choked up unable to speak, as Yuki yanked at her skirt, “Come on!!! I wanna see Touya-Nii!!” Fuyumi sniffled, “M-Maybe after school.”
Yuki cheered excitedly jumping up and down and Fuyumi watched her with sad eyes, not having the heart to tell her little sister that her eldest brother was never going to pick her up from school. Fuyumi turned and grabbed their backpack, and handed it to Yuki who pouted at the plain Yellow colour, “No All-Might?” She said and Fuyumi shook her head, “I’m sorry Yuki, they were all out at the store.” Fuyumi felt horrible lying to her little sister, but Enji would never allow his children to own hero merch, especially of the man he deemed his enemy.
Yuki swung on her backpack, she could imagine and play pretend it was All-Might, after all, it was yellow just like his hair! Fuyumi gave her one more look over, pushing the stubborn long bang directly in the centre of her hair to the side and clipping it down with a little barrette. “Is Shoto-Nii going to school?” Yuki asked, and Fuyumi nodded, “Yes, Dad already took him to his school.” Yuki huffed, “Why does Shoto-Nii get driven to school by Daddy?” Fuyumi floundered for a moment before speaking, “B-Because Shoto-Nii’s school is a little farther than yours Yuki.” Fuyumi’s heart clenched at yet another lie this morning.
Yuki nodded understandably and adjusted her backpack and smiled at her elder sister, “Alrighty, I’m off!” Fuyumi nodded, giving her a big hug and opening the front door. “Be careful, remember if you’re in trouble just ask a police officer or hero!” Yuki nodded assuredly and hurried off to school.
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“Now remember Shoto, you’re representing the Todoroki family.” Enji’s towering figure hovered over Shoto, as the young boy faced the floor. His burn ached and his peripheral vision was severely affected by the bandage covering his eye. He was only 5, still in kindergarten through a more prestigious one than Yuki was attending herself. He briefly wondered how his baby sister was faring on her first day of school. “Shoto!” Enji barked and Shoto jumped having gotten lost in thought, and he nodded quickly, “Yes Father, I won’t embarrass you.” Enji nodded, “Good.” He placed a large heavy hand on Shoto’s head as a goodbye before turning and leaving Shoto at the front gates of his school.
Shoto watched him get into his car and drive off, and he sighed fixing his tie hating how it felt like it was choking him as he wore it. He turned around walking through the gates of the school but he paused, he didn’t want to have to explain to his classmates the large bandage covering one side of his face, and he certainly didn’t want to be stuck wearing this stupid uniform all day. He huffed turning around and walking out of the gates taking off his little black hat and stuffing it into his plain black backpack, along with his red tie. He snuck out of the school grounds, none of the teachers even noticing him sneak away with the crowd of parents starting to flood in.
He wondered down the street looking up at the tall buildings and large billboards and advertisements and the shops lining the street with excitement, he’d never been left alone before he always had someone watching him rather it be a nanny, his fathers driver, his big sister, or…his mother. He pouted remembering his mother as his burn ached at the memory and he rubbed it gently with the knuckle of his hand trying to ease the pain.
Many people gave him odd looks, seeing a 5-year-old wandering the streets wasn’t unusual in Japan, but during a school day and wearing what looked like a private school uniform was certainly unusual, especially one who had a bandage covering one side of his face. Shoto of course was unaware of the looks people gave him as he walked past.
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Yuki arrived at the gates of her school and excitedly ran inside, she looked around at all the other kids smiling and staring in fascination at particularly cool-looking quirks, or even ones that looked a little weird. Yuki wondered when her quirk would come in, maybe she’d get cool flames like her dad! Or ice like Fuyumi, Natsuo and Mama!
“Young lady.” She heard a stern voice behind her and she turned around arching her neck to look up at the tall woman behind her Yuki tilted her head confused uttering a soft, “Taka onna?” The woman looked flabbergasted for a moment at Yuki’s words, “Excuse me?” “You’re very tall,” Yuki said, staring with wide eyes up at the woman. She was already quite short for a kindergartener, but this woman towered even over the parents and looks even taller than the doorways.
The woman cleared her throat, “Ehm, alright then. Anyways, as I was trying to say. You can’t wear that backpack here.” The woman, who Yuki assumed must have been a teacher said, and Yuki tilted her head and looked around at the other students before turning to the woman, “Why?” “Because it’s against the dress code. Girls wear red backpacks, and boys black. You’ll need to buy a new one.” The woman grabbed the arm of Yuki’s backpack and snatched it up yanking it right off Yuki’s back making her stumble, “Hey! That’s mine!” Yuki screamed out, and heads turned to watch and stare at the teacher and the young girl, many were confused why the girl was screaming like that.
The woman floundered looking around quickly trying to defuse the situation, “Young lady, stand up right now!” She huffed, as Yuki stayed on the ground where she fell pointing at the teacher, “Thief! She stole my backpack, my big sister gave it to me! Thief!” The woman’s face enflamed as parents whispered, and students giggled, she huffed grabbed Yuki by her arm and yanked her up to a standing position, shoving the bag in her hands. “You may keep it for the day but if I see you with it tomorrow, I’m taking it permanently.” Yuki grabbed the yellow bag tightly shoving her face into the leather fabric and glared up at the woman, “Understood?” She asked and Yuki huffed and nodded, “Yes, ma’am.”
The woman sighed shaking her head, already exhausted from a few moments of the morning. Yuki put back on her yellow backpack smiling that she won this confrontation thus far. Unaware of the stares from her classmates, or the parents calling her a brat and dramatic for such a scene over a backpack.
Finally, the parents left, and Yuki and her fellow classmates were escorted into the school first given their shoe lockers where they changed to their indoor shoes. Finally, in their new classroom, Yuki looked at the seating chart looking for her name but her brow furrowed unable to find it, she walked up to her teacher, a meek-looking woman with snake-like scales and eyes. “Ma’am?” Yuki asked and the teacher looked down at her, “Yes, dear?” “I can’t find my name, can you help me?” The teacher smiled and nodded, bringing Yuki back to the chart, “Now what’s your last name?” “Todoroki.” The woman’s eyebrows furrowed for a moment before looking at the chart and humming, “I can’t seem to find it, are you sure you’re in the right classroom?” Yuki nodded, “My big sister brought me here yesterday, she said this was the class.”
The woman hummed, “One second.” She left the class leaving Yuki standing there, she rocked on the heels of her feet before the teacher came back and ushered her out into the hall. There the principal stood, only identified by the badge on his chest reading ‘Principal Tanaka’ an older man with no visible quirk. “Ah, it’s so nice to finally meet you, Miss. Todoroki.” The Principal said taking Yuki’s small hand in his larger one and shaking it. “You see, your father requested you go by…a different name at this school. I’m surprised he didn’t tell you. He said it was for your protection, with him being a hero and all.” He kept shaking Yuki’s hand making her feel icky with the sweat pouring off this man and she yanked her hand away wiping it off on her dress.
“Your father said you’ll go by your mother’s maiden name. Do you know it?” Tanaka asked and Yuki shook her head, the older man sighed deeply exchanging a glance with the teacher who looked almost frantic, “Himura. You’re under the name Himura, alright?” Yuki pouted, “But I’m not Himura! I’m Todoroki!” “Yes, yes we know Miss. Todoroki. But your father specifically requested it. Said you’d be safer this way.” Yuki pouted staring at the floor and the man pats her head, “It’s alright, at least you know your seat now. Leave your teacher and me for a moment.” Yuki nodded entering the classroom.
“Seriously?” The teacher asked panicked as the Principal quickly grabbed a handkerchief from his pocket wiping off his brow, “Yes, I’m afraid so.” “Todoroki, Enji? That’s her father? Are you sure this is the kind of school she should be going to? I mean we’re a public school, not one of those fancy hero kid private schools.” “Her father insinuated she’d be…better suited here.” “Can I at least get a fire extinguisher back in my room?” “That’s the thing. He…insinuated that she could possibly be completely quirkless.” The teacher was silent for a moment, “Is…is he ashamed of her? Is that why he’s hiding her last name.” The principal shook his head, “Of course not, he’s a hero. He’d never do something like that.”
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Shoto wandered for what felt like an hour before an idea struck him, what if he got Yuki from school and took her to the park with him? He always wants to hang out with his siblings but Dad never lets him, this is the perfect opportunity, he just needed to remember what school she went to.
He tried to recall where Fuyumi said she was bringing Yuki yesterday to show her, her class and school. And when he finally remembered he tried to figure out how to get there. He walked into a convenience store and the shop owner sat on a chair reading the newspaper, he glances at the young boy briefly, barely giving him the time of day before Shoto strolled up to the counter standing on his tiptoes, “Excuse me, sir.” The man looked down at him, “How can I help ya’ kid?” “Can you tell me where Isoroku Elementary School is?” The man assumed Shoto was lost on his way to school, “Alright, so you go down here-” He explained the route the best he could even pulling out a travel map and marking the school down for Shoto and handing it to him.
“Thank you!” The boy said taking the map and examining it, “No problem, make sure to rush but not too quickly if you want to make it to class on time!” Shoto nodded, not knowing what the man meant, “Sure!” Shoto’s plan was coming to fruition. He walked down the winding roads and crossed the streets before finally landing at the front gates of Isoruku Elementary School. The gates were closed, but he noticed some kids playing in the area of the school that housed the playground that was covered by a chainlink fence. He walked over and peered in trying to see if he recognized his little sister, when a student noticed him and walked over, a little boy with blue hair, “Hi, why are you not in school?” The boy asked Shoto and Shoto stared at him fumbling in his brain for an excuse before speaking, “I uh..I…I’m here to pick up my little sister.” It was still sort of the truth.
The boy only stared at him for a moment before nodding, “Oh cool! I wish I had an older brother to pick me up from school early. Who’s your sister?” “Todoroki, Yuki. Small, red hair. Brown-grey eyes.” The boy thought deeply before shaking his head, “I dunno anyone by that name. But there is a girl who looks like that in Class 1-C. The playground period for them is in an hour.” Shoto’s brow furrowed, did he get the school wrong? Wouldn’t hurt to wait and see. And so he waited, the blue-haired boy waved goodbye when the teacher blew their whistle and Shoto hid behind the view of a tree as the teacher looked around for any stragglers.
Finally, a new batch of students rushed out of the door and Shoto looked around carefully for his baby sister. Before his eyes finally landed on her. She looked sad, kicking rocks and tightly holding onto her yellow backpack. The students seemed to avoid her like the plague or push right through her to get places. Seeing this made his blood boil, he put his foot on the fence lifting himself over but his plaid pants tore a little on the sharp top of the fence and he sighed, Dad would certainly train him harder for this, and Fuyumi would be so disappointed sewing a hole into his brand new pants.
He saw a group of girls start to crowd around Yuki and he watched curiously, did she finally get some friends? Finally entering into earshot he quickly realized that was not the case, “Aw look at her cry she’s such a baby!” “Did you see how she acted at the front gate? My parents said she was such a brat!” “Don’t touch her! She’s quirkless, you might catch it!” The girls giggled, as they pushed Yuki to the dirt and yanked her backpack from her spilling the contents into the mud, Yuki scrambled to try and pick her stuff up but a well-placed push with a foot sent her spiralling into the mud herself as the girls laughed louder, “Stop it, you’re being mean!” She said through tears.
Shoto’s blood boiled as he felt the tips of his hair spark with flames for a moment but quickly tried to calm himself, he smirked and placed his right hand on the ground sending ice fractals through the ground and freezing the ground beneath the girls making them quickly lose their balance and fall onto the ice hard with a sharp cry, they scrambled up sobbing and screaming, “TEACHER, SOMEONE USED THEIR QUIRK ON US!!!”
Shoto walked over as Yuki sniffled in the mud, and he quickly started picking her stuff up making her look up at him surprised, “Shoto-Nii?” He nodded, “Let’s go have a picnic.” He said suddenly and Yuki pouted, “They poured my bento out…” She said showing one of the items in the mud was her bento that had fallen open and spilt on the floor with the rest of her items. Shoto nodded, “I have money, we can get Soba.” Yuki nodded sniffling, hearing the gaggle of girls get closer with a teacher in tow she quickly grabbed Shoto’s hand swinging her empty backpack over her shoulder, “Let’s go before they get here or we’ll get in trouble!” Shoto nodded, picking his baby sister up with ease and using his ice to quickly get over the fence sliding down it like a slide.
Running quickly down the street Shoto ducked into an alley breathing heavily his lungs feeling cold from the use of his ice quirk, as he set Yuki down back to her feet, she dusted off her dirty mud-covered dress and smiled at her big brother, “That was so cool, let’s do it again!” Shoto chuckled, “Maybe.” He grabbed her hand gently in his own and they began walking down the street, Shoto pulled out his newly acquired map and looked at the street signs, “The nearest park should be down there.” He pointed down the road, as he stuffed the map back into his backpack. Yuki nodded as they began walking and they were left in comfortable silence.
Finally, in the park Shoto brought Yuki to the restrooms, going to the side of the building he untangled the old hose, “You’re dirty, let’s clean your hands before we eat.” Yuki nodded, and Shoto turned on the house and pour the water into Yuki’s hands, she began wiping the mud and dirt off her legs, hands and arms, as well as trying to scrub out the mud from her pale blue-coloured dress. Finally, all scrubbed clean, Yuki grabbed the hose and messily poured water into Shoto’s hands as well as he scrubbed his hands clean too before finally turning off the hose.
Walking hand in hand once more Shoto looked around at the stores nearby and only saw convenience stores, “Convenience store Soba isn’t exactly the same, but it’s still good. I hope they have it cold.” Shoto said, and Yuki nodded along to his words, she wasn’t a massive fan of Soba like Shoto was. But she was happy to just hang around her big brother as she never got to see him or hang out with him much.
Entering the convenience store Shoto lead Yuki down the aisle carefully looking over the selection of foods, before his eyes landed on a package of travel Soba. He felt Yuki let go of his hand but he let her wander off as he read the package to make sure it was good Soba. “Nii-San,” Yuki said tugging on his sleeve and he looked down, Yuki held up a cream sandwich labelled strawberry and custard Shoto cocked an eyebrow, “Can I have this instead?” Shoto nodded, “Okay.” Yuki smiled brightly as Shoto and her went to the counter setting the items atop, the employee looked at them oddly, “Aren’t you two supposed to be in school?” He asked and Shoto froze, Yuki took over, “Nah, mama told us to get some lunch.” The man, not intent to argue with a kindergartener nodded and rung up the items, “600 Yen.” Shoto nodded reaching into his backpack and pulling out the needed money standing on his tiptoes to place it on the counter. The man took the money and slid the food to the siblings, “Have a nice day, be safe.”
Yuki and Shoto nodded diligently, Shoto quickly put the food in Yuki’s bag for safekeeping. Walking back to the park they sat down on a bench and Shoto grabbed the food back, opening his Soba he quickly started eating Yuki opened her cream sandwich and began digging in Yuki leaned on Shoto as he slurped his noodles, watching the people walk around in the park, “Thank you for saving me, and taking me to the park, Shoto-Nii.” Yuki said and Shoto nodded, “It was no problem. I wanted to hang out with you.” Yuki smiled content with the world at this moment.