Chapter Text
Shouts of pain was pulled out from the red-haired boy as he was flung to the other side of the hall as a result from the kick he had taken to his abdomen, knocking his head as he collided with the wall. He fell to his knees, grasping painfully around his stomach. Gasping out in both pain and the lack of air as it was knocked out of him earlier. He should've known better than to hope his father would give him a moment of breath. He was at his throat in a second, pulling him up and lifting him off his feet as he pinned him to the wall, hand gripping tightly against his throat. Hushed whispers could be heard around them, the caretakers of this house not daring to intervene. He clawed at his father's wrist, having the air knocked out of him again was not great, and he needed desperately to breathe. But he paid no mind, instead leaning in closer to his failure of a son. "That was the third time this week Kiyoshi. If you can't get your head together and beat me in a fight like I trained you to do, what is the point of allowing you to school?" He hissed out, pressing Kiyoshi harder into the wall as he was consumed by rage. Kiyoshi always feel small around his father and he suspects he forever will. He had this effect on him, making him feel so small and insignificant, worthless and no better than trash. No, he told him even trash had better use than him. Kiyoshi only knew how to let out a sharp hiss of pain, as he was not allowed to make a sound. Any display of weakness would only get him into more trouble. He searched for his father's face for any sign of kindness, or love in his eyes. However, his father has never bore any type of affection for him. Only expecting the best and only the best from Kiyoshi, pushing him to his limits and beyond. Kiyoshi moved his mouth to speak, to beg for forgiveness or mercy he did not know. As his mouth parted a hard cruel slap landed on his right cheek, snapping his head to the other side. Kiyoshi could taste blood in his mouth as he blinked away his tears threatening to spill. "You're lucky to have the quirk you have. If not for that quirk of yours I would've sent you away in shame." When Kiyoshi's father spoke, he spoke with distain and pure disgust. Like he was the failure in their long bloodline of hero work, that stain on his white shirt. His father couldn't even be bothered to talk to him outside of training. Kiyoshi thinks it might be because he reminds his father of his mother. He had only heard of her from stories, because she left when he was born. Given away to his father to raise, he had to endure his father's ways of teaching growing up. Noticing Kiyoshi seem to be running out of air, he finally let him go. He collapsed to the floor in a coughing fit, rubbing his throat as he tried to calm himself down. Breathing heavily, he dared to look up to his father. That only seem to enrage him however, when he kicked Kiyoshi aside again. He was sure many bruises will be coming up, and he won't be able to hide them at all. "One more slip up, passing out during training, and I'll have you pulled from school to be home-schooled. You understand me boy?" With much effort, he nodded to his father's words. Not daring to speak up. He seem satisfied with that and left with a scoff, mumbling some insult towards his son as he left. If only the world knew just how cruel one of most successful company working with the Commission was. Then maybe he wouldn't have to suffer. Then maybe, just maybe, he could hope to dream.
Days passed as he stayed home from school, letting his injuries heal yet also training with his father. He worked him to the bone, never allowing him a moment of rest longer than 5 minutes. Kiyoshi took to the sky as his father followed close behind, sending out his own feathers to wound him. He took the hit, but fought back with his own. Kiyoshi failed to be successful of his assault, because fact was his father was just faster and had better control of his quirk than him. He growled as he knocked him down, pinning him on the ground with his foot. "Think of your wings as an extension of your body part. Simple fact is because they are. Don't hold back." Father's words rang in his ears as he processed them, taking in the knowledge and fact. His father let him get back up, and seemed to have considered the time. "Take a break. Your wounds seem to be healing…good. That means you can go back to school and keep up with your appearance. If I hear of a fight with that Bakugo Katsuki again I'll have you locked up all summer. Then you won't get to hang out with that green hair freak of a friend of yours." Kiyoshi clenched his fists as he heard his father's insult to his friend, gritting his teeth as he scowled at him. His father, never liking attitude back from Kiyoshi smacked him with his wings. "Don't you give me that look. He's quirkless, natural freak in the supernatural world, no?" His laugh echoed through the empty garden, doubling over just to annoy Kiyoshi. But he disagreed. It didn't matter what quirk a person had, that didn't determine their role in society. Just because Izuku was quirkless doesn't mean he couldn't have him as a friend. In fact, he was the only one in school to see him as another student other than Tsukahara's son. His father sighed seeing his son defiance face, giving him another smack to the head with his fist before he walked away. Leaving him in the cold.
When Kiyoshi was back in school, he finds himself lucky to have Izuku lending him notes to copy, and informing him of homework. "—and you could potentially…" He paused, noticing the boy's lack of focus in conversation. "Kiyoshi?" He called out softly, worried. Izuku remembers the first day they met, when Kiyoshi had gotten into a fight with Bakugo because he caught him bullying him. Izuku was moved by Kiyoshi's braveness, but he also thought he was reckless and hotheaded to have gotten in a fight without trying to talk things out. Though, he supposed from outside perspective he looked like he was being bullied by Kacchan…and he was. Either way, when he tried to thank him afterwards using his surname because they were not on first name basis, he had scowled at him and insisted he called him Kiyoshi. That is how they became friends, Izuku thinks. "Ah. I'm sorry. I was not paying attention." Kiyoshi admitted, turning his gaze away as he fidgeted with his fingers. Izuku stared into his golden like eyes, finding them beautiful in the sunset. Though Kiyoshi will never say this out loud, he was busy admiring Izuku and how kind hearted he was. Little did he know, Izuku thought the same as they sat in silence. After a while, one of them spoke up. "Which high school do you plan to go to?" Izuku asked nervously, biting his lip and rubbing his fingers together. Although Kiyoshi could not understand why he needed to do such an act, as he had no reason to be nervous around him, he did not question it. He was silence for a moment, thinking about his answer. "…My father wishes me to enter U.A." his voice barely above a whisper as he continued. "But…never mind. If it's what he wishes for, I shall see to it." Izuku tilted his head in confusion, though he registered U.A into his head and brighten up. "Me too! Maybe we'll be able to get in together and—" halfway through his sentence Kiyoshi pulled Izuku's hands together to hold, pulling them close as he leaned in on his friend, shutting Izuku up immediately as he stared into his golden eyes with his ears red. He made a confused sound before Kiyoshi spoke again. "Izuku, it's nice to dream. But honestly, and I'm sorry to say this. But you know it's near impossible to get into U.A without a quirk. Yes, general studies is possible, but hero course?" He shook his head. "You're extraordinary, Izuku. It is rare to find such a pure soul alike to yours. It pains me to say this, but I don't…" He pulled his hands back, head down and trembling. Kiyoshi didn't know if it was from anger or shame, but he regretted speaking. "No, wait. I was—" Izuku stood up, with a forced smile on his face he looked directly at his face and shook his head. "You're right. I know that. I just can't help but think…" the conversation ends there, because he knows what he's going to say. Despite a few months together as friends Kiyoshi knows of Izuku's dream and his talent to analyze quirk in such a detailed way that one would think his quirk was just analyzing other quirks. But no, reality was Izuku was quirkless. When Izuku leaves, something tugs at Kiyoshi's heart. Though, he doesn't know what it is, or what it could possibly mean.