Warning: Possible Major Manga Spoiler

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I am okay.

If we ignore my practical death sentence, I am doing pretty well. I'm not crying all the time. I'm simply existing, and I consider that an achievement. In other people's terms, it means that I am suppressing my true emotions.

To those who believe that, you're probably right, but I am choosing to ignore it.

I am okay.

Ever since opening up to Hizashi, I haven't been allowed in my room. Hizashi explained that it wasn't helping me by hiding in there, so I was forced to stay in Hizashi's dorm. In addition, I can't stay laying there. I have to move. You would think that would be easy for someone like me, but it isn't now. It feels like something is constantly holding me down. The best comparison is it's like wearing heavy clothing. Uncomfortably heavy clothing.

I hate it, but I am okay.

Back to the moving thing, I have to move. Otherwise, Hizashi pulls my ass off the couch and drags me around. I honestly really don't give a damn about that. However, I know that Hizashi is trying, and I don't want to make his efforts worthless. I only try for him. He has helped me so much in the past, probably way more than he realizes. The least I can do is not be an ass to him.

It's genuinely hard. I can only take a few steps before I become exhausted. The moment I sit down, I fall asleep again. Sure, it's been getting better, but it's slow progress. Imagine being able to run for hours on end without needing a break only to be forced to take a break after only a few steps.

Don't even get me started on eating. All I can say is that I am eating.

It's unfair, but when has my life ever been fair?

The first couple of days after my removal from my room, I just stayed in Hizashi's room. I didn't see much of a reason to go outside. Why would I if I'm just going to pass out on the couch in the teacher's dorm living room?

However, eventually, I did go out there. I went out there, passed out on the couch, woke up an hour or two later, and started annoying the teachers more and more overtime.

After doing that for a few days, I am now at a point where I don't immediately pass out when I go out there. I can say up for a bit. I still need to sleep quite a bit, but it's not as much as before. For a comparison, before, I was sleeping more than Shouta. Now, I sleep just as much as him.

Oh, Shouta...his ass still hasn't woken up yet. For fuck sakes, the one time I am taking naps like he wants, he decides to get his dumbass into a coma. Like, if I was in a coma, I would have already woken up by now. Actually, I would have woken up a week ago. Shouta has the fucking nerve to stay in a coma for a week.

I am going through this. The least the universe could do is give me Shouta so he can beat the shit out of me. I love Hizashi and Nemuri, but I want everyone here. I know his ass will wake up, though. He's just taking his sweetass time as always.

I guess I am stuck with the cards I have for now.

At the moment, I am on the teacher's dorm living room couch with Snipe. Usually, if he's in the same room as me, I would just leave. However, I like to believe that I have become a better person. I can have a casual conversation with the teachers I usually hold a vendetta over now. It's probably because it's a bitch to move, but, at the same time, I'm willing to take any company at this point. They're not absolute assholes to me all the time, so it works out.

I may or may not have become clingy, but that's a future me problem. Right now, I'm traumatized, so it's perfectly for me to be clingy. If I get better, we'll forget this all happened.

Now let's reenter hell.

"Kid, I swear to al' dat is mighty that if ya don't stop calling me quirkless-" Snipe grumbles. This man is a menace to society. Why won't he just accept the truth? Also, why are his feet on the coffee table? I don't care if he has boots on or not, I don't want the coffee table to be dirtied, especially since I place my plate on it sometimes.

I would be curled up under a blanket watching the news on TV while I am talking to him, "There's nothing wrong with being quirkless, Snipe. If anything, you should be proud of your gun for having a quirk."

"What ya saying is dat ev'ry ranged weapon dat I have touched in my life has a quirk."

"That is more valid than having a quirk that only works when you're holding a ranged weapon. What would define that? Would throwing a gun work?"

"Literally anything works as long as I can toss it. Doesn't work as well as a gun, tho."

"Obviously. It's not the worse quirk out there. I'm just saying the items have the quirk rather than you."

"That would mean every item I have touched has a quirk."

"Exactly."

Snipe sighs, removing his feet from the coffee table and getting up finally, "And you call me quirkist."

"I think I am valid to be quirkist." I will admit that I can be quirkist at times, but I believe that, because of that, I'm less quirkist than others when the moment calls for equality.

"Isn't dat spreading the problem?"

"It's not like I am posting on my Twitter to be quirkist or quirkless supremacy. Everyone's a little bit quirkist, Snipe."

"Whatever, I'm gonna shoot some kids." For clarification, yes, he does this. However, it's to work on their dodging. No, he doesn't use real bullets for some reason.

I flop onto my side and look up at Snipe, "Wait, who's going to keep me company?"

"Probably sum upper being to keep ya from burning the place down."

"He don't exist though."

"Then take a nap, I have work to do," Snipe doesn't even give me a chance to say goodbye as he just leaves. Bastard.

However, I seem to accidently follow his advice because one moment I am on my side by my side.

The next moment, I hear a lot of conversation filling the room. Then, it suddenly goes quiet.

Without prewarning, Hizashi's voice erupts from where I think the front door is, "No way am I letting you in! I just told you that Izuku is resting and will be on vacation until further notice! He doesn't need to hear about this, let alone help in this! This is on you guys at this point! Stop dragging a child into your issues and figure it out yourself!"

What the fuck?

I go to sit up when I feel a hand firmly grip my shoulder and push me down. I open my eyes to see who it is to find Nemuri with a worried look on her face. She is sitting right by my head. How long has she been there? I guess I did fall asleep.

Nemuri's eyes flick towards the front door (seems like my theory was correct) before looking down and telling me softly, "HC president."

I completely understand now. If she sees me, she's just going to bust her ass right in and talk to me. That wouldn't be very fun for me, and it would ruin Hizashi's progress now.

There would be quiet for a moment.

Of course, she stills speaks despite what she just heard, "I am sorry, but this is a dire situation. All we need him to do is locate him." Locate who?

Hizashi scoffs, "Yeah, right. You say that, but the next thing we know, you're asking Izuku to sacrifice himself for the greater good because his blood is the most pure out of all of us. He has done way too much for you guys. He has done more than most heroes do in their whole career in less than a year. As his current guardian, I'm not letting him on any more cases. Neither will Nezu. I highly recommend you leave before you are forced off campus for harassing a minor."

Damn, Hizashi is spiteful. Despite him being spiteful, that left me warm inside. He didn't have to do that, but he did it anyway. Hizashi deserves to be the number one hero. It's almost unreal in a way to think that Hizashi is defending me like this.

The room is quiet for a solid minute. I personally believe that Hizashi has won this battle.

And he has as the HC president says, "I'll be back later."

She doesn't say anything as I hear her heels click until they are too far to hear anymore. I also hear the door get slammed, causing me to jump. Nemuri squeezes my shoulder for a moment to settle me down, not that I was worried. It was just like a jumpscare in a movie, I suppose. It's appreciated though.

Now that she is gone, I sit up, Nemuri letting me go as soon as I start doing so. I look around to find the teachers all around the room staring towards the front door. When I pop up from behind the couch to look at the front door, I find Hizashi standing there tense and red in the face. Damn, he's pissed. I can feel the tension from everybody.

I decide to break it, "Hizashi, I love you." Everyone turns to me with surprise including Hizashi, who immediately takes a deep breath when he realizes that I am awake to try and calm down.

Hizashi comes over to where I am and leans against the back beside me, "I appreciate hearing that, but why?"

"You stood up to the bitch. I'm literally the only other person that I have seen stand up to her, and even I fail in that department sometimes. This is your second time. Please adopt me." Hizashi huffs out a laugh in amusement.

"I'm already your guardian, remember?"

"Yeah, but that makes you sound too serious. Why can't you be my big brother?"

"I already see you as a little brother. If I adopt you, I would be your dad. If you want me to be your brother, you have to have your mom to adopt me, and I deny that will happen since I am an adult."

"...I just want to be related to you, man." Seriously. Please let this guy be my long lost brother or something.

Hizashi gives my head a quick pat, just fast enough to annoy me without making me fall asleep, "I appreciate the sentiment, Izu."

Unfortunately, our moment by Maijima, "I enjoy a good soft moment from Izuku, because good lord does that kid need it, but are we just going to ignore the fact that Yamada just stood up to the HC president?"

"Yes," Hizashi responds casually.

"Do you need a remind of who you just talked to?"

"Nope. I prefer not to think about it."

Vlad King adds to the conversation, "That is practically our boss that you just stood up to. I understand standing up for Izuku, but she holds your career in her hands."

"...am I supposed to be worried? If she fires me, I still have two other jobs. I don't care about my job or my reputation. She was overworking a minor, and she is still trying to overwork a minor. Why would I want to support her? Yes, I want to save people, but if that's what she was doing to Izuku, imagine what else could be going on there. I don't want people to be destroyed to save others."

I don't know why, but that made me feel some things that I prefer to be buried in the hatches. However, goddamn, Hizashi is right. I may not give a damn but an outsider? That doesn't paint the prettiest picture.

What I am trying to say is that Hizashi willing to throw his career away to protect me means a lot. I don't want him to do that, but it still means a lot.

Vlad King shakes his head, "You're not wrong. I would stand behind someone who supports that, but I don't have the balls to do it myself. No wonder Izuku loves you."

Nemuri speaks up, "If he gets fired, we'll make a petition." OH HELL YEAH!

Hizashi walks around the couch and sits beside me, "Don't worry about it. If I get fired, it's whatever. I was already on that road consider the controversial stuff I say on my show."

I pipe up, "I can vouch for that."

Maijima sighs, "Of course you do. I'm going to take a nap." With that, he heads out. Not that I exactly care at the moment.

From there, the teachers return to their usual daily break. Some go to sleep. Others read a book. Someone goes shooting. It's interesting to see what they do sometimes.

That leaves Hizashi, Nemuri, and I on the couch. Since I have their attention, I decide to ask a question that has been on my mind since Hizashi's conversation with the HC President. It's also during a game of UNO, so maybe it will throw them off their game.

"Why was she here?" I ask as I put a random card down. I hate UNO, so I don't even try. I always ask to play any other card game, yet UNO always wins somehow.

Hizashi turns his attention to me as soon as I ask, ignoring his cards despite it being his turn, "Don't worry about it, kiddo. You just focus on yourself." Hizashi tells me calmly.

"Is it something that is going to affect me?" Because I rather not be left out of that loophole.

"If it's supposed to, we're not letting you. Izu, you have nothing to worry about." That does not give me a lot of confidence.

"...Shigaraki is dead, right?" I don't want to believe that I could have been lied to about the circumstance. However, if Shigaraki managed to revive himself somehow, it would make sense why they want me to track him down.

Hizashi's face shifts to concern, "He's confirmed dead. This isn't about him, I promise," Hizashi reaches over and places a hand on my shoulder, "If I believe it's going to affect you, I will tell you. Okay?"

I take a split moment to look over at Nemuri to see if she is revealing anything that I can use against Hizashi. However, she's just looking down at her cards. I know she is listening in on the conversation, but her face is revealing nothing. Therefore, I believe I can trust Hizashi on this.

For now. I still have my concerns if the HC president is coming to me despite being a sloth right now. I haven't seen any major issues that would cause me to be needed in the news. The only thing I can think of is that this is a government secret. Is this person really worth the worry if we just dealt with Shigaraki?

I don't know. I'm just going to trust Hizashi as I should.

"Alright," I tell Hizashi.

Hizashi withdraws his hand and smiles, "We got you, kid. It is the adult's turn to take care of our stuff, not yours."

"Can vouch on that, goddamn," Nemuri mutters as she finally slams a card down. Considering how many cards she has in her hands, she seems quite salty with her situation. She then looks up at me, "You're stressing too much. We're capable of keeping our shit together. Just most of us sucked at it. With that hell we were just in, I think our generation is starting to get their act together."

"I agree. We should have already had it together, but I guess All Might caused us to slack." And that's why there should not be a Symbol of Peace. That's why we can't have someone holding all the weight on their shoulders. As soon as they fall, all that they support will fall with them. In this case, All Might falling caused everyone else to crash and suffer. There's such a thing as being too selfless.

I nod, reaching forward to grab a card to add to my collection. I don't blame them. It's just a frustrating situation we have been left in.

"Uno," Hizashi claims as he puts down his second to last card. Bastard.

Of course, Hizashi ends up winning. I don't know why Nemuri started putting so much effort into each turn when she literally had no space for a comeback, but she did. It extended the round more than it should have. I hated every seocnd of it.

Nemuri then proceeded to ask for a rematch, which I wanted no part in. Therefore, I dropped out and snuggled up against Hizashi while those two played. I would have chosen Nemuri since she is softer, but she's being kind of bitchy with the game, so I chose the calmer person instead. Besides, how many people can say that have snuggled with Present Mic?

I must have fell asleep at one point because I wake up on Hizashi's couch. Huh. Usually, Hizashi would wake me up, force me to eat, and force me to walk here before passing out. It's certainly a possibility that I was simply too tired to remember doing all of that. That's becoming more common, as sad as it is to say. Thinking about it, it probably did happen. Hizashi is a stickler about that kind of stuff.

I lift my ten pound eyelids open only to be greeted by darkness except for two lights: one coming from under Hizashi's bedroom door, and a blinking light from my phone on the coffee table. Hizashi's light is expected since he usually grades papers late at night. My phone is not expected. That light only goes off if I get a message from someone I consider important, or if the message is deemed important.

I reach for my phone and manage to snatch it up without having to moving any other part of my body. When I click the button to turn it on, my eyes are nearly burned alive by the bright light, but it settles down quickly once it realizes that it is in a dark room.

I don't know what kind of message I expected. The first thing that came to mind is a message from the HC president telling me my orders. It wouldn't be the first time. I'll have to tell Hizashi about it if that is the case, and that won't be very fun as Hizashi will become a mad man. However, it would also give me details about why she wanted to see me earlier. What's weird, though, is that I don't exactly care. There's even a part of me that doesn't want to be involved in that shit anymore.

The issue is that there is an underlying part of me that believes that I need to do this, and it's the part that wins.

Thankfully, it isn't a message from the HC president. It's from a number that isn't added to my phone, but it seems familiar.

It takes a minute of staring to realize who it is from: Aoyama

I unlock my phone and pop open the message to see what it is about.

Private Chat With Aoyama

Aoyama: Meet me at midnight. I have information.