Eria

When I arrived home, my dad squeezed me till I couldn't breathe. My tsundere brother scoffed at my weakness but still prepared a good meal for me. My mother wheezed and cried when she saw me; a contrast to her usual strong and tough image. She had watched me disappear right before her eyes so it was no surprise she acted this way.

I hugged my mother and caressed her hair to comfort her like the way she did to me. "Don't cry mom. I'm safe now. Thank you for saving me."

She sniffed. "If only I was stronger, I would have swooped in, kicked that villain's ass and saved you and your friend. I just hope All Might will be fine." She clenched her fists with resent. "What a ridiculous demon I am."

"I'm okay now," I muttered gently. The moment she trembled in my arms, tears welled in my eyes.

I was so glad to be home again.

***

Days later, Todoroki, Midoriya and Iida came to visit me. However, Ochako was nowhere to be seen.

"She said she was sick," Midoriya explained.

"She told me she was busy cleaning her place," Todoroki replied calmly. His gaze steadily rested on me and my heart jumped a little.

"Uraraka told me she went back to her hometown instead." Iida carefully adjusted his glasses.

Is everything okay with Ochako? The girl's inconsistent excuses were making me worried. "Let's go visit her then."

"Are you sure you can leave your house?" Iida questioned.

I pouted. "But I have you three big strong guys to protect me..."

They shared looks with each other; their eyebrows curved up incredulously. I displayed my best puppy-eyes to them, begging for their permission.

Iida's firm gaze stared down at me like a stern parent. "Takasaki, I don't think you shou—"

Todoroki sighed. "......fine."

My eyes sparkled with joy while the other two reprimanded Todoroki's reply. "Todoroki!"

"She'll be fine as long as we are there to protect her," Todoroki replied calmly. "...... I think."

Ignoring Todoroki's doubtful reply, I strode out of the tiny compound of my house while the three boys quickly followed behind me.

***

Ochako lived in a tiny apartment a few stations from my place. When I knocked on the door, I was afraid that she really went home. Instead, a few seconds later, the door swung open and the petite girl was standing by the tiny gap of the door.

"Uraraka!"

Immediately she slammed the door in our faces.

"O...chako?" I was baffled by the unfriendly welcome.

"I'm uhh.... Sick!" Ochako's muffled voice was heard through the door. "Ahem ahem! I'm very... very sick! I got influenza! Please don't come in! I'll infect you!"

"Don't you want to see me? I just survived a kidnapping," I said, knocking on the door gently. "And I risked five stations from my home to come here. And these three people were too eager to send me home."

The door creaked as it opened slowly. Ochako casted her gaze down as she stood by the doorway. "Eria..."

"Are you okay?" I asked gently.

Instantly, Ochako burst into tears. "Eria! I'm so sorry! I was too selfish! I didn't join Deku and Iida and Todoroki to save you because I was scared! I didn't do anything to save you even though you're my best friend! I am so pathetic! And I call myself a hero! But I couldn't even save my best friend!"

I pulled the sobbing girl into my arms and let her talk her feelings out.

"All I ever did was talk and no action! What kind of a hero am I? I don't deserve to be a hero at all!"

I caressed her hair. "I understand and I don't blame you. Please stop blaming yourself. Is this why you have been avoiding me?"

She nodded as tears continued to stream down her face.

Oh this poor baby. I hugged her tighter, hoping she would calm down later. Ochako wiped away her tears and turned to the rest of her friends. "I'm sorry I rejected your offer and stopped you from going to save Eria. I..."

"It's okay, Uraraka. We understand," Iida replied with a gentle smile on his face. "It was a very risky move for us too. We could have..." he swallowed the last few words as if he was reminded of something horrifying.

"Uraraka, we don't blame you," Todoroki said, though his face barely showed any expressions.

Midoriya nodded in agreement. "Uraraka... I..."

"Give her a hug," I said abruptly. It shocked Midoriya and Ochako. Both of their faces swelled like a red tomato.

"I...I don't need a hug!" Ochako stuttered as she tugged on my sleeve. "Eria! S-s-stop teasing me!"

Todoroki was silently watching all this unfold before him as his lips parted in surprise. "I think you should give her a hug. It's a nice gesture to calm her down."

Todoroki suddenly being smart and helping me out? Wow.

While the two remained shocked, Todoroki continued. "I gave Takasaki a hug. It calmed her down. And it was nice. And—"

I clamped his mouth shut before he could say something stupid. "Why are you burning me in the back?!"

"I'm just speaking the truth. And how am I burning you? I'm not using my quirk."

"Todoroki, how could you be smart and dense at the same time?" I rolled my eyes.

Ochako burst into laughter. "You two are just so—WAIT YOU TWO HUGGED?!"

My face slowly burned red. "It was just a friendly platonic gesture!"

"Your face is red. Are you okay?" Iida suddenly spoke.

"Argh I'm going to kill myself," I muttered as I leaned my forehead by the wall.

Ochako fiddled with her fingers and drew in a swallow of air to fortify herself. "I feel so much better now seeing you guys and telling my feelings. I'm gonna be a better hero from now on. And if anything happens to you or any of our classmates, I will definitely save you! No matter what!" She flashed a toothy grin while the others smiled back.

I couldn't help but smile when I looked at my friends. What would I do without them?

***

After my friends' visit, I was still confined to my house as per police instructions. Then, a notice from the school came, which was about a new dormitory system for all the students in the campus. Each class' homeroom teacher will make rounds to every students' house to get the permission from the parents to allow their children to stay in the school's newly erected dorms.

To me, it sounded like an intriguing idea, which meant I could spend more time with my friends..

On the contrary, my mother didn't look pleased by the idea. She crumpled the paper with her clenched fists. Judging from the darkened look on her face, my mother was furious.

I nudged my brother. "Did you cook something awful today that angered mom?"

Hinata rolled his eyes and glared at me incredulously. "Really? You'd think I would actually cook something horrible? I'm the best junior chef in all of Japan! I could beat the crap out of those Masterchef Juniors, okay?"

I was utterly amazed by his overconfidence. "Seriously?"

"Ask dad. Maybe he knows," he shrugged.

"Just because I am married to your mother, doesn't mean I know why she is angry," our father popped up beside us as he returned from his work in the hospital. He pushed up his rectangular glasses. "Your mother doesn't have a short fuse, but when she's angry, it would be a very important thing."

"Go cheer her up," Hinata nudged our father.

"I think food is a better consolation," my father retorted. "Go cook some of her favourites."

I digested my father's words and wondered what did my school do to anger my mother so much. Was it the apparent lack of security in the school that caused me to be targeted by villains twice?

***

Two days later, Aizawa-sensei and All Might came to our house to discuss further on the school dormitory system with my parents. I was feeling extremely nervous, not because of the teachers, but the looming tension that surrounded the whole atmosphere.

All Might was still recovering from his injuries while Aizawa-sensei was cleaner than he used to be. My father smiled graciously while my mother seemed less angry but the bloodlust she emanated was no joke.

Even though All Might was barely intimidated, he still took a breath before speaking as if to steel his gut. "Mrs. Takasaki... Hana, we're here to discuss about the school dormitory system which will began before the new semester reopens. The system is a precedence, but it carries benefits for the students and their families—"

"Let me stop you there, Toshinori," my mother spoke in a soft but firm voice. I gulped. "What..." she clenched her fists. "What sort of benefits do you actually mean after everything that has happened to my daughter?"

"Mrs Takasaki, we're truly sorry for the incidents that happened to your daughter," Aizawa-sensei apologised. "But this is a precaution for the students' safety."

"So for the rest of her school year, putting my daughter inside the school campus which is assumed to be safe and then had that so-called top-notch security breached twice, endangering my daughter's safety is a benefit? I don't see this place safe anymore. I don't see any reason of putting my daughter in this school anymore."

My heart thrashed in my ribcage, fearing the next words my mother would say.

Takasaki Hana's eyes gleamed of a mother's determination to protect her child. "I reject your school dormitory system and I am transferring my daughter to another safer school, far away from here. Preferably, Shiketsu."

In that moment, my world felt like it was breaking apart. I had never heard of anything like that before. My parents never mentioned a thing. I glanced at my father, who just shook his head, asking me to keep quiet.

How could I keep quiet about this?! I'm transferring to a new school! I'm leaving everything behind—my school, my family, my friends......I...

I wanted to shout out in protest, to reject this stupid idea. But words never came out from my throat. It was as if a tiny part of me agreed with my mother, that I would be safe as long as I was far away from here.

......But I can't leave my friends. I can't leave......

Todoroki's face emerged in my mind and my heart ached.

All Might glanced at me, trying to reassure me he would persuade my mother. His mouth was scrunched in a scowl. "Hana, I implore you to reconsider. I know the school has its flaws, but I assure you that young Takasaki would absolutely be safe in U.A."

My mother scoffed. "Really? After your retirement? No offence, but I feel less safe the moment you decided to retire. In fact, when you are still All Might, Toshinori, I had my doubts the first time my daughter was targeted by villains. I thought, All Might is there, she'll be safe. He's the strongest hero after all. So let's just give the school another chance. But when she was kidnapped, do you know how I felt when I heard that? That was my last straw. I regretted leaving her in U.A. I should have transferred her away the moment I saw the signs. And so, this is my decision. Nothing is changing my mind."

All Might tried to persuade my mother. "Hana, I—"

My mother continued. "The villains from the first incident are not even apprehended yet they tried to use the League of Villains to get to my daughter for the second time. I've completely lost my faith in this. I used to tell the public to have faith in us heroes whenever something bad happens to them, but now that it has happened on my own daughter, it was the first time in my whole life I've ever felt so helpless. I understand so clearly now how those people felt when their loved ones were at stake. Do you really think I could go through the risk of putting my daughter in danger again?"

Tears welled in my mother's eyes but she didn't let them flow. My heart ached watching her this way. I never saw her like this and I was never thoughtful enough to think in her shoes.

"I'm a mother. The best I could do is to protect my children. And this is the only way I see that is best for my child. I hope you understand."

"Hana—"

"You're not a mother! You don't know how it felt to just wait for the police to find her! She could have died! She could have come back as a corpse!" My mother erupted and shouted angrily. "The moment when she vanished right in front of my eyes is the worst nightmare I've ever experienced! I might never ever see her again! I would have lost her for real! I can't... I can't go through that anymore!"

I trembled in fear, knowing the reality of my mother's despair and agony that has deeply shaken her to her core. She collapsed into my father's arms, trembling after she revealed all of her hidden feelings.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think we're going to reach a consensus today. You should leave," my father spoke in a calm voice. He was surprisingly calm, but deep down I knew he was just holding back his feelings too.

All Might and Aizawa-sensei exchanged looks and apologised for causing us trouble. I escorted my teachers out of my house and tried to smile after what has happened.

Seeing the depressed look on my face, All Might patted my shoulder. His lips were clamped in a straight line. "I understand how your mother feels. Please don't blame her. Hana is a very good hero and also a great mother. She's only looking out for the best interest of her child."

"But I..." I muttered. "I don't want to leave U.A. Even though I understood her, I just don't want to..."

"Then you should tell her your thoughts clearly," Aizawa-sensei abruptly spoke after staying silent during my mother's confession.

"Aizawa." All Might's eyebrows scrunched with slight disapproval.

"I respect Dark Rose's feelings. I know the school hasn't been doing well on its security, and I can't assure you there won't be any more attacks in the future. But one thing I can assure you is that, as long as you remain an U.A. student, no matter what happens, us teachers will do everything to keep you safe. And I will do my best to nurture you from a helpless little kid into a strong hero. I hope you consider thoroughly of your decision. Whatever it is, I respect it."

Aizawa-sensei gave me a last glance before hopping onto the car that waited outside of my house. "Hurry up, All Might. We still have a few houses to go."

All Might smiled softly. "I hope this won't be the last time we meet, young Takasaki. Please take good care of your mother."

I clenched my fists and bowed before All Might. "Thank you, All Might. Thank you for saving me. And thank you Aizawa-sensei too for believing in me." I bowed at Aizawa-sensei who was sitting in the car.

After they left, I reentered my house, which was eerily quiet. My parents were no longer in the living room, while my brother was just sitting at the dining table, playing with his phone.

"Mom's very pissed. She's determined to send you away," Hinata said as he looked up from his phone. "How are you feeling?"

I slumped onto the chair and drew in a feeble inhale. "I don't want to leave."

"Shiketsu is another reputable school, just like U.A. And you get to wear super cool hats! You should go."

"I can't just leave everything behind and go. I love this school. I have super awesome friends!"

"Villains are going to attack you again, you know," Hinata voiced out my main concern. "Mom will have a total mental breakdown and she'll kill every villain she sees."

I placed my heavy head on the table. The whole situation was too complicated it made my head hurts. "Yeah but......"

"For mom's sake, and dad's too, just go. Dad may seem calm during your kidnapping and even managed to perform operations like nothing happened, but I think he fainted a few times. For my sake, just go so I don't have to cook for you anymore. Your tastes are too bizarre."

"Don't make me slap you, punk," I muttered.

For my parents' sake, and for mine as well. I might really need to go.

But......

"Is it because of that weird candy cane boy?"

I looked up, confused.

"The boy you think who is super handsome but he is never as handsome as me. Candy cane boy. His hair looks like a freaking candy cane."

My face slowly grew red hot. "W-what are you talking about?!"

"You like him. It's obvious," Hinata said with a smirk.

"HE'S MY BEST FRIEND!"

"Of course." The corner of his lips upturned into a grin.

"Just leave me alone to think, okay?!"

Hinata shrugged and left the dining room.

That stupid brother was right. I didn't want to leave because of Todoroki. But for my parents' sake, I need to leave.

I weighed both options together. For a long time, I kept thinking of alternatives to solve this problem. But there was no perfect answer.

The sight of my mother breaking down reappeared in my mind. It was heartbreaking. My mother always wore the calm, serious and tough demeanour which made everyone think she was perfect and flawless. Everyone thought the great Dark Rose was never a fragile woman to break down and cry.

But today was the first. She cried because of me.

I never want to see her cry anymore. I never want my parents to worry over me ever.

With a hardened heart, I finally decided.

Sorry, Ochako, Midoriya, Iida. Looks like I'm not going back to U.A. anymore.

Sorry, Todoroki. Looks like we would never see each other again.

***

Dedicating this chapter to all the parents out there, who would do anything for their children :) Love your parents, kay?