"Kurmara, I hope you're awake otherwise you'll be late." A voice shouted from the hallway and towards the closed door that held a sleeping junior high schooler. She let out a small groan before sitting up in her bed, hair disheveled and in her face. She yawned and stretched before lazily sliding out of her bed and to her wall mirror to look at herself for a long minute. She tried to smooth down her hair as best she could without a brush present before giving up. "I need a brush for my bangs anyways.." She sighed and grabbed her uniform to change into. Once she pulled her skirt up and fixed her shirt, she grabbed her phone and bookbag before exiting her room to meet her older brother in the kitchen, the TV playing in the living room. "I don't have to leave yet, so you didn't have to shout," Kurmara said, giving her brother a look and he just shrugged, sliding a cup of hot tea across the counter to her.
"Doesn't matter. As long as you're up and ready." "I guess." She took a small sip from the cup before heading to the bathroom to brush her hair, smoothing and getting rid of the knots from her sleep. She then brushed her bangs down over her eyes, leaving a little slit for her left eye to see slightly before she set the brush down and walked out of the bathroom, hearing her brother let out a sigh. "I don't get why you cover your eyes," he voiced, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed. She looked at him and he could tell she was giving him that look. The look she always does when he says anything like that. "You know why. I would like to keep it this way for a while." She double-checked her bookbag before drinking the rest of her tea. "But what about when you get into UA?" He questioned which made her sigh. "If I get in... it's pretty likely that I won't get in.." Kurmara always had her heart set on becoming a hero like her Aunt and Dad.
She always thought realistically of the possibility of never getting in and always turned to her little hobby that her Mom and Brother were proud of. "But how do you know?" Before she could respond, her alarm went off, telling her to start leaving for school. "We'll leave it here. I'll see you when I get home." She slung her book bag over her shoulder and walked towards the front door, slipping her shoes on and giving her brother one last wave before leaving. She walked down the street towards the city that led her to her school. She took in the scenery as she walked down her normal path, taking a quick look at her phone as she walked, looking at the news pages. There was talk about villains in recent areas of the city but it wasn't anything too majour. She then went to her favourite page that had to do with alternative clothing, something she loved, and began to do as a hobby.
There were some new things by other people showing off what they did which made her think of new ideas to do once she got home. She pulled her sketchbook out of her bag and flipped through the pages before getting an empty page where she began to sketch her idea out. There was a sudden loud noise and people began to run past her. Kurmara looked up and saw a group of people looking up at the train station to where a giant villain was and she immediately went over to the area to get a closer look. She squeezed through the group until she was slightly closer in front with many others, watching the scene unfold. A known hero named Kamui Woods appeared and went to fight the villain. As she watched, she felt someone squeeze next to her, slightly bumping her but she didn't take her focus off of the fight. Everyone watched with amazement with the fight, cheering the hero on.
Just as he was about to do his move, another hero came out and kicked the villain, making the crowd go silent for a moment before everyone began to cheer for her. The hero shrunk down which gave Kurmara the thought that her Quirk made her bigger whenever she went into action. The crowd soon began to disperse, a smaller one forming around the heroes as they had the villain arrested. Kurmara left and headed to school but not before she looked for the person who bumped her earlier only for her to remember she didn't get a look at them. She shook her head and let out a sigh as she continued to walk down the street until she eventually got to her school and walked to her class. As soon as she got through the doors, she got shoved out of the way and onto the floor. She hissed in pain when her butt hit the floor. "Watch where you're going, freak." She heard a familiar voice and it made her freeze.
Kurmara slowly looked up to see a bully she knew too well looking back down at her, a pissed look on his face before he disappeared into the classroom. She let out a shaky sigh before standing up, dusting herself off, and walking into the class to her seat, getting tripped in the process which made some of her classmates giggle and laugh. Just ignore it... She thought, getting up and sitting down, feeling sore already and the day just began. "Alright you third years, sit in your seats and quiet down." The teacher voiced once she walked into the class. "Okay, as you all know, you have to fill out a future plan paper so you can consider your future." She said, tapping the neat stack of papers next to her. "I just hope that a few to most of you... are going for the hero course." The class was soon loud and cheering, all showing off a little of their Quirks.
"You know, most of these idiots could never do anything considering how low class they are." A girl from the back voiced loudly, making everyone look back at her, infuriating a few of them. "Hey!" "Who are you calling low class?!" Kurmara knew the voice of the girl, she was also a bully. "Oh right, Kamiko. You want to go to that hero school UA, right?" The teacher looked at a paper she had in a folder. "That's right. I'm not the only person to pass that little fake test for that either, considering how much better we are than you idiots." She said, the class grumbling and whispered to each other as she just smirked. The teacher looked through the little folder she had before pulling out another piece of paper and looking over it. "Ah, Kurmara Hayashi, you also wanted to go as well, didn't you?" She said Kurmara's name and the entire class looked at her, making her slink down into her seat.
Soon everyone burst into laughter, making her ears burn with embarrassment. "How can someone like her get into a place like that?" Someone laughed. "Their acceptance is lower than low this year!" "Yeah, she couldn't even get in with a higher acceptance." Everyone laughed at her which made her face burn hot. Suddenly her chair got kicked to the side, making her fall and she looked up to see Kamiko glaring at her, her group of friends behind her. "What the hell makes you think you could get into UA? You're just a freak with two boring Quirks." She spat, making Kurmara tremble a little. "It's.. it's just.." "Just what, loser?" She felt a chill shoot through her body as she mustered up the courage to talk. "It's.. something I've always wanted to do... like my Dad and Aunt.. and I wanted to try to-" "What the hell do you mean try?" Kamiko hissed, her hair flaring up which made Kurmara shudder.
"You think this is a game? There's only one possibility; either you get in or I get in and I'm not losing to a freak like you." She spat and she looked down, swallowing hard as she tried to keep her tears away. "Alright, that's enough. Get back in your seats so we can get the class started." The teacher intervened and Kamiko shot one last dirty look at Kurmara before sitting at her desk. She slowly got up and flipped her chair back before sitting, looking down at her desk.
* * *
Once the class was over, a few students lingered for a while, some waiting for their friends to leave with. Kurmara decided to take the time and continue her sketch she began this morning on her way to school but got interrupted by a commotion by the villain. Not that she was complaining because it was a sight to see. Someone suddenly kicked the back of her chair, making her jolt forward and causing her pencil to make a dark mark across her paper. She looked back and saw who did it. It was one of the bullies who always made fun of her appearance. Kurmara just let out a sigh and erased the mark, ignoring the snickers and giggles behind her as she finished adding small things to her outfit sketch from this morning. "Hey guys, do you think this freak could ever become a hero?" The bully questioned aloud behind her, making the group giggle. "Oh what? Did you mean this freak?" Another one of them questioned back, pushing her head to the side.
"I mean, she looks like a freak compared to the rest of us." A third sneered but Kurmara just tried to ignore them as she kept sketching until suddenly her sketchbook was snatched from under her which made her quickly look up to be faced with a bully she's dealt with since she got to class. "Now, what do we have here?" He looked through the contents of the sketchbook, making her weakly reach for it. "H.. hey.." He showed the two girls next to him, one of them being Kamiko, and they all looked through it, making Kurmara still try to reach for it, desperate for her to get it back. "Please... I need that.." She voiced, leaning over the desk and he looked at her before back at the sketches, giving a loud laugh, Kamiko and the other girl next to him doing the same which made her ears burn. "You're telling me that you drew all of this?" He questioned, snapping the book closed and she hesitated before giving a nod.
"And what are these? Outfit ideas for your hero outfit?" He sneered and she felt the tears forming behind her eyes. "N.. not exactly..." Kurmara said weakly which made him glare at her, the two classmates doing the same. He walked closer to her desk before looking back at the girls and the two grabbed her, making her stand up. The bully stood a few steps away from her and opened the sketchbook again. "Well, answer me this; what makes you think you can be a hero with those two boring ass Quirks you have? Hm?" He suddenly ripped one of the pages out and made her move forward only to be held back by the two girls. "Not to mention that your hair and eyes are two different colours. You'd just scare anyone you tried to save." Another page was ripped out. He continued to rip pages out and tossed them onto the ground, Kurmara watching with horror. He then threw the sketchbook onto the ground before stepping on it, spikes tearing the ripped pages.
He motioned for the girls to let her go and they did. She stood there for a second, staring at the ruined pages on the ground before she dropped to her knees and picked them up. "You could never be a hero. Your brother already looks like a villain so it's only natural." He said before the group left, leaving Kurmara to pick up the pages and her sketchbook, tears falling down her face the entire time as she put them in the book before grabbing her bag and walking out of the classroom back home. As she trudged home, the bullies words played in the back of her mind; "What the hell makes you think you could get into UA?" "What makes you think you can be a hero with those two boring Quirks you have?" "You'd just scare anyone you tried to save." "Your brother already looks like a villain so it's only natural." She sniffled and wiped her tears. "Idiots.. I can become a hero if I try my hardest and then some.." She muttered as she turned the corner on her street.
She walked up to the front door and opened it, closing the door quietly before she took her shoes off and walked completely inside. The house was quiet except for the sound of the TV and water boiling. She peered into the kitchen where she saw her brother cooking, his back turned towards her and she tried to sneak past him towards her room. "You know you can't do that anymore, right?" He said which made her stop and he looked back at her. "You're too big. You're not a kid." He smiled which made Kurmara's heart ache. "Uh.. yeah I just thought... I could.." She said and her brother tilted his head. "You alright? You sound completely different than usual." He voiced, beginning to walk towards her but she stopped him. "No! I mean.. yes, I'm fine. Just hungry is all.. I'll go change then... I'll be out to help with what's left." She said and quickly disappeared to her room where she closed the door, locking it behind her.
She felt the tears form as she undressed and got some nightclothes on, trying to stop the tears. There was a light knock at her door and she quickly wiped the remaining tears hitherto positioning her bangs back over her eyes and opened the door for her brother, seeing a concerned look on his face. "I'll ask again, are you alright? Your tone was completely off than how it is when you normally come home from school." "Y.. yeah. I'm fine." She lied and his face changed. He then pointed two fingers at her face and wind blew her bangs out of her face, revealing her red and puffy eyes which made him sigh. "You were crying. That tells me you're not fine." He voiced gently and she looked down, ruffling her bangs so they covered her eyes again. "I hate when you use your Quirk to do that..." Kurmara muttered and he did it again, this time a small smile on his face. "I do it so I can check your expressions. And this one makes me feel upset. Did anything happen today?"
After he asked that, tears welled up in her eyes and he immediately got worried, quickly putting both hands on his sister's shoulders. "Hey, hey, what happened?" He asked and she sobbed, trying to hide her face, embarrassed that her brother had to see her like that. He pulled her into a hug, patting her back as she cried for a good two minutes until she finally pulled away. "I don't mean to cry.. it's just-" "No, don't apologize for crying. It's a completely normal thing. I just want to know what's making my baby sister so upset." She gave a small giggle and shook her head as she dried her tears for a final time. "Come with me into the kitchen, I need to check the food and you can tell me what happened today." He said, walking out of her room and into the kitchen, Kurmara following behind. "So, what got you so upset that you were crying?" He asked, checking the pot on the stove and she let out a sigh.
"We talked about UA a bit today..." She began and he glanced at her. "Oh yeah?" "Yeah.. but then one of the girls heard that I wanted to go and.. got angry." Her brother was silent as if telling her to keep going in which she did. She told him about how one of the boys who bullied her tore out pages from her alternative clothing sketchbook and ruined it with his Quirk, crying again as she thought about it. "Anything else?" He asked, leaning against the counter. "They both said that I'm a freak who couldn't get into UA and that..." She trailed off and he raised a brow. "And that, what?" She bit her bottom lip before speaking again. "They said that I couldn't be a hero and that.. you already look like a villain." She finally said and he pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a long sigh before looking at her with a soft look in his eyes. "Look, just because I slightly look like one, doesn't mean I am. Besides, you can become a hero no matter what Quirk or Quirks you have." He said and she looked down at her hands.
"Kurmara, don't listen to those idiots and what they say. Especially about how you look when they are very plain people. I think they're just jealous of your looks." He tried to cheer her up, it working a little because a smile formed on her face. "Besides, you're not the only one with vitiligo," "But I am the only one with both of it. Besides, yours isn't like mine." She said looking at him and he laughed. "That's true, but still, just because it's not as much as yours, it's still enough." He said as he shook his head, hair fluffing up when he looked back at her. "I don't think that should count." She giggled before letting out a sigh. He then put a hand on her head, moving her bags again. "You should really stop hiding your eyes. You're the only one in this family who looks cool." Her brother voiced with a smile, making a smile form on her face as well. Whenever she was upset, he always found a way to make her feel better.
He always did that when they were younger. His smile was infectious so she couldn't help but smile back, even when she never wanted to. Kurmara hugged her brother, him patting her head. "I don't want you to ever feel upset over what anyone says. Because if they do anything like that again I'll-" "And that's why everyone thinks you're a villain." Kurmara groaned, making him laugh. "I can't help it. I just want to make sure my sister is always happy. After all, I promised Mom and Dad I'd take care of you while they're overseas." "I know. I just don't want you to accidentally take that villain talk too far otherwise I'm stuck alone." She said, stepping away from him. "I won't leave you alone. I'll stay right here for you." He smiled before turning to the stove. "What are you making anyway?" She asked, peering over his shoulder. "Sake-poached chicken with soba noodles." He responded before grabbing two bowls from the cabinet near him.
"My favourite." "I know, that's why I made it. Especially after today, I figure it'd be best to have some comfort food." "You'd make a great housewife." Kurmara giggled which made her brother shake his head. "Yeah, well I don't plan on being one til I'm thirty."
* * *
Once they had finished dinner, Kurmara retreated to her room, closing her door before flopping her back onto the bed. She grabbed her phone and looked through pictures she took, coming across a few of her and her family before their parents left. She looked at them with a smile before it faded and she let out a sad sigh. "I miss you guys... I wish you were here so he wouldn't have to try so hard.." She whispered before setting her phone down on her nightstand and got under her covers, closing her eyes and soon drifting off to sleep.