[ Rika Shiranui's POV ]
It's been two days since they visited us. I am already thinking about him too much. I know, I should refrain from it, but I can't help it.
My quirk [ Life Energy ] isn't really simple. I can understand. I can sense Life force or as usual term for it would be vitality of any living being. His is way too intense than I've ever seen in my life. It makes me feel even more intrigued about him.
I wanted to know about him. I could feel some familiarity with him. I have a guess in my mind that the life force that I felt on him was related to his quirk. Otherwise, it's nearly impossible for someone to have that amount of it.
My quirk has its own limits. First, it's completely 'Active Skill' kind of thing. If I fall unconscious or fall asleep, it won't work.
Other than that, I can't use it for more than an hour in total.
But the power up it gives me afterwards leaves a little bit of 'passive skill' like effect. It makes my body become stronger. Which means, I only use the power up for one hour, but after I'm done using that hour, my body will become stronger..... after going through severe exhaustion ofcourse.
Currently my physical body alone is as strong as someone with minor body enhancement quirk. That includes speed, strength, reflexes etc.
Most of my life that I spent was fighting people..... well, more like beating the living shit out of them, training and other daily activities. I had some friends. Good ones at that. So lucky me. But the key point is 'had'.
I can still see his blood covered body clearly when I think about the incident.
His name was Yuuya. He was my best friend. The day I awakened my quirk, he was there with me. It hurt a lot. My 4 year old body couldn't handle the pain from it being altered by energy running rampant in it.
Yuuya tried to help me but I was flailing my arms subconsciously. He got hit by me. At full strength my body could muster at that time. He got thrown away from me and hit the wall. I lost my consciousness soon after causing my quirk to disable.
He died on the hospital bed.
I killed my best friend. I know it wasn't completely my fault but it doesn't change what happened.
His family tried to and eventually did forgive me. But I couldn't do that to myself. I hated my quirk. I hated myself. I stopped coming out of my room from that day onwards.
Mama was called the best in her job for a reason though. She managed to help me out of my depression a little. That trauma still stayed though. But instead of isolating it I chose to make amends by becoming a hero. I killed one life, so this time I'll save millions. Using the same quirk that made me into a killer.
Those few years I was homeschooled. Mama knew that going to school will only solidify the image of being a killer in my mind after seeing how others will look at me.
Because of life energy, my looks were pretty good. There was this guy who once tried to ask me out. I hadn't opened up my heart to even making friends, let alone dating someone. So I refused.
The guy however couldn't take it. He went through my history, found out about the incident, and made sure to spread the rumors about it in the school, making me into a complete monster in the eyes of everyone.
He didn't even think that this incident could be the reason I shot him down. He couldn't even show a little bit of sympathy to the dead!? He was using Yuuya's death for his advantage. I found out by overhearing him boasting about it to his friends.
He must have thought that if other people know about the rumors about how 'I killed my boyfriend because I was done with him', no one would want to try and date me. Leaving him a chance.
It still amazes me how people mutate and propagate rumors to the point they become so unrecognisable from truth.
Well, I did what any sane person would do in my place.
I beat the shit out of him and his friends. This time controlling my strength enough to not kill them.
Correction. Enough 'only' to not kill them.
... Alright. Not something a sane person would do. But that's still what I did. So let it be.
Later I realised that I just gave those rumors some substance to them. My actions surely came with consequences. I was expelled. The rumors got even more raging like fire and spread to almost every school.
Those were one of my darkest times. I could see how they started to look at me as if I was some sort of monster. It brought my trauma out again.
I realised how humans can be so selfish, foolish, hateful, hypocrite.
That was when my father was at home. After he found out what was going on, he straight up said that we'll move out of that city the next week.
And that's exactly what he did.
Sure I hated the fact that he can't there much and that resentment sometimes got directed towards him, but I couldn't help but love him for giving his all when he is there.
He showed me that, humans can be selfish, but they are also able to be selfless. They can be hateful, but they are also able to hold compassion.
His words made me see the world in the colour of its own, instead of seeing it from one spectrum.
I was happy. A little sad, but mostly happy. I knew I wasn't alone. But I guess, world couldn't take it as it was.
It was my 11th birthday. My dad died. He died so someone else could live.
That was devastating. I cried my heart out when we recieved the news. Mama and me, alone, supporting each other, cried for that whole day.
Life was becoming meaningless in my eyes. The world lost its colours in my eyes. I was really depressed at that time.
I started participating in illegal fighting rings.
I was hurting. I was hurting real bad. I wanted to inflict the same pain to others. I was there prepared to be killed. Life was meaningless for me after all.
I don't really have any idea about why, but I guess it was because my dad from heaven couldn't take it anymore. Watching me go through all that. I saw him in my dream.
He and I had a walk through an alley full of windows, each having moments of memories in them.
I wasn't saying anything, nor did I cry. I was afraid that the dream will break and I may never get to see him anymore. At that time all I wanted was that the dream would stay forever.
"Your mama is hurting too, you know." My dad suddenly asked me.
I couldn't answer. I was finally realising I wasn't the only one going through all this. I wasn't the only one with emotions here. I abandoned my Mama.
Sudden realisation of guilt was crushing me.
"It's fine. Humans are capable to make mistakes too. It's really okay. The thing is, you need to learn from them. Your Mama needs you, just as much as you need her.
Dad is really sorry for abandoning his princess like this. He really is. Please forgive him. Be there for each other please, because I can't be there for you two." He said. His words reminded me of reality. I hugged him tightly and finally cried.
I couldn't say anything. There was so much I wanted to say. I couldn't say so many things to him because I couldn't have much time with him. I wanted to tell him how much I love him, how much it hurts, how much I miss him. How bad it felt when he wasn't there on my birthdays. I wanted to tell all of it. I couldn't.
But I knew he knows all of it. He has to know, right? He must have known how much he meant to me, right?
I didn't even realise when, but I was already awake. Lying on my bed, tears streaming down my temples.
I got out of the bed and ran to Mama. Hugged her and cried.
"I'm sorry mama. I'm sorry..." I kept apologizing.
"Shhh... It's alright, everything is fine." She consoled me.
After a few hours, at the dinning table,
"We are going to move back to Japan. I've already resigned from my job. We have enough money to start a business there. There's also inheritance from my parents, your grandparents left untouched. It should be fine." Mama said.
I was finally able to take my first steps towards moving on. I thought that maybe this would be better. It'll be completely new beginning for me and Mama.
"I'm fine with it." I replied.
After half a month we moved to Japan completely. That's when I got to know about her friend.
Mama's story about her made me think only one thing about her. That woman is nothing short of admirable. Others may think her talent is great and all, but my Mama 'saw' what it took her to be able to take that talent to that level. I really wanted to meet her.
But soon after that thought I realised something.... What am I going to talk about with her? Will bringing up her past like this not be offensive? And all kinds of questions.
Later what I found as a solution was just let it flow the way it flows.
I was just waiting for them to arrive and also trying to calm myself.
*Doorbell rings*
That's when the doorbell rang.