" Ready, and..."
" Merry Christmas!" The whole class chorused along with Kirishima. They were all clad in red and green Santa outfits that Yaoyorozu had specially made for the occasion and she went through the trouble to mark each one of their costumes with a special ornament. Sora's was green with a small angel doll hanging off the crest of her hat and Yuu's was red with a blue flame.
" Guys! You've overdone yourself!" Kaminari's mouth watered at tables ladened with food from one end to the other. " This is really a feast!"
" It sure is, after all, our three chefs put it together!" Mineta pointed at Sato, Sora and Bakugo.
" I didn't think you would be eager to help, Bakugo!" Sato exclaimed, though he was happy for the pair of extra help.
" Shut up! He who does not work doesn't get to eat!"
" For once, I'm going to agree with you, delinquent." Bakugo threw him a warning glare but Whisper merely smirked scoffingly at him.
Yuu smiled as he brought the plates and set them on the table before taking his spot next to Iida and Midoriya.
" What are we waiting for? Let's dig in!" Sora urged them and everyone bent over the tables, enjoying their dinner.
Sato came over with a Christmas cake and Yaoyorozu prepared them a special tea for the night.
Sora breathed out as she slumped down beside Yuu, a cup of juice held aloft. " That was awesome!"
" I didn't know Christmas could be so much fun." Yuu leaned his head back, taking in the laughter and chattering of his classmates. " At home, it always felt so boring."
"It really feels different when you celebrate it with everyone." Sora agreed. Though she and her grandmother didn't mind celebrating it on their own since they didn't have any other close relatives, she hoped there could be more people around.
" Sora, you're going back to Ryukyu Agency, right?"
" Mhmm." She nodded.
" ... What do you think of what Aizawa-sensei told us?" Yuu's voice dropped slightly and Sora leaned forward, seriousness taking over her face.
" I think this sudden change in opinions isn't something that just happens." She looked at her friend from the side of her eyes. " At first they said they didn't approve of it when principal Nezu introduced it. But now they're pressing us to find work-study."
" That's undoubtedly odd," Whisper stated. He too was wearing a red hat but with a small ghost doll. " And they're even ready to introduce students to agencies if they don't find ones on their own."
" Something is happening," Sora muttered, staring down at what was left of her juice. " Ever since Deika, something is stirring. And the whole cover-up. Then there was the Recommendation Draft..."
Yuu blinked before his eyes flicked away at the rest of their class. He too could tell, that something big and dangerous was about to happen. If it was up to him, he wouldn't want any of his friends to take part in it, he would want them to keep away and be safe. " But being safe and being a hero don't always go together..." He murmured.
" Let's just... move carefully..." Sora said when suddenly the door of the dorm was pushed open and Aizawa's face peeked from behind it.
" Have you started already?" Along with him came Eri in a Santa costume too.
" Trick or... treat...?" She looked at Aizawa unsurely.
So cute!!!
Sora and the rest rushed over to welcome her just as she began throwing beans at them. This is even cuter! Sora thought as the girl offered Uraraka some painted eggs.
All the girls circled her, offering her sweets and juice, and the girl was happily chatting with them and grinning from ear to ear.
" Seeing her smile that way, you know... It makes you think nothing could make you happier," said Whisper, a soft smile drawn on his lips. Yuu's head bobbed in agreement.
It was then that it happened, something Whisper hadn't experienced before. A memory from long ago. The smiling face of a kid looked up at him from his memory, but he didn't know who he was. Everything about him was blurred, everything save for the beaming grin. Whisper froze. What was that? He didn't have memories of his past life before. And as the memory came, so it came too, a strange feeling of knowledge and a deep sadness he didn't know the reason behind.
" Whisper?"
The ghost snapped out of his reverie and gazed upon Yuu. Wearing a concerned face, the boy stared at him. " It was nothing." Whisper waved it over. " Let's not keep everyone waiting!"
Yuu put on a small grin and nodded before joining the rest of their class for the main course of the night. Whisper couldn't help stealing glances at Eri, something about her enticed the memory. And he was wondering if it could happen again if he could see more, discern more. But along with that curiosity, was always that deep sadness and sorrow. Shaking his head, he quickly joined everyone around the table, and from time to time bickered with Bakugo.
Jiro played them a song on her guitar and Iida acted as the maestro as everyone joined in on the singing.
Sora took Eri to take a look at their custom Christmas tree which bore handmade decorations from every one of them, wishes, dolls, keyholders... Sora used a small teddy bear keychain while Yuu added one of the rare cute amulets he had, one with a four-leaf clover enclosed within its glass.
" You know, I think we can add one of your eggs, Eri-chan," Uraraka suggested and no long after, Eri's pink-painted egg was hanging next to Midoriya's All Might figure.
" Everyone, it's time to exchange gifts!" Iida shouted with one hand thrusted in the air and so everyone came running with their wrapped presents in hand. Yuu and Ojiro gaped at the present Tokoyami brought with him.
Is he even allowed to gift that large sword?!
They lumped them together after wrapping snippets of Sero's tape around them then they laid them randomly on the ground before tugging on the tapes and presents flew up in the air as they were pulled towards them. Sora was surprised to find hers was a manga set. It must be from Bakugo.
Yuu on the other hand had a fancy wristwatch. It seemed to be from Iida.
Jiro got Sora's English novel and she seemed to like it while Yuu's video game found its way to Kaminari.
They both kind of pitied Mineta, for his gift was a picture of Aoyma. " Isn't it dazzling!" The blond told him proudly, his nose sticking up high.
Eri got Tokoyami's large sword, which in the end they had to switch for Kirishima's stuffed animal which he got from Koda. Eri hugged the fluffy white cat happily.
They stayed up late playing games, eating snacks, and telling stories of their past Christmas parties. Eri, who didn't get to experience any of that before, was beside herself with joy. When 11 o'clock sounded, Aizawa deemed it necessary that Eri was put to bed and the rest agreed for she was fighting back sleep already, her head lolling off to the side so often.
And with that, they embarked on cleaning up...
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" Yuu! Hurry up!" Sora urged him. She was already waiting by the door, wrapped in a thick pink coat and cyan scarf, and her rucksack hauled on her back.
" Sorry." He murmured an apology as he halted by her side, he too was wrapped in a warm brown coat and wore a woolen gray hat. Together they exited the dorm.
" Who would be taking us?" Whisper inquired as they stood before their dorm, waiting for their lift.
" I heard it would be Hound Dog-sensei." She leaned over to check for any coming vehicles.
" Hound Dog! Does he even have a driving license!?" Whisper was surprised to hear they would be escorted by the wild counselor of UA.
" Seeing as he is taking us, he should be." Sora pointed. " Aside from that, it's nice for Principal Nezu to arrange things for us so we could get back home for New Year's Eve."
"... Yeah..." Yuu wasn't very eager to go home. He would have stayed back, but Sora insisted he come along since no one would be there. Everyone was going back home.
" Listen, you don't have to go back home." She told him. " Just come around my place. You can sleep over too."
" Even if so... I can't just come as far and not show my face. Even though Yuusuke-nii will be there too." Yuu sighed. " Plus, I've gotta go to fetch some things from there."
" Some things?"
" Some... memorials..." Then came the sound of a honk and a red car screeched to a stop before them abruptly. The window of the passenger seat dropped and they were met with the muzzled face of their counselor.
" Get on. You don't want to be late, especially not tonight." He growled.
" Not only he is wild but also his driving is! Are we sure we will be safe!" Whisper sweated.
" Whisper, you're already a ghost. You won't die again." Yuu reminded him as they climbed into the backseats.
Hound Dog hit the accelerator and the two of them were throwing back against their seats as he made a U-turn and sped towards the gate...
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Despite the rollercoaster ride, they reached their neighborhood sound and safe. Bowing thankfully to their teacher, they began climbing up the slope. " You're coming. It's a promise." Sora insisted. " Grandma already prepared your share for today's dinner."
" I am," Yuu assured her. They slowed down as they passed the park so they could take a good peek at it. They couldn't hold back their smiles at the memories that park held of them. It was practically where they had grown up together.
As they neared his house, Yuu was filled with dread. His family didn't bother to contact him ever since he had left for the dorms. Maybe they actually forgot they had a second son without him around. What would their reaction be if he turned on their doorstep so suddenly? He tried to call them, to inform them of his arrival but they all were busy they didn't even call back.
" Well then..." Sora seemed unsure of whether or not she ought to leave him then or just wait until he was inside.
" It'll be okay. I'll catch up with you soon." He offered her a smile and she nodded understandingly before strolling up the rest of the path to her house perched on the crest of the hill. Yuu sucked in a deep breath and pushed the gate open, making it to the porch. He rang once, twice, no answer so far.
" Seems I'll have to use the key." But before he could insert it in the lock, the door opened, and before him, stood his older brother, looking at him in disdain.
" You crawled back. Have they finally kicked you out?" He snorted.
" We both know it's not," said Yuu, his steadiness was something new for both Whisper and Yuusuke. " UA allowed us to go back home for New Year's Eve." He said stepping inside as his brother moved aside.
" Since when have you cared for spending days off with us?" Yuusuke mocked and Yuu bit on his lip. Even though he was neglected, still he wanted to spend time with his family as well, he wanted to be acknowledged too. Regardless of the way he was treated, he never missed spending an occasion with his family. Not until the dorm system.
But now it was different... " Don't worry, I know you wouldn't want me around too. So I'm not staying for the night." He looked back at him, their stares leveling. " Since I reached this far I wanted to say 'Hi', that's all. You can enjoy your New Year without me." And he walked into the hall.
He stopped in front of the living room, taking it in. The TV was on, his father must be home. From the kitchen, steam was rising and filling the whole floor with the smell of grilled fish and boiled vegetables. " Yuusuke-chan, who was-" His mother came through the kitchen door, wiping her hands on her apron. When her eyes fell on him, her smile faded in an instant and her tone changed. " Oh, it's you."
" He said the school allowed him to come back for the evening," Yuusuke said passing him and going into the kitchen. It was when his father's face poked from behind the door as well.
" You could ha-"
" I called." Yuu cut him off. " Maybe you ought to check your call history sometimes." His father frowned slightly at his retort.
His mother kept staring at him as though facing him for the first time in her life. " Seems I will have to prepare even more food. You can take a bath and come down to help with setting the table. Don't forget to leave that thing upstairs." Her eyes flicked in contempt towards Whisper whose lips pursed into a thin line before she turned back to the kitchen behind which's door his father's face disappeared.
" Don't you bother. I'm not staying around for dinner."
" You're not?" Both his mother and father did a double take.
" He said he's around just to say 'Hi'." Yuusuke's voice came out.
" And to get some stuff." He added.
" You're not staying for dinner?" His mother asked again, her voice wavering slightly, as though unsure.
" Nope. You seem to be having a great time, just the three of you, so I wouldn't want to ruin it," he stated calmly. " I'll be up in the attic and down in a flash. You won't feel I'm even around." And he made it for the stairs.
Once he reached the second floor he allowed a shaky breath to come out. " I'm surprised it went out well."
" You surprised me!" Whisper smiled broadly. " Since when you could talk to them without hesitation like that."
Yuu rubbed his head. " Since Aizawa-sensei did... It's mostly thanks to him that they can't look down at me the way they used to. I needed to use the foundation he laid down for me to stand up for myself."
He went to a certain door behind which was concealed a stairway that led to the attic. Yuu climbed it and switched on the light, taking in the mountains of obsolete furniture, boxes, and tools coated in layers of dust.
"Ah, my beloved bed," Whisper smirked, flying right to a moth-eaten bleak sofa and lying down on it, stretching up. " Iida would have liked this place, he loves historical things and you sure have a lot here. So, what do you need from here?"
" I'm sure I've put it here somewhere." Yuu was walking around the mountains of boxes, his eyes skimming for something when they finally fell on his target, wedged between two large cardboard boxes. " Here it is."
" What? Show me?" When Yuu turned around to him, he was holding a blue tin case with flowers drawn on its lid and sides. Its colors had long since faded away and the paint was peeling in some places. " What's this?"
" A keepsake I've forgotten about." Yuu smiled as he laid the box down and opened it. Whisper peeked inside curiously. " They're some memorials from my uncle."
" Oh, the guy you've always been talking about." Yuu nodded his head.
" He gifted me his laptop on my sixth birthday. But not long after, he entrusted me with this case. He told me to keep it safe." His smile never wavered as he rummaged through the things there. A yoyo, a mouth organ, an old album, a worn notebook, even he found wrappings of old-time candies that went extinct... " He said it was his treasure."
" What a lame treasure." Whisper laughed.
" Kind of, yes... But I should have known back then..." He pulled the album and flipped through the pages. " That Uncle hit bottom rock at that time..."
Whisper looked up at him, his eyes softened. " What happened?"
" You know he was jobless, right? He never stayed in one job long enough and that went against him later on, no one wanted to hire him. So, he couldn't pay his rent and then, ended up on the street." There was a flash of sadness in Yuu's eyes. He was now flipping the pages of the album at a slow pace, taking in the pictures they held of his uncle, what was left of him. " Uncle didn't tell me back then. I never knew he had become homeless. Not until news of his death came a few months later." He stopped on a picture, one that featured his uncle in a military suit, saluting the camera with a broad smile. Even through the fading picture, Yuu could see his eyes glimmering with happiness.
" You never said he was in the military?" Whisper asked.
" He wasn't. They didn't accept him. They said his Quirk was no good for that." Yuu heaved a sigh and closed the album. " But that was his dream ever since he was a kid."
" Tsk, sometimes I wonder if even this society needs to be protected. To decide one's worth with one's Quirk..." Whisper groaned.
" That can't be helped," he said depositing back the album.
" So, what do you plan on doing with the box?" Whisper asked.
" I've kept it hidden here so long so it won't be swept away by my parents." Yuu stared at it. " But now, I'm considering taking it back with me. I can't be sure it's safe in here." He closed the lid. " I promised him after all, to keep it safe."
Whisper smiled down at the boy. " You know, I'm sure your uncle would be proud to see you right now."
Yuu nodded with a mild grin as he patted the cover of the case and slipped it into his backpack. He then retraced his steps, back to the second floor, back to the first floor. He chanced one glance at the living room and the kitchen beyond it from which came the cackling and happy voices of his parents and brother. " I'm off."
With that, he left and closed the door behind him...
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Yui welcomed him warmly that evening, not to mention the feast she had prepared for the night. Sora and Yuu helped her with the last dishes and set the table for her. As they sat down, following a live broadcast of New Year's Eve, they chatted on and on, about school, about the dorm, about their provisional license, about exams, about hero training, about their work studies...
Yui didn't seem to get bored of their stories, insisting that Sora tell her time and again how Yuu saved her during their emergency drill and actually growing pale when hearing about Yuu losing his Quirk for five days.
The night went by in a warm and cozy atmosphere and, without them knowing exactly when, Yuu and Sora had fallen asleep. Like if the excitement of one whole year was too much for them. Not to mention they had a big day ahead of them, they would be returning to their work study starting the next day...