Ch.35

It turns out my friends were busy after coming home from their training sessions, so I just took the day off for once doing nothing but relax. Rei heavily lectured me that all work and no rest can lead to mental and physical exhaustion, so I decided to take the day off. The day passed very slowly as I did not know what to do with myself and I figured I'd have to find a hobby or something. Then the next day came and school started back to its regular schedule.

The year was already halfway over now too, so I figure the rest of the year is going to be the same old training and quirk experimenting. Our second year is when we are supposed to get our provisional licenses so this year is training us for that. The last year in school was dedicated to finalizing our knowledge of heroes and the laws we can act within, then half the third year is spent as a sidekick of a hero, and upon their score of us at the end of the time with them could determine if we graduate the hero program. The final test was one last big written and practical exam the school had for us, which was the other half that determined if we graduated.

"So how was your guy's time with your hero teachers?" Rumi asks us all after we sit in the classroom waiting for the day to start.

"Was not what I expected it to be," Shota says somewhat disappointed I guess about whatever it was they did during his time.

"I enjoyed it and learned a decent amount about the versatility that can be done with my quirk," Nemuri says with a small smile on her face.

"It was super fun for me! I got to work alongside a pro hero and help them fight some villains!" Hizashi says having had a good time it seems from the happy smile on his face.

"Mine was also very mind-opening," I say thinking back on my time with Endeavor and Rei, who I do now consider friends and maybe family.

"Well, I had a blast! All Might was amazing as I thought he'd be! We got to fight so much! Though we did not run into many villains, but I still got to spar with All Might a lot!" Rumi says having obviously enjoyed her time spent with my Uncle.

"Though sometimes I feel he is louder than me," Hizashi says thinking about my Uncle and Rumi looks at him confused.

"You've met All Might before?" Rumi says looking at Hizashi, who now looks like a deer in headlights. My friends and I just sigh while shaking our heads at him.

"Ok class sit down and shut up! We have a lot to cover now that you all should have more knowledge about how heroes work on a day to day basis!" Gran Torino says having busted into the classroom saved Hizashi from coming up with some lie. Though I can tell Rumi isn't going to let this go and I might as well tell her the truth considering she is now a close friend of mine.

The rest of the day goes by as it has before, with not much of a change in what we have learned so far. Though at the end of the day, Hizashi ran off to escape Rumi's constant pestering and berating. It also turns out Hizashi also went to Ryuko to walk with her home, glad he is still trying. During the day I texted my Uncle if he could come over this weekend and he said he would visit but asked why, I said I want him to meet another close friend of mine.

"Hey, guys do you all want to come over to my house this weekend?" I ask Shota, Nemuri, and Rumi since Hizashi ran away but I'll text him about it later.

"Sure," Nemuri says with an excited smile and Shota nods his head with the same tired look.

"I was wondering when you'd invite me! Here I thought we were friends, just took you almost the whole school year to invite me over!" Rumi says to me with a teasing smile.

"Well next time I'll just invite you over and it can be just you and me," I say back with a teasing smile, Nemuri's face becomes beet red while Shota's eyes widen at my statement.

"Oh! Really?! Then what'd we do?" Rumi says with the same teasing smile, not being easily flustered by me anymore.

"I'm sure we can find something to pass the time together," I say with a suggestive smile, now Nemuri looks like she is gonna pass out and Shota's face even became red.

"Hmmm, I know a few things we can do," Rumi says with a similar suggestive and flirtatious smile while placing her hand on my arm.

"Ok enough you two! You're both gonna kill Nemuri!" Shota says and we turn to see Nemuri with a daydreaming look while having an extremely red face.

"What?" Nemuri says seeing us all looking at her. It also seems she is no longer as jealous of Rumi anymore, which is good but I have no idea what changed that.

The rest of the week goes by and now it becomes a regular situation of Rumi and I messing with one another in a flirtatious manner. I also texted Hizsahi about the hangout, he said he'd be there. Then the day finally came, I went out and grabbed enough food for everyone and cooked what I felt was a good dinner. I've become very good at cooking now that I have to be self-sufficient. The first person to arrive was Shota as he lives right down the street. Then Hizashi and Nemuri arrived next and Rumi was the last of my friends to show up, my Uncle said he was running late but still coming.

"Wow, you have a nice house Akihiko! Oh did your mom cook the food?" Rumi says after entering my home and looking around. Though hearing her question my friends flinch, as we've never told her about my past.

"No I cooked it, my parents died over a year ago now," I say with a nonchalant voice as I finished setting the table.

"......I didn't know....I'm sorry," Rumi says to me having turned with a saddened look and her ears flopped down, making her look very cute to me.

"No, it's fine. I've come to terms with it some time ago, but thank you," I say to her giving her an empty smile which she seems to have noticed. Then she suddenly gives me a hug placing her head onto my chest. The hug takes me by surprise but I return it after hesitating for a few seconds.

"Young Akihiko and friends! I have arrived!" my Uncle says having practically broken down my front door and doing his usual entrance. This makes Rumi jump in my hug from surprise and instantly recognizing the voice. Shota groans from his entrance.

"OH! Young Akihiko has finally gotten a girlfriend! Wait Young Rumi is that you?!" my Uncle says once he enters the kitchen and sees us hugging. Rumi turns around with a red face and is unsure how to respond to the situation.

"ALL MIGHT?!" Rumi says while looking at him in utter surprise and breaking out of her stupor.

"I knew you were a classmate of my nephew but not his girlfriend! If I'd known that our training would've been even better!" my Uncle says after thinking about the month of training they did together.

"Yeah All Might is my uncle, that is why I wanted you to come over to meet him officially. Uncle Toshinori she is not my girlfriend," I say to Rumi and turn to my Uncle at the end. Rumi is now finished processing the sudden information she gained about me recently, but I can see a small sad expression that quickly disappears after I denied our relationship.

'Maybe this summer I can ask her out....' I suddenly think to myself after seeing her saddened.

'Oh shit, I really do like her!' comes my next thought.

"That makes so much sense now! No wonder you are as strong as you are! All Might is your Uncle!" Rumi says breaking my thoughts and having come to terms with everything quicker than I thought she would.

The rest of the day Rumi asks everyone so many questions about our past and gets to know us all better. I see my Uncle look at us all together and he sees the small smile on my face at the happy atmosphere, this makes him smile even more. After we all finish eating and hanging out, my Uncle motions for me to follow him away from the others. Following him outside we sit down on chairs on the patio in my backyard.

"I'm glad you found so many good friends Akihiko, keep them close to you as true friends are hard to come by," my Uncle says to me with a smile, while I nod my head agreeing with him.

"Your parents would be proud of everything you've achieved so far, I know I am. I talked with Endeavor about your training and it seems you will be the one to pass me once you graduate," my Uncle continues to say after seeing my nod.

"I won't be the one to pass you once I graduate," I say to him, figuring now is a good time to tell him what I plan on joining once we graduate. He gives me a confused look waiting for me to continue. Though now I know Endeavor didn't tell my Uncle about my future plans, which only further increases my respect for him.

"I plan on joining the Underground heroes, I want to do real change and not have the public's eyes keeping me from doing what should be done to certain villains," I say with complete conviction in my voice, my Uncle's face for the first time in a long time turns neutral and then slightly angry.

"Young Akihiko, you should not even consider that. True heroes save people with a smile on their faces no matter the situation and the people need to see who saves them. It gives them a sense of hope and instills hesitation in those who would do wrong," my Uncle says to me with a neutral face, but I can see the worry in his eyes about my decision.

"You may be right, but the world still needs those who will do what is necessary and considered 'evil' or wrong, so the good can remain clean. Plus the attention from the public seems to make the heroes forget they are there to help people, I believe real heroes do what is needed with or without anyone knowing!" I say turning to him with a hardened look filled with the absolute will to go through with my plan. My Uncle becomes silent for a few minutes with the same neutral expression.

"If that is what you plan on doing, then I won't stop you. I will say once you begin down this path there is an almost certainty of no return. So please truly think about what you want to do with your future before you no longer can back out of it," my Uncle says breaking the silence, and then pats my shoulder before getting up and leaving.

Going back inside my uncle has already said his goodbyes to everyone before returning back to his home. The rest of the time was spent hanging out with my friends before each had to return back home. After everyone left and I was alone once again, the conversation I had with my uncle plagued my thoughts. The more I thought about what he said the angrier I became at him for doubting the necessity of underground heroes. His attempt to stop me has only increased my want to join them, now out of spite too it seems.

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AN: I probably won't upload anything tomorrow due to being busy with several things. One of them is my first test for the semester, which I'm not a hundred percent ready for. Wish me luck and have a good one all! See you all on Friday at the latest.