Chapter 21: First Day at UA: Part 6
I ended up on the roof of the school again, just like I had for lunch earlier. It was still fairly quiet, and peaceful, a place where I could focus and hear myself think. I worked on my homework, determined to get it done.
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By the time I had my homework done, the sun was setting, making the sky turn pink and orange and even purple. It was pretty nice, and calming, if I'm being honest. I packed my homework back into my bag, which was setting beside me, and when I finished, I felt the presence of someone else. Someone older than me. I didn't turn around, keeping my gaze on the sunset as I spoke. "Let me guess. Aizawa-Sensei?" It was silent for a moment, before he walked over and took a seat next to me on the school's roof, letting his legs dangle from the edge of what would be a long drop. He kept his eyes on the sunset for a minute, before looking at me. I didn't look back. "A few of my students said they tried to invite you to hang out with them." Another moment of silence passed. "Listen, kid, I understand it's hard. You had a rough past, you never really got a childhood, you lost-" He cut himself off with a sigh, and I realized my hand had moved on it's own, fidgeting with my necklaces again. But I didnt try to stop myself. "Point is, life was unfair to you. You had to experience the cruel, dark side of the world at such a young age. And it's created obstacles for you to overcome. I haven't known you for very long, kid, but I do know one thing." He paused for a moment, and even without looking at him, I could tell he was hesitating to lay his hand in my shoulder. He decided against it and continued. "You're one hell of a survivor. You've gone through more than most people your age, seen things you shouldn't have had to see." I continued to watch the sunset, which was slowly turning into a dark, night sky with each passing second. I wasn't strong. I wasn't any sort of survivor. I was just a lost cause. Some kid who had a shitty life. Some kid who had shitty parents. Some kid who had one good person in his life that ended up getting killed by a man-child of a villain because I couldn't protect him. Some kid who couldn't feel a damn thing anymore, no matter how hard I tried. I decided I'd had enough of the conversation, feeling my grip tighten to where the metal was biting into my skin. I used my free hand to grab my bag. "I have to go. It's getting late." I spoke as I stood, my tone turning icy and harsh. But Aizawa didn't make a move to try and stop me.