Avoiding the Spotlight

II

"(Y/n), your friend's waiting for you at the door." Your emo brother glumly informed you before going back to what he was doing.

You went to where your friend, Shindo was at and welcomed him inside. His usual smile adorned his face as he greeted you. You asked him why he decided to visit you all of a sudden, which all the more brightened his smile. You didn't understand why he was so happy.

"Guess what quirk I have, (Y/n)!" Shindo beamed at you, blinding you in the process.

You nonchalantly answered you had no idea what. He dismissed your nonchalant demeanor and told you he wouldn't tell you just yet to surprise you. He seemed very proud about his quirk. Oh well, you were happy for him.

"With my quirk, I can be a hero like I've always wanted to be, (Y/n). And I will definitely impress you." You only nodded in acknowledgement.

You didn't understand him to be honest. He always says stuff about impressing you, does he have a crush on you or something? You doubt it. He's just an innocent 4 year old who probably doesn't even know what crush means. He's just being friendly, you convince yourself.

"So what's your quirk (Y/n)?" Shindo innocently asks you.

By that question alone, your mood instantly darkened. Stupid quirk won't manifest. It better be worth the wait cause if not, you're definitely gonna go insane. You didn't want to be bullied for being quirkless, you wanted to be one of those strong women.

"It still hasn't manifested.." You answer him, your voice laced with venom.

Shindo's happy attitude faltered and looked at you with pity. His pity was the least thing you wanted, you didn't want anyone to pity you. It hurt your pride. Still, he went back to smiling and gave you a pat on the back.

"That's okay, (Y/n). I'm sure you're just a late boomer." You deadpanned, turning to look at him.

"It's 'late bloomer' not 'late boomer'." You corrected him.

His face reddened in embarrassment. He's always admired your intelligence and mature personality. When he first met you, he thought of you as boring, but later on, his opinion about you changed. He learned that it was hard to make you swoon. (Yes, he knows what swoon means. He learned it when he asked his father why so many girls ask him to be their boyfriend.) So he took it upon himself, to impress you. He thought it would be easy, but boy was he wrong.

His dad teached him how to make a girl swoon, he needed advice. He wasn't an expert afterall. His dad teached him how to flirt, how to compliment, how to act, what to say and what not to say. His dad even got a scolding from his mom for teaching him what playboys do. Shindo still remembers the time he tried to use those techniques on you which.. failed?

- Flashback to 2 months before -

Shindo let out a deep breath to calm his nerves. He was nervous, to say the least. After reassuring himself, he walked towards you with his hands behind his back. You saw him and waved your hand at him which made him more nervous than he already was. Shindo wasn't sure if it was gonna work or not but there was no way he'd give up now.

"Hey Shindo, how're you?" You asked him without looking his way, too engrossed playing on the swing.

"I'm f- fine..!" You glanced at him, raising an eyebrow at his strange behavior.

Shindo faked a cough to ease his nervousness a bit. He furrowed his eyebrows, determination evident on his face. You were confused, what was he so determined for? Before you could even open your mouth to talk, he shoved a rose in front of your face, confusing you all the more so. You looked at him, only to see him looking at you with an innocent yet charming expression. Flowers and sparkles were decorating the background around him, making him look like the ideal prince charming girls fantasize about.