Zero Hero || MHA ||

26. Because You're My Hero

"You got into another fight? Your behavior is unacceptable! Enough is enough! You're going to junior high next year, and you're still acting like a child!" Dad bellowed. I heard the sounds of his heavy steps bouncing off the walls. "I can't believe this!"

I peeked through the doorway to see Dad pacing and forth in frustration. Mom was reading a wrinkled letter in her hand in front of Hiro, who was sitting at the dining table. Her eyes scanning the page, she placed the letter back down and sighed heavily. "You can't keep acting like this. You need to think of your sister and set a good example," she spoke.

Through his teeth, Hiro told them that he was. Dad didn't agree. "You think getting into fights is setting a good example?"

"Maybe it is!" Hiro snapped. "She doesn't do anything. She just sits there and lets people walk over her like she's nothing!"

Rage began to fill Dad's eyes. He told him to watch his tone. Hiro kept talking and soon, it became a shouting match. I didn't like it when Hiro was angry and I wanted to run into the kitchen and stop them, but I was too scared to move.

"You said that I need to think of my sister, right? Well, guess what? I did. I always am. Everything I do is for her!" Hiro shouted. "You don't know what she goes through at all. All the kids at school make fun of her for not having a Quirk, even the older ones!"

"Don't...you say that! The doctor said she's a late bloomer! She has one!"

I heard the hesitation in Dad's voice and seemed like Hiro did too. He took that as an opportunity to bite back. Staring him right in the face, he said, "That's a lie, and you know it! Just admit it, she's Quirkless!"

The fire in Dad's eyes was doused by the cold slap of reality. His arms loosened like someone unscrewed the bolts; they went limp. The corners of his lips dipped down. Meanwhile, Mom's lip quivered with clasped hands. She looked at Hiro with wide eyes and without warning, they darted to me. I quickly ducked out of the doorway just as Hiro's chair screeched. I heard the sound of paper being ripped and after, saw Hiro dash past me and up the stairs. A door slammed.

From the kitchen, Dad let out a heavy sigh. He began talking to Mom, but I couldn't hear what they were saying because of the banging coming from upstairs. Turning to the stairs, I quietly climbed up and went into the bathroom. I grabbed a few tissues before heading to Hiro's room. The door was shut and the light was off, but I knew he was in there. Raising a hand, I gently knocked on his door. He didn't answer, so I knocked again. This time, he yelled at me to go away but I didn't want to. Instead, I twisted the doorknob and creaked the door open.

It looked like a tornado blew through his room. The chair by his desk was tipped over with paper, pens, and pencils scattered over the floor. It seemed like he threw his backpack at the wall because the family photo of our Kyoto trip that he hung was shattered on the ground. Lying face-down on the bed was Hiro. I hardly got a step in when he sat up.

"I told you to go away!" Hiro said, turning around.

I ignored him. I walked to the foot of his bed and asked if he was crying. His face grew hot and he looked away, crudely rubbing his eyes. He told me he wasn't, but I knew he was lying; Hiro always cried when he got mad. Reaching into my pants pockets, I pulled out a tissue and held it out to him.

"I told you that I wasn't crying! Put that away!"

He was angry, so angry that I was sure his face was gonna explode. I didn't care though and climbed onto the bed. He had a bruise forming near his upper lip and bandaids all over his face. There was snot dripping from a nostril, and the skin around his eyes was pink and puffy. I could see the tear stains. I raised the tissue to his cheek and softly pressed against it. He tried his best to hold in tears but ended up crying again. I tried my best to wipe his tears away, but they kept drizzling down. I told him that he was crying too much and that I was running out of tissue.