Bounce Back (BNHA OC Insert) {On Hiatus}

Chapter 5 - Control

Hoku walked at a usual pace, getting out of the classroom a little bit before the others even considered leaving. Hoku loved his class, really he did, but there was too much social interaction to be had and too many sweaty palms to experience. Taking out his phone, Hoku started to mess with his music before he heard a little shouting behind him. Thinking nothing of it, Hoku plugged in earbuds and placed one of them in to start listening.

"Because the drugs never work

They're gonna give you a smirk

'Cause they got methods of keepin' you clean

They gonna rip up your heads

Your aspirations to shreds

Another cog in the murder machine!~"

Even though the source was on the side that had the earbud in, the brunette tenses up a little at the sound of sniffling and growling. A very familiar growl might Hoku add. Biting his lip, Hoku debated with himself before offering his free earbud. He could practically feel the curious and cutting glare he was getting but he didn't back down much to his own surprise. After a moment more, the small device was snatched from his hand without anymore ceremony, much to Hoku's delight and sanity.

"They said all

Teenagers scare

The living shit out of me

They could care less

As long as someone'll bleed

So darken your clothes

Or strike a violent pose

Maybe they'll leave you alone

But not me~"

Not even when the other gave back his earbud did he look at who it was. Hoku wouldn't pry and actually seeing who it was would tempt his curiosity and therefore his anxiety to actually ask to annoy him for all of eternity. At least he helped someone, right?

"What do you think of All Might as a teacher?"

Flinching back and away from the mic, Hoku bit his lip nervously. The woman didn't seem to get that Hoku was way too nervous to actually answer her and shoved the mic back in his face. Although this probably was already covered, Hoku doesn't do conversation, much less television coverage. It was needed for hero work though, right? Wait, does that mean that Hoku wasn't ready for being a hero? Hoku knew that he was pretty useless but that was a new blow to his paper thin and cracking confidence. Talking strategy was a maybe, talking about the battle was okay if he mentally separated himself from it, but talking about the standard questions like 'Why did you become a hero?' Yeah, Hoku was screwed.

Surely being hero didn't depend on that too? Who was Hoku kidding, the public image was a massive thing for heroes. Hoku was about to get absolutely massacred by the news hounds and he couldn't use his quirk against them without getting arrested or some garbage. Hoku couldn't... He wasn't strong enough... His mental strength was terrible in that sense, in any sense really... He was doomed from the start... All he wanted to do was help people, were the general public's judgemental stares carve him bit by bit for that simple fact? Just because his quirk had such an instinct? Why? Why would they--?

"C'mon, we need to get to fucking class," That harsh voice from the day before snapped him out of the deer in the headlights look that Hoku had held for at least a minute. Squeaking, Hoku was tugged along by his wrist and a rather rough grip.

Stumbling along, Hoku's head dropped while he tried to keep his quirk at bay. Those predatory eyes, the phantom grips of their hands trying to tug him back. Back into their circle, back for questions. Whys, hows, whos, whats. Things he didn't even know himself. Stripping him down to lay bare when all he was was a piece of chipped porcelain that couldn't be put together. A patchwork that nobody could find whole, find complete without the help of assumptions and inferences. Without the help of another's views, the very thing that was supposed to be personal shared and traded like that piece of paper everybody copied from.