Time Before Tragedy

Chapter 1

Sunshine filtered through the orange and red leaves as noon approached. The sound of birds chirping filled the autumn air as a blonde male walked through the forest. Contempt and malice filled him as he slapped a tree with his tail, shaking the leaves. His quirk, Tail, had been quite useful in winning most of the Sports Festival, something his school did every year to show off the new students.

"Why did I ever trust him? I told myself I'd stick with my own classmates!" His thick tail slammed against the tree again, followed by his aching body. "So stupid Mashirao."

His body hurt from the intensity of the festival, yet his pride hurt worse. He'd been used like a puppet, no more than a toy. Did the other male have any honor? Did he have any sense of shame? Did he not see how morally wrong it was to use someone?

His onyx eyes glittered with emotion as he mulled over the situation. It was rare that he would see the purple-haired teen again, but Mashirao couldn't wait for when he did. He'd tear him apart for what he did. Hatred boiled in his gut.

He took a few deep breaths to calm down. He went to the changing rooms to put on his uniform and return to class as they were instructed to do. He walked in and sat down in his seat. As usual, people ignored him, opting to pretend he didn't exist.

Ojiro listened to their conversations, having no other distraction. He heard several talking about how cool one pair of students were in their fight and another talking about the last battle. No one talked about him, nor to him.

Why did no one talk to him? It was probably because he was so plain. He didn't blame anyone for thinking like that though since he knew it was true. He was plain. His Quirk was a tail, nothing special like Bakugo's explosions or Todoroki's fire and ice.

"How did I even get here? Is there somehow a flaw in UA? Surely we should be separated by capabilities and not just some cool power we can flash at you. I don't have one, I'm here." He sighed, but no one noticed.

After class had ended, he walked towards the entrance so he could go back to his dorm and do homework. As he walked down the halls, he felt people stare and whisper. How he wished he'd had Shoji's quirk. He didn't need it though when a student from General Studies approached.

"Hey, you're Ojiro right?" asked the student. They had brown hair they wore short, wearing their uniform and a choker. A pair of horns and a tail sprouted from their body, presumably their quirk.

"Yes, that's me. Why?" He asked, looking up at them. The male's eyes were a grey color, the pupils making a cross shape. Strange but not uncommon.

"Why did you forfeit? No good came of it. You had a chance! Why throw that away?" He seemed angered by Ojiro's actions, demanding an answer with his body. He stood a little over 182cm (6'), towering over Ojiro who was only 169cm (5'6").

"I did what I thought was right. I was used so he could win in the team portion, I don't remember it. How am I supposed to go on like that knowing I didn't use my full potential to win?" He defended himself, sounding a lot more confident than he felt. In reality, those words got to him.

The taller student tried to talk more but Ojiro slipped past him and hurried to the dorms. He could feel a warmth behind his eyes building up and blinked it away. He didn't want to cry, not out here with everyone nearby. They'd think him weak.

He walked into the building and looked around. No one noticed his arrival, not even Hagakure. A deep frown set on his features and he walked away, hurt. Head hanging, Mashirao walked to his dorm.

Once there, the blonde flipped onto his bed, running his hand over his tail. He looked out his window and saw a pair of birds sitting beside each other. Tears pricked his eyes again and this time he let them fall. Who cares if he cried? No one would know anyway.

Ojiro sighed, dried his face, and sat up. He pulled out his homework and worked through Math, History, and Quirk Study just fine. He had a bit of trouble with his English, but he'd manage it. After all, he managed to get into UA.

After a few hours of working, he set aside the notebooks and papers, picking up a comb. He put headphones on and listened to country music as he combed his tail fluff, getting out the knots and brambles from the day's events.

As he worked through his tail, he went over what had happened after the festival. The meeting that transpired was weighing on him. What had the boy meant by his actions?

"Hey, tail boy. What's your name?" A lilac haired male caught up to Ojiro easily. He was taller than Ojiro, standing at 177cm (5'9¾") and his lavender eyes shone with intensity.

"Mashirao Ojiro. Your name?" Ojiro responded, tail flicking behind him in an agitated way.

"Hitoshi Shinsou. See you around, Ojiro." He walked away, leaving Ojiro confused.

Had he really just needed his name? Why? Ojiro put his comb down and played with his tail fluff, braiding and unbraiding it several times. It was his way of dealing with stress. It didn't take long for the sun to set and for the boy's eyelids to grow heavier.

He yawned and got up, changing into his nightclothes. He brushed his teeth and hair, then finally laid down on his bed. It didn't take long for him to fall into an uneasy sleep, the day's events haunting him like a moth to light.

Hopefully, tomorrow will be better. Hopefully, someone will actually talk to him. Hopefully...