I'm No Hero (My Hero Academia Fanfic)

Chapter 40

If there was one place no student ever wanted to walk into, it was the principal's office. They were always the same: small with an oversized desk in them, a ginormous chair sitting behind it, and two wooden ones in front. It even had the same feel of a principal's office: scary. It was if walking in there, you knew that you were going to get in trouble. Nothing good came from being in the principal's office.

I have never gotten in trouble before. While Principal Tachi explained that I wasn't in trouble, it sure felt like it. Everything was eerily quiet in there, even though we weren't the only ones in the room. Sitting in one of the chairs closest to the door was a man with white hair, looking at some papers that were on the desk. He didn't need to turn around for me to know who he was, which only made my nerves go up.

Nothing good ever came from being in the principal's office, especially when a teacher was involved.

Principal Tachi and Mr. Elastic didn't have to say a word as I slowly sat in the other open chair. I knew what this was all about. Like the principal had said earlier, I wasn't in trouble, but that didn't mean I felt like trouble itself.

My eyes scanned his desk before Principal Tachi took a seat. There were stacks of papers where Mr. Elastic was a slick, silver computer that was shoved in that corner of his desk. On the end I was on, there were pictures facing every direction so someone had something to look at. All were during his hero days, which showed him shooting a dangerously hot fire out of his mouth to stop whatever villains came his way.

"So, Smith," Principal Tachi said, "how are you feeling after last week?"

I snapped my head up from the photo and up to the principal. It wasn't until then that I realized that the man didn't seem to have aged at all. In fact, his dark skin was flawless, while his dreadlocks didn't show a hint of gray. Guess being a hero, he could afford anything that'd make him look younger.

The only upside to being a hero was the income. I just don't think it would ever be worth it knowing any day on the field could be the last. That was something I had always known. Last week, well, the weekend before that into that week, I realized there was no way I could survive being a hero.

"Better," I honestly told him, before looking down at my cast. It wasn't much, just a white thick thing with black scribbles on it. "Still a bit sore, but—"

"How are you doing emotionally, Smith?" Mr. Elastic asked with a voice full of concern.

Hearing him ask that question, I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing myself for anything.

"Fine. I—my brother's okay. They won't hurt anyone. That's enough for me," I said.

A heavy sigh escaped Mr. Elastic's mouth before I felt his large hand drop on my shoulder before giving in a gentle squeeze. "You were truly brave out there, but it's okay to not be okay after what happened."

I slowly peeled my eyes open to look up at Principal Tachi, who nodded his head in agreement. "Mr. Elastic is right, you know? What you've been put through is enough for any hero to need a break or go through some counseling of some sort."

"About that," I said as my left hand reached for the back of my neck to scratch it. While I did, I could feel the sweat starting to pile up. "I think this will be my last day being here at U.A. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I t-took the place of someone who—who deserved this spot, but I don't, well, I know I'm not cut out to be a hero."

Principal Tachi nodded his head. "That's what Mr. Elastic told me. No worries. I'm not here to suede your mind. I'm just here to help you get into a school that will help you on the path of where you'd want to go after graduation."