25 Choices to make

Iida stood, confused. 'Why is he waiting for me?' So he asked, "How can I help?" With a faux-upbeat attitude.

He saw Eijiro take a small breath and say, "Iida, I heard about your brother, and I want to say I'm sorry." At those words, Iida froze for a moment before quickly returning to his former self. He didn't want to hear this.

"It's alright," he smiled and went to leave, "my brother's recovering as we speak."

Iida was about to pass him when Eiji grabbed him by the shoulder and said, "But are you? Iida, I can't wholly understand how you feel right now."

"Please, I'm fine. Yes, I was in shock, but I didn't lose my brother." Iida forced a smile.

Eijiro nodded, "but the world lost Ingenium. He must've wanted you to take his mantle, right? But in class, you choose." At those words, Iida shook.

"You don't know what you're talking about." Iida cut him off. There was a slight glare in his eyes, but it still surprised the animosity that Eijiro expected to see.

"Maybe I don't, but if anyone in my family got hurt by a villain, then I'd probably do the same as what you're thinking. I know you're planning to go to Hosu to find the Hero killer."

Iida's body shook at those words: How did he?' He looked at Eijiro, who gave him a sad but comforting look. He didn't want to see that he didn't want pity. He wanted revenge.

"So, are you going to tell on me? Is that it? Are you hoping that after this I'll change and let go?" His words grew heavier and thicker with every passing moment.

Behind Eijiro, at the gates, stood Midoriya, Ochako, and Todoroki. They stood there silently, waiting for Eijiro's sign.

Todoroki, 'Iida,' understood his rage and hatred, which were blinding. 'This is why you wanted us to wait behind,' he thought, looking at the others who held worried faces.

"What am I supposed to do?" Iida bawled out, "I can't let go of this hate. My brother will never be a hero again! And that monster is still out there!"

Eiji nodded. Letting Iida get it all out of his system.

"He needs to be stopped, and I'm going to be the one to do it," he said his voice firm.

It was then Eiji who spoke up, "Because it's personal, right? Your brother made it out alive, Iida; he wants you to be the next him because you embody the principles of what it is to be a hero.

Is this the hero Ingenium is going to be? Spiteful? Revenge seeking?

Iida, I'm not saying your hatred is wrong, but the way you're letting it affect you is because your brother wouldn't want this. Do you think he'll be happy knowing this is your plan?

Your brother is recovering, which is more than I can say about those who weren't lucky in his hands. You're not the only one to suffer because of the hero killer, but you are one of the few who hasn't "lost" something to him. What about those people? Are they hunting him for revenge?"

At the last bit, Iida bit his lips. He was right; a lot of heroes have died at his hands, and many people have lost their loved ones, family, and friends, and somehow, despite the pain, they learned to let go.

With a strong sigh, Shoto walked out from behind the gates. Iida jumped upon seeing him and more when Mina, Midoriya, and Ochako also stepped out.

Iida, when I heard about your brother's attack, I knew just how narrow your vision can get because I was just like that, but you need to know that at some point you need to let go of the hate because it'll eat you up inside and blind you like it used to do for me," Shoto said.

He, more than the other words, could reach Iida.

"You know we're here for you, right, Iida?" Midoriya said, stepping up

Ochako nodded. "Yeah, you aren't alone."

It took a while and more words than one could think of, but eventually, "I..." broke through Iida's hatred. Mina, Ochako, and Midoriya were hugging him as he silently cried to himself.

"You saw this happening, right?" Shoto asked Eijiro, looking at them and comforting Iida.

"Yeah, and if we didn't do anything and he went through with it, we might've lost him," Eiji said with a serious look.

Things were unpredictable. This wasn't a show. It was his life. One wouldn't know if things would occur the same way or differently because it was told in some fucking anime.

And that's why Eiji would take every precaution because, even though he didn't know it, Iida would've lost his life. But thankfully, that'll never come to pass.

...

"Are you sure you don't want us to come with you?" Mina asked Iida.

"No, I'm fine. Thank you for helping me change my internship. Now I just want to spend time with my brother," Iida said.

The group looked at each other before nodding and going their separate ways. Eventually, Mina and Eiji were on their way home.

"Hey, Eiji?" Mina asked in their silence.

"Yeah?"

"I already talked to my parents beforehand, so can I sleep over at your place?" She asked with a smile.

"Wait, what? I mean, yeah, sure, why now?" He also asked if she was sure again while contacting his parents about this.

Mina looked at him for a moment before giving a sweet smile and saying, "I just want to be with my boyfriend. Is that wrong?"

"Nope," he said, smiling at her words.

"Also, I want to be there when you tell your mom and dad we're dating," she said, giggling.

'Ah, there it is,' he expected nothing less from her, "right, we haven't told them, or everyone else in class... have you told your parents?"

"Yup! And they want to meet you. They think you're great after seeing you at the sports festival," she added.

"Wait, we're doing this." The realisation hit him as they reached home. It was more of the fact that Mina had been sleeping the night before, and he was about to tell his parents he had a girlfriend.

"They already like her, so it should be fine," he said, smiling, 'and I'm pretty sure they already have an idea.'

...

"Aw! I'm so happy for you!" Kushina smiled, pulling Mina and Eiji in for a hug.

Pulling back, she added, "And you're spending the night too! So we can get to know each other!"

"So," his father began, "what made you fall for him?" he asked with a smile.

Eijiro took the time to ponder while Mina had a grin that made him uncomfortable. "What worked for me were his dancing skills, hehe," she chuckled.

'Oh no,' Eiji said, feeling the embarrassment already. "Dancing?" His parents spoke in unison.

'Oh yeah,' Mina nodded as she pulled out her phone. She glanced at Eiji and was mentally begging her not to.

"Here, check it out," she said, showing them the video.

"I didn't know you could dance, sweetie," Kushina said before looking down.

His father nodded. "You must get your moves from your old man. I am a pretty superb dancer; it only makes sense that the talent has passed down." He said this before looking at the video.

'My life is over,' Eiji said deflatedly as he saw their faces. They were smiling at first, but slowly their faces cringed and flushed from embarrassment.

And Eiji, knowing this too, was even crushed further. And Mina was having the time of her life.

"S-son," His father came to him with hands on his shoulder, "it's okay, your life may be in her hands, but it's fine, I'll teach you."

"I know how to dance!"

What followed were teases from his family, who did not believe him until Mina finally rescued him. If this was bad, then how would the entire class react to it?

Once things died down, Eiji and Mina got changed. She planned for this, so she came with an extra set of clothes: a loose, silky purple shirt and shorts. He wore red and black sleeping shorts.

"Mina, want to help me with dinner? It's nothing big, just some pasta," Kushina asked from the kitchen.

Mina, who was leaning on Eiji's back, said, "Sure!" I got up excitedly and went to help.

'Glad they're getting along,' He thought while looking through the list.

"What do you have there?" Rio said, sitting down. He glanced at the sheets of paper. Eiji explained the internship and said he had three days to make a choice.

"Okay, I see. Have you narrowed them down?" His father asked him to look at the papers in his hand.

"I have to have one," Eijiro said, "An opportunity with No. 10 Gang Orca, a mix of on- and off-field work experience with training from Gang Orca himself, but this experience isn't in the city."

Hearing that, he raised his brow. "Where then?"

"It's on Okuto Island, so I'll have to move there for a week for my internship. He will cover transport to and back."

"That's far away, but it should be fine. The number ten hero will be with you," Rio said, looking at the sheet.

"Dinner's ready!" Kushina called them, so putting the sheet aside, they sat down and ate.

They had a great time, with Mina acting all lovey-dovey towards Eijiro to tease him. "Say ah," she said, presenting a meatball to his face.

To her downfall, he wasn't so easily shaken, but the same couldn't be said about her as when he did the same to her. She blushed a new shade of pink. Romantic and loving gestures were her kryptonite.

...

After the fun dinner, they talked some more, mostly about internships. "Wait, you're going with Burnin?" Eiji asked Mina.

"Yup, I think I'll learn a lot from her," she said, smiling.

Seeing the talk between Mina and Eiji grow into a conversation, his mother and father agreed it was getting late for them at only 10 p.m.

"We set some extra pillows and blankets next to the couch," Kushina said with a smile, 'though I doubt you'll use them.'

"Good night, Mom." Eiji gave her a hug and his father two as they went up to bed.

"So," Mina said, drawing his attention, "want to watch a movie, have more dessert, or have some fun?" She said it with an excited chuckle while sprawled out on the couch.

"Can we just cuddle?" Eiji asked with a yawn. Mina chuckled and opened her arms for him.