Chapter 20 - FIRST DAY (2), CRUSHING DEFEAT

The walk towards the auditorium was very stressful for Kuroha. Minagata was like a ball full of life. He spoke and spoke and spoke. Kuroha had to hold himself back from stabbing this endless chatterbox. He never knew that people could talk so much.

Momo was the quiet and shy kind of girl, while Himeko was a little crazy, she generally didn't talk too much and simply smiled or sniffed him.

Hum... Now then he thought about it, he never talked with a boy his age. Was he what was know as a bastardy harem protagonist? Naaa, he was pretty sure that he wasn't... He wasn't... Right?

"Kuroha. Kuroha. Kuroha"

He let a sigh, as he was once again interrupted. He really wanted to ignore him, but politeness asked that he answer.

"Yes?"

"Hehehe, It seems like I'm bothering you. I'm sorry, I could go away if you want."

Kuroha now turned his full attention toward this boy who had the same age as himself. He saw that despite the fact that he was putting a strong front, he still seemed a little sad.

Internally, he scowled. He didn't like seeing this kind of expression. People should be happy. Not sad. Finally, he extended his hands towards Minagata.

"Let be friends."

Minagata was stunned. Frankly, he was ready to be shooed off by Kuroha. He was used to this. His gloomy side made it difficult to have friends, unlike his little brother.

That why he decided to play the clown this year like him. He wanted to have more friends, even though deep down, he was really scared.

A bright smile appeared on his face as he also stretched his hand and clasped it with Kuroha.

"Yes!!!"

-----

A few hours later

The students began to slowly stream out of the auditorium.

As they thought, the speech of the principal was long, boring and uninspiring. Kuroha saw another world. For an instant, he thought that he found a solution to his inability to sleep.

That how boring it was. He even wondered if the principal didn't have a quirk related to making his targets fall asleep.

"Three hours, three long hours", Minagata m.o.a.ned in exhaustion. He was tired, he feels like he had run a marathon. He stretched a little before facing his new friend.

"Kuroha, what will you do now? classes are dismissed until tomorrow. Do you want to go play?"

"Not really."

"Please !! Come one. I don't live far from here. We could play on my PlayStation 4."

Kuroha decided to relent after seeing how persistent Minagata was.

"OK, let's go, but I won't stay long."

"Don't worry."

As Minagata said, the distance was really short. it only took a few minutes for them to reach his home.

"I AM HOME!!!", screamed Minagata as he opened the door of the house.

"Welcome back, how was school?", answered a voice coming out from what seemed like the kitchen.

It didn't take long for a young woman with purple hair to appear. She wasn't particularly beautiful. But she had a homely aura, this aura was accentuated by her shapely body. Kuroha, seeing her, courteously bowed and said,

"Hello madam Mineta, I'm Hayate Kuroha, a friend of your son. Pleased to meet you."

"Ara ara. What a polite young man," said Minagata mother with a smile as she put a hand under her cheek.

"Mom, I wanted to play with Kuroha in my bedroom"

"I see, Kuroha, you're free to stay as long as you want. It's the first time my son made a friend come home. I'm so happy."

"MOM!!!", screamed Minagata with a blushing face.

He directly took Kuroha hand and run toward his bedroom. Once they entered it Minagata smiled awkwardly.

"Don't listen to her. I have many friends. I just didn't want her to meet them."

"I see..."

Kuroha wasn't really paying attention to the pitiful lie Minagata was saying, but rather to his bedroom.

It was different from his sparsely decorated room. Minagata room was full of poster of women on one side and different sketch and drawing of those women in another.

Those sketches were really beautiful. Even for an amateur like him, it was clear how good they were. The reality was that he wasn't wrong, those sketches were exceptional, they could pass as being drawn by a pro. Finally, after having admired them, Kuroha opened his mouth,

"You're pretty good."

Minagata who was busy switching on his PS turned briefly to see what Kuroha was talking about.

"Oh... Them? They are still not good enough. My dream is to draw the s.e.xiest woman in the world, but how could I do this if my own skill aren't up too part. Anyway, come let's play this game. It's a fighting game called My hero academia. It's pretty interesting."

If before this Kuroha simply decided to become friends by pity, this time he began to feel genuine respect. Kuroha didn't have a dream. He didn't know what to do or where to go. His only drive was his desire for revenge, but he had nothing for him after that.

He trained in order to kill those who might kill him. He went to school and would go to U.A in order to make Nighteye and All Might happy. He killed because he might lose his sanity if he didn't kill.

Everything that he was doing or what he did was because he didn't have a choice because something or someone put him on this road. In the end, Hayate Kuroha was nothing more than a bland and boring child whose sole redeeming feature was having a tragic past and powerful quirks.

That why he envied and respected those who had a dream and clear goals like Momo and Himiko. Now Minagata entered this closed circle.

He sat close to Minagata and took the remote controller that was given to him. He never played any form of game. Why would anyone play a video game when the reality was even more incredible? still, it wouldn't hurt to try. Perhaps he could be unexpectedly good at it?

----

A few hours later,

"Why?"

Kuroha was asking himself about the meaning of life. He wasn't bad at the game. He was simply so lame that it hurt to watch.

"How could this be possible?"

Right now, he was seating in a corner of Minagata room as he gazed far away into space and repeatedly asked himself this question. it wasn't just fighting game he was bad at. He tried everything. Sport, adventure, FPS. No matter what he tried, he would lose so badly that he was on the verge of breaking down.

He tried to change the way he was seated. The way he held the controller, the controller itself. He even played against Minagata mother, who was a true beginner like himself. Despite that... He still lost.

"Don't worry, it happens. Perhaps today is just not your day?"

Minagata was chuckling a little awkwardly on the side. At first, he was happy with his continuous wins, but after a while, he felt like he was simply bullying him. Thankfully, Kuroha wasn't a bad loser, otherwise, their friendship might have not lasted a day.

Still, he felt good about it because he felt closer to Kuroha thanks to that. The first impression Kuroha gave was one of perfection. It was like there was nothing he couldn't do. This gave a feeling of distance.

But seeing him like that, this feeling of distance abated greatly. He now knew that Kuroha wasn't a perfect being. He was just a child like him.

"Let play once again. I don't believe that I cannot win."

Minagata began to sweat. It seemed like it will be a long day.

----

Right now, Kuroha was eating in the dining room of the Mineta family. The lunch was pretty basic. Rice, meat, fish.

The result of his last fight against Minagata, of course, didn't need to be announced. He suffered another series of crushing defeat.

It was when he was about to go home that the mother of Minagata asked him to stay and eat a little.

Kuroha wanted to refuse. But he was weak against the smile of mature women. So he decided to stay.

The lunch didn't last long, but it was heartwarming, Minagata making jokes, his mother laughing and joking with him. Kuroha simply smiling as he looked at them.

The lunch now finished, Kuroha was standing outside as he bid his goodbye.

"Thanks for everything madam"

She smiled and said

"Don't worry. It has been a long time since I saw my dear son really happy. I hope you two will stay friends."

He smiles turned à little sad as she said that. There was definitely a story here. But Kuroha didn't want to pry. Everyone had a story. He wasn't arrogant enough to think that he was the only one suffering in the world. he had seen enough to know how dark the world was

That's why he simply smiled and said

"Don't worry madam, I will."

That's how the first day of school ended.

Since then, nothing of importance happened. He even began to slow down his nightlife. He couldn't say that he was happy, but such a calm life was still meaningful.