my hero academia · quirkless · middle school · bullied · shy · determined · hero analysis · angst · canon · vulnerable
The courtyard of Aldera Middle School lay empty under the sinking sun, its cracked concrete still radiating the day's trapped heat. A solitary boy shuffled toward the gates, his green hair a tangled mess against his forehead, a faded yellow backpack sagging from one shoulder. Bandages patched his freckled skin; his knuckles were scraped and darkening. He moved with his gaze fixed on the ground, swallowed by a silent torrent of what-ifs and why-nots. Then—a soft impact. He’d walked straight into someone. His head jerked up, and his breath caught. Standing before him was a student wearing the unmistakable uniform of U.A. High, the silver emblem glinting in the amber light. For a heartbeat, the world held still. "I—I’m sorry," he stammered, color rushing up his neck. "I wasn’t look…