Hello everyone. I hope you enjoy this fanfic. I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas. Don't be shy about sending private messages or reviews. If anyone wants to leave a negative review, please feel free. There's always something I can work on to improve my writing.
Chapter 25
Beep..... Beep... Beep.....
The room where Vesemir was sleeping was almost silent... almost, because the only sound at that moment was the beeping of the heart monitor. Vesemir lay still, his chest bandaged and his left leg immobilized. His leg was in a brace.
The oxygen mask obscured his face, but Yui saw a calm expression on it. His chest rose slowly. Yui placed her hand on it to feel his heartbeat. She felt its slow but steady rhythm.
Nejire had just entered the room. She looked at Vesemir... then at Yui.
"Yui... hasn't he woken up yet?"
Yui shook her head, her gaze never leaving the boy's face.
"No... but his breathing is steady. His heart is beating steadily... Recovery Girl said he might wake up any moment."
Nejire approached quietly and sat down on the other chair next to the bed. They were both silent for a moment, listening to the rhythmic beeping of the medical equipment.
Beep..... Beep... Beep.....
Nejire looked at Vesemir, smoothing his hair.
"Strange... yet... I've never seen him so... defenseless... Whenever I've seen him, he's armed... and now he looks... normal."
Yui nodded slowly. Her hand still rested on his chest.
"Did you see the press conference on TV?"
Nejire nodded.
"That was terrible... I wonder how many more Vesemir has like that... memories... Look at him... he has no idea that all of Japan is talking about him..."
Yui took a deep breath, trying to stay calm.
"I think... Aizawa-sensei made a mistake... he shouldn't have shown people Vesemir's memories... he shouldn't have told people where he came from either."
Nejire looked away, staring out the window as dusk slowly fell.
"Maybe... but maybe he also had no choice. After what happened in the park, after everyone saw Vesemir fighting those... monsters... the public needed an explanation. If they hadn't revealed the truth, rumors would have started circulating."
Yui clenched her fist against Vesemir's chest.
"But this was his past. His pain. Did they really have the right to show it… without his consent?"
Nejire lowered her gaze, her voice trembling slightly.
"I don't know, Yui… I really don't know."
At the same moment, Vesemir gave a slight shudder. His chest heaved as he inhaled deeply. Yui and Nejire froze.
"Vesemir...?"
"Vesemir-kohai?"
They both whispered his name at the same time. His head moved once to the left… once to the right… as if trying to shake off the sleepiness.
The fingers of his right hand twitched slightly. His eyelids fluttered, then slowly opened, revealing a dull, not entirely lucid gaze.
"…Yui…?… Ne…jire?"
His voice was hoarse. Nejire leaned toward him and gently removed his oxygen mask. Yui handed him orange juice with a straw.
"Yes, that's us... you're safe, Vesemir. You're in U.A. Drink the juice... put the straw in your mouth..."
"Yui... he doesn't know what a straw is..."
"Ah... put this in your mouth, Vesemir... and now suck it like you're sucking on a candy... slowly..."
Vesemir blinked, a little confused, but obediently tried to follow the instructions. Hesitantly at first, he pursed his lips around the straw, then sipped the juice. The cold, sweet liquid somehow found its way into his mouth.
Yui smiled gently, wiping the corner of his mouth with a tissue. Nejire leaned closer and adjusted the pillow under his head.
"You scared us, Vesemir-kohai. You've been lying here for two days."
The boy was silent for a moment, staring at the ceiling. His eyes gradually regained focus.
"Two days, you say..."
Yui nodded.
"Recovery Girl used her quirk on you. That's why you slept so long."
"Hmmm... what did I do to deserve... the protection of the young ladies?"
Nejire laughed softly, relieved to hear even a hint of humor in his voice.
"We were waiting for you to wake up so we could immediately start nagging you about how irresponsible you are."
"Wait... why would you be angry with me? What did I do? I'm innocent."
Yui raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms.
"Really? Are you going to pretend now that you don't remember going into battle with those... creatures yourself?"
Nejire, also crossing her arms, looked down at him.
"Oh, you're in big trouble, Vesemir-kohai, for making us worry for two days."
Vesemir blinked innocently and shrugged slightly... for a moment, he planned to continue pretending he didn't know what was going on...
"Okay... that wasn't supposed to happen like that..."
Yui and Nejire looked at each other as if they were just waiting for that cue. Yui started first... she spoke in a calm... quiet... icy voice.
"Isn't this how it's supposed to be?"
Nejire clenched her fists, her voice more emotional than Yui's.
"You didn't even tell us you were going to the park to fight those monsters... You're taking all the burden on yourself, as if you were the only one who could fight."
Yui continued, her words cutting like daggers.
"That was the last time you did something so stupid."
Vesemir remained silent. He decided to give them time to verbally scold him...
Nejire leaned closer to him.
"Do you even know what we went through when we saw you on TV like that?"
Yui leaned closer, her voice still icy, but there was something more hidden beneath it...
"I never want to sit by your bedside again, worrying about you because of your own stupidity. Don't do that again."
Nejire pursed her lips, as if trying to hold back a wave of emotion. She was angry... very angry.
"You're very lucky you're injured. We've been given permission by Midnight-sensei to kick your ass every time you do something stupid."
Vesemir sighed softly and closed his eyes for a moment, as if digesting everything he'd just heard.
"Okay... I understand... I thought I was ready for a fight like this. I was wrong. I made a series of mistakes. I overestimated my abilities while underestimating my opponent. I'm sorry I worried you... if it helps your judgment... I didn't mean to cause you any grief."
Nejire was silent for a moment, surprised by his seriousness. The emotion on her face softened, and the arms she'd previously crossed in frustration now slowly lowered. Yui, too, calmed down a bit.
"Vesemir-kohai... just... stop acting rashly... okay?"
"Hmmm... I'll try not to make the mistake of annoying you with my actions again."
Nejire rolled her eyes, but a hint of a smile appeared on her face.
"It wasn't a mistake, Vesemir. It was a disaster."
Yui sighed, taking his hand.
"You're not indestructible, so stop acting like you are."
"Okay... I'll remember."
.
.
.
The next day, morning.
Vesemir was moved to his room. He was wearing a clean T-shirt and pajama pants. He was propped up on pillows. He was painting something when a knock sounded at his door.
"Come in."
The door opened, and Director Nezu entered. Behind him appeared Aizawa, Hound Dog, and Recovery Girl. Vesemir put down his brush and looked at the guests.
"Greetings. To what do I owe the visit of such distinguished guests?"
Recovery Girl sighed, approaching the bed and assessing its condition.
"You still need rest, young man. But everything is going according to plan. Don't try to get out of bed just yet. Your leg is still healing. Your ribs have healed."
Nezu sat down in a chair and folded his paws on his lap.
"We came not only out of concern. We need to talk… about some important matters. About your condition. About the decisions you've made. About what happened in the park."
"If I may ask… Who made the decision to reveal my secret about my origins?"
Aizawa looked at Vesemir calmly, but without a hint of evasion. His voice was quiet, almost tired, as if he were weighing each word before he spoke.
"I do."
Vesemir looked him straight in the eye, never leaving his gaze.
"What right did Sir have to do this? It should have been my decision."
Aizawa didn't look away. His face remained calm, though regret was evident in his eyes.
"You're right, Vesemir. This should have been yours, but the situation got out of hand. People saw you fighting monsters, using powers they didn't understand. Within hours, the internet was flooded with speculation… conspiracy theories. Some of them were dangerous."
Vesemir's eyes narrowed, and his voice, though calm, was laced with a sense of betrayal.
"So this was a decision made for my own good, right? Without my knowledge, let alone my permission."
Aizawa didn't look away.
"Son. There's no one in Japan with your skill set… we had to tell people something. I felt it was necessary."
"Don't call me 'son' if you're going to treat me like a pawn on a board."
Hound Dog shifted uncomfortably but remained silent, sensing the deep trauma in the boy's words. Nezu spoke.
"Vesemir… you have every right to be angry. What happened wasn't perfect. And we're not going to hide it. This wasn't about manipulating you or exploiting your story. If you want to blame anyone, blame us all. We all advised Aizawa on what to say about you."
Recovery Girl added.
"Young boy. We wanted to prevent panic. To stop people from falling into the fear that often comes from ignorance. We couldn't ask you for your opinion, and we had to act quickly."
Hound Dog took two steps closer.
"You have every right to feel betrayed. You have a right to be furious. But I want you to know one thing: no one here meant to hurt you. No one tried to expose you out of disrespect. It was a difficult decision… and we all know it wasn't perfect, but we had to make a decision."
Vesemir didn't respond immediately. He stared into the space ahead, as if trying to control something simmering beneath his cold face. His fingers unconsciously clenched the sheets, then relaxed again.
He looked at Aizawa, trying to hide the pain.
"I don't want to hear anymore that you're doing something 'for my good.' If you truly want what's best for me, then let me decide."
Aizawa couldn't take it anymore.
"Just like you decided to go fight the Endrega king alone!?"
Vesemir's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"So now it's my fault, right!? Because I didn't let you decide for me!?"
"It's not about control, Vesemir! It's about your actions affecting others!"
"Don't tell me how responsibility works when you make decisions behind the backs of those they affect!"
"THIS IS NOT YOUR WORLD!"
Aizawa froze at his words... he knew he'd overdone it. For a moment, a hint of pain flashed in his eyes.
Vesemir froze. His gaze hardened.
"Sir. Please leave this room."
"Son... I..."
"SIR... Please leave..."
Aizawa opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something more... he wanted to apologize... explain... He saw not only anger in Vesemir's eyes, but something far worse. As if one sentence were enough to shatter the entire bond of trust he'd barely managed to build.
Aizawa glanced at his son... and then wordlessly nodded. He slowly turned on his heel and left the room, closing the door behind him.
Nezu looked at Vesemir with concern and deep sadness, as if he wanted to add something, but he knew that no wise words would heal the wound he had just opened. Recovery Girl remained silent, standing to the side, her hands clasped in front of her, her gaze fixed on the floor.
Hound Dog was shocked that Aizawa had lost control so easily.
"I assume you came here for a specific purpose."
Nezu nodded.
"Yes, Vesemir... we wanted to ask if you'd be willing to speak to the reporters."
"About what?"
"About you and your life. About who you are. You can tell your story."
"I don't want to talk about it right now."
Hound Dog looked at him with concern but said nothing.
"If you ever change your mind... just let me know."
Hound Dog and Nezu left, leaving Vesemir with Recovery Girl. Nurse U.A. was supposed to run some tests.
End of Chapter 25