Writing at least 1k words every day until I can confidently claim that I'm consistent.

[waderer]

It was the same room, the administrative office still smelled of glue and floral scent of air freshener. The leaves on the potted plant by the windowsill swayed by the gentle drift which drifted in through the lightly open window. Like the other day, he had a wrapper in his hand, and both Illia and him had their cheeks slightly bulged by the candy.

The man in rimless glasses, Mr. Fujioka Hachemon, sat opposite them, browsing through what Issac presumed was his test results. That was the whole point of this meeting. Mr. Hachemon was supposed to give out the results, ang give private counsiling to the children and parents.

It was already afternoon, the tests had ended by noon.

The test was a breeze in Issac's opinion. There were a lot of children taking tests with him there. A lot. In his own hall there were at least thirty children. No, he didn't count. He had seen the teachers ledger.

He was sure he had aced all the questions. He had even concentrated all his life surplus life on his brain, just to remember the name of that Hero Public Safety Commission president. Takamura Genzō it was. He had even slept through the group playtime so that he would be more prepared for the individual assessment after. It wasn't like the brats wanted to play with him anyway.

And he was damn sure he had aced the individual test. Of course he would, even the examinator, Miss. Naegi had praised him.

Issac was well and confident that he'd be accepted.

"I must say Mrs. Isumi, Itsuki is such a brilliant prospect. Basic numeracy, quantity concepts, shapes/geometry, pattern recognition, and logical reasoning, he aced every other candidate. Even the kid with the cognition enhancing quirk got left behind."

Celia face bloomed with a gentle smile. Her hands unconsciously sneaked to rub Issac's hair.

Of course he would be, she had made sure to drill everything in the preparation material into him. It helped that he was such a good student. Well, he may have cheated with his qurik after she stormed off the first day, but still, the end result was what mattered.

"Even during the individual test, he performed remarkably well. He may hava had a stutter, but his answers were still well thought out. And according to Miss Naegi's evaluation, who is the, by the way, homeroom reacher for class 5B, he'd even fit right into grade 5!

"I was thinking more of a 3rd or 4th grade prospect. It's just beyond my expectations."

"..." Celia didn't speak. Her hands now rested on Issac's thigh. The man had skipped the group section entirely. And his plsentaries sounded a little long winded.

Issac had indeed talked to her about how his tests had went, and with the mark she had placed on his little bracelet, she had observed a little. Okay, maybe the entire thing, but what mattered was, she knew full well what went on.

He may have had some trouble mixing with the children, and he may have indeed slept throught the entire thing, but she didn't feel like that was such a problem as to disqualify him, especially with what was just said.

Celia didn't speak, instead, she had her eyes fixed on Mr. Fujioka. And the man could indeed understand her unspoken meaning. And that gaze had a quiet intensity that made him sweat. Even though he had done meetings like this a hundred times, even with pro heroes, this was the tirst time he was feeling this uneasy.

He looked back at the report, loosening his tie a little. "I see you've already purchased the apartment on our area."

"Of course, my childs education a priority of mine."

"Naturally!" Fujioka cleared his throat,"As you know Mrs. Imai, our school only accepts a limited amount of students every year, and we value overall abilities of the student more than anything. As I have already said, Itsuki is an excellent child. Any other school would be clamouring to get him into their care–"

"He failed?" Celia interjected, she wasn't liking how the man was going around in circles.

"Yes, unfortunately, he failed our final assessment. Well, it was more of a tie between another brilliant student whose name I will not disclose, and Itsuki. But he won the lottery."

Issac looked at Celia.

"I Understand," Celia rose to leave, "If that is all, we'll take our leave."

"Allow me to give you a recommendation letter, along with Itsuki's results. You would find it quite easy to get into any school with this. And if I might add, letting him interact with his peers more would do wonders in-–"

The man went on to advise Celia on what Issac could improve. But Issac didn't hear a lick of it.

His ears buzzed. He felt his face growing hotter. His eyes blurring.

He had failed. He hadn't expected to. Yet, he had failed. It was like that time he promised to help Grandpa Junkie. He had tried his best, yet, in the end, grandpa had died in his hand. He had done his level best to control his quirk yet, he first person to show kindness to him in that cursed rust town, had died in his hand.

Celia had trusted him. She had trusted him enough to spend all that time helping him prepare. She had helped him enough move all three meals of these weeks to Aunt Euiko's.

Yet, he had failed. What next–

"Thank you," Celia spoke as she stood up. Issac reacted, and he too stood up, hastily wiping away the tears that threatened to spill. Illia who had worried about about issac and climbed onto his shoulder, gently wiped at the tears that stained his face after he wiped.

"Please don't hesitate to call me if you need any help, Mrs. Isami."

"I won't be calling you, but, I appreciate it."

"..."

…

It was crowded outside the office building, people waiting to hear the results. CElia walked past them, issac clinging to her arm.

There wasn't the unusual lightness to his steps and that worried her.

As they reacehed a secluded hallway, she picked up Issac from the ground, placing him on her hips as she walked toward theparking lot.

It surpsirised Issac, as she hadn't held him like this before. Sure he was smaller than the usual 8 year old, but it still made him feel embarrassed.

"Are you sad?" Celia asked in english.

Issac nodded, wiping away the tears that once again threatened to spill.

"Well, you should be," Celia looked at him, and smiled, "you just failed to get into a prestigious elementary school."

Issac sniffled, tears spilling like little pearls. And even Illia looked at Celia disapprovingly.

"But let me ask you something," Celia once again smiled, wiping his tears with her free hand, "Why, are you sad?"

"..." Issac didn't answer, and his face morphed into the most ugly expression issac had ever made, at least infront of Celia. But he didn't make a noise. He stayed still obediently, waiting for the judgement. Even Illai's gaze turned hostile. The stoats gaze did not show a hint of the warmth it had in it's eyes mere monets earlier.

"Is it because you failed, or is it beacuase you disappointed me?"

"Because –I–dissapointed you," Issac struggled to speak the sentence throught the hiccuping.

"Look at me Issac. Do I look disappointed?" She asked once again, the calm smile still on her face. She ignored how Illia's paws spread, her nails glinting in the afternoon sunlight.

Issac struggled to see though the tears blurring his eyes.

He had to see it. And he did. It was same eyes with which she looked at him in rust town. It was the same eyes with which she had handed him that sandwich. It was the same eyes that had made him trust her.

That gentle gaze that remind him of his older sister.

"Yes," he answered, eyes blinking away as the tears once again blurred his vision. He knew, adults almost never showed what they felt in their face. His father never did as he sent both him and Illia away. Grandpa Junkie never did as he held his hand, withered like a skeleton.

".." Celia bit her lower lip. She bit so hard her lips bled.

Indeed, Celia was disappointed. Indeed, Celia was angry. But not in Issac. Not in a million years.

She was disappointed in herself. She was angry at herself.

She had never realised how much pressure she had put on Issac these few weeks. She had indeed seen his unusual enthusiasm as he tackled those materials. She had seen him tense as she stormed out of the study in frustration.

Yet, she'd thought it was his enthusiasm. She had thought it was her inability to teach. Even as she saw all those tutorials to understand how to patiently teach children, she hadn't understood. Even as she saw Issac sweat thorough those tests she hadn't understood.

Not until she had felt Issac's muscle tense as Mr. Fujioka confirmed his failure, not until she saw how Issac had looked at her at that moment.

Celia felt as if a knot in her stomach was twisting. Issac was never worried about him passing. He was only ever worried about disappointing her.

Celia's back hit the wall as she hugged Issac close to her chest. The tears she was so desperately holding back fell like waterfall, staining Issac's jacket.

"I'm sorry," she pleaded, sliding down the wall, plopping on the ground as she held him tighter.

...
..
.

[A/n: I'm so sorry! my brain went a little weak as I reached the end!!!! I'm crine!!!!]

 

[waderer]

Conner kicked at the body. The eyes remained wide open, mouth hung agape, the dark brown blood formed a puddle around his body. Ants slowly crawled on his body, forming a neat line toward the crack in the corner.

Conner, rubbed the base off his boot against the line of ants. The line was disrupted, and the remains of the ants were smeared on the cement floor.

He felt himself biting down on his cigarette.

Luca was dead. Undeniably, irriversibly.

He turned around, looking at the kid rolling on the ground trying to untie himself from the stretchy fingers of his subordinate. The kid had a scorched mark on forehead, which occasionally glowed red.

Conner squatted down. Gesturing to his subordinate, who removed his stretchy thumb wrapped around Thomas' mouth. Conner brought the unlit cigarette toward Thomas's forehead, lighting the cigarette on red hot charred skin.

"Tell, me everything you know about this 'Issac'," Connr took a drag from his cigarette, speaking in a deliberate, slow tone.

"Wi-cough, Will you let my friends go if I answer?" Thomas asked, fighting through his sore throat.

"Naturally," Conner gestured with his fingers holding the cigarette, and the man loosened his fingered on Thomas, "I have no enmity toward you, now do I?

"..."

"Answer the question, corporate well, and you shall work directly under me from now on."

Thomas lowered his eyes. Issac had, in al intents and purposes, spared them. He understood it very well.

Thomas stayed silent for a beat longer. He had though it through.

He spoke.

…

The cafe was quiet. The air smelled of the distinct smell of air from an air conditioning unit. There were few coustomers in the cafe most of them with their overcoat hanging on their seats.

The inside was a bit warmer than the chilly outside, and the ice cream tasted particularly tasty. The creaminess of the butterscotch, the bits and pieces of the nuts floating around… it was wonderful.

But Issac was having a hard time savoring it's the multitudes of tastes assaulting his tounge.

Illia sat on the table savoring her bowl, she didn't seem like she had a hard time savoring it though. She was even deliberately looking at the staff in the counter who had tried to kick her out saying they had a strict no pet policy.

Celia had just made eye contact with the man, the man had said, 'Maybe there's an exception? Let me check real quick!' and had scurried off.

Celia was amazing to him and illia, and yet. Celia sat opposite Issac. She too had a bowl in front of her, but she was playing with the food more than eating. She seemd to be deep in thought.

Just then, the cafe door opened, a woman and a child walking in. The kid had a swollen lip, her head wrapped in a muffler, and her lips a bit swollen, her mascara a bit smudged down her eyes. The older women was fussing over the kid, her voice alternating between that of scolding and that of concern.

They sat on the table next to them.

Issac felt like he had seen the face somewhere, he took another look at the lady. Indeed, it was Mrs. Usagiyama.

Their eyes met.

Mrs. Usagiyama let out a delighted gasp as she recognised Celia. The kid, too, looked over. She had removed her muffler, revealing her rabbit years which looked a bit dusty.

Celia looked over, she instantly recognised the woman. She smiled, and the woman. Abandoning her table, walked over, dragging her child with her.

"Tao, was it? It's such a delight to see you here!"

The woman extended her hand, and Celia shook it.

"Mrs. Usagiyama."

"May I?" The women in professional attire asked, looking at the empty seat at their table.

"Of course," Celia gestured, while she wasn't in any mood to entertain anyone at the moment, Mrs. Usagiyama had walked over with her child, and the overcoats they had hung on the seats. It was hardly appropriate to refuse them.

"And how are you, little Itsuki?" Mrs. Usagiyama asked, ruffling Issac's hair.

"I am fine, Mrs. Usagiyama! How about you?" Issac tried to put on a happy front, but the lady saw through the hidden sadness in his face.

"I was doing fine," Mrs. Usagiyama looked over at her daughter who had dipped her head, "Until the homeroom teacher of little Rumi here called me, asking me to pick her up."

Mrs. Usagiyama sort of? glared at her. Isaac couldn't tell.

"Look at that little troublemaker's lips. It's like a bee bit her. Now, It'd been fine if some bee bit her. But no. She had beat up a whole group of her seniors. Every last one of them were at least a head taller than her!! Can you believe that?!"

Was it a proud or concerned look she was giving? Issac still had a hard time understanding.

The lady went on, talking about how the homeroom teacher had narrated the fight. She stopped to order once the waiter had arrived.

Then she went on about how her husband was hell bent on getting the money from that lawsuit where she nearly died.

The order arrived, and afterwards, there'd been pauses between her one sided narration. All this time, Celia entertained her with "hums" and some superficial responses. Even Issac understood Celia's lack of enthusiasm.

And finally, her gaze landed on Illia who was nibbling on the newly ordered snickers bar.

"And what is this little cutie?" Mrs. Usagiyama asked, rubbing the chin of the fluffy white stoat.

All this while, Illia and Rumi–the rabbit eared girl, as Issac came to understand– were having a contest of staring at each other.

They both had their ice cream while not taking their eyes off each other. It was odd to say the least. Illia's stare was prefatory, while the rabbit haired girl seemed meek at first, her gaze hardened after a while. It was apparent that Rumi wasn't one to go down without a fight.

"Her name's Illia, a stoat," Celia answered, petting Illia, "She's part of our family."

"Such a cutie!!" Mrs. Usagiyama exclaimed, but her eyes were fixed at Celia's expression.

Was it sadness?

She looked at Rumi, "Rumi, be a dear and take Itsuki with you to play in the park, us adults have something important to discuss here."

"Why m–" Rumi started defiantly, but a glare from Mrs. Usagiyama silenced her. She leapt off from her chair, putting on her coat.

"..." Issac looked at Celia, the woman while friendly, was acting a bit suspicious. Should he be worried? Celia smiled and held his hand.

"Go play with little Rumi, I'll be right here."

Issac nodded.

The cafe was next to the children's park. Rumi led the way, and Issac followed, with Illia jumping onto his shoulder.

Looking at the children as they walked off, Mrs. Usagiyama asked, "You don't look so well."

Celia who had her head turned at Issac's figure as they walked off, looked back at Mrs. Usagiyama.

"Did something happen?"

The concern in Mrs. Usagiyama's voice was apparent. Just like at that time in that traffic jam. Celia had felt the slightest bit of suspicion, she was like that, of course she would. But like last time, the woman's concern was genuine, without malice.

"Nothing much. You know, parenting stuff."

"Of course, it's hard being a parent!" Mrs. Usagiyama nodded, "Especially for someone as young as you. When the child isn't even yours."

"..." Celia's expression hardened, her spoon pausing.

Mrs. Usagiyama was startled at how fast Celia's expression changed. It was like that time. She unconsciously swallowed her ice cream. Her expression grimacing from the brain freeze.

"W-was I wrong?" Mrs. Usagiyama stuttered, "You looked so young, and Itsuki doesn't look anything like you. I-I just assumed…"

"No, you're not wrong. I was just surprised you knew," Celia calmly said, "I'm Itsuki's father's cousin."

"So, his parents?"

"Died in a riot," Celia had a melancholic look on her face, "I'm his guardian, and have only been taking care of him for little over six months now.

"Oh, poor thing, must've been hard on you," Mrs. Usagiyama looked on the verge of crying herself.

"..." Celia went on to speak a story of how they had fled from Canada to escape a riot which had claimed the lives of Itsuki's parents. Blending in a little bit of truth about how she wanted him to get into the best school he could and how much pressure she had unwittingly put on him.

"Look, I know this might sound harsh. It will," Mrs. Usagiyama hardened her resolve as she spoke, "You two have such a long life ahead of you, and you, you barely look a day past twenty. You haven't even properly experienced adult life."

"..."

"Have you ever thought about p

utting Itsuki up for adoption? It might be better for the two of you."

...

..

[A/n: Sorry for not updating yesterday! I was on a trip, and wasn't really in a position to write anything. Today, I had a bit of free time, and wrote the chapter on phone, so formatting might be a mess. I'll take care of it once back home and have access to my laptop. Bye...

Wait! Thr first part of the chapter was supposed to come up just as celia and Issac set off to japan. But I forgot about it. I'll edit it in the finished work though. Biee for real this time.]