(Toru POV – Karaoke Box)
'Is it really possible…?' I wonder.
Everyone is looking towards us, their eyes reflecting the emotions I feel inside.
So are curious, so tense and nervous… but many are hopeful. Hopeful that this will work, just as I am.
Eri's beside , holding my hand. Her face is beaming. She's full of so much faith and excitent that even I almost believe Kata's already succeeded.
But I know better than to hope that easily.
'Can I really be seen? Can I really… be normal?'
The thought weighs down on . I've lived my whole life never being seen. It's shaped the way I walk, talk, smile. The way I joke, deflect, and stay cheerful… it makes more morable, right?
Everyone thinks I'm bubbly, carefree, and easygoing. It's the impression I want to give. Beyond supporting everyone… it makes feel like I'm worth rembering.
Everyone would rather spend ti with the 'cheerful' girl, and maybe… they'd look for her.
'That way, even if I'll never be seen… at least people search for .'
They see my silhouette in clothes. A vague outline of what I might look like. They hear my laughter and words, feel my touches and hugs… but sotis, I feel so disconnected from everyone.
Sotis I wonder if being invisible annoys or bothers them.
Even when they try… they never quite et my eyes. They always miss… just slightly. A little above, a little beside. Close enough that it should feel normal. Close enough that maybe they think I don't notice.
'But I do.'
I always do.
But there's one exception… Kata.
I glance up and find his calm, steady gaze eting mine instantly.
He doesn't blink or shift awkwardly like he's guessing. He's not looking for . It feels like he's actually looking at , not through .
My chest tightens.
'But that's not possible… right? Maybe he's just really good at guessing and pretending.
He raises a hand, and in one simple, smooth, motion… he snaps his fingers.
"It's done." He says, his voice even. "You're visible now."
I freeze.
'Wait—what? That's it?'
A snap of a finger, and my biggest problem fades away?
I look down at myself quickly, my heart racing in excitent and hope.
…It's the sa as always.
'Nothing's changed.'
I don't know if I should've expected a visible change. I've always been able to see myself, so I guess it's not surprising.
But still, a hollow ache starts building in my chest.
What if it was a joke, or a prank?
What if it just didn't work?
'Kata wouldn't… would he?'
I look around at everyone, and they're just quietly staring, as though still waiting for sothing to happen.
I would expect them to cheer, or at the very least, say sothing if they could suddenly see .
My throat tightens, and my hands tremble.
The hope that had started to build within , quickly starts to crumble all at once. A rush of sha and heartbreak flooding its place.
'Of course not. It was too good to be true. I'm stupid for believing even for a second…'
I bite down the rising sting in my chest and smile, because that's what I do. That's what it takes for people to look for .
"Huh?" I say, forcing a cheery laugh. "Did it work? Doesn't feel any different."
I give a little sigh, overdramatic and playful. I need to sell the lie. Make it look like I'm fine.
"Guess I'm still invisible, huh?" I joke, nudging Eri lightly.
Kata doesn't respond.
And everyone else…
Their looks turn to ones of concern and confusion as they exchange glances.
'They're probably realising nothing will happen.'
They can probably guess I'm hurting. But if I act cheerfully enough, they'll think I'm fine.
Then I feel a soft tug at my hand.
I look down, and Eri's gazing up at , eyes watery, and her lips trembling.
"Are you okay, Toru…?" She asks softly, her voice cracking. "Did I ss up? I didn't an to hurt you…"
My smile falters.
"Not at all, Eri." I say gently, patting her head softly. "You didn't do anything wrong. I'm really happy you tried."
Even though I'm not okay… even though part of is breaking.
She looks up at , the tears in her eyes finally falling. "Please don't be sad… You're really pretty, so please don't cry…"
My breath catches.
What?
I blink at her. "Wait, Eri… what makes you think I'll cry?"
I haven't made any sounds suggesting that.
Her tiny hand tightens around mine. "Because I can see you."
My entire body locks up.
The room, the people, the air… everything fades away.
'What did she just say?'
I glance at Kata, my eyes wide.
"I think you're misunderstanding sothing." He says calmly. "You could always see yourself. So everything would look the sa to you. But…"
He tilts his head. "You're visible now."
The words hit hard, and my knees wobble.
"No—b-but everyone looked concerned. Like they were disappointed it didn't work!"
"They were just shocked at seeing you for the first ti. Then, you looked disappointed and sad, so they beca concerned." He replies. "You're no longer invisible, so your face gave you away."
"My… face?"
Kata glances around.
Everyone averts their gaze. So with shy smiles. So blushing. Momo looks like she's holding back tears. Mina looks like she wants to hug .
I don't know what to say.
I look around, locking eyes with everyone for the first ti.
They can see that I'm here.
They can really see .
"You're really pretty." Eri repeats softly, hugging my waist.
And that's the mont I break.
Tears burst from my eyes, as I begin to wail. But these aren't tears of sadness, but ones of joy.
The sobs co a second later, and I don't care how I sound.
(Kata POV – Karaoke Box)
I watch quietly as Toru drops to her knees to match Eri's height, the two of them hugging tightly, simultaneously smiling and crying. Eri's hands clutch Toru's shirt, pulling her into a tight hug, while Toru looks… free?
Toru's features are delicate and soft. She has wild, wavy pale green hair with streaks of faint pink, thick lashes, and round eyes with irises that swirl from teal to golden yellow. She's quite beautiful objectively speaking.
Monts later, Momo, Mina, Jiro, Tsuyu, and Uraraka approach slowly, not wanting to disturb the mont, but of course, they can't help but pile in. They wrap around Toru and Eri, forming a warm, haphazard group hug. Everyone's either crying, smiling, or both.
"You're beautiful, Toru." Momo says softly, her voice warm with sincerity.
"We can finally see you!" Mina beams, practically vibrating with joy.
"I'm sorry we never realised how much it bothered you, ribbit." Tsuyu adds gently, her gaze lowered with guilt.
"Invisible or not, we love you, okay?" Uraraka smiles through glassy eyes.
"Yeah," Jiro chis in with a small grin. "You're still the sa goofy Toru who launches surprise hugs on us."
Their embrace tightens, and Toru lets out a choked laugh between sobs. "Thank you… all of you. Really."
I let out a quiet breath and smile. Eri's buried deep in the middle of that hug pile, but the look on her face makes it clear that she's happy to be there.
I turn and walk off quietly, leaving them to it. The mont's theirs to enjoy, and I've done my part.
But I don't get very far before being intercepted.
"DUDE!" Kirishima half-shouts, slapping a hand on my shoulder. "You didn't tell us you could do sothing that cool!"
"You didn't ask." I deadpan. "And I only figured it out during internships."
"Wait—seriously?" Kaminari cuts in. "You can change quirks? Like upgrade them or sothing?"
"Maybe." I reply plainly. "But I haven't, and I don't plan to. Today was… a one-ti thing."
Kaminari groans. "Man, what a waste of a busted quirk."
I roll my eyes, and before I can respond, I feel the incoming question from an overly eager individual.
"If you don't mind," Izuku begins, eyes practically glowing. "Could you explain how your quirk works? And how you managed to make Toru visible?"
"No," I interrupt. "It's complicated, and not sothing I can really explain."
His mouth opens again, ready to press further, but soone else jumps in with more questions, and things quickly spiral.
For ten long minutes, I'm bombarded with theories, suggestions, wild guesses, and hopeful pleas about what else I might be able to do.
Eventually, I mumble out enough vague half-answers to shake them off and reclaim so space.
I grab a drink and sit down.
'Finally, a mont of silence.'
…Until Toru approaches.
She's carrying Eri in her arms, a blush covering her entire face. It's so intense that even her ears are red.
She lowers Eri gently and then bows sharply at the waist, nearly 90 degrees.
"Thank you so much for helping , Kata." She says, her voice steady but clearly emotional.
I nod, offering a faint smile. "It wasn't a big deal. Besides…" I glance down at Eri, who beams up at . "You should thank the one who suggested it."
Toru turns to Eri with a bright, grateful smile—a smile that everyone can now appreciate.
"Thank you, Eri," she says warmly, ruffling Eri's hair.
"You're welco!" Eri giggles, hugging Toru's leg. "I'm happy I can see you now!"
I take a sip of juice, content to leave it at that. But then Toru glances back at again, looking nervous this ti.
"Uh… I've got one more question. If you don't mind?"
I shrug. "Go ahead."
She fiddles with her fingers, cheeks still red. "Even before today… I noticed you always made eye contact with . Even when no one else really could. So… could you see this whole ti?"
'Oh… this is about that.'
"No, not the whole ti," I say. "I only started being able to see you a few days after the battle trials."
Her eyes widen. Her mouth opens. "Th-then… back then, when I was—"
"In your hero costu?" I finish.
She stiffens, and blushes even more.
"I've seen nothing." I say quickly, turning away from hair, unwilling to elaborate further.
"You're clearly lying!" She explodes, her face as red as a tomato. "You're being extrely suspicious, and you've already admitted you could see !"
I sigh. "Okay. Maybe I've seen so things. What can we do about that now?"
Her mouth opens and closes, clearly at a loss for words. Then she lets out an embarrassed squeal, covering her face with both hands.
"I can't get married anymore." She whimpers.
'How is it my fault you're an exhibitionist?' I think in disbelief.
"I'll pretend I never saw anything, if it makes you feel better." I offer lightly.
'Even though that's exactly what I've been doing this whole ti.'
Toru glares at —half embarrassed, half exasperated. "That doesn't fix anything." She pouts, crossing her arms with a huff.
"Then what do you suggest we do?" I shoot back.
She stares at for a second, thinking of an argunt, but then sighs and drops her gaze.
"I don't know…" She murmurs, a frown forming on her face. "But I'll find a way to get even."
'Yeah. I'll be waiting.'
"Right. You do that." I wave her off casually, shifting slightly as Eri climbs into my lap and imdiately starts helping herself to my… her drink.
"You know," I add, glancing back at Toru, "you can still go invisible if you want."
She blinks. "Huh? Wait, really?"
I raise an eyebrow. "Were you so excited you forgot that I said you'd be able to toggle it on or off? Did you think this was so irreversible permanent thing?"
"I—" She plays with a loose strand of her hair nervously, cheeks tinting pink again. "I didn't think that far ahead…"
That checks out.
"It's not gone. Just… better now. You can turn it off and on at will. Think of it as an upgrade." I say. "Just say you finally learned to control it. No one else has to know how."
Toru pauses, taking that in, then gives a warm smile. Not the usual cheerful, bubbly one.
"…Thanks, Kata." She says gently. "Really. Thanks for giving chance to choose."
I nod and smile back. "You're welco."
She nods back, and for a mont, she just stands there, watching our classmates laughing and prepping for karaoke. Her eyes shine as they reflect the neon lights.
'I guess she now fully feels part of it.'
Then she turns and walks away, waving over her shoulder as she rejoins the others.
I glance down as Eri leans fully into , still sipping juice from my glass since it's hers now.
"You know… I can get you your own juice, right? Wouldn't you prefer apple?" I ask curiously.
She pauses, considering my offer for just a mont… then sips again, slower this ti, a smug grin on her face.
I sigh.
'Eri… you cause so much chaos...'
She tilts her head backward, angling it up so we're staring at each other. Then, she grins wide, showing just how happy she is.
And I grin back.
'And that's okay. You're chaotic in the best ways.'
I ruffle her hair gently as music starts playing in the background and laughter fills the room.
***********
A/N: Hello everyone. How are you doing?
If you've enjoyed the chapter and book so far, please consider leaving so comnts, reviews, or likes. It really helps the book out.
This is the chapter. More emotional than I initially thought it'd be (in my opinion), and I think it turned out quite well. Of course, currently, were going with Toru as the love interest, and I expanded on her canon personality. She's actually not as okay with her invisibility as she lets on, and the reasons she bubbly and cheerful. Tried to make it make sense, and hopefully I did that well. (Too bad it's only now I realised she'd be a love interest, otherwise I could've properly developed her insecurity)
And yeah, I've finally decided on a song for the Karaoke part. I'll link the YouTube video on there when I do, but I'm sure a lot of you know the song.
You can also support and read 10 advanced chapters on Patreon/AMV_WEAKLY
It helps continue writing, and upload more chapters, more quickly. So if you're able, I'd really appreciate the help🤣.
Anyway, that's all from . I hope you enjoyed, and that you have a great day.
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