Chapter Text
Fuckk..how are you supposed to get this wheelchair up all these stupid stairs? You would think that in a school full of people with freaky Quirks, they’d know how to deal with a disabled person.
You groan as you look up at the large staircase just inside of the UA school barrier. You’d planned for everything; packed emergency snacks, contacted Recovery Girl to make sure you could carry your medication on you, even had a lengthy conversation with your homeroom teacher (well, you’d talked while the poor man attempted to drown himself in his coffee cup) about the medical accommodations that you would be receiving over the course of the year. But of course..you’d never thought about actually getting into the building.
You’re considering trying to wheel yourself around to another side of the school to look for a ramp, when somebody bumps into your wheelchair from behind. A gravelly voice interrupts your thoughts.
“Hey, move-oh.”
You wheel yourself forwards and around to look at the boy who bumped into you. He was..not what you were expecting. A pale boy, with dark circles under his eyes and a dishevelved uniform which gave him the appearance of having just tumbled out of bed. His hands were shoved in his pockets, and he was shuffling his feet as if he would rather be anywhere than where he was at the moment. When you finally meet his gaze, you note how his eyes are the same shade of violet as his hair. You also notice just how hard he’s trying to not look at you.
“Never seen a person in a wheelchair before?”
There’s no malice in your voice. You’re used to it. Especially at a school as prestigious as UA, where the best and the brightest go to chase glory and a successful career at a hero agency, of course you’d stand out. You always do.
You shake your head, trying to quash the feelings of doubt already invading your mind. This is only your first day. You can’t let this get to you. So you steel yourself, preparing to deal with a whole lot of questions, and even more false sympathy. Instead, the purple-haired boy is looking at you with nothing more than vague curiosity. Mostly, he just looks tired. When he opens his mouth to respond, you notice how straight his teeth are. A little odd, but not bad-looking.
“I have. Just wasn’t prepared to have to battle with a metal monster on my way to class.”
You blink. That was..certainly a statement. Usually, you would have responded with a quick retort and a huff, but he still doesn’t sound like he’s trying to make fun of you, so you’re not sure how to react.
“Are..are you calling me a metal monster?”
The boy’s violet eyes look back at you blankly, then he shakes his head. Gesturing to the wheelchair you’re sitting in, he responds, in the same flat, almost monotonous tone.
“No.”
Uh..okay. Well, this guy is certainly dry as fuck. You exhale deeply, trying to calm yourself, before trying again.
“Alright then…do you know if there’s a different way to get into the school, or-”
“No. There’s construction going on at the side of the school building. I think they talked about it at the orientation. Everybody has to use the front entrance for the first week or so.”
Well, fuck. You groan, rolling your eyes. First period was going to start in twenty minutes. If you weren’t able to get inside..Well, that would be a pretty fucked up way to start the school year. You eye the boy in front of you. Maybe, just maybe, he’ll be able (and willing) to help.
“Hi. Uh..nice to meet you. My name is-"
You proceed to introduce yourself. There's a pause, your name left floating in the air like some abandoned dust bunny. You wait, wondering if he’ll respond. Quite frankly, you’re shocked that he’s stuck around this long at all, but maybe he just has nothing better to do. He looks like the type to loiter outside of school so he can show up to class at the last possible minute.
“Shinso. Hitoshi Shinso.”
Hitoshi Shinso. Interesting. You could’ve sworn you’d heard that name before..
“It’s nice to meet you. I’m in Class 1-A. I’m a first year. And..I’m kind of stuck.”
You gesture to your wheelchair, and then at the stairs. Shinsou’s gaze follows your hand, and his eyes widen slightly. It seems like he’s starting to understand what’s going on.
“Ah..you can’t get your chair up there, and that’s why you’re sitting here in the middle of the walkway instead. Real shitty of the school to not warn you that you wouldn’t be able to get in. For all the talk about how great UA is, that’s kind of a big deal if their precious hero kids can’t even make it through the front door.”
You nod, letting out an exasperated sigh. At least this Shinsou guy didn’t seem like a total douchebag. As great as that was, though, his sympathy wasn’t going to help you get inside.
“Can you walk at all?”
Shinsou’s abrupt question pauses the whirlwind of thoughts in your head.
“Well, sort of. I’m an ambulatory wheelchair user, so I can usually stand and walk and things. The wheelchair is just for flare-ups. Most days I just have a cane, or go without a mobility aid. I’d possibly be able to get up the stairs if I went really slowly, but then I’d be stuck without my wheelchair, because there’s no way I could get it up there. And that would definitely pose an issue..”
“No problem then. I’ll just help you.”
You pause. You hadn’t been expecting him to actually offer his help. Maybe you’d misjudged him.
“I’d really appreciate that. If I can just get up there today, I’m sure I’d be able to talk to someone to help me get in for the rest of the week..”
He nods, pulling his hands out of his pockets. His face is still relatively emotionless, but he seems determined.
“This is my first year, too. I’m in business class, but I’m going to transfer into the hero course later in the year." The messy-haired boy shifts his stance, his voice taking a conspiratorial tone. "I’ve heard that the 1A homeroom teacher fails dozens of kids every year, so I’m just gonna wait until that happens, and snatch up an empty spot. So..you want me to grab you or your wheelchair first?”