"You and I are polar opposites... So why do you keep hanging out with me..." Sukuna whispered to himself. Mina hummed, looking at him.
"You say something, Sukuna?" She questioned. Sukuna glanced at her.
"Nothing." He muttered back. Mina smiled and pointed at her workbook.
"Hey, teach me how to answer this." Mina requested. Sukuna glanced at her.
"Why? You can just ask the teacher, it's recess, and they'll probably explain it way better than me." Sukuna deflected. Mina shook her head.
"Don't wanna. I'm more comfortable with you." Mina smiled at him. Sukuna looked at her, confusion in his eyes.
"You're... comfortable with me?" What did that mean? That she'd rather be with his silent self than her friends?
"Yeah!" She nodded before pointing at the space beside her.
"C'mon, teach me already!" Sukuna silently nodded, pulling his chair and sitting beside her. Mina was all smiles as she listened to Sukuna explain to her the solution to a certain math problem. She stared into his piercing crimson eyes.
Usually, people who talk to him never look at him in the eyes, Sukuna always had that natural glare to him after all. But Mina was never scared of him. From the first day she crossed paths with Sukuna, she could tell that he was a kind soul at heart, and his intentions were never misleading.
"Do you understand?" Mina widened her eyes, realizing that she got lost in his eyes to the point where she had blocked out his entire explanation. She cleared her throat, looking away. Sukuna raised an eyebrow, noticing that her cheeks were a darker shade of pink for a moment.
"Uh... I think I need a repeat... Hehe..."
"Alright. But listen carefully this time alright?"
"Okay sensei! Hihi!"
"Never call me that..."
...
"Yes, teacher. You wanted to see me?" Sukuna sat before the guidance counselor, a middle aged man who had a gentle aura around him. He'd been lost in teaching Mina before he was suddenly called to meet him.
The teacher nodded, smiling a little at Sukuna. "Don't worry, you're not in trouble. I just wanted to know why you didn't fill in the career aspirations form?" The teacher slid a piece of paper towards Sukuna. It was a career aspirations form, mandatory for all students to fill in, but Sukuna had left it empty, only writing his name.
"I will take a big guess here, and say that you don't know which high school you want to pick, and you have no idea what you want to be in the future." The teacher stated. Sukuna's silence was all he needed as an answer.
"That's fine, I was in your position once, all of the adults around you were. I want to tell you something, I actually wanted to become a Pro Hero when I was younger, we all did, but look at me now, I'm just a humble teacher." Sukuna listened intently as the teacher continued.
"My point is, it's okay to be clueless sometimes. Maybe you just need to go out once in a while, to find inspiration so to speak. Who knows, maybe you'll find your calling then." The teacher tapped the paper.
"I'd like you to take this paper back and fill in the what is required. You and I both know that a piece of paper doesn't define our future, but what I want from you is effort."
"I see. I will do my best." Sukuna nodded, standing up and grabbing the piece of paper.
"You're our school's most talented student, Ryomen-san. I have high hopes for you. Sorry for adding pressure onto you, but I'm not sorry at the same time." The teacher grinned a little. Sukuna stared, before nodding.
Well, looks like he has to walk around town now.
...
"Hey, you going to the gym sometime soon? I haven't worked out with you in a while." Sukuna, on his way back to class, glanced at Eijiro Kirishima, a black haired boy with shark like teeth.
"Maybe this weekend. I'm going to be busy for a while after school." The pink haired boy replied. Kirishima nodded, giving him a thumbs up.
" I wish you luck on whatever you're going through." Sukuna glanced again, before nodding silently, a grateful look in his eyes. Aside from Mina, Kirishima was an unexpected friend he made this year.
The man had recently taken an interest in working out, and had coincidentally went to the same gym Sukuna frequents. They became workout buddies then and there, always pushing each other to lift more and run further on the treadmill.
"So, how's things with Mina?" Sukuna blinked at the question. Kirishima talks as if Mina is his girlfriend, but maybe he misinterpreted.
"She's as loud as ever." Sukuna replied, an amused smirk finding its way on his lips. Kirishima laughed.
"Well, I expected that. It's actually weird if she's quiet. No but seriously, how are things going between you two? Any developments?" Kirishima smirked at Sukuna who tilted his head.
"Developments? You talk as if we're dating."
"Well, you two give off that vibe ya know? Our whole batch thinks you and her have something going on, it even reached the teachers." Sukuna snorted at Kirishima's claim.
"Baseless rumors, Kirishima. They don't have a life of their own, so they take interest in other people's privacy. That's all there is to it."
"Hah! Good one!" Kirishima laughed as they walked up the stairs. The black haired boy glanced at the piece of paper Sukuna was holding.
"Ain't that the career aspirations paper we filled the other day?"
"Yes. I didn't fill it, well, more like I left it empty."
"Lemme guess, you don't know what you want to become huh?" Kirishima mumbled.
"Correct."
"So do I get a prize for guessing correctly?" Kirishima grinned at him. Sukuna palmed his face as Kirishima laughed at his reaction.
"Relax man. I guess I have something to relate with you. It took me a while before I thought of what I wanted." Kirishima explained. Sukuna nodded, knowing that Kirishima wanted to become a Pro Hero.
"I'd say it's possible you can make it. Your Quirk is versatile, Kirishima. You'd make a great fighter, also with disaster response and rescue. And you have a good mentality for heroics." Sukuna commented.
"Aw man Sukuna, you're making me blush." Kirishima laughed, rubbing the back of his head. Sukuna sighed at his antics.
"Speaking of heroics, I think you should give it a shot too. You have one hell of a quirk and work ethic. I think you'd easily make it to UA High."
"It's not that simple..." Sukuna whispered.
"Oh don't get me wrong, I'm not naive at all to this world, I've seen my fair share of disturbing stuff online, I can add my own experiences to it too. But sometimes you just have to look forward and not give a shit of the things around you, you get me? If not for you and Mina dragging me out of my darkness, I'd still be insanely insecure of what people think of me and not make an effort to work on myself." Sukuna remained silent in deep thought, processing what Kirishima just said, before he opened his mouth a few moments later.
"I need to think this through."
"Hey, it's not a race. We still have half a year left so you still have time..." The black haired boy replied before stopping. " And this is it for now..." He glanced at his class. Sukuna nodded, preparing to walk away.
"Hey Sukuna..." Kirishima called out, forcing Sukuna to hit the brakes, glancing back at him.
"I don't know about you, but Mina's someone I'd like to keep around for sure. Who knows? Maybe you'll find happiness with her." Sukuna glanced at Kirishima for a while before smirking a little.
" You talk too much..."
To be continued.....