(Song: Mounika feat. Cavetown - Cut My Hair)

Shinji talks to my father as he drives, about hero work and such while I fiddle with my tail aimlessly, running my hand along it's base and then dropping it back to the seat with a thump.

"So, Y/N, what kind of Quirk do you have?" Shinji asks, looking at me through the rear-view mirror. "The powers of a fish? Your scales sure are pretty."

I shrug. "Basically... My scales can grow across my skin as armour when I'm threatened and I can breath underwater, but that's about it," I look out the window to the night sky, the millions of glittering stars twinkling against the navy blue backdrop.

"She's bluffing, you should as her in action!" My dad grins.

"Daaad..." I groan in embarrassment, my cheeks flushing a deep red colour.

"It's true! Her tail is so powerful, and she swims so fast! She went into karate back in America, and earned an award for kicking the trainer's ass!" He laughs proudly while I hide in the hood of my jacket, my cheeks warming. "I can't wait for my little girl to become a pro!"
Shinji laughs. "I'll definitely pull some strings, as promised," He pulls into the driveway of an apartment complex, the tires of his car crunching over the small pebbles and rocks on the road. "Here we are!"

I sigh in relief and grab my backpack, stepping out of the car and into the open. The cold air against my skin. I slip my shoulders through the straps of my F/C backpack. Exhaling, I watch the cars go by just across the street (the few that remain at this time of night). Their headlights are a mere blur at the speed they move at.

"Well, it was nice catching up, Shinji. Thanks for driving us around," My father bumps his fist against Shinji's with a laugh.

"No problem, Collins. See you two later," Shinji waves before stepping back into his car and driving away.

"Bye, Mr. Nishiya!" I yell after him, waving. "Er--Shinji." I correct myself quietly. My father chuckles and places a hand on my shoulder, smiling.

"C'mon, let's get inside." He motions for me to follow him before turning and walking up the concrete steps to the wall of doors above. I tiredly trudge after him, the soles of my shoes dragging on the ground with a slight scuffling sound.  My dad stops in front of the fourth door down the hall, fumbling with something in his pocket. He eventually pulls out a small white envelope. Tearing through the delicate paper, he shakes out two small objects. He holds one out to me, as if saying, "For you!" 

I hesitantly hold out my hand. He drops the small thing into my palm, it's cold metal lightly pinching at my skin. I hold it out for the moonlight to see, examining it. It's a key, as shown by the intricate carvings in the side and the small 'No.4'  Glinting in the moonlight. I smile at it, feeling as if the key is the marking of my new life, a fresh start since... Well, you know. Nevertheless, I close my fist protectively around the piece of metal and follow my father inside. 

A short hall before us leads into a large, empty room with ample room for a sofa and other furniture items. A smaller room is attached to this space, presumably the kitchen. A longer hallway sits across the room. From the doorway, I can see two open doors at the start of the hall, and one closed door at the back. A small closet sits beside this.

I smile at the apartment layout. It's quaint, but cute. Slipping off my shoes, I walk into the back and begin to explore. The two bedrooms are virtually the same, I realize as I look into them. Deciding to choose the back room, I plop my bag down and walk to the room in the very back. I open the door slowly, revealing a neat little bathroom with blue-green tiles and a large bathtub. The mirror shows a reflection of a tired girl, her eyes baggy and her hair tousled into a bird's nest.

Sighing, I walk out and into the end bedroom, unzipping my backpack and pulling out a pair of pajamas. I undress and slip into the new outfit, the comfy fabrics bringing a slight smile to my face. My father walks in.

"I see you've made yourself at home!" He laughs. "You should get some sleep. It's been a long two weeks, but it'll be over soon. The moving truck comes tomorrow, it'll bring the furniture and all that jazz. While I decorate, maybe you can explore!"

"Yeah. I'd like that," I smile, laying out my sleeping bag. "Goodnight, Dad!"

"Goodnight, Sleepy-Fish," My dad smiles, walking from the room. Yawning quietly, I slowly allow myself to give in to a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

The cool breeze brushes against my skin. I open my eyes to an empty street, a boy standing in the center. His tousled blonde hair waves in the wind around us. I feel a need to get to him, a yearning to get closer to him.

My feet move of their own accord, taking me towards him at high speed. I reach out to him and shout silent words, my lips moving but my throat refusing to make a noise. He turns, his crimson eyes locking onto mine, and disappears into dust as soon as my fingers brush against his hand.

I sit bolt upright with a gasp, sweat pouring from my face. "Why..." I murmur quietly, "Who was that b-boy...?"

I realize the time as I look out the window behind me, early morning sunlight streaming through the gaps in the buildings across the street. Exhaling in relief, I rub my eyes and walk out into the parlor. "Dad...?" I croak quietly. Suddenly, he enters through the door, startling a squeak out of me. He laughs. "Jeez, Dad, you scared me!" I breath.

"Ha, sorry, Kiddo," He smiles, holding out a small plastic box. "I got us breakfast." I take the box from him, examining the small round balls of colour inside.
"What are these?" I ask, opening the box and picking out one of the cold pastries.
"They're called Mochi," He slips off his shoes. "It's ice-cream wrapped in a sweet rice dough. Really good. I got you chocolate, chai tea, and mango."

I smile gently, appreciating the gesture.

"Thank you, Dad."

~~~

Publishing date:

March 27th, 2019