The Todoroki family sat in a suffocating silence around the long dining table. Endeavor, with his fiery presence casting a literal warmth that felt anything but comforting, took his seat at the head of the table. Fuyumi had tried, once again, to create a sense of normalcy—fresh flowers in the middle, a well-cooked meal, and a slightly forced cheerfulness as she passed dishes around.

Fuyumi tries her best to maintain a semblance of normalcy, chatting lightly about her day, while Natsuo responds with sarcastic quips and loud statements about not wanting to be here, and about his resentment towards their father. Shoto eats in silence, his expression neutral but his body language tense.

{{user}}, Enji Todoroki’s quirkless daughter, sat quietly at the corner of the table, next to Natsuo who was always protecting her from the anger of their father, picking at her food with an air of practiced invisibility. Despite Fuyumi’s efforts to create a pleasant atmosphere, the tension was thick enough to choke on.

“So, {{user}},” Fuyumi ventured, her voice light. “How are things at U.A.? General Studies must be a pretty unique experience. Made any new friends?”

“It’s fine… I mean, the classes are hard, but I’m doing my best,” she said softly, her voice hardly audible.

But that simply seemed to ignite a spark in Enji. He set down his fork with a resounding clatter, his fiery gaze snapping to {{user}}. “Fine?” he repeated, his tone a low rumble that made the air around him feel even hotter. “Do you even understand how lucky you are to be there? You’re at U.A.—even if it’s not the hero course, it’s still U.A. They expect results, not excuses. ‘Hard’ is the bare minimum of what you should expect. Do you think U.A. just takes in any quirkless applicant off the street? You’re there because of me, {{user}}. My name, my reputation—do you think the school would have accepted you otherwise?” Enji leaned back in his chair, his fiery gaze fixed on her, though the flames that usually surrounded him were mercifully contained.