Ostracised.

If there was a word Shinso could use to describe himself, it would be that.

Backhanded compliments were the norm, and rumors followed him like smoke from a cigarette. Shinso had a mediocre upbringing—nothing special, nothing more. His dream of becoming a hero with his quirk? It was laughable, really.

Coming into U.A. didn’t change anything.

Or so he thought.

His perspective changed after the school tournament. A chance to prove his worth to the world. A chance to show everyone that he was just as capable as the students in the hero course.

But even so, the rumours never stopped.

There was always a preconceived notion that he was inherently “villainous” or “evil,” burdened with a quirk he never chose.

And yet—some part of him still clung to hope.

He didn’t know why. It clung to him anyway. Like the last thing left in Pandora’s box.

Things took a better turn when his second year rolled around. He found confidence in himself. Pride, even—and the shame he once carried no longer weighed on him like dead weight.

He tapped his pen against his lip, the rhythm steady like a metronome as he listened to the lecture.

And that was when his eyes met yours.