Capítulo 44: Chapter 44
Eri didn't respond, so I got up. "Get some sleep, Eri. You can take all the time you need tomorrow to figure it out." I received a small shy nod in response, and I watched her slip into bed.
I walked to the couch and sat down, staring up at the ceiling as I mulled over what had happened recently. 'Met two heroes, got arrested, interrogated, killed some low-level thugs, got information, killed Overhaul, and now I have Eri.' I glanced at her small form, now asleep in the bed. 'Am I really willing to take a child with me? Am I even capable of handling that kind of responsibility?'
I looked down at the wooden pendant. 'I don't even know what will happen once I return home, in the past. Will I be back in Kyoto, in my body before everything started? Time and world traveling is confusing.' I rubbed my eyes, feeling the weight of uncertainty.
I got up and turned on the TV, keeping the volume low so I wouldn't wake Eri. On the screen, my face appeared as the reporter started talking. "Earlier this afternoon, a man attacked the police station, killing twenty-seven people who were being held in jail cells. He later attacked and destroyed what we now know was the main base of a villain named Overhaul. It is unclear why he carried out these attacks, but he was seen fleeing from heroes." Bold red text flashed beneath a shot of my face that said dangerous. "He is extremely dangerous. His quirk is unknown, but heroes report he can release some sort of energy wave...
I shook my head and turned off the TV. 'Maybe I should've figured out a quieter way to do all that.' Glancing back at Eri, I confirmed she was really asleep before heading out. I needed to grab clothes to disguise both of us. 'I doubt they haven't put out a notice for Eri's appearance too.'
I stayed close to alleys and dark spots as I moved through the district until I approached a clothing shop. 'This will have to do, I guess.'
I walked back from the shop and into the room and saw that Eri was still asleep. 'She must have been really tired.' I headed to the bathroom with the bags in hand. Once inside, I set them down on the floor and pulled out what I needed, blonde hair dye and some makeup.
I started with the dye first. It was straightforward enough. After finishing, I checked to see if any strands of my normally black hair were still visible. 'Seems like my past is coming in handy.' Once I confirmed none were showing, I moved on to the makeup. I used it to cover the tattoo around my neck and conceal any scars on my face and body. 'This is going to be a pain.'
It ended up taking longer than I thought. By the time I was done, the moon had set, and the first light of the sun was peeking through.
Walking out of the bathroom, I glanced at the clock and saw it was five in the morning. 'Should I let her wake up on her own?' I decided to let her rest and grabbed some clothes from another bag, both for myself and for Eri.
For Eri, I picked out a sunhat, a purple and white flowered sundress, and white running shoes. For myself, I chose a black cap, a simple white shirt, and black sweatpants. 'Simple and efficient.' I thought with a nod.
I didn't have to wait long, around an hour. Before Eri woke up with a tiny yawn. I watched as she looked around, scared and confused. When we locked eyes, she backed away slightly.
"It's me, Eri. Ryou," I said, raising my hand and giving a small wave. She gave a hesitant nod in response.
"I got some hair dye for you," I continued. "and after we dye your hair like mine, we'll get you dressed and head out for a bite to eat. Sound good?" She looked confused but gave a small nod.
I gestured toward the bathroom, and she followed me inside. I dyed her hair and helped her into the new clothes. In a small voice, she asked. "What about my scars?"
I tilted my head, realizing what she meant. "Oh, right. I only covered mine because they're ugly and cursed. Yours aren't they are signs you are a survivor."
'I'm not great at this.' I thought, she didn't say anything other than nodding. We left the hotel, and I stretched out my hand for her to take.
"Anything you want for breakfast, Eri?" I asked.
She hesitantly placed her tiny hand in mine and shyly said. "Sweet apples?"
I smirked. "Alright, sounds good. After that, we'll walk around for a bit. Just let me know if you get tired, okay?"
A slightly less shy nod followed. 'Small steps.' I thought.
We got some sweet apples for breakfast and were now on a train headed to an apple orchard. I thought it would be a nice trip for Eri. She sat on my lap, shyly looking out the window as the train rolled on. When we arrived, I picked her up, carried her off the train, and gently set her down, taking her hand as we walked at her pace. 'Small steps, Ryou.' It was my first time taking things slow like this, and it felt oddly nice.
Once we reached the apple orchard, we walked around admiring the trees. Eri's eyes lit up, like she had found heaven with the way she shyly stared at the apples. Fortunately, the place wasn't packed, and I wasn't the only one with a child, so we blended in.
I looked down at her. "Want to sit on my shoulders and see if you can reach some apples?" She hesitated, then nodded, so I lifted her onto my shoulders. Her small arms stretched toward the lower apples.
"It's fine, you can grab some and eat them" I encouraged her. I noticed a few older couples smiling at us as they passed by.
After we finished with the apples, we spent the rest of the day visiting different places, taking trains now and then. Halfway through, Eri ended up either on my shoulders or in my arms as we traveled to different orchards, visited shrines, and looked at fish ponds. I even showed her how to pray at a shrine.
As the day wound down, we stopped at a small restaurant for dinner before heading to a hotel for the night. Eri was already tucked into bed, and I lay down on the couch nearby. Then, I heard her soft voice.
"If... if I wanted to be with the heroes, would you let me?"
I turned to face her and saw her shyly looking my way. "If that's what you want." I replied gently.
She looked away for a moment, then back at me. "C-can I see them? The heroes?"
I thought about it. 'It shouldn't be too much of a problem... I could take her to U.A. It'd be cool to see it in person, too.'
"We can go tomorrow," I said. "For now, get some sleep."
She nodded and quickly drifted off, and I soon followed, sleep claiming me as well.
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