Our Mask [Shinso Hitoshi X Reader]

Prologue

 'I can't decide whether to help or watch'

You read the mark on your hip for the umpteenth time. There was nothing new about it; it had been there since your birth and you'd seen it everyday. As you softly ran your thumb over it, you wondered about the soulmate phenomenon once again. According to history, these were the first words you'd hear from the person you'd spend the rest of your life with.

You sighed before rolling your shirt down again. 'I can't decide whether to help or watch'? At least it wasn't something generic like "hey". Your mind had stirred up at least a thousand theories of the scenario you'd hear those words in. Hero duties came to mind the most. Your duties at UA as a student in the support course led you to meet a few of the heroes in training. This included Izuku, one of your closest friends at UA, and you'd recalled him uttering quotes similar to your the phrase on your hip, feeding you the idea that perhaps you'd encounter your soulmate at a rescue mission and he'd say that in the heat of the moment.

Perhaps that was the childish (Name) inside you who hoped to marry a strong and brave hero with good looks. Every girl had those kinds of thoughts every once in a while. However, you'd long decided that you would regard your soulmate mark with a mature mind; this was when you first began to debate to yourself whether you'd give in to your soulmate mark or look for love on your own. It wasn't as though soulmates always ended up together.

There'd been tons of cases in which soulmates decide to take love matters into their own hands and seek their own non-assigned significant others. Those cases ended the way that any normal relationship would: either successfully or not. One of the biggest problems that arose in the failed relationships had been the soulmates marks themselves, either making the non-marked partner too self-conscious to treat the relationship in a healthy manner, or the marked partners meeting their soulmates and ending up with their assigned lover anyway.

Or you could seek love with the person fate chose for you. This was a nerve-wrecking option as it robbed you of your free will. Soulmate marks were too rare for anyone to understand the way they work, so no one truly understood how soulmates were chosen and for all you knew, it could be random. Would your soulmate be a sleazebag with no respect for you? Or would you get lucky and get someone who you could at least tolerate?

Your best friend Aimi (or Mimi as you called her) had been nothing but supportive in regards of your soulmate mark. Apart from your mother and father, she was the only one who knew of the words on your hip and your preference to keep it a private matter. She'd voiced how lucky you were to get the privilege of at least knowing who you'd end up with, which would prevent you from any nasty breakups or heartache. You saw her point in the matter as she had gone through a pretty harsh breakup herself a year ago when her first love dumped her with no explanation. Would your mark protect you from something like that?

You sighed once again in frustration when you realized you'd slightly lifted up your shirt again at some point during your train of thoughts. There was no point in looking at the mark so intently since it wasn't about to move or change at any time. However, you couldn't help a nagging sensation in the back of your mind. It bothered you a bit.

After making sure that your shirt was properly down, you picked your bag from your bed. You couldn't let yourself be distracted. It was going to be a nice day today. After all, how couldn't it be, when you'd be seeing Izuku for the first time in four months? He'd arranged a group hangout with his former classmates and had been generous enough to invite you. It'd be the first time so many UA students would reunite after graduation and you couldn't help but get excited at the thought of making new friends. Maybe you were also a bit excited about eating out for the first time in a while, as the hang out had been scheduled in a small diner. A small buzz interrupted your fit of excitement and you opened your phone to look at the new notification.

Izuku: Are you on your way, (Name)-chan?

You smiled at the message, happy to see that your friend was kind enough to check up on you the same way he would before graduation. Another notification popped up right after you answered with a quick 'I'll be there soon!'.

Static Boy: I saved a seat for you ;)   :*

You snorted at the message, well beyond accustomed to the blonde boy's flirting antics.  You grabbed the keys to your small studio apartment and locked the door as you stepped out, noting that the vacant apartment beside you didn't seem so vacant anymore. There were a few boxes outside and rustling sounds that could be heard on the other side of the slightly ajar door. For a moment, you thought about introducing yourself. You decided against it.

They're probably stressed enough about moving. Maybe once they're better settled in.

With that, you began your trip to the diner.

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Chapter Details:

Written 11/25/2022

Published 11/25/2022