"I Reincarnated in Boku no Hero but They Forgot to Give Me a System"

Chapter 15 — She Still Loves Us

As Aoi landed softly in the backyard, the blue flames still flickering gently at his feet, he barely had time to wipe the sweat from his forehead before his eyes caught sight of Shoto.

Shoto was curled up on the porch, a small shadow against the fading glow of the evening sky. His eyes were fixed on the ground, heavy with a sadness that seemed to weigh down even the air around him. His expression was clouded, like a sky on the brink of weeping.

Aoi approached quietly, without a word. Sitting down calmly beside his younger brother, he waited patiently. Sometimes, he knew, silence was the only space pain needed to begin to speak.

After a long pause, Shoto finally broke the silence, his voice low and hesitant, as if afraid of the answer he might receive:

— Aoi… does Mom hate us?

Aoi raised an eyebrow, a mix of surprise and sadness flickering across his face.

He took a deep breath, then without hesitation, gave Shoto a light but firm flick on the forehead.

— Idiot, — he said softly, a small, teasing smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Shoto touched his forehead, startled by the unexpected gesture, unprepared for such a blunt reality check.

— Adults are complicated, Shoto, — Aoi continued, his gaze drifting toward the horizon where stars were beginning to twinkle softly in the deepening twilight.

— Our dad made mistakes. A lot of them.

And for Mom… staying here, in this house, became a burden she couldn't carry anymore.

He slowly turned back to face Shoto, his eyes steady and firm.

— She didn't leave because she stopped loving us.

She left because… as long as Dad keeps being who he is, this house will never be a place of peace for her.

Shoto stayed silent, the weight of those words sinking deep into his heart.

Aoi reached out, ruffling his brother's bicolor hair gently, a rare moment of tenderness in the midst of their shared pain.

— But we understand it. I understand it. You do too. Fuyumi and Natsuo as well.

We all knew she needed to go.

For a moment, the world seemed to pause.

Then Fuyumi stepped onto the porch, her eyes shining with a sad but sincere warmth. She knelt down, resting a soft hand on Shoto's shoulder.

— Shoto, Mom loves you.

And she loves all of us.

Don't ever doubt that, not for a single second.

Shortly after, Natsuo joined them, settling on Shoto's other side. He placed a reassuring hand on his little brother's shoulder, offering silent support.

There they were — the four siblings, side by side.

Together.

Silent.

Yet united.

Aoi watched the scene unfold, feeling a warmth swell inside his chest.

Even within this fractured home, its walls scarred by shouting matches and doors locked by stubborn pride…

There were still bonds strong enough to hold them together.

Inside the house, standing just inside the doorway, Endeavor watched them.

His eyes were sharp and hard, his posture rigid. The imposing presence he always maintained now seemed weighted down, heavy with something unsaid.

But in his gaze, there was something new.

Maybe it was the heavy burden of regret.

Maybe it was the flicker of doubt stirring inside.

Maybe, just maybe, it was the first spark of understanding.

He wanted to step forward.

To say something — anything.

To fix what had been broken.

But the words caught in his throat.

His pride roared louder than his heart.

And his obsession with surpassing All Might — his relentless drive — still held him captive in a cage too tight to see beyond.

So he remained frozen in place.

Silent.

Motionless.

Watching his children find comfort in each other — without him.

And realizing that, surrounded by all the roaring flames of his power,

He was the only one left standing in the dark.

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