MHA: The One Who Laughs

Johnny's POV

I woke up with a pounding headache. Whether it was from being sick or the chemical I inhaled last night, I wasn't sure. My body felt heavy, like I had barely slept.

Groggily, I pushed myself out of bed and made my way to the bathroom. As I looked in the mirror, my eyes narrowed at a small white dot on my face.

"Makeup?" I muttered, rubbing at the spot before sniffing my fingers.

Shrugging it off, I figured it must've been from my mom hugging me yesterday.

After a quick shower and brushing my teeth, I grabbed my bag and left for school.

Aldera Junior High wasn't a big school, and from the outside, it looks nice and a well-maintained school. But the truth is, bullying runs rampant, especially for people with no quirk.

As I approached my classroom, I spotted three students lounging outside the door, laughing without a care in the world.

I lowered my head, hoping to slip by unnoticed.

"Well, well, well. Who do we have here?"

The voice belonged to Hyoshida, the leader of the trio. His transformation quirk made his body half-gem, making him one of the strongest in school—second only to Katsuki Bakugo.

I tried to slip past him, but one of his lackeys, a boy with stretchable limbs, blocked my path.

"Didn't I tell you that if you came to school today, I'd beat your ass?" he sneered.

My body tensed, sweat forming on my brow. 'It's going to happen again.'

Before I could react, the third guy spat out webs, dragging me away from the classroom and bringing me in the restroom. My classmates just stared, none of them daring to interfere.

"What did I ever do to deserve this?" I whispered, clenching my fists.

Hyoshida noticed and laughed. "What's with the fists? You think you're tough?" His smirk dropped into a scowl. "The hell do you think you're gonna do, huh?!"

Thud!

His kick landed hard in my stomach, knocking me to my knees.

"You quirkless piece of shit. You think you're some kind of tough guy?"

Bang!

Another kick, this time to my face. Blood trickled down from my nose onto the cold bathroom tiles.

A metallic clang echoed through the room. I looked up to see a box cutter slide to a stop in front of me.

Hyoshida grinned mockingly. "Pick it up. If you're so tough, fight me."

I stayed silent, not knowing what to say or do.

Not hearing my response, Hyoshida mocked, "Tell you what," Hyoshida added. "I won't even use my quirk."

I gripped the box cutter tightly but remained frozen. Everyone in that room knew, even me, that I wasn't going to use it. I was about to drop it and apologize when suddenly, everything slowed down.

The world turned green. The walls, their faces, even their clothes—all glowing in eerie shades. My vision blurred as the color pulsed like a heartbeat.

And then, as quickly as it appeared, it was gone.

Hyoshida frowned. "The hell's wrong with you?"

Before he could continue, the door slammed open.

The person that came in had a frown on his face. He had blond spikey hair and he looked at everyone with scorn on his face.

Looking at what was happening, he scoffed at the three in front of me and said, "Move you fucking losers! Are you gonna have gay sex or what? The fuck are you looking at each other like that for?" When he finished, he walked forward unbothered and bumped into the three.

The entire room stiffened.

Bakugo.

The strongest student in our school stood there, unimpressed. His spiky blond hair and scowl were enough to make the two lackeys step back in fear.

But Hyoshida was different. He frowned at Bakugou and said, "Watch your mou-"

Before Hyoshida could finish, Bakugo turned around and said, "Or what?" He raised his hand and small explosions began in his palms, "I'll blow your fucking head off if you keep talking."

Hyoshida glared at the flickering sparks before scoffing. "Let's go," he muttered, turning away.

As the three left, I caught Bakugo's gaze. His expression twisted in annoyance. "The hell are you looking at?"

"N-Nothing…"

I bolted out of the bathroom and left school entirely. Hyoshida would be pissed, and I wasn't sticking around for round two.

I had two hours to kill before I could go home. My parents would still be there, and I didn't want them to see me like this.

I headed to my usual hiding spot—the rooftop. Normally, it was locked, but the janitor, feeling sorry for me, had given me a spare key when I asked for one.

I took a deep breath and sat down, pulling out my deck of cards. Not for playing, but for something more. These weren't just cards—they were weapons in the making.

As I worked, time slipped away. And the school bell rang.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Footsteps.

I turned around and saw the doors opening. Thinking it would just be the janitors, I calmed down and began to work again. But when the doors opened, I frowned as I saw another kid.

A kid with messy green hair and freckles stood there, just as surprised to see me.

"H-Hello…" he stammered.

I nodded and turned back to my work, keeping an eye on him. He walked past me, grabbing a notebook that had been left near the wall.

He laughed nervously. "M-My friends threw this up here by accident… Haha… ha…"

I said nothing and resumed my work.

Then, he asked, "What's that?"

"A weapon."

"W-Weapon?! You know we're on school grounds, right?!"

I shot him a glance but stayed silent.

The kid scratched his head awkwardly. "This place is nice… Is it your spot?"

I nodded again.

"Can I stay here for a while?"

"Yeah… Sure."

We sat in silence, me working, him writing in his notebook. Before we knew it, another hour had passed.

The bell rang.

I stood up to leave. As I walked away, he said, "See you later."

I paused, turning back. "See you."

He smiled.

When I got home, I cautiously opened the door, scanning the house. My parents should've left for work by now.

The kitchen was empty. Just as I exhaled in relief—

Creaaaaak.

I froze.

The sound came from upstairs. My blood ran cold.

Slowly, I crept toward the stairs.

"Hehehehahaha-Haaaahahahahahaaa!"

My breath caught in my throat.

That wasn't my mom.

That wasn't my dad.