?????? ????? ???? ? ?!???????

CHAPTER 37: Secrets and Poolside Reflections

At the dimly lit League of Villains hideout, Tomura Shigaraki and Kurogiri sat around a television, the screen flashing with a summer broadcast featuring All Might. The Symbol of Peace stood tall, his smile radiating a powerful sense of hope that clearly grated on Tomura's nerves. Kurogiri turned off the screen, breaking the trance of irritation Tomura was in.

"Hope," Tomura sneered. "That's what people cling to when they're too weak to see the truth." He clenched his fists, his thoughts drifting toward both Midoriya and Stain. "I finally understand why people like Midoriya and the Hero Killer irritate me so much. It's that irritating, fake hope they all feed off... just like All Might."

Sitting nearby, Hydrax-known once as Yumi Mizushima-observed him, a faint look of understanding on her face. Watching his growing conviction struck a familiar chord, something she had long hidden even from her villainous allies. "You think that hope is an illusion?" she asked softly, glancing at Tomura.

He nodded, curious but wary of her tone. Hydrax exhaled slowly, steeling herself before speaking. She was ready to reveal a piece of herself she hadn't shared yet. "Maybe you should know what it's like to have that hope burned to ashes."

Tomura cocked his head, intrigued, as Hydrax's eyes grew distant, a storm of memories and resentment filling her thoughts.

---

Flashback

Yumi was twelve, still full of life, with a passion for her quirk and a fierce competitive streak. She had always been the "gifted" one-her quirk manifested early, and it was strong, drawing attention from family and friends alike. Her parents, thrilled to see their first child thriving, doted on her, always reminding her that she would one day make them proud as a hero. But the sense of security she felt didn't last. Her family's focus slowly shifted when her younger sister, you, were born. Yumi's and your parent adored you, and Yumi felt herself fading from their spotlight, little by little.

As the years went by, she watched her parents' focus shift entirely toward your development. She began to feel like she was nothing but an expectation they no longer cared about, a shadow overshadowed by her sister's innocence and charm. Yumi's frustration grew, her resentment like a seed taking root in her heart.

Then, one evening, everything changed. Their home was engulfed in flames in a brutal villain attack. Yumi, trapped in her room, barely made it out alive. As she stumbled through the chaos, coughing and struggling for air, she called out for her family, her voice cracking with desperation.

But no one came. In that moment, Yumi was alone, forgotten amid the smoke and destruction. The villains who set the fire had no regard for her; she was merely collateral damage in their chaos. Her family-her parents, her precious little sister-were nowhere to be found, and she felt a bitter certainty that they had escaped without her.

---

Yumi's family believed she had perished that night, swallowed whole by the roaring flames, a tragic casualty they could do nothing to save. Amid the chaos, they tried to search for her, but hope dwindled quickly. The fire raged too fiercely, and the devastation was too complete. In the end, they focused on you-the one child they could save. They mourned Yumi as a memory, a beloved daughter and sister lost to the merciless fire. For them, she was gone, a soul surrendered to tragedy.

But Yumi survived. She crawled from the ashes, body bruised and spirit shattered, left to fend for herself in the empty shadows of a world that had forgotten her. The truth sank in with a painful clarity-no one was coming. Her family, the ones she had trusted above all else, had abandoned her to her fate, moving forward as if she were a relic of their past. Each passing day in isolation carved her heart with resentment and despair, a bitterness growing darker with every moment she was left alone.