My Hallucinations Ahh

It turned out most of Midoriya's classmates took the challenge hard. And by hard, it means the drive-to-AFOP-for-toilet-paper type of hard. Sometimes on his way there, Midoriya suddenly remembered the watermelon, which had been quietly mummifying in the trunk of his recently resurrected Chevy Malibu. He removed it and dumped it into a bin, watching it thud against the plastic with the solemnity of a funeral. A casualty of battle.

Midoriya stood in the automatic doorway of AFOP, the fluorescent lights buzzing overhead in an almost threatening manner. The air smelled of cheap cleaning detergent, stale coffee, and the distinct, inescapable aura of corporate despair. The overhead speakers were playing a low-volume AFOP jingle on an endless loop, punctuated by occasional, soulless promotional announcements.

"Welcome to AFOP! Your one-stop shop for everything! Remember to check out our PLUS ULTRA discount section, where all items are 25% off if you sign up for an AFOP Loyalty Account! Because here at AFOP, we're ALL IN FOR ONE!"

Midoriya blinked. He had heard that slogan somewhere before.

He took a deep breath. He was here for a mission.

He needed toilet paper.

His body was still in post-Sports Festival Challenge recovery mode. A diet consisting of 90% protein shakes and cafeteria all-you-can-eat regrets had led him to this exact moment, standing in the entrance of what might just be hell itself.

Then, as he stepped forward, his instincts kicked in.

Something felt off.

His eyes drifted towards checkout lane seven.

There, standing with the posture of a man who had long given up on life, wearing a slightly wrinkled AFOP uniform, his once bloodthirsty gaze now dulled by the crushing weight of capitalism, was—

Shigaraki.

Midoriya stopped walking.

No. It couldn't be.

But it was.

It absolutely, undeniably was.

His brain froze.

His thoughts slowed.

The AFOP jingle continued playing overhead.

The fluorescent lights flickered.

A shopping cart creaked ominously in the distance.

Midoriya squinted. Was it really him?

He knew that face. That dry, cracked skin. That unkempt, unwashed hair. That undeniable aura of existential suffering.

But no, it couldn't be Shigaraki. Why would Shigaraki be working at an AFOP?

And yet, the nametag was right there.

"Tomura - AFOP Team Member Since 2 Months Ago!"

The words burned into Midoriya's retinas.

His stomach clenched. His hands became sweaty. His mind spiraled into overdrive.

Maybe it was just someone who looked like him. Yeah. Maybe—maybe he just had one of those faces.

But the way he was slouching… the exhausted dead look in his eyes…

Midoriya knew. He knew.

He gulped.

Shigaraki still hadn't noticed him yet. He was too busy scanning a customer's bulk purchase of protein bars.

Midoriya considered turning around. Walking away. Pretending this moment never happened.

But something in him, something deep and irrational, refused to let go.

A horrible thought crept into his mind.

He should say something.

No. That would be weird.

Wouldn't it?

Wouldn't it be even weirder not to?

But if he said something, what would he even say?

"Hey, remember when you tried to kill me?"

No, too confrontational.

"Hey, funny seeing you here!"

No, that made it sound like they were old friends or something.

"Hey, so uh... do you work here?"

Of course he works here. He's wearing the uniform. With the nametag. What kind of stupid question—

Shigaraki finished scanning the protein bars and looked up.

Their eyes met.

A moment of pure, soul-crushing silence passed between them.

The AFOP jingle looped for the fifth time.

A random beep from another checkout lane echoed in the distance.

Neither of them spoke.

Neither of them blinked.

Midoriya's mind was screaming.

Say something. Say something. SAY SOMETHING.

His mouth opened.

"Uh."

No. Bad start. Try again.

"Hey."

Still bad. Shigaraki was still staring.

His face remained expressionless.

Midoriya panicked. Why was he still staring?

Maybe he didn't recognize him?

Wait, no, that was stupid. Of course he recognized him.

Should he say his name?

Would that be weird?

Was it weirder if he didn't say his name?

Another awkward second passed.

Shigaraki breathed in.

Midoriya braced himself.

And then—

Shigaraki spoke.

"…Did you find everything okay today?"

Midoriya forgot how to function as a human being.

His brain short-circuited.

He forgot how words worked.

What?

What???

What was he supposed to say to that?

Was this a test?

Was Shigaraki pretending to be an employee to lure him into a false sense of security before trying to kill him with a barcode scanner?

Or—was he actually just doing his job?

Midoriya felt his entire sense of reality collapse in on itself.

There was no logical explanation for this moment.

And yet, here he was.

Standing in AFOP.

Talking to Shigaraki.

Who was, apparently, a cashier now.

A customer behind him coughed impatiently.

Midoriya panicked.

"…Uh, yeah."

Shigaraki blinked. "Cool. Do you have an AFOP Loyalty Account?"

Midoriya had never felt fear like this in his life.

But who is Shigaraki? Midoriya had never seen this man before. What has he done to deserve such strange flashbacks...?

Shigaraki is just some dude who lives in the suburbs and drives in and drives out everyday to work here.

He must have been imagining things.