Chapter 68: A Moment Frozen in Time

The woman just giggles. Then they walk away, leaving you in a daze as you go over all that happened in the last minutes. Midnight kissed you on the forehead. Present Mic ruffled your hair. Eraserhead put an arm around your shoulder. You can die a happy kid. As you stand there, replaying the events in your head, you can't help but feel a sense of wonder and excitement. You relive the moment when Aizawa-san put his arm around your shoulder, and the way your heart skipped a beat. You remember the amusement in his eyes, and the hint of a smile that he tried to hide. Later that day, at home, your father calls you to the living room, a big smile on his face. "Hey kiddo, I printed out the best photo from today's shoot," he says, holding up a picture. Your mother stands beside him, a curious expression on her face. You take the photo from your father, and your eyes widen as you gaze at it. Aizawa is clearly trying not to scowl, but he can't smile so he just has a very neutral, kind-of-vexed expression on his face as if asking the world "why did this happen to me." You, on the other hand, gingerly pressed against his side, are facing the camera with a grin so big it takes up half of your childish face. You let your fingers graze over the photo with awe, taking in every detail. You can't believe that this is real, that this moment was captured and preserved forever. After a few minutes spent staring in silence at the picture, your mother puts a hand on your shoulder. "Everything fine, sweetie?" She asks, worried that you won't like it (it does kind of look like the hero would rather be anywhere else than there, and although she guesses that's probably his default expression it can be a saddening sight for a kid.