The thing about Kaito is that he doesn't trust anyone. Ever. Which, honestly, makes him a perfect fit for the underground market. The guy probably sleeps with one eye open and a knife under his pillow. And yet, here I am, casually selling him a bag full of stolen villain merch like it's no big deal. Funny how life works.

But let me tell you, it wasn't always like this. Kaito didn't just become my go-to guy overnight. Oh no. Our first meeting was, uh... let's call it memorable.

Flashback time!

So, picture this: six months after I dropped out of UA, I'm a quirkless ex-hero student trying to figure out how to survive without getting crushed by society's metaphorical—and sometimes literal—boot. My savings were running low, my stress levels were high, and my only marketable skills were "extensive All Might trivia" and "crying under pressure." Spoiler: not super useful in the real world.

I'd just started dabbling in the whole "vigilante Santa" thing, though back then, it was more "awkward guy with a hoodie and questionable morals." I was trying to track down someone who could move the stuff I was swiping—someone who wouldn't turn me in or try to rob me blind.

That's when I heard about Kaito. Word on the street was that he was the guy to go to if you needed to sell anything shady. I figured, why not? Worst-case scenario, he'd laugh me out of the room. Best-case, I'd finally have enough cash to buy, you know, food.

Finding him was the easy part. Convincing him not to call the cops on me? That's where it got interesting.

When I first met Kaito, he was in the middle of a deal in some dingy back alley. He had this whole "grizzled veteran of the black market" vibe going on—leather jacket, cigarette, the works. I, on the other hand, looked like I'd gotten lost on my way to a comic book convention.

"Who the hell are you?" Kaito snapped when I walked up, his eyes narrowing like he was already sizing me up for a scam.

"I, uh..." I stammered, holding up the bag of random junk I'd scavenged. "I'm here to sell this?"

He stared at me for a long moment, then burst out laughing. "Kid, you've got to be kidding me."

"Why would I be kidding about this?" I asked, trying to sound confident and definitely not like someone who'd just made a terrible life choice.

Before I could say anything else, though, things went south.

"Freeze! Police!"

You ever have one of those moments where you just know the universe hates you? That was me, standing there like a deer in headlights as two officers rounded the corner. They must've been tailing Kaito, and now here I was, standing right next to him, looking guilty as hell.

Kaito immediately bolted, and without thinking, I did too. (Pro tip: when the cops show up, running always makes you look guiltier, but in that moment, logic doesn't exactly come into play.)

We dashed through alleys and side streets, with the officers yelling behind us. I don't know if they were more confused about why Kaito had a teenage sidekick or why that sidekick was wearing a UA gym hoodie.

Eventually, we ducked into an old, abandoned warehouse—classic hiding spot, 10/10 for cliché factor. I was gasping for air, trying not to pass out, while Kaito leaned against a wall, glaring at me.

"What the hell are you doing, kid?" he hissed.

"Trying not to get arrested!" I wheezed.

"Why'd you even run?"

"Why'd you run?!"

He rolled his eyes. "Because I'm actually doing something illegal! What's your excuse, nerd?"

At that point, I realized that if I didn't come up with a good reason, I'd probably get left behind—or worse, turned into a scapegoat. So I blurted out the first thing that came to mind:

"I'm your apprentice!"

Kaito froze, staring at me like I'd just claimed to be the King of France. "What?"

"Your apprentice!" I said again, my brain scrambling to keep up with my mouth. "You're, uh, teaching me the ways of the underground market! It's... it's a mentorship program!"

I don't know if he was more baffled by the lie or by how quickly I'd come up with it, but either way, it worked.

When the cops finally searched the warehouse, we played it cool. I stuck close to Kaito, pretending to be an overly eager intern while he spun some ridiculous story about being a "junk dealer" and me being his "useless assistant." Somehow, they bought it—or maybe they were just too tired to deal with us—and let us go with a warning.

After they left, Kaito turned to me, arms crossed. "Apprentice, huh?"

I shrugged. "Seemed like a good idea at the time."

He shook his head, muttering something about "stupid kids," but he didn't tell me to leave. Instead, he handed me a pack of gum and said, "If you're gonna stick around, you'd better not slow me down."

And that's how I met Kaito.

 A lie, a chase, and a warehouse full of junk. 

Honestly? 

Pretty on-brand for me.