Don't ask me where I found this ^ I forgot.

My idea of a great past-time: I swear, my recommendation page is full of these now.

I draw this pathetic little creature wherever anyone dares to leave a pen and paper out in public. I've drawn at least six of these by now. This one was really rushed. Usually I'll add as many detail as humanly possible.

I made crepes from scratch. First time too. They tasted surprisingly good, given I only glanced at the recipe once and freestyled from there~

Dang this is almost as good as when I accidentally converted Sukuna to Christianity!

(Y/n) be like:

Tenko is still like this too sometimes:

Me: "Look, oni/ane-chan!" *shows you a wall of memes*
You: "Wow!.. That sure is... a lot.." *recognizes only half of it*

====================

.

(I downloaded the image below way back when I started this book. 😭)

. . .

Thunk!

     "Ack!" Hhoowww the heck did he get a hit on you?!

     This man didn't even have a quirk. He just used motorized kites to soar through the air and dive bomb you. Long story short, this man was your average criminal who happened to also be a janitor in the main HPSC building. After stealing some confidential information, he blackmailed the entire organization.

     Online, he proclaimed to the world what he had done and how easy it was, apparently to make people lose their faith in hero society. He spun a tail in video about being some recently retired hero whose son was dying of cancer. But, since he was quirkless and was forced to train himself -- and so had no official hero school to back him -- no one was willing to hire him as a hero or even sidekick, he couldn't make enough money to pay for better treatment for his son. He claimed that the money he was blackmailing the HPSC for would be put toward treating his son.

     However, his story was completely bogus. He had no son. Good thing no one was willing to take the goofy "Kite Man" seriously! His online presence was taken down as soon as those videos came up, and you were dispatched to deal with the villain swiftly thereafter.

     You had to hand it to the guy, it was clear how much time and effort he had put into training himself. The kites, flaps, and engines he used to get around may as well have been limbs attached to his body. And not being from any one hero school had its interesting advantages. Usually, a school will hammer into its students a certain approach to comprehending a battlefield; how to see and react to your opponent and so-forth. This man was like a loose bolt in that regard. His mindset to battling made his fighting style a lot more like those in the ring. He was far less easy to predict, and his creativity made-up for what he lacked in every other area. A fun opponent, you had to admit. Made you miss the Underground Masquerade a little.

     Unluckily him, you were a loose screw as well. The difference being the obvious power scaling. You jumped up at him when he wasn't expecting it, soaring over him, and sprouted your wings once above. You flapped all of six of them, creating a massive gust of wind that knocked him down onto the flat roof and slammed against an air conditioning unit. As he tumbled, you landed like a spider on the building's ledge and tilted your head. "You sly, sly little man~ You fabricated your backstory to gain more sympathy points, didn't you~?"

     "If that's what'll help you sleep at night after killing me.."

     "Tsk.. be honest. Do you really believe anything you did will have an effect?" You know it sure won't.

     The sitting, bloodied man growled and wiped the blood from his lip. He chuckled raggedly. "Hell yeah."

     You bolted his way. He stood in that short amount of time, enough to sock you in the jaw with the help of one of his fist-jets to really hammer it in. You felt dizzy for maybe half a second, but by then you'd punched through his stomach.

     His blood soaked into your very skin, staining it badly. What was left of your tearing hoodie sleeve was sopping wet. The inside of him was so hot, steam bellowed out from it when you yanked your arm free. The light in his eyes died quickly. You guided his body to the ground. Holding the man between your arms, you closed his eyes for him and hummed an apology.

      ...Turns out that "fabricated story" of his was mostly true..except for one thing... His son died three years ago.

     This was nothing but poorly executed revenge.

---------------

     You dropped the body off at Garaki's after confirming with the HPSC that the target was dead. They thought you always just cremated the corpses after. "Iguchi's gone already?" You more-or-less grunted to the mad scientist. You'd started just handing him the bodies you dropped, since burying or cremating them was a waste, and apparently the doctor could use even the most useless of corpses for helpful experiments.

     The doctor grimaced at the mess You'd brought with you. He spun his chair around to look at you with disinterest. "He left a day ago already. Did you not check your phone??"

     "Hm?" The portal around your ankle grew to envelope you. In your room fully, you grabbed your phone and reappeared in the lab. Your bloody hand made unlocking your phone a little difficult, but you managed. You squinted past the bloody screen at the messages you indeed had received yesterday, both from Iguchi and an unlisted number telling you your friend was free. There was even a little extra telling you to meet him and Tenko on the training grounds at UA for some fun... Oh yeah. Forgot orientation was tomorrow.. or today... Whatever. "...Ah, I see the texts now." You slid the phone back into your pocket and offered the old man half a wave. "Chao." You vanished in the portal again and grabbed some PJs to change into. It was still so dark, but the sun was beginning to rise. Maybe.. just maybe.. if you showered quickly enough, you could get half an hour of sleep."

     The floorboards right outside your bedroom door creaked like an alarm going off. You cringed, hissing through your teeth. To top things off in the worst possible way, Kai was just emerging from his bedroom. He jumped back at the sight of you. "What the hell??" He hissed.

     "I'm sorry!" You whispered. "It's me, (Y/n)!"

     "I know that. Why are you...so...?" He couldn't even finish his sentence. Sure, he knew you were never the most pacifist type. But, to see so much blood on you all at once... The man cupped his head in one hand and leaned against the wall. "...Just let me through.. I'm already not feeling great... This isn't helping..." Come to think of it, he was looking kind of sweaty and pale.

     "The Kai, sick~?" You started to tease him, but he reeeeealy didn't appear to be in the mood. You disappeared into the bathroom quickly so he could get the medicine he needed.

     You stripped, showered, changed into some pajamas, and flopped back onto the bed. Ahhhh, finally, some sleep. The mattress and blankets were all warm and welcoming. It would only be a few seconds now before you-

Knock knock knock

     You threw a pillow at the door. "Jhu-uh-ust let me slee-ee-ee-eep!" You wailed. The door opened, allowing a little silver haired girl to slip through with ease. She waddled up to your bed and started tugging at the blankets. Hari shut the door on the two of you without saying a word. You groaned. "SEriOuSLy!?"

     "(Y/n), were you dweaming??"

     "Hhhhgh... Dreaming about dreaming..."

     Eri gasped. "That sounds so cool! Teach me!!"

     "It's something.. you'll... have to figure out when you're older..." You nearly fell asleep right there, your face dangling off the mattress, but the little girl climbed up onto the bed with you and started messing up your newly washed hair like she was trying to braid it.

     Realizing there would be no sleep tonight, "...agh. alright, little lady, go grab some toys... I'll join you in just a minute..." You shlunked out of bed and put on a bra while the girl ran to the corner and opened the cubby full of toddler appropriate toys. Your brain was kind of fuzzy at first, but as the sun rose, providing more light to the world, your body realized it wasn't going to get any sleep and started shaping up too.

     You played for a while with Eri in whatever game she wanted until, "and then the green old dinosaur fleeeew into the air!" You rose the toy high above your head and grinned savagely down at the child. "And then it-!" As you started to slash the toy back down, the little girl released a little yelp and covered her head.

     Your eyes widened at once. This was no reaction to the game you were playing. This was real. ... A real reaction... Genuine fear... But why??

SLAM!

     Your bedroom door flung open. "Alright, somebody tell me who hurt Eri!!" You stomped around until you found Kai in the kitchen hanging over the sink with his mask off.

     You grabbed the man by the shirt collar and yanked him closer. "You slapped her, didn't you?!"

     "The Hell are you talking about?" He glared into your eyes, hoping that would distract you from his trembling limbs.

     "Eri!!"

     "I wouldn't touch her; you know that!"

     "Do I?!" You snarled in his face. Eri tugged on your pant sleeve. After seeing the way she was visibly begging, you calmed down and let the man go. "...Eri..?"

     The little girl had the saddest look in her eyes. "...Please don't hurt him..." Her choking sob turned into tears, "please don't fight.." which turned into a full cry. It broke your heart in two to see what you'd just done.

     "I'm sorry, Eri.." You knelt down and hugged the girl. She gladly melted into your hug. Meanwhile, Kai shuffled back a few steps to regain his bearings. He kicked your knee after recovering.

     "What was that for..? You of all people should know your place and refrain from attacking a superior."

     "...Did you just kick me?" Your head turned to give him a severe 'do not mess with me' look. He didn't appear to care.

     "Not hard."

     As rage built inside of you, a dark misty portal sent the child outside.

     You stood and slapped the guy clean across the face. "Know my place?! Last I checked, we were equals!!" Your fists clenched as memories of being abused as a child replayed in your mind. You would not let that happen again. Kai's fingers dug through the granite as he, similarly, recalled traumas of his past as well. Neither would he allow himself to be treated in such a way again. .. It was fair to say the two of you had triggered each other in the worst possible way at the worst possible time.

     The fight was a slow one. You were all levels of tired. He was sick to the core. You threw out a heavy punch and he shot a pillar of quartz through your stomach. You broke the quartz off and pulled it out, regenerating quickly after. He used his own quirk to fix the bruise you made. "I'm so SICK of you!" You yelled. "Stop treating me like s### just to make yourself feel better! We both know I'm stronger, but I don't treat you like nothing but a tool because of it!!"

     "Then STOP blaming me for sins I never committed! Stop acting like you have every right in the world to belittle and humiliate me in front of my own followers! Remember who brought you here in the first place!.. Yet you're always DOING IT!! Stomping all over my years of hard work like it never meant anything to begin with! You have no respect for me, and you never did!!"

     "I'd respect you a Hell-of-a-lot more if you weren't such a selfish jerk!" You stepped forward to grab him. He dodged, grabbed your wrist, and a second later your whole left hand exploded! Blood splattered everywhere throughout the kitchen, but you didn't have much of a reaction to it. You kicked his knee in like the pain was nothing.

     As Kai collapsed, he grabbed the fridge door and reshaped it into a shield that caught your other wrist. He used Overhaul to fix his knee. "Funny. I'd actually consider respecting you if you weren't such an unhinged maniac!!" Touching the fridge door again, it broke up into spikes that shot throughout your body. More blood was needlessly shed, and worst of all, this was your favorite pair of pajamas.

     As you busied yourself with yanking out spikes, the young man pushed his back against the cabinets he was cornered into and tried to stand. Both of you were panting, wild with aggression. But hidden underneath it all, for both of you, was fear. "...The f### are we even doing?"

     "I dunno, but I can't just keep--!..." You plucked the last of spike of metal out of your skin and fell back a step. You wondered for a moment. Questioning why you were the one advancing and he was the one cornered and on the ground. You felt like you were the one being cornered this whole time, so what gives??! What is going on!? "...S###! Why are you on the ground?!"

     "You broke my knee!"

     "But whyyy?? Wh-why-wh-why am I...beating you?!" You grabbed your head, yanking yourself further away from the other. "S#IT, what's going on?! Why am I-? Why am I-?!" You thought back to when Eri flinched away... Was she..scared of you? Were you the monster here!? I-it would make sense!! You've done so many bad things already! What if you hit Eri earlier but just forgot!?! And thinking back, you were really quick to target Kai, weren't you?? This spiraled out of hand so quickly that you didn't even stop to consider you might be in the wrong! "F###! F###! F###! F###!!"

     "Ugh.. what is it now??" Kai managed to stand up again, but then he grabbed his stomach suddenly and sat down, his face palling as he stared at his lap. "S###..."

     "Kai...?"

     "Yeah..?"

     "I'm not a terrible person, am I..?"

     "Huh?" The man looked up, shocked by the hefty crisis it looked like you were going through. You fell onto your bum to sit across from him. Your eyes couldn't focus on one tile, so they went constantly switching between them all. "...That's a tough question to answer." He uttered.

     "Mmhh..." You bit your lower lip until it bled. Pretty soon, tears were falling onto the tile. "...Wh-when I was a kid.. I used to get beat quite a bit... I've been terrified of doing the same to my own kids, as much as I've been terrified of marrying someone who'd stoop so low to beat his own wife... So, please.." Your lip stopped healing itself as you stretched out your hand, offering it like a gift. "...You're free to kill me right now if you think I've crossed those lines..."

. . .

     You whimpered when you felt his fingertips touch yours. As you were prepared for death, though, he just pushed your hand away. "...I'm not the best judge of character..." He answered softly. "...While we're explaining ourselves.. I... My folks were anti-quirk extremists.. So...

     ...after my quirk developed, they locked me away and basically treated me like an animal. I was only let out and cleaned up when they had guests and needed me to look presentable. .. Nobody ever noticed the position I was in. Eventually, I killed my parents... It was then that I realized they were right all along... It didn't take long after deciding to commit the sin of using my quirk that I was tempted into taking their lives. It was a shockingly slippery slope... I didn't even feel remorse after... Despite everything you've argued, I struggle to see how quirks could ever be used for anything good. I mean.. just look around us. ... Hard to imagine two normal people creating this mess."

     You sniffed, wiping snot onto your nub. "...You're right. We could have killed each other if we really wanted to..but..." The man looked at you again as your remaining hand tried its best to wipe away all the tears, but it was a losing battle. "..I-I wouldn't be worth anything if I didn't have a quirk..! No friends, family, food, shelter, future, hope! All of those things I have only because people need me for my power; you're no exception!... I hate being treated like a tool, but.. at the same time...at least I'm worth something like this! . . . Heck, I wouldn't even be ALIVE if I didn't have a quirk... I- I would be long dead n-n-n' so-some kind of experiment probably!. My dad killed his other children... I wo-would have just been another casualty. I--kh!" You bit your own hand and squeezed as tightly as you could manage. All the while you stared ahead at nothing, trembling with tears flowing down your cheeks.

     So...this was it. Each other's souls. They weren't exactly what you'd expected out of each other. No, it was a little bit sadder. And more relatable than that.

     Kai scooted closer, reached out slowly, and pinched your pajama sleeve. "...Teleport me to Tartarus. I'll kill that b###### right now."

     You let go of your hand. "Wh-ha-haat?! No!"

     "I bet by now you've killed many more people who have done far lesser crimes. A demon like him needs to just be put down. Doesn't matter how nice he may have been to you."

     "No! He- I- ...You have a point..." Why didn't you like the idea of your dad dying? It was so instinctive to try to defend him, but you couldn't remember why at the moment. "No.. I, just... Not right now..."

     "Hhgh, you're right, probably better we wait..." Kai clutched his stomach, curling over his lap tensely. "I need to..focus on recovery right now."

     "Yeah and we..." looking around at the bloody kitchen. "didn't really make things easy for us, huh?"

     "Ghh-hh... I'll clean up if you find and take care of Eri."

     "I have school soon-"

     "-you said just the other day that third year orientation doesn't start until noon."

     "...Oh..."

     "Here... Let me fix your hand real quick."

     "Thanks..."

     It wasn't nearly the conclusion you needed... But it was a start.

---------------

     "Ayo, you guys had a growth spurt while I was away or sumthn'?!"

     "Hey, (Y/n)chan! Just wanted to let you know I looked up" while saluting "what Asexual meant and I support you and think it's valid but AHAHAHA-" salute broke down "can't relate!"

     "Tch." You pat Tenko's shoulder while passing him to grab a snack from the bag he'd brought. "Woah, Tenny actually learned something~? I'm shook."

     "Grr, listen I was tired during the test, okay??"

     "Suuure~"

     "Iguchi, back me up!"

     "Sorry man. Your grades were pretty pathetic last year."

     "Quit it, you two!"

     >:}
     >:}

-----

     It started with an arm wrestling match between the three of you. Using OFA at 100%, Tenko placed first, Iguchi second, and you dead last. TvT The table was the real loser, though. Poor thing was torn to shreds by the end of it! Afterwards, you switched up to playing other strength related games.

-----

     You were trying to remember what chimichangas were when a ball breaking the f-ing speed barrier slammed you in the head. It literally went in one ear and out the other, soaring further into the treeline. Blood and brains splattered as you fell in the dust.

     "(Y/N)!!! HOLY F###!!!" Tenko dropped the baseball bat and stumbled your way. By the time he reached you, you were already sitting up, plucking the mitt off your hand to rub your regenerating scalp. Tenny slid on his knees and grabbed your bloody head to examine it closely.

     You chuckled tiredly. "It's alright, my brain regenera- derrrp.." You made a braindead face.

     "IGUCHAN!?!" >:0

     Iguchi dropped on his hands and knees laughing. "AHAHAHAH!"

     "IT'S NOT FUNNY!!"

     "I'm sorry.. Who are you again~?" With a derpy face, you caressed Tenko's head, freaking him out even more.

     "Oh-oh s###!.. Iguchi, call Nurse Joy!"

     You dropped the act, leaning into your friend while breaking into a hissing, wimpy sort of laugh. "Tstststs... Oh good Lord I'm so freaking tired..." You laid your chin on Tenko's shoulder and closed your eyes, humming softly as you fell asleep.

     Tenko held you in place and craned his neck to growl at the approaching Iguchi. "I get you're excited about your new strength, but that doesn't mean you have the right to go all-out!"

     "Sheeesh, calm down, man!" Iguchi ruffled Tenko's hair while passing. "It was an accident. I'm not used to being this strong." That was only half true. In truth, he was looking to gage your regenerative abilities and workshop a way to exploit it should the need come. He had to do all that while pretending to be your friend still. "I'll clean this mess."

     You woke up a few minutes later to Tenko scrubbing your hair, your face already clean. The two of you were sitting side-by-side at a parking bench. Guess he carried you. Your friend noticed you waking up and chuckled. "Looks like you're going to have pink hair today.. Don't have any soap."

     "...eh..wuh?"

     "Do you remember anything?"

     "Tsss.. yeah." You yawned. "I was joking earlier." Tenko sighed loudly in relief. "By the way.. I brought some medicine with me that should help your scars."

     "Huh?"

     You reached out and traced your fingertips over one of the scars on his arm. "Maybe won't fix them perfectly.. but It should help them fade a little. Wait, where's my stuff?" You looked over, smiling slightly to see your bag of things on the table. "Ah. I can apply it now if you want."

     "Sure." He was still trying to rub the blood out of your hair as you were trying to rub some healing ointment on his right arm. "Heh, stay still."

     "No you." You both laughed quietly together. Then Tenny stopped trying to fix your hair. You sat there facing him with your legs crisscrossed on the bench.

     "...Is this stuff actually going to do anything, or is it just coverup for another quirk?"

     "Ts.. No... No quirk." Guess this reminded both of you of the old days, back when you first became friends. "Hm.. crazy to think of all the stuff that's gone down since then."

     "Yeah, right!" The outdoors went quiet again. It was an uncomfortably warm day, but not hot. A bit humid, but not unbearably so. There was the gentlest of breezes stirring the air enough to make being outdoors enjoyable. Tenko set his forehead on your shoulder and sighed again. "I like this.."

     "What?"

     "Not having a crush on you... It's a whole lot less stressful." The teen closed his eyes and listened to the peaceful rustling of the leaves. "..You feel more like a sister to me now..."

     Your heart warmed to hear it. You wrapped your arms around Tenny and rest your head on his shoulder too. "Thank you.."

     "Uhh, guys?! Orientation's going to start here really soon!" Iguchi emerged from the bathroom and warned you both. Both of you sprung to your feet and readied to leave right away.

----------

     "Ooo! Nice hair, (Y/n)!"
        "Yeah, it's so cute!!"

     Both Kobayashi and Furu complimented your totally intentional hair color.

     You laughed, rubbing the back of your head. "Aw, thanks, guys! I thought I'd try something cute for the first day!" Come to think of it, that ball also took out entire chunks of your hair too. While it's covered up right now, you may need another haircut here pretty soon!

     Looks like this year, you and Tenko shared classroom. As always, you sat in the very back of class, except this time Tenny sat directly at your left. .. This was going to be an interesting year.

     You never really cared to check who your teacher would be this year, so--

Slam!!

     She appeared like some kind of stripper about to perform a dance. "Hello, class~! and welcome to your third year at UA~! Transitioning into adulthood can be scarry sometimes, I should know~ I'm Ms. Midnight and I'll be helping each and every one of you grow into your professional hero careers~" . . . 💀 oh.

     Tenko had a mischievous smirk as he leaned your way to whisper. "I can fix her~"

     You horsed harshly back. "Don't even joke-!" Ahh, Tenko.. amazing as he is, you can't help but get the feeling that his search history's a little f###ed.

     "Hey!!" The woman whipped at the air. "You in that back! Stop talking!"

     "Y-yes ma'am!"
     "Y-yes ma'am!"

     Guess it made sense at least somewhat. Aizawa was back, sure, but that didn't mean his friends wouldn't let you fall off their radar.

------------

     "Our teacher brought us all cake to share~" Iguchi and Hoku boasted.

     "Okh, no fair!" Tenko's mouth watered just hearing about it. You were half asleep, dreaming about sweets too.

     You nudged Tenny. "I have an hour before I need to be somewhere. We can get some icecream."

     "Oh! YAH-" You cut Tenko off by pushing his head aside so you could see the first years walking down the path yours intersected. "Wa?"

     "Oh my gosh, look at the first years! They're so cute~!" You gawked, maternal instincts kicking in. They weren't just any first years~ Those were some faces you vaguely recognized.

     Your group approached the freshmen, a blend of genuine to mischievous smiles. "Heyyy, how are the freshmen doing?" Tenko placed his hands on hips, standing at the front of the group. It was quite rare to run into students from other grades. Amusing to see just how short the youth were compared to your group.

     The long dark purple haired boy hid behind the taller blond. "D###it, I knew we went the wrong way!"

     "Hey, don't worry, we're not here to bully anyo-"

     "-WOAH! You're Shimura, right!?" The beady-eyed blond boy stepped forward excitedly. His big eyes sparkled, bestowing a blessing on you third years. "Wow! And (H/n) and Spinner too!? I knew you were all friends!"

     You all nodded and smiled. Tenko grinned the widest. "You got that right! You're looking at the soon-to-be top heroes of Japan~!" All three of you posed together like this was a long practiced performance. Tenko pointed to the sky while you and Iguchi on either side of him lunge-dabbed to together form an arrow shape made with cringe and love.

     Long story short, you guys invited the two first years, Mirio Togata and Tamaki Amajiki, to join you for icecream. Amajiki had to be dragged along, but for the most part they agreed. Throughout the event of getting icecream together, Tenko somewhat adopted Mirio and Iguchi somewhat adopted Tamaki and you and Hoku kind of adopted both. You all had a lot to talk about, since apparently, the boys were stuck with Aizawa for their first year and had a lot to complain about already. 🤣

     You were really glad it all happened, but man were you tired!

.

(Hey guys fun tip: organizing all your quotes and outline for the chapter beforehand actually helps you write it faster! Does it mean I will always do this from now on? Of course not! I never learn!)

---------------

     "I'll be expecting you here after school every day from now on. No excuses. It's important you start your professional hero career as soon as possible."

     "Am I ever going to get any sleep..?" That was the only thing you really cared about at the moment. Your arms dangled in front of you as you reluctantly nodded to Ms. Zeyale. "Yes ma'am."

     "Oh, and Hawks wanted to tell you this part himself." Touching her earpiece, "You can enter now."

     And enter he sure did. The doors to the president's office swung open, red feathers falling to the ground gracefully. A beaming light shined behind the blondie as he made his entrance. "Woah, someone's tired~!" Hawks chuckled.

     =‿= "Really? How did you know?" Sarcastic.

     "Alright then, I'm going to make this short and simple for you!" The elder but not by much shot you with a lethal double finger guns. "The HPSC's puttin' a team together! So far the only members for certain are I and you, but they're also thinkin' about adding that Frosty guy you caught! We'll still have our own sidekicks, agencies, and function separately most of the time. But for group missions and press reasons, we'll be teaming up big time!"

     =‿= "...Oh wow."

     "It's mostly to boost your popularity even further." The woman butted in. "Groups, especially those with entertaining dynamics, tend to draw larger crowds and stick in the public conscience. Plus, having you stationed in this building will make it easier to keep an eye on you." Wow, how thoughtful..

     You bowed respectfully, since you had no other reason to bow. "I'll, um, think about this when my brain works, ma'am."

     "Pfff!" Hawks stifled a laugh. Took you a second to realize why. You weren't even trying to make a joke. Ms. Zeyale seemed to understand. She smiled a cold, hollow smile at you and addressed the winged hero. "Leave us as I discuss one last thing with (Y/n), please. I'll leave her to you to explain stuff to her after."

     Keigo bowed all chivalrous-like and exited the same way he came. Once alone, the already quiet room got even quieter.

     "There's a reason I'm helping you reach the top, you know." The woman stared at you coldly. So chilling, like she knew a thousand things you didn't. "You have skills to influence crowds much like your father. Your realist conviction combined with your big dreams for society come off as inspirational."

     "Thank you-?"

     "-Childish in my eyes... Then again, I've never been able to relate with rallying cries or mass movements. They're all so... Too simple for my tastes."

     "Um.. okay?"

     "I want you to convince people to side with the death penalty's legalization."

     ". . . Excuse me?"

     "You heard me." It didn't take much thinking, even as you were now, to know why she was gunning for such an idea. "No other country is willing to claim his citizenship, even with enough cash to pay off entire national debts in return, so we can't simply export him to another country to have him executed. No. If we want to do that, we need to change the laws here. And to do so would mean influencing an entirely separate branch of the government. One which I have no control over... You, however, are my key to getting in~ These people are at the point where they treat your word like gospel. It won't be hard at all with your talents to change public perception and even laws thereafter. I'll handle everything getting you there; you will only have to worry about what to do and say from then on. And remember, if you try to turn my plan against me, I will in the blink of an eye end your reputation -- everything -- and have you imprisoned."

     You lowed your head to sulk. Submissive, you nodded. "I understand."

     "You look like you have something to say."

     "I-it's nothing!" You wondered how she could be so cruel. She was treating you like nothing but a chess piece. Didn't even care to consider that maybe you didn't want to kill your dad. Maybe locking him up was good enough for you. It was a safe mix between having your revenge while not feeling bad about it. "Well, actually, I was wondering... Are you sure the death penalty is necessary?" Your hands fidgeted with one another. Yeah, he was a terrible, terrible person! But, your mind had been filled with so many opposing memories of him that it made you question if that was it! "...What if.. he can change? Maybe not this year, or this decade.. or even this century... But.. what if he could become a better person eventually?.. I mean.. thinking about it, maybe the only reason he never treated others like humans was because he was never treated like one?" You remembered the times when he showed guilt. Either he was the best actor on the planet, or it was a fragile ray of hope. You already knew every reason in the WORLD not to take your father's side, but.. but someone had to! ... Voicing another opinion was the least you could do in return for all those times he saved you.

     Ms. Zeya glared at you with vivid disgust. She couldn't even say anything at first, needing a minute to process the absolute brainwashed garbage you spouted! At last, she walked to and leaned her hip against her desk, rubbing her head and sighing. "The alternative is to use him for experimentation. Though death isn't allowed, they found a loophole with this... I considered showing you footage, but in the state you are right now, assume you wouldn't react too well."

     You did gasp a little bit. Imagining anyone going through experimentation they didn't sign up for was agonizing. Not to mention whoever did so likely didn't care to hold back. And the experiments they conducted were probably of the worst kind too. A hand rose to cover your mouth. You couldn't stop imagining the horrors, your face was going pale.

     "It's either he live as the country's quirk-related guinea pig for all of eternity, or you help me lay him to rest." Either way, it was Hell for him, wasn't it? "I don't care much either way, but I would prefer he cease being a threat to the public as soon as possible."

     "No, I get it... I'll help out." ...So many lives placed in the palm of your unworthy hands. No doubt what you did here would go on to affect lives for generations to come... Was it even worth the risk? Why did you have to be the one to decide!?

---------------

     "Like my dad always used to say, 'give me enough time and money and I'll build ya a rocket.'" You carelessly balanced along the edge of a tall building, Keigo flying beside you.

     "Hm. For some reason it's hard imagining your dad saying something like that." The young hero rubbed the little beard that was finally growing in.

     "Oh, not the villain. The one from my previous life. Yeah, he was a mechanic. He knew machines better than he could EVER know people." You chuckled dryly. It was hard to look back on your old life now, knowing how everyone turned out.

     "Huh..."

     "A-anyways! What were we talking about again?"

     "What we would do if we had a billion yen to waste."

     "Oh yeah! Ahah!" You had a perfect viewing of the city from way up here. It was a quieter part of town, and Hawks was on the fence between on and off duty at the moment. For now, he chose to hang around you whilst remaining vigilant. "...D###, when's the sun gunna go down already? I wanna go hooome! Haven't slept in 48 hours! How long have we been talkin'?!"

     "Thirty minutes, I think."

     "That's it??!" You made the other chuckle. "Hhh, promise not to tell a soul?"

     "Uh, sure?"

     "Splendid." You sat down on the ledge and pulled a cigar out of your inner jacket pocket. You pinched the end with the tip of your fingers, lighting it with Blueflame.

     "You... You smoke??"

     You took a breath and relaxed some more. Keigo sat beside you, his legs dangling too.

     "Took me a while to get used to it and all, but yeah. Just a little. It's temporary, but I'll take whatever I can to get me through this s###ty life at this point... Still got a lotta people to save..."

     Hawks tilted his head. "How does that even work..? Thought you said having regeneration means things like alcohol doesn't affect you."

     "I can turn my regeneration off for a little bit if I need to. If I get high, I just go back to sleep and regen takes over from there. Again, 'don't smoke often. Kai'd kill me if he caught me doin' it."

     "I have reservations about letting you, too..."

     "I'll be fine."

     "..."

     "..."

     "..."

     "..."

     "Hey, (Y/n)?"

     "Yuh?"

     "What's going on?"

     "Psh... Like I could legally tell you.. Don't worry about it!" You waved his concern off as preposterous. Clearly, though, there was something deeply wrong. Starting with this very morning when you were forced to kill a man.

     ...Maybe it would be better not to dwell on that kind of stuff...

     "Tch.. To think I somehow wound up in the middle of all this crap..." You leaned over your lap, rubbing your scalp. "I coulda been a garbage collector an' I wouldn't really care... I don't care about fame, money, dreams..." Yawn. "Jus' wanna feel like I matter to somebody..."

     "You matter to me."

     The depth of that comment flew right over your head. You swiveled your head to grin his way. "No homo?"

     The blond one chuckled along. "..No homo..."

     The two of you watched the city a while longer. Your hand loosened so much it eventually dropped the cigar at your side. You leaned, practically falling on Hawks for support. "Woa!" He switched to prioritizing keeping both you and him from falling. "(Y/n)??" You were breathing calmly. Good. Though shocked by your sudden fainting, it made sense. Keigo held you upright, his outstretched wing keeping you from plummeting. You were so peaceful and helpless up here. It was quite the shift!

     ..He kind of liked it. To know you trusted him this much.

     Unfortunately, he couldn't stay there for long. He had to leave you there on the roof to deal with other issues. You woke up again right as the sun was setting. The sandpaper-like roof left indents in your skin. Annoying, but at least you were feeling a little better now. Still tired though. You longed for the soft, all encompassing embrace of your bed and blankets.

     You were supposed to be loosely shadowing Hawks today to get a better feel for the schedule you would be living this year, but.. clearly you'd failed somewhere along the way.

     Oh well. At least you could go home now.

---------------

     There was a weird feeling in the air that instantly told you something was wrong. Even while crossing through the portal into your room, you could sense it in the atmosphere. It wasn't exactly hostile. Just.. bad.

     Then, you knew why. There was the faintest stench of vomit. Right as you identified the repulsive smell, a sound universally recognizable as someone throwing up was heard through your door. Shoved into your room was Buddy's cage. Likely an act of mercy for the poor thing. Now, everything came together. Kai really was sick, wasn't he?

     You had dreaded coming back home all day, and now that dread was doubled. The guy'd never been sick like this before. At least not in the years you have been around! But from what you already knew about Kai, you knew he wouldn't be taking it well.

     You crept out of your bedroom, spotting Hari leaned in the bathroom doorway with his arms crossed, his fixed eyes a mix of stern and hopeless. When you made a sound, the silver haired one turned to you. "I advise you keep your distance. He almost killed Setsumo and Buddy earlier."

     "Why... Why is he sick??" You shuffled closer and leaned your head through the doorway, finding Kai clinging to the toilet like a pathetic washed-up drunk. "I thought his quirk helps him stay clean?"

     "This has nothing to do with germs, unfortunately." Hari mumbled. "He's been pushing himself for too long. Got so tired it made him nauseous. Couple that with his Emetophobia and you have a real recipe for disaster."

    "Emoto..?"

     "Fear of vomiting."

     "Oh..." As Kai threw up again, you noticed just how miserable his situation was. Face so colorless it looked like he was almost dead, extremely limited motor control due to all the shaking, and not to mention... he just looked so scared. No, beyond that. Miserable; he had that look of expecting death in his eye. And he was trapped in this little spiral of his... Dang.. you wouldn't want to be this guy.

     You were filled with compassion. An empathy so deeply imbedded into your psyche, you didn't even need to think about helping. Your legs began moving before you realized why.

     Maybe earlier the man put up a fight not letting anybody near him, but by now his spirit'd been so badly shattered he didn't even notice you sitting on your knees beside him. The man was gasping for air when you placed your hand on his back. His whole body was vibrating so terribly, his clothes, back and everything were all hot. Like he'd developed a terrible fever in all of this as well. The brunette seized-up when you started to rub his back in slow circles. You hummed an old tune in tandem.

     As the room got a little quieter and seconds turned into minutes, your humming grew into more of a soft singing. Your voice was so gentle. Worlds different from how you usually spoke. Though it took a while, Kai actually started to breathe normally. Compared to before, at least. His breaths were labored, throat stinging from the stomach acid. You had no idea how long this had been going on, but it'd clearly been a long time. Hari left for a few minutes and returned with Pops. The two were delightfully surprised to find your comforting was actually having an affect. His eyes were no longer so glossed over and hazy, like he was in a trance of some sort. His shivering had gone down and his breaths were rhythmic again. The shock of it all subsiding slowly, Kai's heart started to ache with emotion. He started, though quietly, to cry.

     Everyone noticed the words you sung weren't in Japanese, yet they came naturally to you. You were getting a little emotional singing them.. It had been decades since you last heard this song.

     But, it was the same one Jenavieve sung after returning home from school to find you vomiting in the trash after having broken your leg. The same way you were now, she sat beside you, rubbed your back in slow circles, and sung to you softly to distract from the pain. .. You were always grateful to her for that, but now, the depth of her actions dug a little. A revelation crept into your heart so suddenly it hurt.

     '...I was loved... I have always been loved...' Throughout your lives both past and present, there has always been at least someone who cared about you. Someone who loved you. Someone who wanted to see you grow into a wonderful person someday. And even if you didn't, there was always that person who loved you no matter what. You teared up, not because you were sad necessarily, but because it took an embarrassingly long time to see it. Everyone's kind actions and words toward you. They were all declarations of love. It would be selfish of you not to accept that love.

     It had been almost an hour since you got here, idk, no one's keeping track. No one was watching anymore. It was so quiet. You still sat at Kai's side, just humming again, patiently waiting for him to recover enough to move from this spot.

     "...You're so strange." Kai rasped.

     "Hm?" You tilted your head up to look at him. After digesting what he'd said, you chuckled. "Whatever's strange to you is probably a good thing."

...

     "..Yeah... You may be right..." Kai had to admit to himself that you weren't wrong about everything. He had to admit to himself that you quite possibly just saved his life. Maybe not literally, but to him, it certainly felt like it. He was so sure of his coming death, the fact that he was still breathing was as miraculous as crawling out of the grave.

     "Hm..." You smiled smugly and tiredly. "I'm right about a lot of things." The other didn't seem as ready to move as you were to sleep again, so, you laid down on the floor, loosely curling yourself around his back. Reminiscent of the way a mama cat curls herself around her kittens. You yawned, stretched a little, then fell asleep there on the floor.

     Though it certainly wasn't how you wanted to end your day, it would be a crime in your heart not to comfort someone the same way you had once been comforted before.

     ...Why oh why oh why oh why oh WHY did this make Kai's chest burn up inside? Why did he suddenly want to protect you even more? Not for his own sake, but for yours.. "...I don't deserve this..." True and simple love is a rarity in this world.

     In all of this, that was the love which kept you going. Not the imitation of it bought by worldly things.

     At its core, real love can never be selfish. That's what makes it so special.

     It's what makes you so special.

.

.

.

======================
I dunno what it is about this book, but when I see two characters in a kitchen, I'm instinctively thinkin' "oh no, ViOLenCe is going to happen here soon!" No idea WHERE this came from! I got nothing against kitchens, just so we're clear!

Please tell me if you don't like something about any of the relationships. I know they're supposed to be messy and flawed, every single one, but at the same time I am always open to making adjustments to fit yall's wants better. 🙏

. . .

GUYS, COLLEGE'S FINALLY OVER! WOOOOOOOOOOO!

Also.... 🎉 🎶 Happy birthday to me, I'm dense as mercury, can't believe I'm still writing anime fanfics at 21~~~ .... What a ca-ta-stro-phe! 🎶 🎂

Honestly tho, I have no intention to stop writing this kind of cringe but fun content. 😅 Not for a while at least. 15 year old me (when I found Wattpad) wasn't expecting I'd turn out like this though. Not one bit! 🤣