Sanji Inochi
"You see, weight matters a lot when it comes to engineering. If I add too much weight, then your motorcycle will surely crash and burn, and no one wants a burnt nor a crashed Sanji. Plus, I designed your motorcycle to fit you—light and agile. Itsuka's on the heavier side—don't tell her I said that—but her bike packs a heck of a lot more punch, pun not intended. D'ya understand?"
"I...gathered as much. Here's the thing Hayami..." I hold up our empty cotton grocery bags. "We're getting groceries, unless the grocery store sells motorcycle parts. You know, I wouldn't be surprised. I learned so many new things ever since I moved here, like for example, I didn't know that J-pop is blared everywhere I go. That or K-pop, mostly K-pop actually." Operation Boys to Men, I remember it dearly. It was the time where girls thought I was a Korean idol. I mean, my undercover name was Jun-seo, but they thought that I looked Korean. Thanks to Shojo, I guess. She picked my outfit… I looked like, what did the word that Setsuna used…? Right, "emo".
Hayami sighs, tuning out the music around us. "Idol Heroes are popular, Sanji. Many girls listen to them, and many of those girls have shrines. I mean seriously, why wouldn't they? It's pretty boys on stage dancing and singing their hearts out—and on the side, they're kicking ass. It's everything a woman could want in a man."
I reply, slinging the bags over my shoulders, "Is that what you wanted? A man who's handsome, can sing, dance, and also fight crime? That's asking for a lot, honestly."
"So what? A woman can dream, and she did. She found a stupid idiot named Kaito Utsushi and married him. And boy, he had pipes. Being a martial artist, he could dance even better. Fighting crime? Well…" Hayami pauses. She stops looking ahead and instead, she turns to the sidewalk, shaking her head. "Well, he tried fighting crime and I haven't seen him since. I hope he's still an idiot in heaven."
I would say that he could be alive still, but that's so insensitive to say. Hayami accepted that Kaito's dead. It's been eight years right? Someone missing that long… There's such a small chance that they're alive; it might as well be considered zero. Itsuka hasn't given up though. One of these days, I hope we find the closure she needs. And—
Whoosh!
"The wind…" I comment. The wind picked up. Heh… As I was thinking, I hope that I find the closure that settles the mystery of the Inochi Family. Oddly enough, when I watch how the trees sway and how a chill takes over my body, I feel nostalgic.
Hayami comments, "It's a windy June day. You don't get cool days like these often, only in the spring. It's like the wind's singing, almost like how a mother sings a lullaby to their child. My mom, Itsuka's grandma, used to do that for me all the time. I would never sleep. I would stay all night tinkering with my toys, and only her voice could put me to bed."
"She sounded amazing. You had a good mother growing up. It's a shame that I didn't meet her before she passed," I tell her, giving my best smile. Hayami smiles back and playfully elbows me. Like mother like daughter.
"She was a saint. I…" Hayami stops herself, but she continues anyway, "I hope your mom was like that, Sanji. I know you don't remember her or the rest of your family, but I hope that they were great people. They brought you into this world after all." That's right, I remember. I told everyone that I don't remember my family. When I said it though, it was the truth. Now, what do I say when I've been remembering them since Golden Week?
"Heh, I'm not that great, Hayami. If my dad was a great man, then I would never be as great as him. Really, I'd say that you're better than me. After all, you took me in," I turn the conversation back to her. She rolls her eyes, becoming annoyed.
She says, "My idiot of a dad didn't give me a choice. Oh jeez, now that I'm looking back on it, you should've heard the things that Itsuka said about you before you moved in." Right… Itsuka didn't like me before we met. She was the one who started the rumor that I was a delinquent in middle school. I have no idea where or how she got that thought. Is it because I'm a foster child? Probably because I'm a foster child… Jeez, not every foster kid is a terrible person.
"Uhm, should I ask what she said? Other than me being a delinquent. I still have to talk to her about that."
"Yes! What did she say exactly…? Oh!" Hayami snaps her fingers. "She called you a 'worthless piece of crap'!"
"What?!"
"'A stupid boy who probably won't contribute to society'!"
"Are we talking about the same Itsuka here?"
"'A Quirkless who wouldn't amount to anything'!"
"Itsuka… To think that…"
"What else—?"
"Please no."
"Oh right!" ("Oh God,") "She even gave you a nickname—No Life Inochi. That's all I can remember right now. Any thoughts?" Hayami asks after round after round of insults. I never thought Itsuka loathed me that much! It sounded like she even hated me… Someone as sweet and kind-hearted as her… I knew she loathes those who hurt her friends, like Suzuki. However, in my case, I disrupted her way of living. To think that she said those things about me…
"Hayami," I say, my voice quiet and solemn, "I have a few several hundred thoughts."
"Can it, I don't wanna hear it," she quickly snaps. I move a centimeter away from her out of respect because I clearly said something wrong. Hayami laughs and shakes her head. "Wipe that look off your face, I'm joking. What Itsuka said, I wasn't lying about that. She genuinely hated you. One hour, she didn't know you existed and in the next, it was like you killed her pet hamster or something."
"She had a pet hamster?" I ask.
"Nope, but if she did, you would've killed it," Hayami snarks, and I… Uhm, that's fair, I guess? I'm the Hamster Killer now. "Personally, I didn't like you too. The family dynamic of the Kendos changed within an eyeblink. 'Course I wasn't fond of it. As the woman of the house, I had to make sure that Number One was taken care of first—my daughter. Anything she needs, I'll give her it. If anyone hurts her—"
"She would hurt them even more."
"Yup, it'll be my turn next then Dad's. No one messes with my daughter. I can't tell you how worried I was, honestly."
"About me?"
"Yeah. You could've been an asshole who wrecks my house, doesn't give a damn about authority, and all the other typical stereotypes of a bad boy. Dad told me that you weren't like that, but I'm a mother. It's my job to worry about hypotheticals. I was just afraid that you'll stand in the way of Itsuka's dream."
"I would never do that. You know how much I care about her."
"I know, Sanji, I know. You say that now, but back then? I didn't know. Even if everyone in the world says you're a literal angel sent from God, there would be a sliver of doubt telling me that you're a demon. Who knows, your Quirk might actually transform you into a demon…" Hayami giggles.
"One could hope." I laugh at my own joke. Hayami laughs too before she shakes her head, the wind swaying her long red hair. "Anyway uhm, what do you think about me today? I'm not what you believed me to be, thankfully."
Hayami turns to me and smiles. "No, you aren't. Itsuka, I always wanted what was best for her.
Frankly, if you were the devil incarnate, then I'd kick you out without a second thought, but you're the opposite. You're...so much better than I had imagined. Dad's instincts, they were right. That's why he accepted you actually—his instincts. It told him, 'Take care of this kid. He's someone great.' And he was, still is, and he will be." I find myself smiling too. I never knew that Master Kendo took me in because of his instincts. It's kinda weird actually. He seems like a logical man. Something as instinct or a hunch wouldn't be a factor in his decisions, yet he chose to listen to them full-heartedly. I still haven't done enough to repay him for his kindness.
I say to Hayami, still smiling, "Thank you, that means a lot. Guess I'm not the delinquent that you imagined me to be, huh?"
"A little, honestly, but that's not important. What's important is Itsuka. You're what she needs," Hayami replies. She looks so happy; it's the same look she gives to her daughter. "She's such a troublemaker, you know! Any time Itsuka sees a bully or a pervert, she feels the urge to beat 'em 'till they're down. Hell, if the world was a jerk, then Itsuka would literally fight the world. That's why she needs you. You're there to rein her in, making her channel that aggression to fight Villains, not the common asshole. With you around, you're a constant reminder of what's important."
"Hayami—"
"And frankly, you need her just as much. God knows how much you hurt yourself everyday. It's your defining trait, what makes Sanji Inochi stand out from the rest of his peers. So every time, Itsuka is there making sure that you don't kill yourself. She'd go as far as jumping off a bridge for you. You know what I think? I think she cares more about you than me—her own mother—and her grandfather." Hayami pouts, her cheeks getting twice as large as before. She pouts the same as Itsuka; they are so similar. I would think that Hayami is Itsuka's twin sister if I was an idiot—and I am, but I know better.
I scratch the back of my head with my free hand. "Uhm, I'm sorry…? I don't know what to say to that since you look...jealous?" Seriously though, what am I supposed to say here? Should I apologize? Should I be happy? Hayami looks pretty jealous, but I don't know how to please her!
Hayami shakes her head, huffing. "No, you don't have to apologize. It's only natural that she cares about you so much. You two live in the same house, train at the same dojo, and go to the same school. I mean Sanji, what would you choose? Me or Itsuka? It's a simple question, don't get me wrong."
"You're really making me pick?" That's far from a simple question. Choosing between her or Itsuka, that's a hard decision. I care about them both so much. Hayami treats me like I'm her son and Itsuka… Itsuka, she's...important to me. Damnit, I never thought I would favor one more than the other…
Hayami sees the face I'm making. It affirms her thoughts. "See? You realized that you would choose Itsuka over me. I'm not mad, Sanji. In fact, I'm pretty happy."
"You are? How could you be happy? Itsuka's your daughter. Shouldn't you be more upset that she treasures someone else more than you? I'd imagine that you'd be slightly hurt, but you're happy," I ask Hayami. Despite my question, I already know what she will say. That smile on her face is all the answer I need.
"Like I said Sanji, I'm her mom. It warms my heart seeing her with someone that she trusts so much. Every time I see them together, I get nostalgic of the time I spent with Kaito. Seeing her so happy, it's the best feeling in the world," Hayami says. She wipes a tear away, sniffling. "You guys are only kids, but you've already been through so much. You're so mature, more than you give yourselves credit for. Once I see Armory and Battle Fist opening their agency, I know that nothing will stop you two. And you wouldn't need me anymore, 'cuz you'll be the best damn Heroes in Japan."
We stop in front of the grocery store—"CRIMSON FOODS!"—and Hayami regains her composure. She gestures for us to head inside. But there's something that's still bothering me. It's definitely something that I don't understand. Hayami practically told me that I'm what's best for Itsuka. She's proud that we're so close, yet there's something else to it. I don't understand the reason behind those words. Hayami says it with such conviction, yet I'm remaining clueless. If it's about Itsuka—or even Hayami or Master Kendo—then I need to know. I can't be ignorant. I need to ask her now.
Before she heads inside, I stop her. "Hayami, what you said… Itsuka clearly loves you, but why are you so certain that she cares about me more than you?"
Hayami stops and laughs. She laughs like you wouldn't expect. She turns her head to the side with a wide grin and answers, "You haven't figured it out yet?"
I shake my head.
She laughs more before walking up and patting my head. "Stop lying, Sanji! You know the answer already, but fine, I'll enlighten you." Hayami takes my hand, forcing me to go inside the store. I'm not moving my legs, they're moving on their own. She says, "My daughter is in love with you."
...What?
She's...in love with me?
"C'mon, let's buy groceries for dinner. Are you cooking tonight?" Hayami asks me, letting go of my hand. I snap out of my thoughts. Right, right… Let's take a look around. Well, we're in the produce section. There's a ton of different fruits and vegetables here. The air's colder too, even more so with the A/C—naturally because they need the produce to stay cold so they don't rot. I always liked the cold.
I nod, opening a bag and putting a few green onions in them. "Yeah, Itsuka's favorite. I'll make sure that she doesn't help me because, as much as she's good at martial arts, it doesn't translate well into her cooking skills. Literally zero actually, absolutely zero. I'm being too rude, am I?"
"Nope. I'd describe her cooking skills much worse than what you just said. The only thing Itsuka can make is coffee, but you've been doing that for her, so I'm not even sure if she remembers now. Anyway, gimme a bag, I'll go get the meats." I hand Hayami a bag and she goes off to the meat section. Alright, let's find the ingredients for motsunabe. This will be a pleasant surprise for her. She's at the Dojo teaching some of Master Kendo's students for the day. I'd be there too, but I had to finish my homework—I don't like trigonometry. Seriously, it took me hours to memorize Unit Circle. I even taped it to my ceiling so I could stare at it in bed. It worked though! Got an 85 on the test! That's considered a good grade in my book. Naturally, Itsuka showed off by getting a perfect score, so did Setsuna, and Honenuki, and Monoma, and Yui too… Yeah, there was a lot of perfect scores. I was one of the few people who didn't get a 100. Heh, anyway, Itsuka will be happy when she comes home. She always smiles when there's motsunabe made, especially when I'm cooking.
Guess that's really strong evidence, isn't it?
I pick up a clump of mushrooms tied together with a band, putting it in the bag. After I get the vegetables, I should pick up a couple of boxes of mochi. Or maybe I could try making dessert—I don't know which one yet—even though I don't have experience. Eh, I'll watch a video and know how to. Adoptive Muscle Memory lets me cheat at life. It's amazing how no one hates me already. Oh wait, I need to pick up coffee beans. We're almost out, and if the Kendo women don't have their morning coffee, then no one will be happy. Might get some salmon too. I'm hankering for some fish lately.
"So much stuff to buy…" I mutter to myself right before I take some cabbage—?
"Ah." Someone takes the cabbage. I know that monotone voice! It's the girl where everyone in 1-B loves—Yui Kodai. Yui has a cute little bag that has chibi cats on it. She takes the cabbage from me and plops it inside. For a brief second, she glances at me—I smile—then she looks away as if I don't exist. Thanks Yui, I love you too.
She asks, "Sanji?"
"Yui?" I reply.
"Sanji."
"Yui!"
"Sanji."
"Yui…"
"Afternoon," Yui greets me after realizing that I do, in fact, exist. She looks beautiful as always. Today, she's wearing a simple dress. It's such a simple yellow dress, yet with Yui's beauty, she could pass off as a supermodel. Really, Yui looks good in anything. Even if she was wearing a teddy bear suit, she would still look amazing. Then here I am as filth—only a mere t-shirt and jeans.
"Good afternoon to you too!" I greet her in return, finally getting some cabbage. "I'm making motsunabe for Itsuka."
We move down the aisle, getting what we need. She says, "Mmm." Don't let Itsuka cook. We don't want a repeat of last month.
I respond after getting some chives, "I won't. Speaking of last month, good thing Hayami had a fire extinguisher. I'm sorry about Yin though. He was a good panda bear. His sacrifice won't be in vain."
"Mhm." Yang is still grieving over his death. She misses him everyday. Still haven't forgiven Itsuka for killing him, and she never will—I never will. Yui plops some potatoes in her bag.
"Life goes on, Yui. It won't stop for anyone, especially yourself. You just gotta take it one day at a time," I say, giving her my wisdom.
"Yup." Easy for you to say. You didn't hold Yin's charred corpse in your hands.
"Yeah…" We pick up a few more things before we, coincidentally enough, head down the snack aisle together. I'll run into Hayami eventually, so I don't have to worry. Yui tries to reach for some chips but she's too short to get them. She tugs on my shirt and I get some down for her. Her lips curl upwards just slightly, showing her appreciation. Good, seeing Yui smile is one of the best experiences in this unforgiving and miserable world.
Maybe this is a good time to ask her… She's here in person. I mean, it's better that I text her, but I like having her here in person. "Hey Yui, can I ask you something? It's...important. Really important."
"Sure." What is it?
"Did Itsuka ever, uhm, ever tell you if she liked anyone or not? And by 'liked', I mean romantically, not like best friends or even friends, maybe acquaintances…? Basically, what I'm trying to ask is—"
"Eh?" Are you asking me if Itsuka loves anyone? You?
"Why do you look so shocked?!" I never seen Yui look so surprised before! Her eyebrows are one millimeter away from its resting position! Her eyes are so wide too! Just barely a micrometer in difference! I groan and put my head on my forehead. "Ugh, yeah… I, the unbelievable man I am, is asking that. My question still stands."
Yui shakes her head. "No." She hasn't told me, but I know that she loves someone and I know who that 'someone' is. I'm keeping it a secret because I'm her best friend and it's sensitive to her. If you wanna know, then you should ask her on your own time. It should be a conversation kept to only you two.
"It ought to be, yeah. It's just that…" I stop myself. No, I shouldn't reveal that I know who the "someone" is. "Never mind. Let's move on. Don't tell Setsuna about this because she will probably explode." Yui agrees.
"Mmm…" Speaking about love, I think Awase likes Shojo. He's been texting her a lot recently. I heard from Reiko that Shojo is making support equipment for him. And Manga knows too. Did you hear that he's planning an assassination?
I chuckle a little bit. That's why Manga asked me if he could borrow one of my swords—of course, I said no. "Oh, Awase definitely likes Shojo. He told me himself. Whether or not Manga will kill him is another question of its own. Either way, we need to make sure that Awase isn't by himself. We might come across him dead with a knife in his back otherwise."
Yui aggressively nods, her hair bobbing back and forth. "Rest in peace." Awase may be a pervert, but he's a good man. Him and Tsuburaba. What do you think about Kamakiri and Pony? They're getting closer.
"I'm an avid believer in those two! It's only a matter of time until Togaru Kamakiri, the sharp-tongued man, confesses to the soft and innocent Pony Tsunotori! When that happens, all will be right with the world. I know for sure—" I do not. "—that he likes her, but do you think Pony feels the same? I mean, Pony loves everyone, but does she love-love Kamakiri?"
"Mhm." Pony doesn't stop talking about him. During lunch, Kinoko teased her for having a crush on him. She pouted and gotten angry at her. Pony hasn't spoken to Kinoko since, and I don't think she will until the end of time.
"Such is a tragic tale," I carry on the joke, laughing. "There's a surprising amount of romance in Class 1-B, so that leaves me with a single question that I'm dying to have answered." I look at Yui.
"No." I'm stopping you right there, Sanji. Don't ask.
"Do you—"
"No." Please stop.
"Have anyone—"
"No." Don't finish your question.
"That you like?" I finish my question anyway! Yui gives me a look that says, Why are you like this? I laugh and give her a headpat. Her eyes soften a little, appreciating it.
Yui shakes her head. "Nuh uh." I don't have anyone I like. Why are you so focused on everyone else's relationship and not yours?
Not my own relationship huh…? Sometimes, I really hate irony. I play it off, shrugging my shoulders. "It's my job to make my friends happy, which includes relationships. I am a certified Ally of Love—Ashido made very official badges for us—so I need to act as the ultimate wingman! With U.A. and everything else, I don't have time to stress about someone having a crush on me—if that is even the case. Let's be serious Yui, no one in 1-B is in love with me, especially not Itsuka."
"Not...Itsuka?" she repeats, her eyes widening again. "Eh…" Why did you point her out specifically?
"Because uhm… We've always get mistaken as a couple. Setsuna tries to push us together; heck, there is even a betting ring on whether or not we get together at Christmas or whatever."
"Mmm." It's more than just that, Sanji. I have 5000 yen that someone catches you two kissing during the summer.
"Thanks Yui, I appreciate that. Still, my point stands. It's…" I hesitate. "It's exhausting sometimes. Everyone wants us to be together, and Itsuka's more than tired of it. Don't think that I hate the teasing—I love everyone, I do—but she's clearly sick of how many times she has to explain that we aren't dating. It's taking a toll on her."
"Mhm..." I guess you're right. Is that why you asked if she likes anyone? You never asked something like that before.
"'Course you bring that up now…" I mutter, rubbing my head. Man, I'm supposed to getting snacks. "Anyway uhm, yeah. I came to the store with Hayami, so Itsuka naturally came up in our conversation. You can guess why I asked that question."
"Oh…" I thought I heard her talking with the butcher earlier. Uhm, about Itsuka, do you know for sure that it isn't you?
I nod, humming. "Yup. Call it my instincts." I try my best to act normal and grab some more chips off the shelf. As I look away from Yui, I can feel her gaze burning holes into the back of my skull. I know what's running through her head. She's thinking that I'm an idiot, a fool, and everything else in-between. Yeah, she's right. My instincts aren't telling me that Itsuka likes someone else. No, they're telling me to lie to my best friend. That's all I've been doing in this conversation—lying and more lying. What's worse is that...that I don't know why I'm lying. To dig my grave even deeper, I continue to lie, "Yui, you told me yourself that you know who she likes, and judging from your tone, it's not me. So once I know who that guy is, I'll make sure for one: he's a decent person; and two: she'll be happy. After all—!"
I spin on my feet and point my thumb to myself. "As an Ally of Love, I have to make sure that love blooms for all of my friends, especially her! I might remain a bachelor but it's something that I'll have to live with!"
"...Okay." Let's move on, Sanji. There's definitely frustration in her voice. Anyway, we walk around the store, getting what we need. Hayami's still at the meat section I'm guessing. We'll meet up with her shortly unless she decides to go home without me, which would really be unfortunate.
Heh, when I'm thinking as an Ally of Love, there'd definitely be at least one couple forming when the semester is over. There's a lot of people who have crushes on each other—one of which is...her. Now, let's not think as an Ally of Love. Think as Sanji Inochi. Hayami wouldn't lie about what she said. She wouldn't; it's Itsuka, her daughter. But I guess it's a testament to how much Hayami admires me. She believes that I'm the best thing for her daughter, like she's entrusting Itsuka's fate to me. I honestly don't know what to say or do. Jeez, do you know what's funny? I think Hayami was right. Maybe I did know all along, but I was too preoccupied with other things to notice the small details—the blushing whenever she was around me, the stares that last longer than socially acceptable, and how she always stood by my side no matter what. Facing this reality, there's only one thing to ask myself—how do I feel? That's a really good question y'know. Really good, like it's one of the best questions in the world.
How do I feel about Itsuka Kendo?
Yeah, that's a good question that I can't answer. Because uhm, because… I don't know what I feel. It's an unsatisfying answer, I know. I still hold her as someone very important to me. I would do anything for her—sacrifice my life even. What I feel right now is a jumble of emotions. My heart or brain is trying to make sense of it all, but they can't. I just don't know how I feel. To untangle myself along with heroism and everything else, it's too much. I can't do both. It's impossible to do both. I just hope that Hayami doesn't tell Itsuka that I know, because then, I'd have to face with a question that I cannot avoid answering.
"Sanji," Yui says and tugs on my shirt again, pointing at something. I break out of my own head to look at where she's pointing. Three people actually—two men and a woman. They're whispering to each other, but they're clearly whispering about us. They notice that we're staring at them and turn away. Aw man, now I know that they aren't gossiping about us—yeah no, they made it really obvious when they did that.
Without Yui's input, I walk up to them. She silently follows behind me. I ask them, "Is there something wrong?" Knowing my luck, it's about me. I'm well-known, which sucks. I'm easily recognizable. Whenever someone sees a tall man with black and white hair, it's me.
The woman shakes her head. "Oh, there's no trouble at all. We didn't expect to see, uhm, Sanji Inochi here. I was just talking about how taller you are in person." She chuckles, but it's a strained chuckle. She's trying to be polite when she has a negative opinion of me. At least she's trying to be nice.
Man One—the one with black hair—adds on, "Yeah, you're different than what we had expected." He's doing the same thing. The same chuckle with the same strained tone. These people really aren't fond of me.
Man Two—blue hair—says, "Mhm… Inochi, don't you ever think about others who could be in your place?"
"What do you mean, sir?" I ask him, crossing my arms. Yui tugs my shirt again, signaling that I should walk away. Yeah, I should, but I'm in too deep.
"Well, there's a lot of kids out there who show a lot of potential to be Heroes. These kids, they can't help but feel that you stole an opportunity from them. They don't think it's fair that you have such an envious position."
"Envious?" This is starting to sound like the old Suzuki.
"That's right, envious. Being trained by Master Kendo, a famous Pro Hero known for his martial art skills. I even heard rumors that you're...rather close with his granddaughter. It sounds like something out of a movie, honestly."
"Hato," the Woman whispers, "you should stop." Man One agrees with her. He tries to gesture to Hato that they should leave, but he's standing his ground. I narrow my eyes, making my gaze unwavering. Hato frowns and returns a glare back.
"Inochi," he says. "Don't you believe that heroism is for people who have—excuse me, who can use their Quirks? It's not for uhm, people who are in your unfortunate circumstances."
"Mhm."
"It's just that your...unfortunate circumstances usually make it impossible for you to pursue heroism as a career, obviously. It's expected that your Quirk will be disappointing and weak. Some say that U.A. is wasting their time with you, so you do understand how lucky you are though, right?"
"Mhm, very."
"And can I ask you about that scar on your left hand?"
"This scar?" I hold it up to him. Catharsis ran a knife through my left hand, so that's how I ended up with the scar.
He nods. "Yeah, that scar. You got it from a Villain, didn't you? For someone as young as you, and as a boy under some unfortunate circumstances, it's even more dangerous to pursue heroism."
"Naturally, no one said it would be a safe job."
"Well, what do your friends think about you?"
"What about them?"
"They must be worried, right? Especially the granddaughter of Master Kendo. She must worry about your safety a lot. If she cares about you, then I'd imagine she would asked you to stop going after heroism altogether—"
"No, that's wrong," I interrupt him. "You don't even know Itsuka, so stop trying to act like you do."
"I don't mean any harm." Hato raises his hands. "It's obvious that she cares about you. In my opinion, she clearly doesn't care enough to the point of letting you fight Quirkless for your entire career—"
I try to step forward, but Yui pulls me back. "Sir, she cares about me more than I give a damn about myself—and frankly, the world is less important than her. So please, I think we're done here."
"That's right," Hayami joins in, moving beside Yui, "Hato, right? Can you stop bothering my boy? We have to go home and cook dinner. We surely don't need you to ruin our perfectly good day and Yui's too."
Before Hato gets to say anything, the Woman takes his arm and pulls him away from us. Man One bows in apology before chasing after them. I hear him berating Hato for what he said to me. After they disappear from our sight, Hayami suddenly brings Yui in for a hug. "I haven't seen you in a long while, Yui! You're cuter than I remember! Do you have a boyfriend yet? C'mon, tell me if you have a boyfriend!"
I shake my head.
She shakes her head.
Hayami pouts. "Pity. Yui would make a great wife. After all—" She squishes Yui's cheeks together. "—Yui is the beauty of Class 1-B. Look at her, she's gorgeous! I wish I could adopt her, really!"
"Mmh." This is uncomfortable.
"Don't you think you're overdoing it a little...too much? People are staring," I say, gesturing to a few customers who're pretending to ignore us. Hayami pouts even more and lets go of Yui, rubbing her hair.
"Fine fine… I'll let Yui be. Anyway, I got everything we need. Let's check everything out," she tells me.
"Alright."
We say goodbye to Yui after we check out. Before I know it, we're already walking back home. I'm carrying the groceries like usual, trying to be kind. Hayami has her hands behind her back, looking ahead to the street in front of her with a smile. "Sanji, what's your answer?" she asks me. We both know the question even though she never explicitly stated it. There's no reason for me to play dumb.
I sigh. "Hayami, it's...complicated."
"Always is with you."
"Yeah, I just…just think that I can't worry about my own feelings. I don't have time to. Between this and heroism, I have to choose heroism. That's more important," I answer… Yeah, that's my answer. That's my choice. I have to devote my full focus in my training. I need to unlock my Quirk. Those are my priorities. It has never changed.
Hayami's expression doesn't change. Her smile is still there, so is the glimmer in her eyes. She doesn't change at all as if...as if she was expecting it. "I thought you might say that. So you really don't reciprocate those feelings?"
"I don't know, but I don't want anything to be different. Everything will stay the same as it always has been. I'll still treat Itsuka like I have for the past nine months."
"I know you will. But…" Her voice goes quiet. She speaks barely above a whisper, yet I can still hear her.
She says, "It's not a choice of heroism versus yourself."
I listen closely. "It's a choice of heroism versus Itsuka."
I keep listening. "So I don't know why you believe heroism is more important than her."
"Hayami—"
"Either way Sanji…" Hayami looks at me, smiling brightly as ever. "You are still my little man."
Itsuka Kendo
Bzzt!
A text! Would you look at that, it's Yui.
Yui: "sanji is a stupid"
Me: "a stupid?"
Yui: "a stupid stupid stupid"
Me: "i think that's grammatically correct"
Yui: "idk, but he's still stupid"
Me: "so what's new?"
Yui: "i ran into him at the grocery store with your mom
Yui: "he knows that you have feelings for someone"
He knows what?! Shit, I went to the Dojo for one afternoon and this is what I come back to?! I can't have a single day without stress! Wait, how does Yui know that I have feelings for someone?! I only told Mom and Grandpa! Maybe she doesn't know who it is…
Me: "how do you know?"
Yui: "i'm your best friend"
That makes sense…
Me: "that's true"
Me: "anyway explain"
Yui: "first, you like sanji don't you?"
Me: "no"
Yui: "yes"
Me: "yeah, don't tell setsuna"
Never mind, there goes that thought. Okay, so three people know about my crush. At least it's three people that I trust, and luckily, none of them is a girl named Setsuna Tokage. She would expose me faster than any journalist would.
Yui: "okay, but i knew it"
Yui: "anyway uhm, he asked me if you like anyone"
Yui: "blame your mom, she put the thought in his head"
Like I said, the one day I'm not at home, all hell breaks loose. I swear if she told Sanji that I like him, I'm going to—Actually no, she's my mom. I'm supposed to love her even when she does stupid things like that. But if she told Sanji, then I'd be mighty pissed.
Me: "you didn't tell him right?"
Yui: "i told him i knew who it is, but didn't name names"
Me: "good, so…?"
Yui: "he went on about how you guys keep getting mistaken as a couple"
Yui: "he said that you get tired of it"
Yui: "so he assumed that you don't like him that way and managed convinced himself that he isn't the one you like"
...That sounds like Sanji. Damnit Mom, you made him cut himself out of the picture. Ugh, knowing him, he would do anything to get me to date this imaginary guy. Well first, he would make sure this guy is good enough for me then let me date him.
Me: "you're right"
Me: "he's a stupid"
Yui: "i really thought he liked you"
Yui: "we even ran into a few people who clearly didn't like him"
Yui: "one of the men started to talk about you and he snapped at him"
Me: "like he was pissed?"
Yui: "yeah"
Yui: "pretty angry"
Yui: "he cares about you a lot"
Me: "that dumbass"
Me: "so what do i do now?"
Me: "sanji believes he isn't the one"
Yui: "idk"
Yui: "what would setsuna do"
"What would Setsuna do?" Thanks, that's a great question. I'm being sarcastic because Setsuna would get on her knees and propose to Sanji with a diamond ring that would cost millions. I'm not going to do that. I have to focus on becoming a Hero, not getting married. U.A. is ramping up its exercises because of the upcoming threat with the League and however Stain is influencing society—I have seen at least three guys with Stain's mask this afternoon alone. My training is really important to me, but so is Sanji. Really, these two are intertwined. Sanji wants to be a Hero with me, and from his determination and his outlook on life—pun not intended—it's why I became interested in him in the first place. He embodies what it means to be a Hero. But what's more important to me? What do I care about more? The first thing that comes to my head is…
"I guess… I guess I'm trying to say that she's really important to me. That's the truth."
The first thing I think about is him. My thoughts aren't lying to me; I'm not lying to myself. I guess that's what my heart wants. Yet, worst case scenario, am I really choosing him over heroism? Being a Hero is so important to me. It's what Dad was, what Grandpa was, I wanna be strong like them; I have to live up to their legacy. I'm The People's Fist, protecting the weak, stuff like that. I'm…
Protecting the weak. That's right, everything I am… Everything I do, it's for my friends, it's for those who are too weak to protect themselves. I never realized it until now that my life is always made for others. So I think that's why I would choose him over becoming a Hero. Heroism is only a means to help others in a more effective way. I don't need it. Hell, if I have to sacrifice my heroism career to save those in need, I'd do it in a heartbeat. That's what my reality is. As much as I want to focus on heroism, if it really came down to it, this is what I would choose. I'd still be happy either way.
But who says that I have to choose? This isn't the time where I have to pick one over the other. I can have them both because I'm a responsible person and have my emotions/feelings in check. There's enough time in the world to have both, even with Shigaraki active.
Yui: "itsuka, are you still there?"
Me: "yeah, i was thinking"
Me: "i could try to convince him otherwise but"
Me: "it'll be hard, harder than trying to be a hero"
Yui: "yup"
Yui: "so you're taking the challenge?"
Me: "it's not a challenge"
Me: "it's sanji"
Me: "i'd do anything for him, even the impossible"
Me: "he'd do the same for me"
Yui: "wow"
Yui: "you two are perfect for each other"
I feel my face heating up.
Me: "thanks"
Me: "you're helping me right?"
Yui: "yeah, tell me when"
Me: "i will, thanks yui!"
Me: "you're the best!"
Yui: "mhm"
Yui: "don't kill your mom"
Me: "can't promise anything"
Yui: "itsuka no"
I think that's a fitting end to the conversation! It's time to head back home where my wonderful mom, my stupid partner, and my somewhat-immature grandpa live. I'm amazed how the Kendos haven't self-destructed already.
"..."
"Itsuka, welcome home! Would you like dinner?" Sanji is wearing a pink apron with flowers on it, standing in the kitchen doorway. Ah, is that motsunabe I smell? He's making it for me?
He leans forward with an adorable smile, his messy black and white hair swaying all over the place. Jeez, why is he acting cuter today? "Or would you like a bath?"
Shyly, he looks away, fidgeting with his fingers. Wait, is he...blushing? "Or maybe you would like…"
Is he going to say what I think he'll say?
"Crap, I forgot the last line," he stops being shy and returns to his goofy self. Really? He was acting this entire time? In disappointment, he frowns, shaking his head. "Itsuka, do you know what the last line is? I was trying to reenact from an anime scene that Manga showed me." I won't lie, if he finished his sentence, I would be more than tempted to pick the third option. It was nice seeing him blush though, even if he was faking it somehow. He's so cute with a blush.
I walk up and pat his head. "Don't worry about that, Sanji. You managed to make yourself blush though. That's impressive… How did you do it?"
Sanji blushes again, and it's genuine this time. "Well, I just thought about what makes me blush."
"Which is…?"
He turns on his feet and looks into the kitchen. "Motsunabe! Let's talk about motsunabe! Unimportant details are just that—unimportant!"
"Sanji," I get his attention.
"Yeah?"
"You're a pervert."
He stares at me for a few seconds. Automated, he replies, "You too." That wasn't a compliment, but I just couldn't help but laugh. He breaks out of his stink and laughs too. "Anyway, I'm making motsunabe for you."
I ask, "Aw, what's the occasion?"
"Do I need an occasion to make you happy?" he answers with a question. For an idiot, he's really sweet. Coming home to see Sanji in that ridiculous apron, cooking my favorite meal just because, it's like we're married. Things like that, it makes my heart flutter. I can't get any words out, so I just smile instead. He smiles back and says, "Glad you agree. Anyway, Hayami and Master Kendo are somewhere. I lost track of them awhile ago. They're—"
"Right here!" Mom distantly calls out from the garage. "Your senile grandpa is making sure your bikes are ready to be used as Hero Vehicles!"
"So you two won't utterly blow up! As much as Hayami is a great engineer and inventor, she makes a lot of mistakes!" Grandpa replies back.
"Hey! I'm perfectly perfect!"
"Perfectly flawed! Do you remember your flamethrower?!"
"I had a fire extinguisher!"
"Like that's any better! You shouldn't need to use a fire extinguisher in the first place!"
"You try working with highly flammable material!"
"Try inventing things that won't endanger our lives!"
"That's like saying, 'Don't be a Hero because it's dangerous!' It didn't stop you, Mom, Kaito, and especially my kids! In the past three generations, I'm the only non-Hero in the family! And I'm still tied to heroism!"
"And despite that, you'd still be a more dangerous Villain than Tomura Shigaraki!"
"Itsuka, take my side and fight against your grandpa!"
"Sanji, you gonna stand against Hayami or what?!"
Sanji and I look at each other. He tries to say something, but I cover his mouth with my hand. I say to them, "This is your problem, guys. We're staying out of this." Mom and Grandpa scream out in protest before I tune them out altogether. Sanji takes my hand off and pouts. I ask him, "What? Why are you pouting?"
"You didn't have to be that rude. One of them is your mother and the other is your grandfather-slash-mentor," he tells me.
I roll my eyes. I take a kitchen knife out of the knife holder, gripping it tightly. "Yeah yeah. You forget that rudeness and stubbornness runs in our blood. Anyway, lemme help cook. I know what I'm doing this time."
"..." Sanji suddenly looks terrified, like he's staring at the worst Villain in the world. Those eyes speak of immeasurable dread, as if he's looking upon a destroyed Musutafu, knowing that everything he holds dear is gone forever. That is what I see in his eyes, and I think I'm the cause of it. Quietly, in the softest voice he can, he says, "Please no."
I hold the knife backwards, sticking the tip in a cutting board on the counter. "Sanji, I know how to use a knife." I swear if he starts talking about how I can't cook, then I'm gonna kill him. I am perfectly capable of cooking. There's no reason that Sanji is better in me in that department. As much as Setsuna calls me "a hulkish tomboy", that doesn't mean I can't cook. (Setsuna can't even talk, she doesn't know how to cook in the first place.) I may have burned a few things, but I'm a quick learner and something better than that—stubborn as hell.
Acting like he's about to defuse a bomb, he raises his hands up to show he means no harm. Being a snail, he says, "Itsuka… Calm down a little… You know your way around a kitchen knife, that's good… But, you don't know how to cook…"
I take the knife out and wave it at him. He immediately lurches backwards as I ask him, "Sanji, do you trust me?"
"Of course! So much! But—"
"No 'buts'. I'm not asking to take this operation over. I am asking to cook together with you, us, one-on-one. You're gonna be a good husband, Sanji, so I need to be a good wife," I tell him. I don't like saying this, but Sanji is a better wife than me. He cooks, cleans, cares, and everything else too. I'm a little jealous.
"You'll be a great wife, Itsuka, an even better Hero too! You shouldn't have to worry about that!" he pleads.
"Easy for you to say! You can't be a better wife than me!"
"I'm not even a woman!"
"And I'm not a man, yet I'm the better husband. Do you remember the time where you had to program the cable box?"
"How could I forget? I programmed it perfectly, Itsuka."
"After five hours. I did it in less than five minutes. What about our motorcycles? Every time you test your bike out, something goes wrong and you ask me to help you. Every single time, it's a problem that you created."
"I'm not motorcycle-savvy! Adoptive Muscle Memory can only take me so far!"
"Stop learning how to do things and instead learn why to do things!"
"I am! I'm doing the best I can! And stop waving the knife around!"
"Don't tell me what to do, Sanji!"
"Then why are you telling me to let you cook?"
"..."
"See?" Sanji points out the obvious hypocrisy there. I lower the knife and he takes it out of my hand. Damnit all, I can't believe he got me. That's one point for Sanji Inochi. He asks me, rubbing my head, "Itsuka, do you really wanna help me that bad?"
"Yeah… I don't do enough in this house."
"Alright, I'll let you help on one condition—lemme help you. You don't wanna admit that you're...not good at cooking, so let me guide you step-by-step. Deal?" he says as he continues to rub my head like I'm a dog.
Hmph, I'm good at cooking. "Fine, I dunno why you think I'm terrible—"
Then he pushes his finger against my forehead. "I didn't say that. You aren't terrible, just 'not good'."
I push my head back, causing him to retract his annoying little finger. "That's basically Sanji Speak for 'terrible'. You use euphemisms when it comes to things like this. You're too nice to say the harsh truth."
"Would you like it if I said it factly?"
"..."
"That's why we use euphemisms. C'mon, there's a ton of people out there who don't even know how to boil water, and they don't bother to learn for themselves. Here, you're actually trying. No need to be embarrassed or feel ashamed, especially around me."
"It's hard to not feel embarrassed when you're patting my head," I say. My face is getting warm again. One part of me hates that I'm blushing while the other wants him to keep doing it. God, I'm such a mess.
Sanji smirks and lowers his head in amusement. "Sorry—" Stop saying that so much. "—guess I'm just No Life Inochi."
"Eh?" Did he say "No Life Inochi"? That's the nickname I gave him the day before he came to town! It was when I completely loathed his guts! "Sanji—!"
He lets go of me and checks on his broth. "It's going well… I think tonight's motsunabe will be the best! I put in the extra effort this time." Why is he acting normally?! He knows that I wanted him to die! He gotta be acting again like earlier! Damnit, Sanji must feel so betrayed and hurt! Why did I say those things?!
I plead, trying my best to apologize, "How do you know that?! Did Mom tell you?! I didn't mean it—well, I meant it back then—wait, that isn't the point! I don't hate you! Far from it! I'm sorry for saying those things! I'm—"
"Hahahaha!" Sanji laughs. He has to cover his mouth because of how much he's laughing. It's obvious that he's messing with me now. His laugh though… It's really nice to hear. "I'm sorry, hehe… I didn't mean to laugh so much. You should trust me more, Itsuka! Do you think something as little as that will affect my opinion of you?"
"...A little. I said a lot of hurtful things," I admit, hugging myself. Sanji faces the counter with his knife, starting to cut the cabbage while he hums gleefully. Why does he sound so happy? I insulted him a lot, including the fact that he's legally Quirkless. At that time, I was no better than Usami or the rest of the people who hate Quirkless. That's one of the worst things I said about him, but he doesn't care.
He replies so upbeat, "Hayami told me a few of them, which probably scratches the surface. I admit, some of it was unexpected since it came from you. In the end, do I care? Heck no. I don't care a bit. You're still the Itsuka I adore."
This guy… Everyday, he makes me wonder why a girl like me gets to have a boy like him. "Sanji, you're too ridiculous for me."
"I know. So are you gonna help me cook or what?"
"Hold your horses, don't get impatient. Where's the—?"
DING DONG!
The doorbell.
"I got it. I need to get away from Hayami anyhow." Grandpa comes into the living room, walking up to the door. I look for an apron of my own, tying it on as I watch him. It might be a salesman or something. Knowing our luck, it'll be someone completely unexpected. I hope the unexpected guest isn't Manga because he's been bugging me to smuggle him a sword from the Dojo. As much as I like him, I'm not going to become an accessory to Awase's murder.
Grandpa opens the door and—! "Oh, it's you."
I can't see who it is.
"Yeah, it's me. Are you gonna be a hospitable man and let me inside?"
"I don't let hobos into my home."
"Tell that to your beard."
"I can say the same thing to yours."
Mom walks out. She asks me, "Itsuka, who the heck is Dad talking to?" I shrug, Sanji shrugs too. She notices that I'm wearing an apron and shoots a dirty look to Sanji, who nervously chuckles. "Sanji, we're going to have a talk later about Itsuka and cooking."
"Mom—"
"Dad!" she ignores me, running up to the door. "Who is it—?!"
"Hayami, long time no see. Glad to see you still beautiful as ever."
"Uncle Sorahiko…"
Sanji and I look at each other. "Uncle Sorahiko?" we ask in unison.
Sasaki Kendo
"You were Midoriya's mentor during his internship, weren't you?" Sanji asks Sora. Thank goodness that he took off that ugly pink apron. I don't know why that boy goes out of his way to be goofy, but that's him. He goes out of his way for a lot of things in life.
"So you've heard of me?" Sora answers in the form of a question, chuckling to himself, He puts down the tea that Hayami made for him—she's manning the kitchen now, letting the kids talk to Sora. He rests his hands on his knees, answering seriously this time, "Anyway yeah, during your one-week workplace studies, I took Midoriya on as my intern. Inochi—"
"You can call me 'Sanji', Mister Torino, since you're an old friend of Master Kendo," he corrects him. Sorahiko makes no objections.
"Sanji, heard you were under Grandmaster and Count. I'd ask about what happened with Catharsis, but judging from your hand, I'd rather ask about something else. Like for example…" Sorahiko stands up and takes his cane in hand. He raises the cane and—!
WHACK!
"Guh—?!"
"Sanji?!"
"Goddamnit Sora…" It hasn't been ten minutes and he's already hitting Sanji.
"Your fighting style! What the hell is it—?!" Sora whacks him again. "—You have a messy way of fighting! I have no idea what you're trying to do! Take Saki's granddaughter here! She knows what she has to focus on—her punches and grapples! What about you?! You got kenjutsu, marksmanship, and whatever the name is for your grappling hook! You're a complete mess, boy!"
Sorahiko points his cane at me. "Sasaki Kendo!" He's using my full name. Aw shit, I'm in for it now. "What have you been teaching this child?! Yeah, he has Adoptive Muscle Shit-For-Brains, but you're treating him like a kid in a candy store! He needs focus! Specialization! He's trying to be too many things at once! A good Hero has specialization!"
(Hayami is humming in the back. Sanji is practically her son, but she doesn't even give a damn about him now.)
I sip my tea, slurping it as loud as I can. Ah, there's nothing like green tea. Alright, I set it down and take a deep breath in. "Sorahiko Torino, shut up. Sanji is one of the most combat-capable boy in all of his school, better than our boy, Midoriya. But, Sanji is a tough position in terms of his fighting style. Seeing as he'll fight people with close and long-ranged Quirks, he has to accommodate for it—hence his equipment, though I agree that it gets a little messy sometimes. Still, this boy can learn everything within a matter of days or even hours, so why do I have to restrict his fighting style? It's improvisational. Besides, I'm not telling him what to learn and forget about."
Itsuka nods, deciding to talk for me, "Yeah, in the Dojo, Grandpa teaches Midoriya and Ojiro martial arts too. He doesn't have a set curriculum for us to follow. We decide on what we want to work on. For example, if I want to work on my grappling, I'll tell him that and he'll teach me everything he knows until I decide to switch to a different area of study. All four of us are built differently. Sanji, as you know, has his cheat code, I have Big Fists, Ojiro has his tail, and Midoriya—"
"And Midoriya!" I take the conversation back from my granddaughter, clapping my hands. "Midoriya, he's been working on his kicks ever since you taught him Full Cowling. Pretty damn lucky that I know your fighting style, Sora. I could teach it to him even though my Quirk isn't Jets. Thanks for that. That boy won't destroy his arms any longer."
Sanji rubs his head, wincing in pain. That'll leave a couple of welts. "Mister Torino… I always imagined my fighting style was similar to Master Kendo's when he was a Hero. He had an dual-purpose weapon that acted as a naginata and as a bow, not to mention his quiver that had a ton of different arrows. He was just as improvisational as I am. His Quirk, Reversal, is well-fitted in close ranges and it's dependent on the power of his opponent, so he couldn't rely on it." I'm glad Sanji knows me so well.
Sorahiko grunts and goes to whack Sanji in the head again, but he ducks his head out of the way. Sora tries again—Sanji dodges—and again—he dodges again—then Sora just gives up. He says, "Ugh, my point still stands. Being a jack of all trades is good and all, but you can't be a master of all. That's why the full phrase is 'jack of all trades, master of none'. You have to master something and take it beyond where no man took it before, making it your original creation. Your skill is admirable for a boy your age, but without a Quirk, skill can only take you halfway."
He waves his cane at Itsuka. "As for you Itsuka, you're slow as hell."
"Hey!" Itsuka exclaims, offended. (Hayami is still humming.)
"You know it's true. Your Big Fists are weighing you down, I know, but how would you be able to fight Villains that are ten times faster than you are? You won't be able to land a hit with your Big Fists let alone when they're at normal size. When you have your arm pulled back, they're already behind you. You're focusing on training your arm strength, aren't you?"
She reluctantly nods.
"Just as I figured. Pure strength won't win one hundred percent of the fights, much like pure speed won't win all of them either. I taught some stupid Hero Students who believed otherwise. They were one-trick ponies and nothing else. Do you know what happened to them? They either died or someone else did. Your lack of speed and agility will lead to your death or someone else's. Learn to carry your fists like feathers and I'll guarantee that you'd be unstoppable. As I see it, your strength is enough."
Sorahiko turns to both my kids. He tells them, "Both of you are thinking to yourself, 'I have to get stronger quickly.' That's right, time isn't on your side—it isn't on your enemies' side either. They won't be dilly-dallying, waiting for you to get stronger, so that means you can't wait for them too. The greater evil you'll eventually face will be stronger than you can ever imagine.
"Battle Fist, Armory; I'm sorry to say, but your days as a teenager are over. You have to get stronger. I'm not worried about you, Battle Fist; but for Armory, he's a completely different case altogether," Sorahiko says, turning to Sanji again. Must be yammering about Sanji's potential. We all know what Itsuka's potential is—if she could be agile and strong, then she'd be the best close combat fighter in Japan. For Sanji, we don't know shit. His potential is over 10,000AP, coming close with Toshi's peak. The level he's in right now is nowhere close to it, especially when he hasn't awakened to his Quirk yet. Sorahiko continues, "I know everyone is bothering you already, but I'm going to bother you more. Your—"
"My Quirk, I understand," Sanji says with a somber voice, clutching his pants enough that his knuckles turn white. "Everyone has high hopes for it. And you'll say that I need to awaken to it before everything goes downhill. I heard this song and dance plenty of times, Mister Torino…" Itsuka's posture softens. She's gonna comfort him from her body language—and she does. She puts a hand on his back, rubbing it.
"Sora—I mean, Gran Torino…" Itsuka says, "everyday, Sanji is being pressured by everybody—including U.A.—to awaken to his Quirk. I believe that—"
"They're right to pressure him. You should too," Sorahiko lays down the facts. "He can't fight Villains properly without a Quirk. He could be the best human, but that's on the same league as an average Pro Hero, a superhuman at birth. To make up for the gap in power, that's where Quirks come in. Now, Quirk Awakenings are activated by two things—intense training or a life-or-death situation. I heard Sanji's been training himself every night to the brink, hasn't he?"
"Yeah, he has," I answer for the kids. "His endurance and resilience is incredibly high, Sora. He trains every night until his muscles go weak and sore, sleeping for only three hours at most. And yet, he can still function normally as if his body doesn't hurt. You need a hard mind and even harder determination to constantly perform that feat." Hayami finally looks like she's paying attention to the conversation now. She's been paying attention all this time, but she was acting ignorant.
Sora replies, "Guess it's a life-or-death situation then, huh? I—"
"Uncle Sora." Hayami walks in with the pot of motsunabe on a tray along with our plates of rice. She lays it on the table and we gather around. "Think we should be worried about stuffing our bellies to the brim and not the future. I don't care what time says, it can wait."
Before we dig in, we put our hands together. "I humbly receive," we say, then we eat.
"Y'know, you and Toshi are coming into our lives again," Hayami comments with a gleeful smile. "Everyday, I see Toshi on TV and I was thinking, 'That jerk never visits us anymore.' Then, once he became a teacher at U.A., he comes by every now and then. He can't visit often often 'cause, you know, he's the biggest Hero in the world.
"Then imagine my surprise when I heard that you were mentoring Midoriya for his internship. I was tempted to call Toshi or Midoriya to get in contact with you again, but here you are, showing up to our doorstep unannounced. How have you been all these years, Uncle Sora?"
"Old. Worn out," he jokes, but there's some truth to them. He sips his tea, sighing in satisfaction. "I've been around Japan, wrapping up some old business. Glad to see you all grown up Hayami. I swore it was yesterday when you were a small little girl on this idiot's shoulders." Sora takes a jab at my ribs, but I take it like a man.
I grunt. "Time's like that. Glad we could all get together and have dinner. Too bad it's in this pisspoor of a time, but hey, least we're still living."
"Don't be so pessimistic, Grandpa," Itsuka scolds me, taking a clump of rice and popping it in her mouth. "We got Midoriya."
"Everything seems to be happening around him and 1-A this year," Sanji comments, chewing on some tender beef. "All Might is a teacher, Endeavor's son is enrolled into U.A., the League's attack on U.S.J., Stain, and a bunch of other stuff."
Hayami says, "Not everything is centered 'round that boy. Don't get me all confused, Midoriya is a great, pure-hearted guy, but the world doesn't revolve around him." I glance at Sorahiko and he glances back. Yup, we both would like to say otherwise. Holding One For All? The very world does revolve around you. You're practically Atlas.
"He's still important," Sora comes in, being vague. These three don't know about the secret of One For All yet. They're so close, yet they don't know crap. "Hayami, you know that I taught Toshi when he was the kids' age. He specifically asked me to train Midoriya."
"And you only taught Toshi because of Auntie Nana," Hayami brings her up. All at once, the air goes still. Just by saying her name trudges up bad memories, especially for Sora. I wasn't there when she died, but he was—him and Toshi. When I think about Nana, all I can imagine is Tatemi.
The kids stay silent. They're talking with each other through their eyes.
"Yeah, I did that for Shimura. I shoulda asked her for money when I'm thinking about it," he replies, trying to joke to lighten the mood. It doesn't do shit. I take a sip of tea and I notice that my hands are shaking. Damnit… I ignore it and look up. Sanji's eyes are wider. He recognizes Nana's name; he knows it, Hayami told him and Itsuka her name before. Why is his eyes wide now?
"Heh, yeah… It was tough trying to rein in Toshi's Quirk. Back then, he destroyed the Dojo so many times that we nearly went broke. That's why we had the walls reinforced with steel and stuff," Hayami reminiscences. Her eyes soften when she eats, or maybe it's from her memories flooding in. "Jeez… When I remember Toshi when he was fifteen, all I can see is that boy with an overgrown bush as his hair. Their Quirks are so similar. Toshi needed to learn how to control his Quirk to prevent himself from utterly obliterating everything while Midoriya needed to do the same thing, but this time, without permanently paralyzing his arms."
"Toshi always had a strong body. He's a one of a kind," I say after sipping my tea. Hayami is putting the pieces together. She's such a smart woman. She'll figure out the secret first without me telling her. As for the kids, they'll find out together.
"That explains why Auntie Nana took him in as her student. And that Toshi always had a big heart," she says.
"About Nana Shimura…" Sanji finally speaks up. I'll find out why he knows the name. "One of my friends, Sakuna Kazeha—"
"Kazeha?" Sora asks. Oh crap, I knew that name sounded familiar. Kazeha, our Kazeha, had a granddaughter and she passed her stories to her. That's why Sanji recognized her full name.
"Yeah, Sakuna Kazeha… Uhm, she told me about Nana Shimura. From how she described her, she would've been the equivalent of All Might in terms of strength and popularity. But she wasn't that popular, right?" he asks us. Sora looks at me and I nod. Guess I'm answering for this clueless bastard.
"Mhm, Nana wasn't all too involved in the spotlight. All she focused on is taking down Villains." And raising her successor, Toshinori Yagi.
Hayami adds on, "It was the only thing she could do. Auntie Nana had a husband and a son, Kotaro. I used to play with Kotaro when I was super little, so I barely remember him. Mom told me that Nana's husband died from a Villain. Soon after that, she sent Kotaro away into foster care for his protection."
Sanji shuts his eyes. Heh, I didn't realize how similar Sanji was to Kotaro. They must've been the same age when they were put in foster care. Anyway, I see Sanji is bowing his head. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to resurface bad memories. From how it sounds, it was tough back then."
I nod. "Yeah Sanji, it was… It was a difficult time. A lot of good people died, including Nana and my wife, Hayami's mother. We haven't died yet, so that's pretty damn good in my book. Sora's still grumpy, Chiyo's still has a golden heart, and I'm still an immature brat. Why? I'll be one of the few Pro Heroes who will die in his bed."
"Right. Let's talk about the kids for a change," Sora offers, setting his sights on Sanji and Itsuka. "You two, are you ready for the Final Exams? It's that time of year."
Itsuka hums, swallowing her bite. "Yup, should be a piece of cake. The written portion will be incredibly easy, but I have to prepare for the practical portion. I have no idea what it entails."
"Take it from me, it's the Faux Villains. They're gonna use it in your practical," Sora tells her. Yup, U.A. loves their giant destructive robots. I have no idea how they're able to pay for that many robots, let alone this "Charon" that I heard about.
"Huh, that doesn't sound too bad… Unless they have Charon, then that will be a bit of a problem," Sanji says, sighing. "It took a lot to take him down. But as Hero Students, it'll be a lot more manageable."
"You got it! We have the best teamwork in the school. Charon will go down within two minutes, mark my words," Itsuka swears, raising her glass of water high. Sanji does too with a laugh.
Sora raises his eyebrow. "Charon? Is he one of the Faux Villains? Did they really name one of those rickety old things?"
"You bet. He's larger than the zero-pointers, twice their size I think. During the Hero Course Tutoring program, I had to fight one of the Charons alongside eleven others. It was...interesting to say the least," Sanji answers after drinking his water.
"Tell me about it," Sora says.
Sanji smiles and nods.
Dinner's over. Each of us told heartwarming stories that didn't make a child depressed. It was...better than I expected. Having Sora there made the mood better, which was a surprise. Sora has a habit of ruining people's day with a single sentence. It's his real Quirk and not a fake one like Jets. We did briefly mention Nana and Tatemi a few times, but it was in a positive, more cheerful light instead of being remembered as dead. They were sweethearts alright. The world didn't deserve them, and I didn't deserve Tatemi.
Sanji and Hayami are washing the plates in the kitchen, leaving the rest of us in the living room. We're watching a movie that I have already seen before, but it's a nice way to create some background noise.
All three of us are sitting quietly until I decide to break the silence, "Going back to the Yamanashi Prefecture after this?" I look at Sora.
"Where else would I go? Australia?" he retorts. I don't know what the hell he's talking about t hough. Australia doesn't exist. The people who lived there are living upside down, so they died from having too much blood flow to the brain. Joking aside, Sora keeps chatting, "Yeah, I'm going home. Have to take care of some things. I could use you, but you hung up the cape a long time ago."
"I have a family to take care of, that's why," I tell him. "Always been my priority, Sora. If heroism gets in the way, then damn it."
"...Huh," Itsuka says, getting our attention. She immediately laughs and puts her hands up. "Sorry, didn't mean to. I was thinking about something, that's all."
"What is it?" Sora asks. Don't think that's a good question to ask frankly. There's something off about it. Itsuka's hiding something for sure—call it instinct.
Itsuka lowers her hands, using a finger to curl her hair around it. "Well, I found it a bit ironic since Nana Shimura… She gave up her family for heroism. She cherished that above her own son, then I found out that she took All Might on as her student—she was his mentor! All Might, the Symbol of Peace!"
"She did it to nurture him to become what he is today, Itsuka," Sorahiko says, defending Nana. I'm staying out of this fight.
"I know, yet when I think about it, everything doesn't make sense. Why would she send Kotaro away when she was powerful enough to rival All Might in his prime? That implies that a greater Villain is out there, greater than Nana Shimura and Toshinori Yagi."
I look away from my granddaughter, not staring at anything.
"What are you trying to say?"
Itsuka raises her voice, "I'm saying that you aren't telling us who this Villain is. We know he exists, Sanji and I know he's out there. The 'greater evil' you spoke about earlier, he's the same Villain that killed Nana Shimura, the same Villain that's truly leading the League of Villains. He's the World's Most Dangerous Villain, isn't he?"
"He's a dangerous man with a Quirk that could bend the world to his knees."
"Then why aren't you telling us about him? It's obvious that All Might is training Midoriya to fight him and Shigaraki! Nana Shimura trained All Might and All Might will train Midoriya! You want us to help fight too! We aren't kids anymore! You said it yourself! We aren't teenagers anymore! Tell us what's going on!"
Hayami and Sanji run out of the kitchen. They look to me to stop the fight, but I won't. I knew something like this would happen eventually. Hayami pleads, "Itsuka honey, please stop—"
"Itsuka," Sora says, standing up, "this man is more than you realize. He's much more than you or Sanji could even comprehend—"
"Oh cut the bullshit, Gran Torino!" Itsuka shouts, standing up with him. "He's not God, he's human just like us! Why do you think he has Shigaraki as his successor?! This man is weak! He's injured! His time is coming to an end!"
Sanji exclaims, "Itsuka—!"
Sora interrupts him, "He's still one hundred times more powerful than you, Sanji, and Sasaki all combined together! Do you know that his feats? For a long period of time, he did have the world at his feet! He commanded Japan from the shadows! The gangs out there, they could only hope to aspire to be like him! Heroes had All Might, Villains had him! You don't understand how powerful this bastard is!"
"I don't give a damn! Don't you dare leave us in the dark about this! It's clear he has an influence over everything! Including our lives! Do you know how he impacted our lives?!" Itsuka yells before stomping over to Sanji. She grabs his left hand and shows his scar to him. "This asshole took in Catharsis as one of his soldiers! Guess what happened?! Catharsis almost killed Sanji and gave him this scar! He tried to kill Shojo Fukidashi, one of my friends, and he successfully killed countless others! This affects me as much as it affects you!"
Sanji rips his hands out of Itsuka's grasp. "Itsuka, please calm down—"
"Shut up Sanji! You're supposed to be on my side for this!" she yells at him. "Our lives are depending on this information, on this mystical secret that Gran Torino is keeping from us! That Grandpa, your Master Kendo, is refusing to tell us! It's why my grandmother died! It almost killed you once! How many times does it have to kill you in order for you to finally take action?! Two times?! Three?!"
Sanji goes silent.
Itsuka turns to Hayami. "Mom, are you going to say anything?! I know you told me to butt out of this, but you know something is wrong here! You lived this mystery for your entire life, but you never once questioned anything! Do you have anything to say to me?! It's our family for crying out loud!"
Hayami shakes her head. "Sweetheart… I never had anything to say."
"Grandpa…" She looks at me last, and I finally look at her. There's tears in her eyes. "How long will you keep this a secret from us? You already saw how close Sanji was to death. I was worried sick about him, all of us were. If it happens again, Sanji won't be able to reach his dream. Do it for us…"
I stand up and sigh. I walk up to a picture of Tatemi and hold it by the frame. I say, "You're an amazing girl, Itsuka… I can't ask for a better granddaughter. Damnit though, I don't think I have the heart to explain to you and Sanji now… I know I'm too much of a coward, but that's your grandfather for you."
Every time I remember All For One, all I can see is my wife lying in a pool of her own blood.
Itsuka chokes up before I hear her stomping out of the house. Hayami reacts, "Itsuka, wait!" I think she turns to Sanji. "Sanji, she's going to—"
"I know where she's going. Don't worry, I'll bring her back." And with that, Sanji's gone too. I put Tatemi down, turning to Sora and Hayami.
I'm crying.
Just realized that when a tear fell on my palms. I wipe my eyes, groaning in disgust. Hayami smiles a sad smile, putting on a jacket. "I'm going for a walk you two. I'll be back soon," she says, leaving us be. Yeah, we all need time to think. Sora stands there awkwardly like a sore thumb, knowing he ruined tonight. Ah, here I thought today was going well. I don't blame him though. The secret is a ticking time bomb anyway. It's better that Itsuka blew up than Sanji or Hayami. I wouldn't be able to handle them when they're genuinely furious.
"Sasaki, I—"
"Just be quiet, alright? I… God, I just…" I run my hands through my hair. "I need to think..." And yet, I couldn't think of anything.
For a few minutes, it's like that. Nothing. Just pure silence that makes my blood boil. It's—
Click clack!
I don't recognize those footsteps. "Uhm, hello? The door was open, so I let myself in. Don't worry, I can hardly be considered dangerous!"
Grandmaster comes into the room. His eyes go wide when he sees Sorahiko standing there with me. He analyzes the situation—and the mood of the room—and clears his throat. "I see that something had happened. Inochi and the two Kendos are missing… If you need my help, I'll gladly give it."
I shake my head. "I'm fine. What are you here for?"
"Uhm, it might not be an appropriate time. Considering that Gran Torino is here, Itsuka Kendo got furious when you didn't disclose the secret of One For All, correct?" he guesses it perfectly.
Sora comments, "Stop pulling that crap, Shindeka."
"Forgive me, but I am right. So, back to the topic at hand, do you want to talk another time?" he asks me.
I bat my hand and sit in my chair. The TV is still blasting. "Go ahead and ask me now. Everyone else left, so we have the house to ourselves." Knowing Grandmaster, it must be about the past. Since my wounds are reopened, I might as well make it worse… Jeez, I'm not serious about that. Whatever Grandmaster wants, I better give it to him. He's a smart man, so anything he can find out, it's better for all of us.
Shindeka nods and takes a seat beside Sorahiko, putting his cane on his lap. "Well, I'm lucky that I also caught Gran Torino here as well. It…" He takes a deep breath. "It pertains to the mission you partook in a few decades ago. It involved allying yourself with the U.H.N. and one of its agents—Mystic."
Mystic…? Haven't heard that name in a long time.
"Why Mystic?" I ask. "What do you want with him?" Sorahiko listens in closely.
"Well," Grandmaster starts to explain, adjusting his coat, "we need any information—even better, allies—against the upcoming threat. This turned me to this mission which I luckily received the file for through many contacts and acquaintances. The information is meager though, so I sought to ask you instead. From remembering what occurred, we might be able to discover something we didn't know before."
Sorahiko huffs, but he has a stupid smile on his face. He should never smile again. "Sounds like a good idea. Sasaki, are you gonna tell him?"
"Yeah alright…" I tap my leg. "So, first of all, the mission wasn't just us four—Me, Nana, Sora, and Mystic. There was six of us."
"Who were the other two?"
"Zun Fei-Long, also known as The Astral Warrior: Qinglong; and the other one, Hyun Yeong-ju, also known as NO DAY: Bam."
Grandmaster's mouth drops. "Those names… They were—!"
"Yeah, during the time, they were both hotshots. So much that they were the No.1 Pro Heroes in their respective country; Qinglong in China and Bam in Korea."
I try to say something else, but I stop myself. How the hell do I say this? Well… Let's start with an introduction. "And they were with us in our disaster of a mission. Grandmaster, do you remember the Busan Bombing?"
He nods. "Indeed. What happened is...in the name of the event. It killed thousands of people."
"Yeah… Guess how our mission was a disaster?"
The next chapter is called: Master and Mystic
A Day in Life, Master and Mystic, and Tragedy in Busan take place in a mini-arc just before the Final Exams. In this arc, we'll explore the Master Kendo's mission in South Korea, Busan. Post-chapter things:
The Reveal: So, the "reveal" was something I heavily conflicted on, but in the end, my personal feelings didn't really matter. So yes, Hayami did reveal that Itsuka is in love with Sanji. It's now canon and I can't go back. Why? Well, it fits the characters. Hayami is a very caring mother who wants best for Itsuka, so in her eyes, telling Sanji that was the best way to make her happy. Yet, she knew it was a very slim chance because of Sanji's personality and ideals, but she took the chance anyway. For Sanji, he was bound to realize it soon. It's been stated that he kinda just had a feeling all along but never sat down and thought about it. In the grand scheme of things, this isn't *that* important because it tells everyone what they know already. However, what I did do was show the difference between Sanji and Itsuka. They value different things—Sanji and heroism; Itsuka and others. It's another sharp contrast between their personality and ideals, much like the argument between Suzuki and Sanji.
Yui: I'm sorry, but Yui's adorable. This is Sanji and Yui's relationship in a nutshell:
Yui: "Mmm."
Sanji: *literally bursting into tears* "How poetic!"
Everyone else: "what"
That's all I have for Yui.
Itsuka's Scene: Honestly, I wanted more banter between her and Sanji to help develop their dynamic further. Their dynamic may be developed already, but it never hurts to keep doing that. And so, we get to the next topic... Itsuka's outburst. It was bound to happen, honestly. She wanted to figure out the mystery of One For All, and the dinner teased that so much. In the end, she needed to know and no one gave her the right answer. She even yelled at Sanji, so you know that she was *really* mad. Hopefully, everyone will come clean soon...
Master Kendo: It's another flashback chapter! Oh my God, I hated his first flashback chapter. It was a bad chapter, a really bad chapter in my opinion. In fact, it's probably the worst chapter in Dreaming of Stars just because I couldn't write well during the time. However, I'll try my best to make up for it in the next couple of chapters. It should be really interesting because I'm going to explore the past along with heroism in other countries that isn't just Japan. That is why the setting is in Busan, because I wanted to make the world bigger. I could do the same for Sanji and the rest of the 1-B kids, but that will be a *very* long time from now. They are kids still, so Master Kendo lets me explore the international world of heroism. So, we get to explore three new characters. As a result, you can call this mini-arc the "Busan Arc" or something.
Mystic: He was first directly referenced in Chapter 30. He was an agent of the United Hero Nations. And honestly, his Quirk is hard to write. It's very hard to write just because his Quirk is stupid(ly powerful) in general. Expect that he'll be a major figure or influence soon, something like that.
Qinglong: Hiryu Rin's grandfather. Qinglong has the Quirk called "Astral", where you'll get to find out next chapter. It'll definitely shed more light into Rin's family and foreshadow his eventual character arc. I'm very excited for Rin's development since he hasn't been in the spotlight at all.
Bam: Originally, I wanted to make Bam a male, but I realized that Nana was the only girl in the team so I made Bam a female instead. "NO DAY" is the name of Bam's idol group, so you bet that Bam is an Idol Hero. You'll get to see her in the next chapter as well. (Fun fact: "Bam" means "night" in Korean.)
That's all I got, so cheers! Leave a review, favorite, follow, or whatever to show your support for this crazy fanfic! If you hate it, then thanks. There's that one review that bashes this fic and I'm sitting here like, "Very cool."