A/N: I'm not even sure what this is. Quirkless OC-Insert. Let me know your thoughts. I'm just stressed, depressed, behind on deadlines and my dumbs thought this was worthy of writing. Enjoy, unbeta-ed so expect some typos.
1 + 1 equals 2.
Not all are born equal.
Simple as each other, these were the truths I was taught in elementary school.
I never really wanted to be a Hero.
"Sometimes, a hero is someone who could've been a villain, but didn't."
These are cool words, or I thought so then. A lot of people think All Might said them. I think he might have gotten them from someplace else as well.
Maybe carrying memories of another life was my quirk, and it didn't show up on the medical tests that would later get me branded as Quirkless.
"I'm so sorry!" Father apologized, and I didn't know how to tell him me losing the genetic lottery wasn't his fault. But he was an expressive man, and all I could do was smile weakly as tears ran down his face.
"It's okay, I can still help people even if I don't have a Quirk!" I chirped. The slight internal cringe was a small price to pay for replacing his actual son. Come to think of it, I can't exactly remember how I died, or the early years of my birth.
Quirks. Superpowers. Mutations.
Did you know mutations occur in us all the time? The human body is surprisingly well equipped to deal with them. Call it a bunch of coincidences, call it Intelligent Design by a Creator, or call it further grounds for research by highlighting the minutia of mechanism in a biology paper, it is what it is.
At some point in the universe, these mutations developed humans into something more. The same intelligence, but quite different traits.
No, seriously, how in the hell does one go about manipulating cement?! Or looking like that? Those were roughly my thoughts at the time I saw Cementoss on TV, and in asked my guardian in possibly racist (or specieist?) terms what the heck was going on.
"Some people are just different son," he said over a slice of microwaved pizza. "And you gotta respect that. Even if they look normal, if someone says she's a she, or a he, or a they or them, then just go with it."
To be honest, that was what I had been doing in my last life (world, maybe? In fact?). It used to bother me, but I always believed a healthy dialogue could sort things out.
My lifestyle in this world was very different. Me and the old man lived in a small house in Tokyo. The land had been owned in the family by generations, but the old man wasn't really smart.
He still had a useful Quirk though; Jail-breaker. His fingers could turn into the right tool for repairing electronics. Mother was a lawyer.
Was.
She had passed away, and the old man rarely discussed her. I learned about her when I was seven, walking into the repair shop we owned at the back of our house's ground floor, and saw father repairing what suspiciously looked like a premium, yet propriety kind of laptop.
"Isn't that stuff, like, cause for lawsuits?"
"Nah, voids warranty, but it's legal to do so. Erika won that case for me, so I repair these at a discount for everyone."
"Erika?" I cocked my head to the side, setting aside my backpack on a relatively free workbench and opening my homework.
"…your mother. She was a lawyer. Took care of the legal issues."
"Ah." I said. And nothing more was mentioned after that. It kind of stung, to be honest.
Father was an expressive man, except when he wasn't. Perhaps it was just too painful for him to recall, because he really felt for people. The topic that started this in the first place was a brand that charged way too much to repair their arguably great devices, and my parents had fought to provide people an alternative.
As a tech nerd, they were my heroes.
My efforts to help father were rebuffed.
"If you really want to help me, then buy me a sportscar when you grow up!"
The house was owned by us, but the taxes, mandatory health insurance and bills weren't cheap in Tokyo. Someone repairing odd bits and bobs couldn't really make much living that way, given his high school graduation background.
Father wasn't academically smart. He tried, but whenever he studied, he had a faraway look in his eyes. The way he set up the table for two, the occasional glances to the slide, his mouth parting in a question, his aborted actions.
I wanted to tell him that he can't go on like this. Something inside me wanted to offer some nice sharp jabs. How much had he loved mother that he couldn't go on without her?
He tried, but just couldn't. But he tried, and I suppose that was enough. He still managed to put food on the table in a respectable manner, and that was enough. If I didn't have the memories of living paycheck to paycheck in my mind, I might have said something foolish, but I stayed my tongue.
Children are quite cruel.
Or maybe they just tend to speak the truth too often, and its the truth that is cruel.
Hideki Hiroto was just a plain bastard though.
"Oi, Quirkless!" He leaped over my head, kneeing my cranium before landing before me as I fell to the ground, smashing by chin. "Don't you wanna play?"
Hiroto's quirk manifested in the form of a vulture wings sprouting out of his back. What kind of genetic combination produced that phenotype, I really wanted to know.
"No," I got up and dusted myself, feeling the pain in my jaw as my eyes stung. "I want to go home."
"Go home? You don't have a quirk, and you don't have a mom. You're a double loser!"
Hideki Hiroto was an ass, but a popular one. The playground he had ambushed me in was populated by his friends - our classmates - just in time to provide him an audience for his show.
They laughed at me.
"Hey, how about you go jump off the school's roof? Maybe you also have a hidden flight quirk!"
I would like to say that my knowledge of another life granted me the patience and temperament to deal with bullying elementary school kids in a tolerant manner.
I would like to.
Lightning flashes before the sound of thunder is heard. Its speed is exponentially faster than sound's.
Lightning, however, doesn't get the crap beaten out of it after it throws the first punch in a playground full of mutant children.
"Oi, you ill-mannered children." The voice was calm, but it cut across the ruckus effectively.
"Oh shit, it's a hero!" I couldn't recognize who said it.
"Run for it!" That was definitely Hiroto.
Their attempt to escape against an adult hero fell short when all of their clothes tangled with each other spectacularly. I propped myself on an elbow and looked at the maze of taut threads holding everyone in place, converging into a in a single point near the sleeve of a tall, lithe blond.
His hair instantly reminded me a J-Pop star. It was Best Jeanist.
"Best Jeanist!" The kids shouted in chorus.
The man in question walked over to me, still holding everyone captive. "Are you okay, young boy? Can you stand?" Best Jeanist asked.
My clothes were torn because of some jerk with claws, there was thin cuts on my forearms, and my ankle was swollen due a certain flight capable kid dropping me from a height of six feet.
Deciding not to sass my savior, I nodded and got up, wincing at my ankle. "I'll be okay."
"That's the spirit my boy." Not gonna lie, his voice was cool. He bent down, in a single movement that repaired my busted school uniform by the time his hand touched my ankle. "It doesn't appear to be sprained. Try walking around for a bit. It'll get better." He assessed.
"T-thank you." Said I. "I'll be going home then."
"Sure. I'll contact your school and let them know what happened. See you around young boy, hopefully in better circumstances." With that, he pulled out a cellphone and began to dial a number as the mutterings of the captive children blew into a screaming protest.
The next day I was called to the staff room and informed of the suspension letter issued to Hideki Hiroto for instigating the fight against me.
Several witnesses had said I threw he first punch, but.
"Honestly, what's the deal with these kids? They think we'll believe someone quirkless would pick a fight?" My homeroom teacher gave me a wry smile that somehow churned my insides.
The worst part was she tried to mean well.
I had been jumped in the past, but it never lead to a suspension. Maybe the influence of a hero in the top ten taking his time to deal with a school bullying problem had finally knocked some semblance of a conscience into the school board, who decided to take prompt action this time.
Was being quirkless so bad? I hadn't let it get to me yet, but as I walked home… I noticed.
I was the abnormality. Nearly everyone had a quirk they could use. Violations of genetic code that really had no way of existing. The electronic bill board showed feats that should have had people dead.
A man constantly on flames, where did the fuel for that come from? All Might, smashing things with thousands of tons of force that should have left his arm a fragmented mess of bones, skin and blood.
Why me? A sinking feeling bubble in my chest, and I clenched my shirt as I walked home that evening.
Was this some creative kind of hell?
"I'm back." I ventured slowly, taking off my shoes as I walked inside home with my shoulders slumped.
"Oh, welcome home!" Father turned the corner with a tray of cookies and apple juice in his hands. "How was school?"
I really didn't want to trouble him, but I couldn't stop the explosive sigh that escaped me as my bare feet thumped against the wooden floor. In lieu of a proper answer, I slumped into the soft blue sofa set that was bought by mother. (I know, because father's taste all revolve around red and yellow).
"Oi, oi oi oi! What's got you down boy?" He placed the snacks on the coffee table in front of us, switching on the TV at a low volume to offer me an excuse in case I did not want to reply, and took his seat on the opposite end of the sofa.
"Hey, Oyaji," I couldn't help the flat tone of my voice, seeing the images of All Might flash across the TV. So many thoughts warred within me, but nothing came out. "I'm not hungry." I settled on saying that, grabbing my backpack and heading to my bedroom.
I knew the old man was hurt, so I picked up the glass of apple juice on way up. "Thanks," I whispered.
What would my quirk be like? The thought haunted me enough that I started working part-time, and gathered enough money to get it re-tested.
Since when the hell were the phalanges of the little toe a vestigial organ?!
No, seriously. I should have just gotten an X-Ray of my foot, than have paid extra for the whole Quirk Diagnosis charade that included an appointment with a quirk counsellor.
It was later that I realized a kid marching up to get tested without his parents probably triggered some sort of alarm, and they had to find a professional to confer me some psychological support. The only other type of people doing this sort of stuff at this age tended to be kids being ostracized for their quirks at home or at school, not for the lack of it.
"Well, I'm as shocked as you are! There's a less than 1% chance of someone being quirkless, and we did run a PCR on your DNA as well, but we find the X-ray to be a bit more conclusive…"
There's a kid in my class with gills, something that were considered an outdated feature that didn't manifest other than just being present during embryonic development. But now she has them, three slits on either side of her neck and a thin membrane that cover her eyes, granting her the ability to breathe and see underwater.
In some cases, the stuff biologists thought was outdated came back with a vengeance. Convergent evolution deciding to conveniently and efficiently diverge.
Was I even in world of humans anymore?
The answer was yes.
Because for all the difference in morphological forms and anthropomorphic characters, or abiotic traits, people could mate and reproduce fertile offspring. Once this definition clicked in my mind, I found myself on the internet in the dark, looking up…certain stuff… to study anatomy without irony.
The task soon proved impossible, because I could fill millions of combinations with the amount of fetishes that existed. The horrors I witnessed in contrast to my previous world left me thoroughly floored, and I even skipped school the next day.
Not that skipping a day would matter. When no one hangs out with you, studying is pretty much all you have left to do. It was in the final year of my middle school that I was called to the principal's office.
"Man, I was wondering when you would show up. Normally, your counsellor would be doing this, but I thought I should do it myself. It've been almost ten years since a student of ours aced the national exams."
Eh? That happened? I didn't get anything like hundreds in all subjects like I had imagined kids would be getting in a country like Japan.
"Thank you for your kind words." I nodded. "Is there anything specific you wanted to discuss, headmaster?"
"Have a seat. Do you prefer coffee or tea?"
"Coffee?" Somehow my answer sounded like a question instead. The man pressed a button on his desk and graced me with a small, grandfatherly smile.
Manabu Gaku-sensei; on top of being the principal, he was also a counsellor and taught mathematics. He had a full head of white hair, square glasses, and was never seen outside of a suit. Add in his French beard, he looked like a movie actor who could play some CIA or FBI agent as opposed to a school principal.
"Yes. This week, final years will be asked to hand in their career path forms. I thought to spare you the hassle of doing that in class, well…"
"Because I'm quirkless." I met his gaze evenly, my words blunt. Always that same damn reason.
"Yes. That's a reality you have to live with. Do you want to fill in your form separately, or do you wish to do it in class with?"
I blinked. The door opened, and a secretary walked in with two cups of coffee, sugar and creamer. Gaku-sensei thanked him, and turned to me, placing the steaming hot beverage in front of me.
"My boy, I've been teaching here for decades. You are unusually mature in some aspects, and have a long way to go in some." I added an ample amount of creamer to my porcelain cup, a dash of sugar and picked up saucer. The principal picked up his coffee as is, black, not bothering to pick up the fancy spoon with a flowery handle as had nothing to stir.
"The same way I do, but some paths I have crossed, and I'd rather my students not make the mistakes I did. They have a right to make their own." I blew on the coffee while he simply sipped his.
I stared at the steaming cup.
"It isn't a quirk to be able to drink hot coffee like this," Gaku-sensei quipped, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "But with only so many hours in a day, what can a man do?"
I liked his style. "I see. Do you have a quirk?"
"Well," he stroked his chin. "It's a quirk in the original sense of the word. I have an eidetic memory, and artistic skills to match. Nothing that helps fighting villains, but definitely useful for helping out the police afterwards with statements, and keeping track of administrative tasks."
"The original sense of the word, huh?" I took a tentative sip from my cup and found that I needed more creamer but no further sugar. There's no bitter taste to it like I expected. "In other words, you're normal, just smart."
"Yes. Perfect Recall Man sucks as a hero name anyway." The line was corny, but something about his delivery made me crack an honest smile for the first time in weeks. "Though speaking of words, you have interesting choice of them as well. The recent estimate was that around 80% of the people globally manifest quirks, but that figure is much higher in developed countries."
He almost sighed. "Japan is blessed with around 95% of the population having quirks. Some people relate it to us being the only nation to suffer nuclear devastation, twice. Most people would think it's normal to have a quirk than not. And so the disbelief when someone shows up in my school quirkless."
Oh. He seems well-versed in this.
I don't quite think it was a mistake to mention that. "A-Ah, I didn't mean anything special by it. It's sort of like, people like me are a baseline to which other things get tacked on."
"So I see. Forgive me if I'm overstepping my boundaries, but you don't have much friends, right?" Gaku-sensei asked.
Normally I would blow such inquiries, but I took a moment to ponder. "It's not like I haven't tried, it's just…" too many people find their groups based on their quirks.
And that's without the burden of so many memories in my head. That kind of life… even if I'm not average in this one, this is still a great improvement over that. I've got nothing to complain about.
A lot of kids aspire to be heroes, and given how Quirks progress, the final step in the education ladder to qualify for the Pro Hero track is high school. For students opting for that, their high school might as well be their college or university (or some sort of a military academy, except more comic based).
"Right, students associate with each other where they can be themselves." Gaku-sensei continues as I sip my coffee. "And you're excellent P.E. scores where students are prohibited to use their quirks doesn't sit well with them either, I suppose, after you keep monopolizing the one of the top three spots in academics."
It felt like cheating at times. My previous life was filled with mental and physical strife, clinging by my fingertips to maintain scholarships, and then working by nearly all the time. Those were some hellish memories.
"Sensei," I placed my empty cup down and looked him in the eyes. "Why are people allowed to become heroes?"
"Interesting question." Gaku-sensei glanced at his smartwatch, tsk'ed, and flicked his finger a few times. "Sorry about that, I want to dedicate more time to your answer. How about we meet again tomorrow? I'll rearrange my schedule."
Wow. I was a bit moved by his dedication. "Sure, Sensei."
He nodded. "Meanwhile, have you looked at the Hero Billboard Ranking?"
"No," said I. After discovering what it was from other kids in the class, and then getting flak over not knowing what it was (I didn't watch TV much at all, and really enjoyed the break from owning a phone and social media), I decided to be contrarian and not open it at all.
"Have a look at it, and we'll take your question from there."
Damn, now I might actually have to do some homework.
"I'm home."
"Oh, you're back! Come to shop, I've got something to show you!"
And so I went.
"This is a PS2! Vintage game console. Got a rare request to fix this up, its got some dust. To think someone has one of these in this day and age."
"Ossan, if you're done with it, can I go home?" The deadened voice of the customer announced his presence. I might have mistaken this place for a pawn shop, and him a drug user in other circumstances. Frizzy blue hair peeked out from underneath his black hood, and I didn't pry into his face. He had a look going on, and I wasn't so nosy.
"Sure sure, just wanted to show my boy something cool. If you ever want someone to play with, feel free to invite him! Or yourself, to our place!"
"Hn." The boy nodded, took his console, paid duly and left.
"Did you tell him that because it looked like he needed it, or because I did?" I asked, slightly amused. I doubted the boy would take up the offer.
"Both." Said Father, a worried look on his face.
I decided to view the Hero Billboard Ranking as I was working out in my room. I was quite active for my age; the me from before had worked from constructions sites to delivering milk on a bicycle in the morning. The me here was trying not to get my head shoved into a toilet bowl or get photographed without my pants.
Children are cruel, teenagers are unreasonable. Teens with supernatural powers even more so.
So I trained. It wasn't like I had a social reputation to maintain either way.
I trained every part of my body. There were two quotes I lived by in most of my middle school life;
I have to put in more hours than anyone else.
Practice one kick a thousand times, rather than a thousand kicks once.
Father didn't know what to make of my workout routine, which was mostly body weight exercises. Quality over quantity, to gain strength and posture stability, versus raw growth.
The me from before had lived a hellish life full of medical problems. I had no intention of letting those memories repeat.
Not all are born equal. The knowledge of my previous mistakes was a blessing to not repeat them.
"What are your findings?"
"If the state really wanted to, it could take on the Hero Association should it rebel. But not without cost. It's a pact of mutual non-aggression, much like teachers that don't put in enough effort when devising their assignments don't rebuke students who don't put in enough effort submitting them." I said.
Gaku-sensei blinked.
"Hypothetically," I added, unsure of how to cite memories of a previous life.
"Well, I hope so. If there are any such teachers here, I would very much like to know." He sipped his coffee. "You came at it from angle I didn't expect, but I'm not really surprised."
"Most of the stuff we do is based on convenience of habit in the first place. The heroes get to use their quirks, feel like productive members of the society, and then the police swoops in to do the stuff high school graduates can't be expected to handle. Quirk laws are an issue of controversy I don't wanna comment on, because I didn't study them enough." I said, this time taking my coffee without any creamer or sugar.
The taste was rich, and something to be savored.
The principal was silent as well, stirring aimlessly before replying.
"If you had made the mistake of commenting your juvenile opinion on things you had not studied, I would have been happy to disabuse you of the notion that people before us have not tried at tackling the big problems in life, in society." Gaku-sensei said. "The perks of having perfect recall is pointing out to people when the solution they think is ingenious was documented at the earliest, and what history said about it."
I carefully sipped my coffee. Manabu Gaku was not a man to be trifled with, I made a note of that. I wonder what he would have made of people that interrupted university lectures with stuff they hadn't studied properly and passed opinion on.
"Not everything is based over convenience. If some texts are to be believed, Japan was on its way to become a nation where everyone had a quirk. The distribution of quirks, however, was zero sum game. Take from those who abused their quirks, offer to those who would do good in the world. And thus the age old battle of what's good, what is not, and our dilemma of ascertaining our own truths, beliefs, and lies."
"Um, that sounds kind of heavy…" I said, unsure of where this was going.
Gaku-sensei blinked, as if snapping from a trance. "I'm sorry, I really shouldn't have been mentioning that to you. But you struck me as someone who would have gone off to write some very troublesome essays that might become a hit when All Might retires, or is defeated even, if you're filled with enough negativity."
I stared. While I had fancied myself a bit of writer and good note-taker, was that the kind of vibe I gave off? "Um…"
"Right, you know at least who to talk to in case of a history discussion right?" He cracked a grin. "So, what else did the chart teach you?"
"Categories," I muttered. "The more materialistic the powers, the higher the rank. Strength, temperature, inorganic matter."
"And did you look up who these people were before?"
"Was I supposed to?"
"Hmm, well, you're only a middle schooler after all." Gaku-sensei smiled. "How interested are you in biology?"
"Well…" in my previous life, I was a biology major, studying to become a doctor eventually. "You can say I have a passing interest."
"Have you ever heard of Epigenetics?"
"The environment influencing the impression of genes? How nature affects nurture, I think." I said.
At that time, I did not know that every word Manabu Gaku-sensei had said was weighted, calculated. From the our first meeting, to our last.
"Not just the environment. The heart as well." He reached over, and lightly knocked my sternum. His eyes had flashed red then, and while I was reminded of a wizard who had better not been named, for copyright issues if nothing else, it was just a side effect of the principal's quirk. "I've seen it happen myself."
"That sounds like something out of a comic. The hero believes he has to win, and his belief powers him through." I said.
Gaku-sensei nodded, blowing my mind. "It is possible. The case of Yukionoshita Haruki in the aftermath of the Fukuoka earthquake comes to mind, about 87 years ago." The cadence of his voice changed, and he spoke as if he was in class. "A frail housewife, who had lost her husband, had never lifted anything heavier than stationary supplies, lifting rubble that required heavy machinery to rescue her son and daughter. Afterwards she would go on to become an athlete, her body no longer frail as it once was."
"The era of early emergence of quirks?" I hazarded.
Gaku-sensei stared. "Says who?"
"I was making a guess…?" I flinched in the face of that sharp look.
"Is it an educated guess?"
"Well, its based on urban myths and hearsay, and stuff our teachers told us in primary school and is referenced a lot in Parents Day speeches. I've heard a teacher once refer to that period as the Early Quirk Emergence Era."
Gaku-sensei listened to me ramble, his gazed locked onto mine. "Well done." He said. "Always know your sources. But who said it was quirks that enabled those feats of strength?"
I stared. What was he trying to say.
"I've said all I need to, regarding quirks. Coming to the present, what are your plans for the future?"
As I discussed becoming a scientist or a doctor, or just carrying on my fathers shop, I would not realize the difficulty and depth I was prevented from being launched into by Gaku-sensei's conversation.
Given my grades and financial background, we picked the most prestigious STEM based high school in Tokyo that would be close to home, allowed a full scholarship, and a path to university.
Applying for early bird admissions, I began to prepare for my entrance exam.
Might take a couple of years, but old man, I'm gonna get you that car. And let you have enough free time to do what you want, instead of spending every day cooped up in the shop.
The day of the entrance exam for Koeru Academy, the leading STEM school in Tokyo began like this.
"You got your pencil box?" Father asked.
"Yes!"
"Your entrance slip?"
"Yes!"
"Did you get enough sleep?"
"Yes! I got everything!"
"Right, I packed some chocolates in lunch. Have another onigiri before you go! You need the energy for your exam!"
What a mother-hen.
"It's just a written test!" I griped, putting on my electric blue runners,
"You could do with some brighter clothes." Father frowned at my black sweatshirt and jeans.
"It makes laundry easier." I replied, slipping my arms through the sleeve of my dull red windbreaker, and tossing a single strap of my bag over my shoulder.
"Is this your rebellious phase or your emo phase?"
"Do I look like I can pull an emo phase with this?" I pointed to my puffy, wavy black hair. It did not react well to any kind of dyes or straightening, leaving me with dandruff that was just too troublesome. "I like brooding that comes at zero cost."
"There you go worrying about money again… I get how you feel, but for now that's my responsibility. Go out there and kill that test!"
"Murder is illegal."
He groaned. "Why aren't children?"
Both us paused.
"…I'll see you later?"
"Y-yeah!"
I stepped out into the cool, wintry breeze, taking out my trusty bicycle. The entrance exam venue was half an hour away on a bike, and I had a good 50ish minutes to make it.
As I closed the gate behind me and kicked the pedal, I had no way of knowing that it was going to be all for naught.
—
It's relevant to note that while I was quirkless, I was far from being helpless. The words of people stung, and that one time I was thrown from a two-story building in order to find if I had a flying or levitation quirk did end up with me breaking a bone, I didn't stop going to school.
I had a perfect attendance record, showing up even if it meant I had my leg in a cast and crutches.
At some point I even had a crush, but she refused to study with me in the library due to the peer pressure of hanging out with a quirkless boy. After that, I felt a dull ache in my chest for a long time whenever I saw her, and stealing the top spot from her in our second year finals made me feel kind of victorious.
Rumors began to circulate that because I was quirkless, the administration decided to take pity on me grant me marks, because my life otherwise was quite difficult.
It was also the members of this kind of society, so proud of its quirks, that stood watching an apartment complex on fire on the way to my exam. The onlookers chatted with an undercurrent of tension.
"Did someone call the heroes? The fire brigade?"
"I've sent out a request already, someone should be here soon. Apparently it's not an accident."
"I hear the villain Burn 'Em All did this, his quirk lets cause combustion in electrical wires."
"Hey, there's people stuck in there! How long has it been?!"
"Someone please!" The shout came from the top. I glanced despite myself. A lady, her hair appearance sooty and holding a bundle in her arms. "The lifts aren't working and there's fire everywhere! My child isn't breathing!"
The sounds quieted, and I found myself slowing down.
"…wasn't everyone evacuated…"
"I thought they were!"
"Did she not notice the flames?"
"Please, at least save her! Anyone, do anything!" Frantic, harried. She devolved into coughs. "T-There's fire inside! I can't go to the balcony! Can anyo- mmphh" She covered her mouth. "Can anyone climb up here?!"
Sealed in fire from all sides, the mother stood at a small window, bathed in red.
"Please don't panic! The heroes are on their way!" A man shouted. The sound of a car turning the corner approached, and exited a few people in some (by my tastes of another world) ridiculous attire for public wear.
"The heroes have been on their way for half an hour!" The voice broke.
"There here!"
Two of them. A man with gills and blue ears that looked like fins with a rotund belly, dressed in a blue suit. He leapt without preamble, spouting water from his mouth desperately towards the flames.
The other approached the onlookers, looking unsure of himself. He wore a boiler suit and had no anthropomorphic features. "I was told everyone had been evacuated, and we were sent ahead."
Oi oi, don't tell me…
"The ones that can pull a rescue of that level are on their way-"
"THANK GOODNESS, PLEASE, CAN YOU SAVE MY CHILD?" The mother had spotted the heroes, but perhaps did not know that help had arrived… just not the type she needed.
The crowd turned to look at the man, whose nervousness was now apparent.
"Hey, I'm just the driver, I don't have a quirk-"
"Like hell you don't, I've seen you as a sidekick!"
I stared the scene in disbelief.
A clatter of steel and plastics as the bicycle fell to the road, the pedals tyres spinning.
"Hey wait a second-"
The feeling of wind building resistance against my body.
"Young man what do you think-"
I don't have time to think!
"Don't be reckless!"
"You're gonna create another problem!"
There were lots of things being said towards me, but I didn't hear them much. Before I could catch my own train of thoughts, I was lunging for the building on fire, my perfect attendance of exams and the pending entrance test the furthest thing in my mind.
Pillar, window, railing.
My body was moving before my mind could catch. I ran three steps up the wall and threw my hands onto a window sill, pulling my weight up and reaching diagonally for the railing at a nearby.
Sunovabich its hothothothotHOTHOTHOT!
I wrung my hand, blowing on it as I fell into the mini-terrace.
"Second floor, I need to go up up up up!" I was rambling, eyes flitting among the doors. In my hurry, my bag was still strapped to my bag. I unzipped it and found a pair of thick gloves.
I will never complain about you being a mother-hen again Oyaji!
Donning them quickly, I clambered onto the railing once more, trying to reach for the window sill of the floor above.
My arms fell short.
I took a deep breath, stepping back into the terrace and creating as much distance as I could.
"Boy! Just stay there!"
I took a running start, kicking the railing back and to the left with my left foot, my right hand curving back up and back as I pulled my centre of gravity upwards.
I struck something, nearly wet my pants for a microsecond, and with a smack grabbed onto the solid concrete platform. A bunch of flowerpots fell to the ground below, someone's window gardening passing away. With both hands I pulled myself up, and bracing myself for the heat as my gloved hand grabbed the railing of the next floor above.
"One floor left!" I said, and repeated my actions with a bit more confidence this time.
Motherfu-
It had not occurred to me that more the flames, the more the heat. The upper floors were the ones on fire. I paid no heed to the pain, the adrenaline making it much easier.
Come on come on come on!
Another leap of faith, and another climb, until I was on the same floor as the woman in distress. The relief and hope on her face was palpable as I fell onto her terrace, and witnessed the horror.
Everything was red inside. Was the room she was in the only one left intact? No, I had no time to think about that. I hurried to the edge, stretching out my arms.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" On my own, my arms were too short to reach the window, but with her securely holding out her baby I could reach out-
Something inside shook, and the shockwaves shattered the windows as it swept across the room the she was in. Rock forwards, her chest hit the edge and the unconscious child slipped from her hands before it could I could securely take it from her.
A desperate scream.
Eh?
Wind rushed through my hair as my body moved for the second time that day.
"Hey, how about you go jump off the school's roof? Maybe you have also a hidden flight quirk!"
"Is he suicidal?!"
"He just jumped!"
Reach God damn it!
It felt way too fast and way too slow as I kicked myself off the railing towards the falling child, grabbing her tiny arm and pulling it towards myself, her mass against my chest as I flipped one eight degrees.
"It's gonna be alright!"
I have no idea if I even said that, I was about to plummet to my death after all. The child securely tucked in my embrace, I closed my eyes, waiting for the inevitable.
Is this how I die? Will I be reborn again?
"Amazing!"
Death did not come that day.
My back hit another body, and the flow of wind inverted as I felt myself flying upwards.
That was my first encounter with the number two Pro Hero, Endeavour. Cradling me and my rescue in one muscular arm, he propelled himself up towards the last victim and pulled her out almost casually, and then kicked off, landing us safely away from the burning building, near a waiting ambulance.
"Kids! Miss!" The paramedics got to work at once, focusing on the girl. Another approached me, and I tried to wave her off.
Tried.
In my hurry to climb the building, I had left some of the skin of palm on the railings. My gloves were ruined beyond repair.
"Let's get you treated for those burns, kiddo." I stamped the ground, my hands contorted into claws to prevent any type of movement.
Even if I did somehow make it to the venue of the examination, what was I gonna write with? I acquiesced.
"Thank you."
"…" The flaming figure of Endeavor stood over us, arms crossed, as if he wanted to say something. Oh crap, was he angry? He looked more like a villain than a hero.
"Umm…" I trailed off. "C-can I have an autograph?"
In my panic, I resorted to flattery. His expression didn't change a bit.
"Kid, get in the ambulance. We'll make sure you get a sign, okay?" The paramedic lady urged me into the white vehicle, and I offered no resistance to exit the awkward situation.
"One moment," the Pro Hero's low baritone stopped us, expectant. He turned to face me head on.
"The first rule of rescue is to not become a casualty, or hostage yourself. You were about to significantly raise the death toll today."
"I-I'm sorry. My body just moved before I could stop myself."
He held eye contact for several long minutes, and then simply turned and left.
Somehow, that made me feel miserable than getting yelled at for my reckless actions.
—
"You didn't give the exam?! Wait, you climbed a burning building?" Father's yells could have been heard from outside the house.
"I've already contacted the headmaster to see where else I can apply-"
"Have you seen the news?!" The old man's voice reached a sharp pitch. "You jumped from a building!"
"There was a life at stake!" I stood my ground.
"What about your own life?! Are you suicidal after all?!"
"How could I have just left-"
"Endeavor arrived in time didn't he? What difference did you end up making? If you he hadn't arrived when he did, there would've one extra funeral!"
I clenched my fists, wanting to break something. "But he did, and I've apologized, so that's enough!"
"Why did you even think to do that? You're, you're…!"
"Quirkless, huh? Not even a human, some sort of rare breed that should be put in a zoo, HUH?"
People could probably hear my voice from outside the house as well now.
"Yes! You're quirkless! Stop living in some fantasy and just accept it. Were you expecting to unlock some hidden power just before you died?!"
I clenched my teeth, my chest burning and eyes stinging. "It would have been better to have just died than live like this!"
"That's not what I meant! Don't you get how lucky you are?" His voice tapered down.
"Me, lucky?" I could tell that I would regret the words that were about to leave my mouth, yet I spoke anyway. "I don't have a quirk nor do I have a mother. I'm a double loser."
Father reeled, as if I'd struck him with a Detroit Smash.
Realizing what I had just said, I turned, my feet slapping against the wooden floors of the house.
I heard nothing as I exited the gate, my bandaged hands in the pockets of my jacket.
"I saw the news." Manabu Gaku-sensei said as I slumped into his office. "I already have an alternate list of schools you can apply to across the nation."
Well, that's efficient. "Thank you sir."
The principal pressed a familiar button, and I knew coffee was on the way."Tough time at home?"
I sighed in lieu of a response. "The follies of youth."
Gaku-sensei chuckled. The door opened and coffee, was here, this time with an assortment of pastries and cupcakes. "Follies of youth indeed. I won't mind your manners, eat however you wish."
Of my bandaged hands, the right was spared enough that I could use a fork. The event of the days, and the memories of my childhood had made me aware of the void in me today. I decided to stuff it full of baked goods.
Was this why the trope of women eating desert after a breakup was so popular?
"I wasn't trying to be a hero y'know." Stuffed to the brim with sugar and butter and cream, I took my coffee without any creamer or sugar. "Before I knew it, I was moving. It is what it is."
"Didn't want to be a hero, and yet were the most heroic on the scene. Don't underestimate the unconscious, young man." Gaku-sensei took off his glasses. "I believe in my students to varying degrees. But what I believe of each individual is their capacity to make a change in the world, good or evil. I feel like the evil part isn't talked about enough."
"What good would that do?" I asked. That wasn't a conversation about someone quirkless like me either.
"I think that conversation is most suited to someone who's quirkless. Oh come now," he gestured towards my widened eyes, "I don't have a mind reading quirk, but if anyone has any cause for some sort of revenge on this society, it has to be quirkless individuals. And the kind of feats humanity achieved whilst we lived without quirks is nothing to scoff at. Though enough about that, have a look at the list."
"Thank you," I took the tablet from him with my right hand, placing it in my lap and scrolling through the schools, looking at their campuses. There was one school that I was not expecting to be there. "U.A.?"
"It does offer general education. With your student profile, you can get into about any school or academy somehow if you keep up the effort. I just listed the most prestigious of the lot. What do you think?"
"Has there ever been a quirkless hero?" The childish question fell from my lips before I could stop it.
"My boy, it's far greater courage of the heart of jump into the flames when you know you will get burned, than to approach a fire because you think you can control it." Gaku-sensei leaned forward slightly. "Of all the biographies I've read of heroes, one theme is common."
I leaned forward as well, anticipating.
"All of them moved before they could think about what they were doing. The same is also true for people that accidentally murder their family or friends in a conflict though."
…
"I kind of feel like the second sentence took away the magic."
"Haha, get used to it! So you want anything from the States? I got a flight to America in an hour."
I decided to go back home by evening. I wasted my time walking aimlessly around the malls and neighborhood, even getting recognized a few times in the process.
Most were concerned with what quirk I had, and I didn't want to reach home with my blood bubbling under my skin. There were no lights when I walked home.
"I'm… back?" I called out hesitantly, but there was no response. Sweat prickled at my back. "Father, are you here?" I switched on the lights to an empty lounge. Was he not in?
A check to the workshop revealed that it too was closed, quite early in fact. I climbed up the dark stairs, turning on the light in the hallway.
There were four doors; the parents room, the guest room, and mine, with a restroom down the hallway. Father had never slept in the room he'd shared with mother ever since I could remember. The guest room was under his occupation, and I opened its door, finding it empty.
"Oi, oyaji!" I called, making my way towards the master bedroom. "Are you home?"
I took out my phone that still smelled of smoke and called his number. The ringing behind the last door made me jump.
I have a very bad feeling about this…
It wasn't bad.
It was terrifying.
—
"Has he said anything yet, Kudo-san?" The police officer asked his partner, eyes locked onto a boy in the final year of his middle school.
The youth was sitting at the reception, wrapped in a thin blanket, knuckles white. There was a blank look on his face. To his side lay an untouched sandwich and a bottle of juice.
"No. Poor kid's in a big shock."
"Ah… have you considered the possibility that-"
"Don't even go there Kenji. He's devastated."
Kudo Haruka, Quirk; Heightened Empathy. She could sense the emotions of people, include strong feelings like malice, hope, and killing intent.
Kenji Nakamura, her partner since one year. Quirk; Intercepter. He could tune into radio waves and listen in on phone calls and other communication.
"Oh. To hear you say a word like 'devastated', well… I'm very sorry." He bowed.
"Just so long as you don't screw up with the kid. Any luck on possible relatives?"
"None so far."
The child shifted, falling to his side to lie down, feet sliding on the pristine hospital floor. Haruka walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder and-
I want to die.
-stood her ground. The feeling of his broken will to go on translated as the taste of blood in her mouth.
"Keiji-san, can I help you?" A hoarse whisper, a bloodshot eye peeked out in between bangs and cloth. When was the last time this boy had a glass of water?
"Just making sure you're alright kid. I've got no idea what you're going through."
The doctor took that moment to walk onto the scene. Haruka could've sensed his trepidation and apprehension from a mile away.
"I already know its hopeless, so can you tell them to go away?"
She gently squeezed his shoulder. "We'll take care of it."
Walking back to the adults, she shook her head. "The police will work out the required details. For now, he needs emotional support, or we'll have another suicide."
I spent the next three days shut in at home. The police officers that had arrived on the scene helped me through the proceedings for father's funeral, making me feel even more useless at the amount of adulting I didn't know.
The lady came to check in on me daily, probably someone with a quirk that can help assess my mental state. I'm well aware its gone to hell, but I can't be bothered. I spend so much time just trying to sleep that my body's stiff, and my skeleton hurts.
Or maybe the constant watch around the house was a result of me finding the suicide note, and then proceeding to down the wine like water.
I hadn't known that if you drink too much alcohol they pump it out of your stomach.
"Young man, have you eaten anything other than convenience store bentos?" She sighed, opening the fridge and poking around it.
"…I ordered fried chicken?" I mumbled from the couch, switching to another channel. Ninety percent of them are about food or heroes. Everywhere you look, it's this quirk, that quirk. "And why are you calling me young man?"
Who do you think you are, my mother? But I bite down my tongue from saying that. I've said enough…
"You haven't introduced yourself yet."
"You already have my data."
"That's not the same thing, young man."
I exhaled, parting my lips by nary a millimeter. "Call me whatever you want."
"Well, we're going shopping. Get dressed, or I'm hauling you out in your pajamas."
"I'd like to see you try."
"I can and I will, do it while I'm asking nicely."
Turns out she actually could. Underneath that business suit were sixty kilograms of muscles.
I trudged behind her with a shopping cart at the local grocery store.
"Are there any foods you like?" She asked as we visited the meat and poultry section.
"Pasta?" I just ate what was placed in front of me. Father wasn't that confident in his cooking outside of what he knew, and I didn't want to bother him with requests.
"Pasta…" She raked a hand through her hair.
"Are you alright, Keiji-san?" Did I inconvenience yet another person?
"Call me Haruka-nee."
Okay.
"Are you alright, Haruka-nee?"
A pause.
"I wasn't expecting for you to actually follow up on that." She smiled, and rolled up her sleeves. "Right, Haruka-nee here is going to cook you the best pasta she can!"
"W-well, you tried?" I said, looking at the wet spaghetti. Wet, because whatever sauce she'd tried to finish it in clung to it and gave it an oily texture that lingered on the lips.
Kudo Haruka hid her face, her hair cascading to the dining table. Some of it was even singed, black strands cut short and curled up. "I'm never going to get married at this rate."
"Oi oi, it's edible. That's all what matters."
"Instant ramen has better taste than this." She pouted, shoving more noodles into her mouth. "These were the expensive kind too."
"Don't you get allowances for such duties?"
She snorted. "No. This isn't a stakeout."
"But it is performing your duty as a civil servant."
She just smiled at me, before reaching over to ruffle my hair. "All in a day's work, young man. I'm here because I want to. Now, should I put on some instant ramen, or do we order takeout?"
"This is enough. Maybe order some desert?"
"Right!"
"Most of the deadlines for admission have gone by my boy." Gaku-sensei stirred some sugar into his coffee. That was new, everything else with the principal was a constant. While his eyes seemed to soften every time I came into the office, his actions never came across as pitying.
"I see…"
I didn't see a point in my future. I had been planning to go to university, get a high paying job afterwards to buy a sportscar for my old man.
Now there was no one left to buy a sportscar for, and it was all my fault. I did have a house now, and no other relatives to speak of. Father had been an only child, and mother had grown distant from her family after marriage. No one had ever visited us.
Who would want to meet a quirkless grandchild, or nephew anyway?
"It's unfortunate. Silver lining though, entrance tests for Pro Hero Academies are still ongoing." Gaku-sensei snorted. "They always schedule them so anyone apply, even at a whim."
"A whim is all I got now," I stuffed my mouth with an eclair. Somehow, my sense of taste had dulled. The pastry barely had any flavor.
"I was hoping you would apply for U.A., frankly." He leaned back in his magnificent office chair. "Endeavor's agency contacted my office with the intent to recommend you should go to any hero academy, even if it's general education."
I paused. "Even if?" I repeated.
"Their words, not mine. You being quirkless didn't matter to the number two pro hero."
"What even is the point to living? I'm quirkless. Simple as that. We're not born equal, but I feel like a zero in the equation."
"Ah, and here you are, loser of the genetic lottery. It's as simple as one plus one equalling two, right?"
"Pretty much."
"Tell that to Bertrand Russell and Alfred North Whitehead."
I paused.
"Oh, you're aware of those names?" Gaku-sensei seemed pleasantly surprised.
He seemed genuine. Nothing about his posture seemed deceitful in the guise of political correctness. I could go back to being depressed and self-indulgent, sneaking alcohol whenever I could behind Haruka-neesan, or at least try to regain some semblance of a student.
"Are there any with boarding options?"
"No. U.A. does offer discounted apartments to students in Mustafu."
"Hmmm. I can afford it if I put the house on rent. Tokyo is expensive as hell."
"Sounds like a good idea. One of your alumni has a job in real estate, I'll contact him and set things up."
I stood up, and bowed. "Thank you very much."
"By the way," said Gaku-sensei casually. "The exam is tomorrow."
WHAT.
Apparently someone had been eavesdropping outside the office, or had a quirk that let them spy. The news that I was applying for U.A. had spread across Pantora Middle School.
After my visit to the headmaster's office, I decided to attend my remaining classes for the day, even if I hadn't brought my backpack. I was in no mood to go home and study for the test; prepping for the exam before had burned me out even before I got burned.
It wasn't like everyone was out to get the quirkless. It was just… like I wasn't even there at all. My desk wasn't vandalized like I had half-imagined it was going to be, but there was a small box in its compartment.
I plopped it on my desk, an unassuming rectangular box and opened it. It held a broken cellphone.
"Oh, sorry about that." Hayato smiled at from the side. He was a pretty boy and a class rep, pretty popular. "I left it there. I was wondering if you could get it fixed at your house?"
His smirk was infuriating. He knew there was no one there to repair anything. I picked up the device, hefting it in my palm. The teacher turned his back to erase the board, and I swung it out the window.
"Fixed it. That'll be one million yen."
"Hahaha, man you're a riot. Who raised you to be so funny?"
You can imagine what happened next.
"The only reason this isn't going on your record is because, frankly, you don't look like you could've started the fight." Daisuke intoned, the gym instructor and a member of the disciplinary committee.
"He had a hardening quirk." Quite a bitch that was. Instead of regular hardening, Hayato's skin formed into glass. My hand still felt like it was solar system full of shards. The fact that my burns were still healing was just a peachy bonus.
"And he dragged my parents into his prank, which was not funny."
"Yeah, kid," the man sighed. Normally you would expect physical trainers to be fit, but Daisuke too thin and wiry. He made up for it with a very impressive beard. "If you think you're smart, your peers are smart too. Predictable as you are, your hand is now out of commission. You'll need an aid to help you with your written exams now."
I felt the urge to slam my bandaged hand against a wall now.
"Easy, easy there! Its understandable why you did it. Its my job to inform you of the consequences."
"The exam for U.A. is tomorrow."
Daisuke blinked. "Holy fu- I mean, I'll look into it ASAP. You're free to go."
I exited the school with cloud over my head, hands in my pocket and glaring at anyone who so much as looked at me. Someone could've taken a picture and used me as a poster child for problematic teens.
The house was dark when I came back. It was always dark.
I left the TV on for some semblance of life, and flipped open my laptop.
If it hasn't been picked up yet, then allow me to enlighten you.
If I didn't check the Hero Billboard Ranking chart, how did I know about Endeavor and his rank? Or other heroes for that matter?
The answer was forums. With no socialization, and a healthy interest in how quirks manifest, I tried to keep myself update with Quirkology. This included reading papers, observing their usage and following fan discussions for insights.
For the past two years, I had been chatting with a few people on and off, but only one really kept up with me.
AllMight's#1Fan, whose deep interest in quirks made me recall the biology I knew from my previous life, and also spurred me to study it further. I'll admit, it was mostly due to him not asking what my quirk was. Somehow it was an unspoken rule between us; we can discuss the quirks of other people, but not our own.
I would go so far as to say that, if it weren't for him being online, he (or she) was a friend.
AllMight's#1Fan posted frequently. His posts weren't the most popular, but I guess that was due to the fact that he gave no shit about spacing and formatting his analyses; in fact the wording seemed as chaotic as someone speaking a mile a minute.
In between what looked like an AI bot using autocorrect to type paragraphs about heroes were some simple yet elegant observations.
The amount of hero worship for All Might did give me some pause, especially their adventures while trying to get limited edition merchandise.
When Gaku-sensei had told me to look up the rankings, I instead asked him what was up and he gave me a review on par with a magazine editor.
I hadn't talked to him since father's funeral. Tired, weary, I pinged him.
AbsentMic: Henlo
AllMight's#1Fan: ! DUDE, WHERE WERE YOU?
AllMight's#1Fan: Everything okay?
I paused. Well, we were anonymous. What the hell, I could vent here.
AbsentMic: Not really. It's pretty much gone to hell. What about?
AllMight's#1Fan: Sorry to hear that man, I mean, I wish I could help you out somehow but I don't know what you're facing but oh no no im not saying you have to tell me, unless if you like want to but
Thank goodness he accidentally hit enter. I was in no mood to read a wall of text.
AbsentMic: Dude, slow down. No more than two lines per message.
AllMight's#1Fan: Right! So.. we don't really know each other, but I just wanna say I have an entrance exam tomorrow.
AbsentMic: Cool. Where to?
AllMight's#1Fan: Please don't laugh
AbsentMic: Why would I?
AllMight's#1Fan: I'm applying to U.A.
Oh. I thought he was older than me, but he's also in the last year of middle school. Well in that case…
AbsentMic: So am I. General Education though.
AllMight's#1Fan: WOAH OMG DUDE
AllMight's#1Fan: WHAT IF WE MEET ON CAMPUS
AbsentMic: You're applying for the Hero Course anyway, aren't you?
AllMight's#1Fan: *GIF of AllMight Saying YES*
AbsentMic: My exam center is in Tokyo. You're gonna have to go to U.A. itself for the Hero Course exam right?
AllMight's#1Fan: Yep! Speaking of Tokyo, did you watch the news a few weeks back?
AllMight's#1Fan: There was this middle schooler who ran straight at a burning apartment
I clenched the sides of my laptop, the muscles in my neck tensing.
AllMight's#1Fan: He was so cool! His quirk didn't seem suited to the situation but he still ran for it! Did you know Hydrant Man and Taxi Navi were at the scene? I mean I don't mean to say they didn't try anything and im sure they had their reasons but man where pro heroes hesitated that boy just ran for it!
I eased myself.
AbsentMic: Quirks aren't what they're cracked up to be unless one works hard.
AbsentMic: In fact, just take All Might
AllMight's#1Fan: What about All Might? This is gonna be good!
I smiled. His enthusiasm was just infectious.
AbsentMic: I often think about it, since he's the number one hero, but his example is really fits Lamarck's theory of evolution
AllMight's#1Fan: I don't know Lamark
AbsentMic: He was a biologist. But anyways, Quirks as we know it, and all genes to be honest, are thought to pass down through generations. Due to changes in DNA during the process of Crossing Over they can be altered, them mother and father's genes combining to form a new quirk. The thing is it varies. Each generation brings with it a change.
AllMight's#1Fan: Right right, so what's that got to with All Might
AbsentMic: lol you and All Might. If I ever meet him I'll get a sign for you!
AbsentMic: Anyways, so All Might's power is just inhuman strength. Lamarck's argument was, and Im simplifying here, that the more you use something, the more it develops but across generations.
AbsentMic: So it's like stockpiling. This is my opinion now, but you'd think All Might would have some sort of origin of gradually building up his strength. Something had to have leaked in this age of social media. But he shows up and already he can punch a building.
AbsentMic: What if his quirk is simply the ability to grow strong fast? And it passes down a line? Maybe his ancestor or something was really strong, and their DNA changed enough that their offspring could grow stronger quicker, faster. Passing down from generation to generation, each one reaching the max level of strength of the previous generation at a younger and younger age, until it reached All Might's level.
I hit enter and waited. The seconds ticked into minutes, and I grew a bit anxious. Did he get called for dinner or something?
AbsentMic: nvm dude. This is just me rambling. I've had a stressful week.
AllMight's#1Fan: No no! I was in shock. I mean, in awe. Do you really think that could have happened?
AbsentMic: If I ever meet him I'll ask. He'll probably just laugh.
AllMight's#1Fan: Right. Okay bro, I gotta leave now. Gotta finish my prep for tomorrow's exam!
AbsentMic: Aight. Do your best. Fight!
AllMight's#1Fan: woah did your account get hacked. You never type like this
AbsentMic: hey I can be nice okay?
AllMight's#1Fan: *GIF of AllMight Staring*
AllMight's#1Fan: Let's talk tomorrow! See you
Absent Mic: See you.
"What are you doing here?" I asked Kudo Haruka. I had barely slept last night. Nightmares kept me awake and eventually I started exercising in my room. And afterwards I might have started trashing the house in an irrational fit of anger.
I did not want to see her reaction if she came inside.
"I came to pick you up for you exam of course. And breakfast, if you're willing?"
"Can we stop at MoonDollars?"
"Does money grow on trees young man?" She sighed dramatically. "Okay, we can. You've got a big day ahead, come on!"
Haruka-nee's car was a silver Passo. It appeared quite old as well. I sat in the passenger seat, placing my small bag next to my feet and securing the seatbelt.
"So, how's the prep?"
"As long as I pass I don't care."
"Of course. I believe you'll do your best. Life's been hectic, hasn't it?"
"Yes." We kept a steady conversation. Somehow, her attempt at making me a home cooked meal had made me feel easy around her. We made a stop at MoonDollars, an expensive café I had actually never gone into.
"What do you want to have?"
"Anything is fine so long as you're paying."
"Cheeky." She ordered a coffee, strawberry milkshake, some donuts and bagels.
We sat at a table for two in comfortable silence.
"I'm sorry." I said, no preamble.
"It's fine young man. And I'm glad you apologized." She smiled softly.
I didn't deserve this, to be honest. I had been nothing but trying towards her, despite her arranging my father's funeral, of whom I was an indirect murderer (stupid, stupid! Why couldn't I have stayed silent?!), and she was still giving me a chance.
I doubted I could, if faced with the same ungrateful attitude.
"Why?" I asked, unable to word the actual question. "Why did you?" My mouth twitched a dozen times, but I could not come up with words.
Why did you look after me? Why didn't you leave me alone? Why put up with me? Just why?
A hand fell on my head, gentle fingers threading through my locks. "Because I was there. I couldn't not do it."
Our order arrived and she thanked the waitress. She placed the coffee in front of me.
"Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?"
Haruka-nee shrugged. "I had a feeling you would want it. Now, dig in young man! Itadikamasu!"
With that unexpected cup of coffee, my journey began.
Reviews are love? Anyone? Any interested Beta Readers who're willing to flesh out this story with me? I got ideas, just no drive. Or will to live. Lol.