Sanji Inochi

"You kids will kill me," Mister Kan says. "I woke up in the middle of the night with my phone nearly ringing itself off the nightstand. What I thought would be a fun trip to meet Heroes from other countries instead turned to be a meet'n'greet with death. Better yet, Eraserhead is put into the same boat, but at least his entire class wasn't involved with the I-Island Incident."

That's what the public is calling it: the I-Island Incident. Technically, there are two, that being Wolfram and Hassan-i Sabbah. Internationally, people are more aware of Wolfram's attack since, you know, he took over what was supposed to be one of the most heavily secured places on Earth; that, and David Shield was arrested for conspiracy. Nationally, in the grand country of Japan, we're a lot more aware of Hassan-i Sabbah's attack because a few news outlets are praising corporate leaders for their bravery. And the public is eating it up. They barely mentioned anything about us students.

That's the power of the Meta Liberation Army. They're in control of the media, so public opinion is a marionette on strings. They can stroke their own ego as much as they want.

I sigh. "You holding up alright, Itsuka?" I-Island built a reputation for itself, so there were renowned doctors who have amazing Healing-type Quirks. Itsuka received a medical concoction of treatment. It's why she's standing here and not standing with one foot in the grave.

Itsuka rolls her arms to try to stretch her muscles. She winces with each small movement before giving up entirely. "Surprisingly okay. I'm sore, but at least I'm not stuck in bed. Did the Commission have to pick this creepy warehouse to meet us in? Feels like we're about to summon a vengeful spirit or something. Reiko would love this…" Yanagi's a horror fan believe it or not, and Itsuka? Nope.

After the I-Island Incident, we spent a day there trying to organize a plane back to Japan. Mister Tokage was incredibly furious, but he kept that anger to himself. So much so that he took a flight by himself before we did, not even letting Setsuna go with him. He's here with us, off to the side, impatiently tapping his foot.

When we finally came back home, the first thing we did was go on a bus with armored vehicles escorting us here. I can't see them, but this place is probably surrounded by armed guards.

"It's a safety precaution," Grandmaster whispers to her. Of course, the adults are here too (Tokugawa and Shojo are also here). "The Meta Liberation Army most likely has eyes and ears in the Commission. Finding someplace remote and secluded is the best way to defend against an attack. That is, if none of the armed guards aren't a lackey."

"They aren't," says the President of the Hero Public Safety Commission. She's a middle-aged woman. Business-like and professional, is the vibe I'm getting. Seems like she heard Grandmaster. "Every single personel here has been vetted down to the second they came out of their mother's womb. If they coughed, we would know how loud it was."

"So it's true. You knew that the Meta Liberation Army is having a resurgence." Grandmaster chuckles like he's impressed. "I knew I shouldn't have underestimated your capabilities even though they may be limited. However..."

Grandmaster looks at a middle-aged man in a military uniform. He's well-decorated. "I didn't expect a military general to be present."

"It's a national threat, what did you expect? Something of this nature does not solely involve Pro Heroes, but the military as well," the President states. "The Meta Liberation Army are not 'Villains' in the traditional sense. They are beyond villainy."

She begins to pace back and forth. "Before heroism, if you wanted to change the world, you planted bombs and went on mass shootings. Anything to strike fear into the hearts of the public, anything to cause governments to bend to you, you would do it. However, once Pro Heroes emerged, to cause 'terror', there's only one accepted solution: fight heroism. Instead of the police, Pro Heroes became the target. Instead of the government, Pro Heroes became the target—"

—My head tingles. He's here.

"—In a way, heroism made terrorism mainstream. There's only one 'acceptable' way of causing chaos, and that is toppling the heroism industry. It's the surefire way to get the entire country to notice you, and that's exactly what the League of Villains did. Ever since the U.S.J. Incident, they've been in people's minds.

"Heroism was always meant to be the first wall of defense when it comes to protecting our way of life. Villains threw everything they got, and that wall hasn't collapsed yet. However, the Meta Liberation Army is different. They knew that simply throwing themselves at our strongest defenses will only result in significant losses. That is why they integrated into our society. Instead of chasing after short-term gratification, like the League of Villains, they're chasing after delayed gratification.

"They established themselves at the heads of media, corporations, in various industries, the government, the military, even in the very same building I work in. There are Pro Heroes allying with them as we speak. The worst part about this disaster is, well, we don't know who's under their command."

The military general nods, agreeing with everything the President has said. With his hands at his side, he continues where she left off, "It's a real crapshow, is what she's saying. Virtually every aspect of society is compromised. One hundred thousand soldiers may seem insignificant in your eyes, especially compared to the overall population of Japan, yet remember that a large proportion of these individuals are in powerful positions.

"That's exactly why the M.L.A. is the biggest threat. Instead of attacking the wall that heroism put up, they dug underneath and poisoned the roots of our beautiful country. Frankly, and I don't mean to sound like a doomsday preacher, we're on a time limit. I don't believe we can defeat the M.L.A. before they make their big move; we can only minimize the damage they can cause.

"Thus, this is not a problem that Pro Heroes can solve. Do you think All Might could blast away one hundred thousand soldiers? Many of whom have insurance in the form of societal power? No, that's why the military will aim to bring stability when our day goes to hell." The general takes off his hat and bows. "No offense to you, All Might. Welcome."

We turn around and see Class 1-A with their teachers, All Might and Eraserhead, along with Nezu and a few other school officials. Midoriya's at the front of the group. We briefly make eye contact before we turn to All Might in particular. He's as big as ever. Sighing, All Might shakes his head. "So this is how feeling powerless is like… If everything you're saying is true, honored general, then Heroes truly cannot vanquish this threat?"

The general shakes his head. I catch a glimpse of his nametag—Masayuki, General Masayuki. "Not alone. Forgive me for bringing bad news, but it's the truth."

All Might hangs his head. "How foolish I was… To ignore such a looming threat that was right under my nose—!"

The President interrupts, "—Don't blame yourself, All Might. You're the picturesque hero. If anything, the fault lies on us. But I'd rather not play a game on whose fault is whose. We have more important matters to discuss, so thank all of you for coming. Eraserhead, is 1-A caught up with the latest events?"

Eraserhead nods. "We didn't have a choice, but yes. Unless something else happened within the past 48 hours, I told my class about the M.L.A.'s attack on Class 1-B and the sudden appearance of Hassan-i Sabbah."

The mention of her name makes me shiver. Hassan-i Sabbah, No.2 in the international list of VIllains… I hear soft whispering inside my head. I shake my head until they go quiet. Ever since Yoru left, these whispers have popped up every now and then.

Pleased, the President faces us: U.A. High School, a few Pro Heroes, a peeved businessman, a retired famous Pro Hero, a mom, and a puppy, all in a worn-down warehouse surrounded by armed guards and a military presence. "Then everyone's on the same page. Welcome everyone. The uniformed man beside me is General Ren Masayuki, and I am the President of the Hero Public Safety Commission. As it has been stated over and over again, Class 1-B has been attacked by the Meta Liberation Army. This attack is something we cannot so easily ignore, especially upon young men and women such as yourself, yet there is something more pressing than your lives: the stability of Japan as we know it.

"The I-Island Incident, as the media is dubbing it, is a precursor of what's to come. As General Masayuki described, the Meta Liberation Army infiltrated nearly every institution we have. I'm afraid this attack will only accelerate their plans, so we have to accelerate ours. Initially, with the cooperation of the Prime Minister Masaki Hanahito, we began to gather forces in anticipation of a possible takeover, both military and Pro Heroes.

"That hasn't changed, but we're beginning to become more…'intense' with our measures. When we were notified of what occurred with 1-B, and with other information we received, we quickly and unanimously decided to incorporate your classes into our operation."

I figured this would happen. Considering two very important people are here, then of course they're asking—well, telling—us that we're basically one of the last lines of defense against the Meta Liberation Army. From what the President said, I'm not sure if they're even attempting to combat the institutional decay that the M.L.A. caused. It might be too late to reverse the damage, so they're putting all of their eggs in one basket: physical confrontation.

The President and General Masayuki may sound formal and optimistic, yet the details of the situation are clear: war is the last and only resort. That's what they're telling us.

And luckily for them, we're Heroes-in-Training. Meaning, we're at the ripe age to train according to their wishes. But…

"—'Operation'?" Master Kendo asks, stepping forward. I can feel indignation steaming off of him. "Are you saying that you recruited all these kids just 'cuz you think it's the right play?! Without even fucking asking them or their goddamn parents first of all?! They signed up to become Pro Heroes—"

"—And this is exactly what they'd be doing as Pro Heroes, fighting against the greater threat. We are preemptively and—"

"—Preemptively my ass!" he snaps back. "You just told these kids that a shadow organization is literally rotting Japan out from underneath their feet!"

"They are!" exclaims the President, standing firmly with her face stoic like stone. "Informing them now ensures that they won't be caught off-guard in the future! Otherwise, they'd be just as shell-shocked as the rest of Japan when the M.L.A. makes their move. Besides, it's not your decision to make, Master Kendo. It's Principal Nezu's. I already asked him if this year's curriculum could be altered."

Everyone turns to Principal Nezu. He hops up on Mister Kan's shoulder almost like he's standing at a podium. I hear whispers erupting throughout the warehouse. A lot of us can't believe what the President is saying, that Japan is practically a lost cause when it comes to taking back our peace without hostile action.

Some of us, like me, are staying quiet. I take this time to observe everyone's reactions. Grandmaster and Count don't seem too shocked; I figured they anticipated this. Itsuka's talking to Komori and a few of our friends to try to cheer them up. Mister Kan has a glum look on his face, and so does Principal Nezu.

Over on 1-A's side, they're whispering louder than us. I feel sorry for them. From what I heard, only a small portion of their class were actually at the Central Tower when Wolfram attacked. So for most of them, they not only heard that their classmates were attacked, 1-B was also attacked, and Japan is in the midst of being attacked. It's a trifecta of attacks!

Bakugo's the loudest one there, boiling with fury about the news. I can't hear what he's whispering though, can only make out bits and pieces. They're along the lines of "shitty M.L.A." and "I'll fucking kill 'em". I catch Midoriya's eyes though, just for a half second.

There's something weird with him. Well, most people would think he's "weird" in general, but his Quirk… I was 90% certain his Quirk was affiliated with All Might's in some way. My head is tingling with All Might nearby, and I know he's the source. Yet for Midoriya…

I can't feel the same feeling at all. Lian said he felt my presence after Yoru, the first heir, talked to me personally. Logically-speaking, my presence wasn't able to be felt before then; at least, not to such a degree. Following that train of thought, then doesn't it mean that Midoriya hasn't awakened to his Quirk like me?

Considering how he punched a zero-pointer into oblivion… That's a scary thought.

"Settle down! Settle down…" Nezu says, creating silence in the warehouse within moments. We give him our undivided attention. "I'm sorry for going quiet, I was just a little nervous. That's all, haha! Joking aside, this truly is a serious matter. I spoke to your beloved teachers and faculty members, and considering the position both U.A. and the Hero Public Safety Commission is in, we have to abide by their commands."

Master Kendo interjects, "But—"

"—Allow me to finish, Master Kendo. We already informed the parents about these travesties to the fullest extent, revealing the existence of the Meta Liberation Army and all. Thus, we'll be giving them the decision if they wish to keep their children within the Hero Course once these kids are back home. If they consent, then both 1-A and 1-B will experience an accelerated course to prepare them for the future ahead.

"To facilitate this, we'll be building dormitories for each class within the next few days. To maintain consistency, we'll be having the entire school remain within these dorms. Eraserhead and Vlad King will be cooperating with the Commission to establish more rigorous exercises and training for you all, and so will the rest of your teachers.

"Whether or not you want to continue is entirely up to you and your parents. The President and General Masayuki described the situation well. We are up against a threat bigger than we can imagine! Picture the Moon in front of us; can you imagine how big it will be? That's exactly what we're dealing with! If you have any questions, feel free to ask me or these two."

The President looks over at Mister Tokage. "Before I ask any questions… Fuyushiro Tokage, are you listening?"

He nods. "I am." He doesn't sound too happy though.

"Since you're a major investor in U.A. High School, I expect your full cooperation. Your biggest priority should not be market gains, but to ensure that these students meet their mark whenever necessary."

"I can't imagine acting against the Japanese government," Mister Tokage says almost sarcastically. "I'm honored to be a citizen of our most splendid country. Whenever you need me to jump, I'll ask 'Where?'."

I never thought he could sound so passive-aggressive.

With disappointment, the President puts a hand on her head and sighs. "Good. Now, it's time for questions. Does anyone have—"

"—Are we gonna fuckin' win?" Bakugo asks. He has his head lowered. "You guys… You've been goin' on 'bout how powerful these bastards are! Are they that much of a hot shit?! C'mon, we're gonna fuckin' win, right?! 'Cuz there's no way in hell that I'm gonna lose to these knuckleheads!"

Bakugo notices how downtrodden All Might looks and scowls. "Why are you lookin' like that, All Might?! What's with the pathetic look, old man?! Y'think just 'cuz a few wannabe revolutionaries got into Japan, it's all hopeless or shit like that? Or wait, maybe y'feeling guilty 'cuz you didn't see this sooner! Gimme a break! They're nothing! Even if y'think victory ain't in sight, I'mma rope that idiot in n'parade that shit 'round town! Just like the medal y'gave me durin' the Sports Festival!

"You're still the Symbol of Peace, dammit! You're still here, so act like it! At this rate, I'm sure as hell gonna surpass you! Gimme a real fight, All Might! We all fuckin' need it!"

Immediately, Bakugo puts the burden of answering on All Might. He's...not wrong. I noticed that All Might looked depressed ever since he heard the news. I'm sure he's not despairing over the odds we're up against, but rather that he's internalizing the guilt that led up to this desperate situation.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but Bakugo's perfect in this situation. He has enough of a loud mouth to call All Might out directly without caring about the consequences. And it was his words that made his idol stop and think. I'm sure the thoughts of "Am I acting like a proper role model for Young Bakugo?" are at the forefront of his mind. All Might raises his head and takes a deep breath in, finishing his introspection. "You're right, Young Bakugo. I needn't look so down! By all means, I will divert my attention to quelling this threat, and more importantly, make amazing Heroes out of each and every one of you. That is my promise. Even if the times seem dire, we will remain victorious in the end, and I will stand by your side when that day becomes tru."

The President smiles. "Well said, All Might. Our operation is currently a well-kept secret, but believe us, we're building our ranks as we speak." She looks over at our class. "You there with your hand raised. Have a question?"

It's Tsuburaba. "Oh! Uh, I wanted to ask Principal Nezu something… About the dorms stuff, and the 'talking-to-our-parents-about-nearly-the-dying-thing', whether we stay in U.A. or not… What if the M.L.A. targets our parents?"

...That's actually an amazing question. U.A. can guarantee our safety, but can they guarantee the safety of our parents? Actually, their parents because… Yeah! Yeah… Parents, don't know what that word means.

Principal Nezu answers, "We haven't decided about what we will do about your parents, but I've been told that at the very least, we're gonna make sure that they get all the protection they need!" A sigh of relief comes from Tsuburaba.

Alright, I actually got a question of my own. I raise my hand, and the President gives her blessing through a simple gesture. "What will the U.H.N. do? They've been informed, and considering Japan is considered to be the best Hero-bearing country and all… I would think they'd be aiding us one way or another."

"That's none of your business," General Masayuki says. "I don't mean to sound rude, but that's actually classified information."

Honenuki snorts, "A part of me thinks that they aren't doing anything to help. Just sitting back and watching the show. At least we won't be going through a genocide." General Masayuki straightens his face due to Honenuki's comment. I don't know the history of the U.H.N. or the U.N. in general, but it sounds like he hit a chord.

But looks like I got my answer. I don't know what the U.H.N. is doing, so I need to assume we're on my own. And here I thought my status as an Origin-type holder would give me some leeway.

Yaoyorozu raises her hand. "How many have you identified as M.L.A. soldiers? You said that they infiltrated many aspects of our society, so that implies that you have a few names…"

"Correct. We identified about 90% to 95% of the major leaders of the M.L.A. army, and a majority of them are prolific. However, we're continually identifying active soldiers little-by-little, slowly gathering a database of names," the President tells her. I wish we had the flash drive still, but at least the Commission did a lot of the work already.

Clearing her throat, the President continues, "That also reminds me. Miss Yaoyorozu, Mister Tokugawa, and Mister Shishida, since all of you are the heirs to your respective companies, expect a greater load of responsibility. I'm letting you know in advance." They take her words into consideration.

One-by-one, questions are answered. Some of them are a little dumb or over-the-top, while some are good questions like the timeframe behind the dormitories. Even Grandmaster and Count asked a few questions about the nature of their work. Unsurprisingly, they've been assigned to investigate the M.L.A. as much as possible. Basically, everyone in this room has to cooperate, AKA obey, what the Commission/military/government wants. If we refuse, then we're turning our backs on Japan. That's treason, probably.

When everyone exhausts their questions, a few minutes of silence rests in the warehouse. Seeing as no one else has anything to add, the President decides that this will be a good place to stop. "We'll be having regular updates about the situation. On your end, keep up with the training U.A. provides. You may not be doing this, but keep up with the news. Most likely than not, a good portion of them are owned by the M.L.A., but it's better to see what the public thinks. As pessimistic as this sounds, not everyone has the same sort of critical thinking as you all do.

"We have escorts ready to take you home individually, so let your teachers guide you on your way out." The President focuses on Midoriya specifically. "All Might, Midoriya, Inochi, and Master Kendo, please stay back. We have another matter to discuss."

Our Quirks.

Before the conversation moves along, Master Kendo says, "The rest of my family can stay too. Grandmaster and Count are also dragged into this mess."

The President thinks about what Master Kendo said. Her face scrunches up, seeming like she would deny his request. That's what I thought, but she gives in.

My friends shoot us a few goodbyes and farewells before they're taken to their rides, leaving us alone in the warehouse with the General and President. We're split into two groups: Midoriya and All Might, me and everyone else.

"Master Kendo, do your proteges know about All Might's Quirk?" she asks. I eye Itsuka, and she eyes me back. I mean, she yelled at Gran Torino and Master Kendo about Nana Shimura, and well everything else, because of the potentially dangerous situation we're in. Back in I-Island, I talked to her about my Origin-type Quirk. I theorized that Midoriya was Quirkless and he inherited All Might's Quirk.

And I can feel that All Might has an Origin-type. Considering the fact that it's the one thing we have in common, it's not a big leap to say that Midoriya has one too. That's confirmed, but is he really Quirkless…?

There's only one way to find out.

Master Kendo turns to us as if he's asking us if we wanna know. As an answer, I showcase my deductions, "About the fact that Midoriya inherited All Might's Quirk? And the possibility that he was Quirkless before the transfer happened?"

My answer pretty much shocks almost everyone except for Itsuka. Master Kendo exclaims, "Goddamn, who told you?!"

Itsuka shakes her head. "We figured it out on our own. Well, Sanji did a lot of the thinking, which kinda shocked me since he doesn't do that much—" ("Hurtful," I comment,) "—hehe, but it was obvious looking back at it. Midoriya and All Might share the same Super Moves, All Might joined U.A. the same year Midoriya would be enrolling, and just how stupidly strong his Quirk is. When Sanji told me about Origin-types and how its inheritance worked, it was the natural conclusion."

"And the Quirkless thing…" I begin, "...Midoriya uses his Quirk like he never used it before. And, uh, I thought it was the case since Bakugo calls me 'Shitty Deku'."

I scratch the back of my neck. "Soooo… Did we get it right?"

All Might sighs, rubbing his mouth. "You're correct on both counts… Master Kendo, I suppose this is when we'll tell your bright-minded students about the history of my Quirk?"

Itsuka answers for us, "As much as I like the information, not right now. From the sounds of it, your story and the M.L.A. are two separate things, so let's not bombard me and Sanji with more stuff we don't need right now. Give us what we wanna know, and when we need your story, we'll come to you."

Master Kendo gestures towards her. "What she said. I would've said the same thing, but the kids know everything they need to know right now. Midoriya inherited One For All from All Might. Oh, that's the name of the Quirk—?"

"—Guh?!" I put a hand over my mouth, wincing from a painful headache that suddenly came on. It feels like someone's hammering a nail into my skull over and over, pulsating waves of torture through my nerves.

An uproar of whispers fills my head. I can't make out what they're saying, but they're loud. Incredibly loud, breathy voices echoing inside like my skull is a cavern. Nine different voices all at once, saying different things at different tones, at different volumes, different pronunciations, different ideas, different—

PAT!

"—Sanji, don't tell me you're dying on us now!" Itsuka pats my back. When my head's suddenly pulled back to reality, the pain and whispers stop just like that. What in the world… "You okay?"

Awkwardly laughing, I wipe the saliva on my sleeve. "S-Sorry… Just a bad headache. Uh, guess I kinda interrupted the conversation…"

For some reason, hearing the name "One For All" induced that response.

The President frowns. She doesn't like the sudden interruption. Her glare is something alright; it's like she's looking at me in contempt. "Pull yourself together, Mister Inochi. Need I remind you how serious this situation is?"

Itsuka bites her tongue. Without a word, I nod and bow. "I apologize. It won't happen again." It'll happen again. I hope not when she's around.

"Moving on. Since everyone is on the same page, I'll do a brief summary. The Japanese government has acknowledged the existence of Izuku Midoriya and Sanji Inochi as two individuals possessing Origin-type Quirks, where Quirks in this category are some of the most powerful in existence. We've recognized Midoriya beforehand, but now we're officially recognizing Inochi as well. It's incredibly rare to find someone with this Quirk Type, let alone two in the same country both in the same grade.

"According to protocol, the government would send out representatives to persuade Origin-type bearers to work for the greater good of Japan, but the two of you are already doing that. We were simply overseeing your progress without your knowledge. Now, we have a direct hand in your training. You and your classmates will be going through harsher exercises, but you two in particular will be going through the worst of it.

"Because frankly speaking, both of you are possibly in the worst position."

She brings out her left hand. "On one hand, we have a boy who's learning to use a Quirk after a life of Quirklessness."

Then her right. "On the other, we have another boy who's been legally Quirkless for all of his life, then discovering he's one of the most powerful people on the planet."

She narrows her eyes. "If it was up to me, I would take you into an isolated facility where you can focus on getting stronger and getting stronger alone, yet I'm not allowed to make that decision unfortunately. The next best option is, well, like I said: as much training as I am able to request."

Hayami speaks out, "Hold on, aren't you being a little too unreasonable here?! They're just boys—!"

"—No, they're not. In this room, they're a hundred times more powerful than all of us combined," the President responds. "They're not 'just boys', they're Heroes-in-Training. They're practically adults already. I see no reason to mince my words around them, nor how we will treat them. They're destined to be treated this way anyhow, so we might as well turn them into instruments of justice.

"Miss Kendo, I don't know why you're so outspoken against their treatment. You should be happy since better training statistically leads to greater survival odds. Your husband, on the other hand, unfortunately became a data point in that study."

In an instant, Hayami heats up in anger. "My husband's not a fucking—?!"

The Count puts a hand over her mouth to stop her from blowing up at the President. He says, "We'll be waiting outside, mes amis… I apologize." And they leave just like that. I… I have a feeling that The Count was incredibly angry too, but he managed to bottle his rage.

Itsuka whispers, "Sanji—"

"—I know." Secretly without the President seeing, I take her by the hand and squeeze it tight. I know exactly what she's gonna say. A chill runs down my spine. The eyes of this woman… She doesn't see me or Midoriya as human. We're just weapons of war.

Itsuka is her mother's daughter, so me holding her hand is just a way to keep her in check.

All Might, after Hayami and Count removed themselves, asks the President, "Ma'am… How do you see Young Midoriya and Young Inochi?"

"How I see you, All Might. Well, albeit immature in terms of capability. They will be the ones who can truly turn the tide in our favor, and I'm willing to grab every advantage I can find. They are meant to be Heroes, and I trust that everyone in this room sees their destiny as I do." The President looks towards Midoriya. "For you specifically, Midoriya, you're particularly blessed to have All Might as your teacher. I don't have any specific requests other than follow the regimen we prescribe."

Then she turns towards me.

"For you, Inochi…" Unlike Midoriya, where she looks almost happy, the President seems like she depises me. "You lack initiative. You and your teachers and your peers. We have little-to-none information about your Quirk, and little-to-none information about your family. Do you have anything to tell us? For the good of Japan?"

I do.

I don't want to tell her.

I shake my head. "I have a Mental-type Quirk that's resistant to other Mental-type Quirks that attack the mind. It's an Origin-type like it's been said over and over again. Besides that, I don't have anything else."

"...And your family?"

Same thing. "Nothing. I can't remember my family at all. I can't remember my father's face, or how my mother smiled, or even how my older brother played with me. I don't know anything about them whatsoever."

My heart starts to race, my body slightly trembling.

"But you know that you have an older brother. It's reasonable to assume that you have a mother and a father, but how did you know that you had a brother? You just said that you don't have any memories of your family."

Shit. Is that even grounds to be suspicious or even question me? Dammit...

I just need to lie, and lie, and lie. "I just said that I 'can't remember', not that I 'don't have any memories'. I know enough that I have an older brother."

"One would say that those two statements are the same thing. Your logic is flawed. How did you remember that you had an older brother if you can't remember? You contradicted yourself, so the only reasonable conclusion is that you're lying."

"I'm not lying!" I implore. "I just know that I have an older brother, alright?! That's all the siblings I have! Had? I don't know! Who knows what they're doing right now! I don't know if they're dead, alive, or I don't know! They're not here, not here with me!"

I clutch my head, letting go of Itsuka's hand. Another migraine.

"...The stars look great, don't they?" I can see a splattered night filled with more stars than I can count. And at the forefront is my brother's blurry face. His cheeks were puffy. Did he...cry?

Master Kendo exclaims, "Ease off on the interrogation! You don't ask a foster kid about their family like that!"

"This isn't your business to interfere, Master Kendo. It's my business and mine only for the common good of Japan," the President doesn't relent. "Inochi, you clearly remembered something just now. What was it?"

I shake my head, trying to shake the pain away. "Nothing! I didn't remember anything, nothing at all! Nothing, just nothing!"

Whispers. Nine voices, nine songs singing in my head, a chorus just nagging away at my brain trying to pick every neuron apart. Nine of them. Nine, nine, nine, nine—won't stop talking, can't make them shut up—nine, nine, nine, nine, nine—

"Stop lying. Need I remind you that you must act in the interest of our society? Should I also mention the report that I retrieved from David Shield when the Japanese government requested it? Your AP Levels are rising and you recognized this fact. Your Quirk strength isn't capped like the others, you are continuously gaining more and more power."

"So what about that?! Is that even relevant right now?! I just…" The voices are driving me crazy. Itsuka's trying to get me to calm down, but it's not working. Just nine voices, nine over and over and over and over and over. "Just—!"

"—You're withholding information from me and General Masayuki. Information that we need to know. I don't understand why you're acting like this. You're supposed to be a Pro Hero, aren't you? So why are you acting like this? Maybe because of your attitudes towards our amazing society? Or maybe how your family put you in this very position—"

"—Shut up, dammit!" I yell. The whispers are yelling too, ringing and ringing ringing ringing against the chasm of my head. "You don't know anything about my family—!"

"—I see—"

Master Kendo shouts, "President, that's fucking enough—!"

"—You can't treat me like I'm some fucking weapon—!"

"—Hmph—"

Midoriya raises his voice, "Miss President!"

"—You're just like everyone else in this world—!"

"—How so—"

Grandmaster interjects, "I do believe that's more than enough—!"

"—You look at me with such disgust that rots me from inside out—!"

"—General Masayuki, we have an unruly one on our hands—"

"—What the hell do you want from me?! What do you think of me?! Am I subhuman or superhuman, just choose dammit—!"

"ENOUGH!" All Might roars at the top of his lungs. "I don't condone this verbal abuse you're putting Young Inochi through, Miss President! Any further, and I might take action!"

It's his voice that makes the whispers stop, and the pain… Itsuka, she was trying to snap me out of it for I-dunno-how-long…

I look down at my hands. They're wet.

I'm crying.

The President seems to listen to All Might. Turning to General Masayuki, I hear her say, "You know a fellow who can force confessions, correct? We may—"

"Ma'am, did I misspeak?" All Might asks. "You are our honored President, yet I cannot forgive this treatment. Whatever unconventional methods you use, you will come to me first. Even if your board agrees, if I do not give my blessing, then you will not do it under any circumstances."

Grandmaster puts a hand on my shoulder. "Miss President, I will take it upon myself to investigate Inochi's family to the best of my ability. No need to ask him. I'll leave no stones unturned."

General Masayuki tips his hat. "What the two gentlemen said, Miss President. I don't see the need to resort to...unconventional methods when Inochi will surely awaken his Quirk in due time. As him and Midoriya were given the information we provided, we should call this meeting here."

The President scowls. "Fine. The meeting will end on a disappointing note. All of you are dismissed, and I'll take your suggestion into account, All Might."

Itsuka lets out a sigh of relief. "Thank God. C'mon Sanji, let's get you outta here. Sooner we're gone, the better."

"Agreed. Let's go, kiddo." Master Kendo leads me out, and so does Grandmaster. I guess All Might and Midoriya are staying back for a little bit longer…

Grandmaster looks depressed. "I'm sorry this happened. I only said what I said in order to pull some of that weight off of you, but I'm afraid I really will be forced to—"

"—Go ahead," I tell him. "No skin off my back…"

My older brother's the ninth heir of Dreams, and I'm the tenth. Unless he passed the reins to me myself and decided to live who-knows-where…

There's only one answer why I'm the tenth.

He's dead. My brother's dead.

When we go outside, Hayami and Count are waiting for us. They ask us questions about what happened, about why I'm crying.

I can't process the world right now.

My brother's dead.

I know it.

I can feel it. It's the same feeling before I met the Kendos, before I joined 1-B.

It's the feeling as if the world is laughing at you.

"Welcome home." Hayami's the first inside. We arrived back in Japan at night, and it's still night. "I guess… Y'know what, we need some tea. I'll go make some."

The first thing I do is take off my shoes then sit down on the couch. Itsuka sits next to me, and Master Kendo takes his rightful place on his designated chair.

Silence. Pure silence. A lot happened. A lot happened… I-Island, Meta Liberation Army, Hassan-i Sabbah, the President of the Hero Public Safety Commission, One For All, my family, my Quirk. We have so many things to unpack.

Oh, before I forget, we're also having dorms too! In the next few days, we need to pack our stuff and move out. And, well, I need to apologize to my friends about my outburst during the attack. And and, I need to have a personal talk with Itsuka about everything again. And and and, I need to survive the grueling training that I'll be put through.

And and and and… Actually, I don't have anything else. Well, other than mental discomfort and a sick feeling in my stomach. The President of the Hero Public Safety Commission is a horrible person. I'm just a dog she wants on a leash. She's addicted to the prospect of my power, and if she had everything her way, she would do anything to pull every bit of strength outta me.

Hah, but she was looking at me like I'm filthy with a stain that can't be washed away. Must be because I'm Quirkless. I mean, if she's this frantic about hearing two guys with Origin-type Quirks ripe with potential, then imagine how she treats people who have zero potential whatsoever?

And I know… I know she has a prejudice against the Quirkless. I've met plenty of people who feel the same way. It's the looks, y'know? The eyes. They're not physically looking down at you, but metaphorically? All the way. It's how their eyes gaze downwards, how every muscle in their face slightly turns and twists like they're looking at a stray dog. You'd especially notice it when they talk to their friends. They take on a completely different expression, then when they look at you, you're not even the scum of the earth. That's reserved for evil people.

You're just nothing. That's it. Just nothing.

The President had that same look, but it was worse. I don't know if I wanna say that there was thinly-veiled hatred hidden behind them. Still, I could practically feel an offensive odor coming from her.

How should I feel about it? I don't trust her with my life, but what can I do? She's the President of the Hero Public Safety Commission; we need her regardless of our feelings. But she will act however she wants with no regard about us. Everything she does is pure Machiavellian: everything is a means to an end.

"Here." Hayami puts down a tray of hot, steaming tea on the table. She sits across from Master Kendo. Now, we have another person joining us in our silence. Awkwardly, she clears her throat. Okay, looks like she's uncomfortable with how quiet we are. "So how's everyone's night?"

"I wanna punch a wall," says Itsuka.

"I wanna retire again," answers Master Kendo.

"I wanna sleep," I tell her.

"My night's equally terrible, thanks for answering," she sarcastically remarks. "Ugh, at least we're finally home. As much as I wanna say that we don't hafta deal with the M.L.A., I'm obviously bullshitting you. Look, how about this: Let's just clear everything we need to clear. We got a lot to talk about, so let's talk."

"Where do we start?" Itsuka asks. "With All Might? With the M.L.A.? Or whatever's going on with Sanji?"

Hayami groans, rubbing her eyes. "Let's talk about the dorms first. Small things first, alright? Let's just talk about small things. You and Sanji need to start packing your things. As much as I wanna pull you outta school, it's impossible—"

"—No kidding," I mutter. "If I say 'no' to the President, I'll get put in handcuffs and be 'persuaded' otherwise. I mean, I wanna be a Hero! I really do! But why do I have to be a Hero under a woman like her?"

"The woman's a complete bitch." Master Kendo takes a small sip of his tea before pulling it away; he didn't expect it to be so hot. "She's been 'round during Toshi's early days, taking credit for Japan's decreased crime rates and piggy-backing off of his work. 'Cuz of it, she thinks she's hot shit. Any time the Japanese government has a different opinion than her, she just goes, 'By the way, if it wasn't for me, All Might wouldn't be as effective as a Hero, so maybe you should do what I say, yeah?'."

Before we start ranting about her, Hayami raises her hand. "Hey, we're talking about the dorms, okay? We can talk about how much of a bitch she is later. Sanji, Itsuka, I honestly don't feel comfortable leaving you two alone in a dorm."

Itsuka's face scrunches up. "Phrasing…"

Master Kendo nearly spits out his tea.

"Why was that the first thing you think of?!" I exclaim. "And you call me a pervert!"

"What Sanji said!" Hayami pouts, looking awfully disappointed. "I didn't mean that, goodness no. We have worse problems—I don't even consider that a problem at all—I'm talking 'bout me and Dad not being able to have eyes on you."

Master Kendo puts down his tea and wipes his lips, recovering after almost doing a spit-take. "Shit, I didn't think 'bout that. You're right, and it's gonna be a hassle constantly visiting 'em."

"That's why I think we should ask Nezu if we can become teachers," Hayami proposes.

"Teachers?" I say with my right hand cupping my tea.

She nods. "It's the best way for us to still be there for them. With me as a teacher for the Support Course and you as a martial arts teacher. You, Dad, also have Midoriya and a few others to worry about."

Master Kendo grumbles at the thought of being a teacher. "It's bad enough teaching a few idiots, but a class of 'em? I might as well kick myself in the balls. But, ah, I honestly don't see another way. We can't just ask Nezu if we can stay at the faculty dorms… Y'think he would even go along with our idea?"

"Considering he's under pressure from the Hero Public Safety Commission and we are too, it would save a lot of trouble by centralizing everyone in a single place," Hayami states, her eyes flickering with insight. "If that's not enough, even though the rest of U.A. aren't aware of the M.L.A., Nezu probably feels a responsibility to properly prepare them for what's coming. That means more manpower. Money's a non-issue, so he just needs trustworthy, responsible mentors. That's us."

"Of course it is." Master Kendo frowns, knowing that his personal happiness would probably suffer because, uh, as mean as this sounds, some people simply aren't cut out for martial arts. "I'll call him tomorrow. If he's smart as everyone says he is, he might call us first."

Hayami smiles. "Good, that's one thing off the list!"

Itsuka, with an adorable and innocent grin, asks, "Can we talk shit about the President now?"

"Will it be a productive talk?" Hayami fires back another question while taking a small sip.

"Probably not, but I'm angry." Itsuka's sweet grin fades; in its place is concern and worry. "She didn't care about how Sanji felt. She completely disregarded his feelings and kept pressing and pressing to the point where he was having another panic attack."

I nearly choke on my tea. I never revealed to Master Kendo and Hayami that I had a panic attack before tonight. I… I don't want them to know. I want them to forget what Itsuka said, but I know they won't. Stuff like that is my business and my business alone. It's selfish for me to ask them to carry my burdens. It won't be fair to them or myself.

I told Itsuka that the panic attack I had during that night was just a one-time thing; it's not. I told her to not worry so much about me; she does anyway. I push her away from my own issues; she pushes herself onto me.

"Another one?" Hayami shifts her attention to me. "Sanji, what's going on with you? And don't say that this is just your injuries you got from the fight. It's something worse than that."

Before I say or do anything, I simply take a sip of tea. Itsuka's giving me that look of "Tell them what's going on or I'm telling them myself.". The soothing tea slides down my throat, heating up my core.

I put my cup down, letting it clink on the table. "My Quirk. It's a side effect, prolly because it's a Mental-type or whatever. It's like it has a mind of its own, reacting to the environment or reacting to my current emotional state. I can tell it's doing something whenever I have a bad headache. Sometimes, when I'm worked up, its eyes shoot open. That's what happened when the President irked me. I was angry, I was anxious, and my Quirk turned the dial to eleven.

"It doesn't give me panic attacks. It was just a really bad coincidence that happened at the wrong moment."

"Even then, you should've said something, kiddo." Master Kendo leans forward in his chair. He looked serious when we were fighting at I-Island, and he has the same serious look now. "You can talk with us about this, we're not gonna judge. And I'm not saying this 'cuz you have an Origin-type. I took you in for a reason, Hayami grew to treat you like her own son, and you n'Itsuka are as close-knitted as you possibly can.

"Seriously, you don't mess 'round with that stuff. 'Specially in this line of work."

With those words, they're touching. I'm confident that they genuinely will support me no matter what. Just like them though, I'm stubborn. What I'm dealing with is something small. It's always been small. Always has been. It's nothing they need to concern themselves with. It's just my Quirk, that's the only thing that's wrong. When I finally awaken to it, it's the same moment those problems stop.

As much I love the care they give me, all the affection—something that I never had—I can't betray what they've given me by acting so selfish. It should be me who's paying attention to their worries, not the other way around. Some say it's a double standard, but it's my standard. I never wanted to be a burden on them, and I never will.

I can't voice these thoughts out loud. Once I do, they'll argue and fight. That's not what I want, so I'll just say what they wanna hear. That's how this topic ends. Better yet, I should tell them that I'm not willing to talk about my Quirk or my family further. They probably have a feeling that I know more than I let on, but I'm just not comfortable with sharing.

I don't wanna be a burden.

From my lips to God's ears.

"Alright, alright… I'll say something next time. But uhm, about my Quirk… About my biological family… I don't feel comfortable talking about them. I dunno how to explain it to begin with." I'm kinda telling the truth. I kept my Quirk a secret from them ever since we met. No one knows other than me.

Hayami assures me, "You don't have to. We won't force you to explain if you're not ready. It's not something you can easily say."

"Y-Yeah, it's definitely something alright…" Suddenly having the fate of Japan in your hands is a lot. It's not something the normal high school student could endure. "Anyway uhm, I'm wondering about Midoriya and All Might. How did it happen?"

Master Kendo sighs, taking it upon himself to answer. "You okay with me explaining some of the background stuff, 'Suka? I won't go too in-depth, 'specially 'cuz I don't have the energy for it." Itsuka lets him.

"Alright, everyone knows about Origin-type Quirks, right? Quirks that manage to retain its genetic identity all the way back to the Origin of Quirks period. Obviously, One For All—" Migraine, ignore it and sip some tea, "—is one of these Quirks. Long story short, it's actually made up of two separate Quirks: one that stockpiled power and one is the ability to transfer his Quirk to others. In fact, I think it's the only artificially-made Origin-type in the world.

"But moving on, the first holder passed to the second, to the third, the fourth, and so on. Nana Shimura was the seventh, Toshi is the eighth, and Midoriya is the ninth. D'ya wanna know what's interesting though? Both Toshi and Midoriya were Quirkless."

"What?" I blurt. "Both of them are Quirkless? Seriously?"

All Might is Quirkless? He's been Quirkless this entire time? I mean, that's how he was born? And he became the world's greatest Pro Hero! The man that I admired so much really did overcome every obstacle in his path!

But I don't feel elated. I don't feel happy that's the case. I had a feeling Midoriya was Quirkless, so I thought I would feel some sort of similarity that'd inspire a greater degree of trust. I don't. Whenever I see him, it's like I'm looking at a person who lived a completely different life than I have.

It's the same with All Might. As boisterous as he is, as sparkly as his smile, I don't relate myself to him. He lived such a different life than me; his status is so high up than mine. We share many similarities, but our differences put us apart. When I cry, I'm not sure if he could understand why I'm crying.

Midoriya, the ninth heir… We lived similar lives, yet we drift apart when it comes to what we believe in and how we're raised. Comparing us would be like comparing apples to oranges. We're fruits, yet we have two distinct tastes. When we look at the same image, we would see two different pictures.

I adored All Might; he's my Hero. He's the reason why I wanted to chase after that elusive goal. He's everything; I'm nothing, so wouldn't be great if I could have everything just like him?

At least, that's what I said before I joined U.A. High School.

Hah. I hadn't realized that I changed so much since then. I've gotten more mature. At the beginning, I was the Symbol of the Nice Guy.

I was the one who would lend a hand to my friends, the one who could always crack a joke, make others smile, ensure that everyone is happy, chase after heroism with a manic glint in my eyes, be an inspiration for others, lead by example, fight without giving up, be someone that my friends can rely on, protect them, never hurt them, always act for the sake of good, take on their burdens, make sacrifices on their behalf, never put the attention onto myself, push the spotlight onto others, be as selfless as I can possibly be.

I was…

I was emulating what I thought All Might was. I pictured him to exactly be that kind of person. Was I right? To an extent, yes. But the fact remains: I could never know All Might! He's a Hero, and that's all he'll ever be! I don't know him as a person! Even then, I created a profile from my own imagination, thinking he was exactly like that!

And I, wanting to follow in his footsteps, acted according to that profile! Because really, that profile isn't named "All Might, Toshinori Yagi"! The true name of that profile is "Sanji Inochi, the Ideal Man He Always Wanted to Become"! When I first moved to Musutafu, I was nervous. I was stuttering all over the place, but as time went on, I became the version of myself that I thought was best!

And… And everyone loved it! Many people compared me to their loved ones! Shiozaki's father said so, All Might said so himself, and countless others! That made me happy because I thought I was truly embodying the personality that a Pro Hero should have!

It's…

My friends adore me. They think I'm a saint. They think I'm the next biggest Hero who will rock the world. As much as I would love that feeling, I love the feeling that I have friends most of all.

Master Kendo treats me like I'm his grandson, Hayami treats me like I'm her son, and Itsuka is in love with me. They love the fact that I wanna be a Hero, but they love me more than my ambitions.

And yet... And yet! Despite becoming my idealized self and reaping the fruits of my labor, I'm not that person. I'm not. I never was. I have no qualms with killing Villains if they're horrible, horrible people. I didn't feel remorse after brutalizing Catharsis, I didn't feel remorse after I cut into Vainglory's flesh.

With Catharsis… Togaru, Setsuna, Shojo, Manga… They saw that part of me. At I-Island, more of my friends saw that part of me. Itsuka knows there's more beyond the surface, yet she's still here. I wouldn't be surprised if my entire class knows about it now. As much as I built an ideal version of myself, they too built a monument of me inside their heads.

Who wouldn't? Imagine if you were an everyday student, then out of the blue, an anomaly entered your class due to sheer circumstance and luck, defying the societal norms embedded in the veins of every building and institution. Y'know, without being a jerk about it. You'd naturally be availed as the greatest underdog or something like that.

Then, I shattered that image. My real and idealized self are different, like two circles overlapping but not matching. That's why I can't apologize for how I acted. It's not enough. I can't say, "I'm sorry for disclosing my true beliefs." It won't be genuine. It's cognitive dissonance in its purest form, so they might try to excuse my behavior or forget it outright. So really…

I just need to be honest. I should apologize for acting so virtuously, for allowing them to put me on a pedestal. Clear the air and make sure they see me for who I am. In no way should they continue to look at me like how I look at All Might.

I'll do it when we move into the dorms.

Something nudges my arm. "Sanji, Mom has a question for you." Oh, just Itsuka.

I slap myself attentively. "Sorry! What was the question? I was thinking about something."

Hayami gets smug, kinda like she's saying that she knows. "That was pretty obvious, so the three of us decided to let you be. We started to talk about Midoriya and Toshi, but we moved onto heroism in general. It's a dumb question, but do you wanna still be a Hero?"

Ah, she's asking about that, huh? I dunno why she thinks it's dumb. It's perfectly reasonable considering what happened. "Yeah, I still do. In fact, that's what I was thinking about. When I was in middle school—before I met you guys—I got fired up to become a Pro Hero thanks to All Might. I wanted to be like him, but now that I heard he was Quirkless almost like me…

"I thought I would feel happy, y'know? After all, if your idol grew up in the same circumstances as you did, you'd be elated, right? I don't feel that. I mean, don't get me wrong, I don't hate it, but I'm neutral about it. The world won't spin faster because of the news; it also won't spin slower.

"It might sound confusing—like how I usually am honestly—but uh… How do I say this? All Might is… Well, I've been using him as a means to act better. Better than I was when I first saw him on TV: a stuttering, bumbling mess. I wanted to be a Hero to save people just like him, selflessly without discrimination. That hasn't changed; it's just that I also wanted to grow as a person. Do you guys understand?"

"Looks like you had one helluva introspection," Master Kendo jokes. "But I get ya. You're not a fanboy like Midoriya. You just wanted to pull yourself up from your bootstraps. There's nothing wrong with that."

"I'm not saying there's something wrong with it," I say with confidence. "I thought I should be honest with myself. At the end of the day, nothing changed. I'm still working to be a Hero, I'm still working to rescue and defeat, I'm still doing all of that."

Now that I talked a bunch, I take a gander at Itsuka. She stares at me with her lips pressed against the rim of her teacup. Slowly, she sips. "D'you want me to say something after all that? Seriously? What do you want me to say?"

I give her a charming smile. "How much you've grown. Like for example, when you first heard about me, you spread a rumor that I was a juvenile delinquent—"

"—Okay, shut up!" She smashes my mouth in with the palm of her hand. "I'm still embarrassed and ashamed about that!"

Hayami muses, "You hated Sanji, remember?"

"Stop making me remember that!" Itsuka yells at her own mother, her own flesh and blood. She huffs after getting teased so much, taking her hand off of my mouth. "Other than how I treated Sanji, I...haven't really changed all that much. I'm more mature, definitely, but other than that? Eh. Some of my motivation makes me cringe though…"

"Surprise us," Master Kendo says.

Itsuka shifts uncomfortably after getting challenged by her grandfather. Looks like she has to accept it. "Alright, uh…" Anxiously, she starts tapping her legs. "...This might sound weird or childish, but I wanna find Dad."

Hayami stiffens. Kaito Kendo has always been a sensitive topic. Golden Hand, he went missing when Itsuka was little. I knew I shouldn't mention him unless one of them brought him up. Itsuka, a while ago, told me she wants to find her dad. It was a nice thing to say; however, I can't help but feel sad. She just wants some closure.

Hayami goes, "Sweetheart—"

"—I know what you're gonna say. I just want the mystery to go to rest. I know he's probably gone, a statistic like what that bitch of a President said, but it'll be nice to have an answer. And besides, it's not the main reason why I wanna be a Hero. Just like Sanji, I'm in it to help. The People's Fist and all that, just like Dad." Itsuka blesses me with a smile. My cheeks grow warm, and I allow myself to reciprocate a smile in return.

Her mother throws her arms up to concede the fight, or whatever she's arguing. "I wasn't gonna debate you about this. You're a pretty hard-headed woman. It's just that… I dunno. Tonight was a total asshole to us, and I wanted to be sure if you two are okay moving forward. We probably don't have a choice, but it's better to do something willingly than to do it against your will."

"Yeah I know. With what Gran Torino told us, we just have more on our plate," Itsuka points out. "Nothing really changed, so don't worry, Mom. We're gonna work harder than before, and I'll make sure Sanji takes care of himself."

I comment, "I'm sure that I won't have a say in that matter. What's with everyone trying to dictate my life? Doesn't everyone know that I could destroy a skyscraper with a flick of my finger?"

Master Kendo snarks, "Oh shut up and drink your tea." Then, his eyebrows raise. "Hold on a second, shouldn't you be explaining something to us?"

"Which 'something'? I have a suitcase filled with somethings."

He points at me. "Your wind. Back at I-Island, you managed to do something with wind. What the hell was it?"

Oh, he means that! Right, I completely forgot to explain it! "That! It's, uh, a new style I wanna create. Since I learned so much, since I trained so much, I kinda ended up generating wind pressure through my sword strikes."

"You can do what?" Itsuka stares at me with her mouth slightly agape. "Don't you need super-strength to pull that off? Like me?"

I explain, "I made up for the difference in strength with technique. I'm sure I can't do it without using a sword, but I have a new weapon to use. I'm calling my new style 'Isshin Jukaze'. One of its focal points is wind pressure, but it's not everything. I don't have a clear image of it yet. I imagine that I'll be stringing tricks together like combos in fighting games though."

Master Kendo showcases a rare smile of pride. "Would you look at that, you're not completely useless after all. You should show me what you got. Not now, but soon."

"Of course." I give Hayami my attention. "Before I forget, I have some new ideas for my support equipment. I wanna rework, uh, pretty much everything. Do you mind if I start droning?"

"I nag you all the time, so go for it."

"Good! I think…"

PLOP!

Tonight's done and over with. I gave Hayami the changes I want and she's gonna work on them as soon as she can. Now, I'm just in my room. Normally, I'd sleep for a little bit before going off to the dojo to train/exercise. After today, well tonight actually, I'm too mentally exhausted. I'm emotionally worn-out after crying all over myself because of the President.

At least I have everyone here. Without them, I'm not sure if I would've been able to cope. Just being around them calms me down.

But now that I'm in my room, alone in the dark, laying in my bed with my breathing the only noise I have… Being alone sucks. This is why I try to be around others because, uh… Uhm, being alone with my thoughts is not preferable. Training keeps my mind busy. I would study, but I literally have nothing to study for—it's summer break. I could browse the internet, but it's probably filled with garbage that the M.L.A. is putting out.

I would rather sleep if I wasn't so concerned about getting another nightmare that Dreams will give me. Can't believe I'm afraid of my own shadow at this point.

I grumble.

RAP TAP TAP!

"Are you doing anything inappropriate?" a voice asks after the gentle rapping of knuckles. It belongs to no other woman.

I sit up. "Wanna find out?"

Itsuka chortles. She didn't expect that answer. "Surprise me."

I walk up and open the door. Midway, I note, "That's two lewd jokes you made in a single night. Your mind's deep in the gutter." Itsuka's there wearing a baggy shirt and comfortable shorts; her hair's down too. She looks incredibly cute. Dare I say, cuter than normal? It's enough to make me blush, and I am. "And why exactly am I being blessed with a comfy-looking Itsuka?"

"I'm just…" Her eyes drift from side-to-side, acting a little coy. Or maybe she's actually nervous. "...a little worried about you. After today, after what happened that night, I figured I should keep you company. You asked me the first time 'round, so really, I'm just doing my job you asked me to do."

...She's right. I did ask if we could stay in the same room together back at I-Island. Fortunately, or unfortunately, I had my panic attack and she was there to support me. As much as I wanna decline, I'm beginning to remember how warm her body felt against mine. She feels amazing to hold, so much that the night felt like a few minutes.

I put a hand against my cheek. I'm getting incredibly warm again. My heart is getting louder. "Alright. You win, Itsuka. But you're gonna explain this to Master Kendo and Hayami tomorrow morning."

"They wouldn't mind." She lets herself inside my room, and I close the door behind her. "They might gossip, but they wouldn't mind."

Itsuka sits down on my bed. It creaks under her weight, the mattress pushed down. I sit down next to her. "If you say so. Y'know, this is one of the few times I get to see you with your hair down. You look cute. I mean, not saying you weren't cute before, but you get what I'm saying."

A blush accompanies her equally-cute smile. "You don't look half-bad yourself." Raising her hand, she begins to feel my hair. "Your hair's long enough to have a small ponytail. You should try it out sometime. Although you looked handsome with your slick, laid-back hair for the gala—too bad that never happened—I bet you'd look even better with a ponytail."

"Are we flipping the script?" I ask, shutting one of my eyes as she makes a mess outta my hair. "If I get a ponytail and you let your hair down, our friends will ask if we're playing a game or something. Next thing you know, I'll be wearing a qipao while you'll be wearing a kimono."

"Please, I can't stand walking in your shoes. Not only they're too big for me, I don't wanna wear the same shoes a weirdo wore. Imagine all the bad juju stinking up those things." Itsuka stops messing with my hair, raising a knee and putting it close to her chest.

"Are you superstitious or super intimidated? I don't think I'm that much of a weirdo like you say. After all, you are sitting on said weirdo's bed after inviting yourself into said weirdo's room, now talking to said weirdo after playing with said weirdo's hair." I lean forward. "If anything, you might be the weirdo in this relationship."

I wince at my wording. I didn't mean to say 'relationship', but immediately after saying it… The thought of me and Itsuka actually being in one… It doesn't sound like it's the worst thing in the world. When Hayami told me about Itsuka's crush on me—now full-blown love—I wasn't incredibly enthusiastic.

But now…

"I'm not the one who's destined to be the next strongest Hero in Japan after a life of ridicule and harassment." Itsuka pushes up her imaginary glasses. "Logically-speaking, precisely because of the fact that you stand out, you're not normal; thus, you're weird. Deduction: Solid. Logic: Sound. Verdict: Weirdo."

She didn't seem to mind the wording. If she registered what I said anyhow. "Logically-speaking, getting close to said weirdo even after all the abnormal things about him… You made yourself stand out intentionally, while me? I never asked to be weird, so I'm a victim of circumstance. So I think I can win this debate."

"Don't play the victim card!" Itsuka scolds. "You're not getting any sympathy for me. Who do you think you are? The M.L.A.?"

"Oh, don't make that comparison!" I groan, laying back in my bed. "You have no idea how viscerally disgusted I feel."

"Really? 'Cause to me, it sounds like—!"

THWACK!

I playfully hit her with one of my pillows before she finishes that sentence. "It sounds like nothing. That's what it sounds like—?!"

—Itsuka snatches the pillow outta my hands and follows up with a brutal assault on my head. Quickly, to combat this heinous villain, I equip myself with a back-up pillow and block her attacks. Due to her fury, I feel my strength waning. I retreat, having my back pressed against the bed frame.

Despite our little tussle, we laugh. It's… It's nice to laugh. My chest feels so light. From the days we spent worried, tense about what we went through… Laughing feels amazing. Joking 'round, having Itsuka with me, I needed this.

Itsuka tires herself out, putting her pillow down and slamming her hand beside my head. Panting, she asks, "Give up yet?"

Like I said, her hand is beside my head—one could almost call it a kabedon, but we're not standing up. Really, I'm laying in my bed while she's on her knees bent over towards me, our faces inches apart. And, uh, well… Her baggy shirt is drooping low a little, and when my eyes first saw it, my cheeks grow hotter and I'm more convinced that I'm a pervert.

Taking my mind off of that though, she really has a funny face right now. Puffed-up cheeks and everything. "Pfft… Ha—"

She pinches my cheek. "Don't laugh. What's so funny?"

"Nothing! Ow, nothing!" I raise my hands. "I'm wondering how long it'll take to realize what kind of position you're in."

"What kind of position…?" She looks down, looks to the side, to the other side, then pictures us from an outside perspective… It hits her. Itsuka Kendo, genius extraordinaire, realizes she's in a suggestive position. Not that kind of suggestive but its innocent-not-really-innocent cousin. While my blush gets worse, so does hers. But this time, she's paralyzed.

I manage to get a laugh out. Knowing Itsuka can't resolve this awkward position on her own, I casually slide and get my entire body resting on the bed. Itsuka, seeing what I'm doing, snaps herself out of her runt and lays down next to me, grumpy and annoyed. "I hate you, Sanji."

"You say that a lot, y'know? Each time I make you stand like a deer in headlights, you say exactly that time and time again."

"Well, I don't like it when my…" She pauses. Is she trying to find the right word for what we are? "...partner teases the hell outta me."

I move a little closer to her. "You could always tell me to stop. If you're that bothered, then I'm bothered too."

She goes quiet. Yeah, that's what I thought.

"See? I knew you liked it whenever I teased you." After saying that, a small period of silence comes over us. I figure I should break the ice. "Anyway uhm, are you staying here for the entire night?"

"That's what I said, didn't I?" answers Itsuka. She pulls up a blanket, draping it over us. "I'm here to provide some company."

"Then, uhm… Think you can turn around?" I ask with a little bit of an awkward smile. "I'm afraid it's so cold that this blanket isn't enough." I tried to sound cheeky but I sounded more like a dork.

Itsuka opens her mouth to tease me, but hearing me ask that question, she can only smile like a goof. "Alright, whatever you say."

She turns around, and I, slowly to not startle her, wrap my arms around her waist. Her back presses against my chest, her hands overlapping with mine, fingers intertwined, our heartbeats synced.

"Are you comfortable?" I ask in a whisper. "Need me to give you some space?"

"No, it's perfect," Itsuka replies in a breathy voice. "Sanji—"

—I bury my face into her back. "I was scared," I blurt. I didn't know where those words came from, but I knew where they originated from. It's the moment when I witnessed Re-Destro towering over her with a satisfied, utterly repulsive look on his face.

Itsuka softly exhales, staying quiet. She's letting me talk, I suppose.

"I guess I know how you feel whenever I get hurt, huh? Good thing you're here and not in a hospital bed." Even though Itsuka said this position is perfect, I pull her closer to me. "Now, I don't wanna let you go."

She sucks in a breath. I can feel her heart beating faster. "Jeez, you sound like a creep, y'know?"

"Probably. Will you blame a guy for being honest?"

"If it was anyone other than you." Softly, her eyes shut. "If it was anyone other than you…"

"Anyone other than me…" I repeat what she said. Anyone other than me, what does she mean by that? What does she think about me? The same statue that everyone has, or what lies underneath the cracks? "What do you see me as?"

"Is this about what happened? When you went psycho on your team?" she deduces right on the mark.

"Not sure 'psycho' is the right word, but yeah. Yeah… Pretty much. I yelled at them in the heat of the moment, and I said some things they didn't like. I don't...necessarily disagree with what I said though."

She sighs. "I know. You did a number on Catharsis, remember? You told me, and I believed you. You punched that one livestreamer back then, you threatened people if they were being an asshole to me, you did all that.

"If I was in your shoes, I would've done all that too. Just y'know, moderately. With you, it's not the fact that you get angry. It's the difference between your appearance and what goes on inside your head."

"Yeah, that's exactly it," I say. At least she understands. "That's why I wanna clear things up when all of us move into the dorms. 'Specially with Ibara since she was led to believe I was some pure man of justice."

Itsuka gives me a cute, small chuckle. "You had me fooled for a little bit too. Here I thought the foster kid was a ray of sunshine, but nope, he has no problems with breaking a few bones when it matters. He blames the Villains for making him do that."

"Hey." I tug on her body, reminding her that she's in my arms. "In my defense, pun not intended, they value killing me more than they value their own lives. Really though… Thank you for not seeing me as a freak."

"Mmm, watch what you say. I do see you as a complete freak, just not a freak that I want kept away with a six feet pole."

"Haha. You still haven't answered my question though. What do you see me as?" I ask again, wanting to know.

"What do I see you as…" Itsuka mutters my question to herself. Guess she wants to choose her words carefully, else she'll risk me crying all over her shoulder. "...An idiot."

"I mentally compiled a list of words you'd say in response to my question. 'Idiot' was in first place," I snark.

"Really? What about a numbskull?"

"Three."

"Selfless dork?"

"I had 'selfless buffoon' in second but that counts too."

I can see the sides of Itsuka's lips turning upwards into a smile. "Buffoon…"

"Yeah yeah, buffoon… Is that everything you got?"

"Seriously though? You're determined and passionate," she begins after wounding my pride with her very harsh words, "it's what I always thought about you before. You train every night you can to hone yourself. You might be so selfless that you might as well end the cycle of reincarnation, but you always divert your energy towards your circles. Even if you don't necessarily have a 'pure' outlook on fighting, it doesn't make you a bad person. Just a different one. I don't think of you any less the last time you asked me that."

"I asked you this before? Since when?" I perk my head up to get a better look of her face.

"Dunno, but I'm sure I had to reaffirm what I thought about you before. Are you so insecure that you need me to repeat that?" she asks, and I frown. Itsuka notices that it's, uh, not really a good question. That time, I actually felt a little hurt.

I lay my head back down. "You know I never had...this before Musutafu. You saw how our middle school class said stuff behind my back, and that's 'cause you were around to ward people off. Imagine my school life before that, 'specially with Suzuki and everything. I told you…

"I don't wanna let you go. Or any of our friends. You guys treated me kindly than most of the people I've met. It's more valuable than all of the money in the world, and I don't wanna go bankrupt."

Itsuka pushes her back against my chest, getting comfortable. "I know I know, I shouldn't have asked something so insensitive, even if I was joking 'round a little. Just...can you promise me something? Put some more faith in me. I'm not going anywhere, especially now. You're trying to be selfless, but you're caught up thinking 'bout yourself."

...She's not exactly wrong. She's not exactly wrong, heh. I really shouldn't rely on her for everything. It reaffirms my belief that I can't spill my soul to Itsuka, or Hayami, or Master Kendo. It wouldn't be fair.

Even then, what I'm doing right now, it's a bit unfair. "Alright, just as long as you rely on me too."

"I already am." Itsuka shifts more, and I pull up our blanket so we're completely covered and comfy. We don't say anything else for a while. For a long while, really. For a long, long while, even.

Drifting, Itsuka falls asleep in my arms. I don't know how much time has passed, but the result is the same. I feel sleepy too; I haven't felt this sleepy in a long time.

To think I've grown so close to her, to allow myself to show a hint of vulnerability to anyone really. I never intentionally opened myself up; it happened before I realized it. Because of that intimacy, the first friend I made, the best friend I have, the partner who has my back, she's right here in my arms.

I never had friends growing up; I was never treated kindly until I met Gin, who led me to Master Kendo. To have that now, I really don't wanna let it go. God, let me keep holding onto this for a little while longer.

Please, let me indulge in this reciprocality: intimacy begets intimacy, affection yearns affection.

Just barely above a whisper, unaware of her own withering consciousness, Itsuka mutters, "I love you."

The three words ignite a special feeling in my chest. It's hard to describe it, but it's like the Sun just erupted inside my chest. It fills me with such joy that I can't stop myself from smiling. I never knew…

I never knew that I wanted this so much. Ever since the night that I held her, a part of me felt so starved. I want more—I need more—selfishly keep, all to sate that almost-primal urge.

And now… After everything… Through my own idiocy, through my own ignorance, I can finally put words to how I feel.

I want to be a Pro Hero, and for a while, if I had to choose between her and that lofty dream, I'd pick the dream. As selfish and possessive as it sounds, I don't see why I can't have both. I don't want it to be an ultimatum.

I want her, snug in my embrace, for as long as I can. This might be a betrayal of my beliefs, but God, hear me pray, let me have this.

Before I use up the last of my waking seconds, my heart whispers, "I love you too, Itsuka."

Setsuna Tokage

"Jeez," I mutter.

Dad is acting weird tonight.

He's sitting at his desk scrolling on his phone. Mom's off in the kitchen because Dad asked her to make something—he rarely asks for a home-cooked meal. After asking her, he ushered me into his study, and that's where we are. I'm sitting across from him like a kid talking to the school principal after I did something naughty.

But for some reason, for some dang reason, he doesn't seem like he cares about what just happened. Dad hates the Hero Public Safety Commission, and from the words of the very President of said Commission, he's their puppet for the health of Japan or however she puts it. I thought I would get scolded as soon as we got home.

For a second, I thought he was hiding his anger from me, or he was pulling the "I'm not mad, just disappointed" card. Nope. You can tell someone's doing either of those things by looking at their eyes, but Dad genuinely doesn't care. Sure, there's a little anger in them; sure, once he found out about our attack, he was incredibly peeved. Now? I don't see those emotions boiling up inside him.

So what the heck does Dad want? If he wants alone time, he'll shove me out (politely). He's that kind of straightforward. Apparently, not straightforward enough to cut the crap and lay my case out in front of me! I should ask. The awkwardness is killing me. The last time I felt this awkward was when I caught Manga reading an inappropriate doujinshi, or when Mister Kan scolded Komori because she said that cats are better than dogs.

"Hey Dad…" I timidly say, acting a little coy and a little cute to get some sympathy points, "...Are you, just maybe, a bit angry for what happened? Since y'know, I went behind your back and tried to plot against the M.L.A., but they figured me out and we had this entire fight—it was a rollercoaster I know—and now you're obligated to help the Commission which you really don't like… I thought you would be more angry especially since you stormed off at I-Island and left first thing."

Lowering his phone, his heavy gaze falls on my shoulders. Instinctively, I avert my eyes and stare at the hard, almost black wood of his desk. "I rather not waste my energy being angry for a few days in succession. Yes, I was mad; yes, I am disappointed; yes, I will be the Commission's lapdog. You really have some bad influences."

"Eh?" My head pulls up a fraction of a centimeter, just a teensy whittle fraction. It's enough to have a lightning bolt of fear strike me right in the soul, dragging my head closer to the earth by ten times that amount. "B-Bad influences? Do you mean Sanji and Itsuka? Or Okichi? If you're talking about Okichi, I completely agree. He's a horrible influence and he's the one who offered the plan in the first place—not to throw him under the bus or anything—but the other two? They weren't involved in my decision."

"Okichi Tokugawa is brave, which is synonymous with the word 'imbecile' nowadays. If anything, now that I'm past the anger stage of my grief, it's a clever plan that had a modicum of a degree of success. However, as much as he offered the opportunity, it was in your realm to tag along or deny him. Knowing you, you deliberated; thus, Mister Inochi and Miss Kendo were more involved in your decision than Mister Tokugawa himself. Who else played a factor in your mental maturity to this day? Other than me?

"They inspired you, in a sense, into believing that you could take down an entire organization, deeply ingrained in each cell in this world if I might add, in a single night. I don't necessarily blame you for your naivete, for the two of them… Well, they defeated All Might in their Final Exams. Most importantly, Mister Inochi has an Origin-type Quirk."

Origin-type Quirk… I heard that term being thrown around by Lian and Aldemir guy, and a few others too. I don't have enough information to properly deduce its meaning, and I would've searched online but I completely forgot. In my defense, the last couple of days were really hectic. Considering the context, it's something big. Does it have to do with the Origin of Quirks? "What's an Origin-type? It sounds special, and if you say that Sanji has one, then it definitely is. Can't believe my handsome knight in shining armor has Excalibur as his sword."

Dad sighs, rubbing his eyes. "I genuinely don't know how you grew to talk like that, but the comparison you made is surprisingly accurate. To put it short, an Origin-type Quirk is a Quirk that emerged during the Origin of Quirks and persisted to this day; all Quirks in that category are known to be some of the strongest in the world."

I straighten my face. Yeah, I...probably shouldn't talk like "that" in front of Dad. I can talk like a rich, well-mannered girl, but that's exhausting. But hearing that Sanji, my darling knight, is that strong… "Heh, remember when Sanji got into the Hero Course due to a scheduling error? It turned out to be one of the best mistakes U.A. pulled."

"I concur." Dad puts his elbows on his desk, his left hand gently rubbing the knuckles on his right. I forgot that happened after the U.S.J. Incident. I don't wanna remember that. "They're still a negative influence on you. You're becoming too impulsive, and due to it, this entire situation took place."

Even saying that, Dad's still allowing me to be around them. I mean, after Catharsis, I've been stuck at home more often, but he hasn't forbade me from speaking to them; also, he would've done something...extreme if he thought they were a serious threat to my future. He's done it before, and he'd do it again. "But will you do anything about it? Not now since the Commission has Sanji on a leash, but before then… You could've taken them out of my life."

"That's correct. I had the power to do it. I have a major say within U.A. High School as one of its top investors…" Dad paused. "...But I have my reasons. As bad influences they are, as immature as they are currently, I conceded. It was the correct decision, and I adapted my plan to accommodate for them."

Dad's masterplan… It involves both preparing me to take over the company and become a proper Pro Hero. I don't know if that plan's been thrown out the window considering what just happened, or maybe Dad expected this from the beginning. Since he isn't disclosing any information, he isn't telling me on purpose. I oughta know though. I'm certain he kept all of us in the Gemini Hotels in order to avoid Wolfram's attack. That's too much of a coincidence to ignore.

"Is something wrong, Setsuna? What's with your expression?" he asks.

Well, now I gotta ask. "Dad, did you know that Wolfram was going to attack the Central Tower? Conveniently, our ride never came. Normally, that could be passed off a lucky happenstance, but knowing you, nothing is ever a matter of luck. I am your daughter, and we both like having complete control over our chess board.

Dad stared at me, and like usual, I can't stare back without shrinking into my seat. I hear the gears turning in his head. He's a genius, a man who can analyze your posture and pierce through any poker face you make. To define his thinking, analytical is the only proper word for it. He's going through countless ways to respond to me, constantly readjusting each word to form the perfect answer.

"Yes," bluntly states Dad, "I knew Wolfram would attack the Central Tower, and I had a suspicion that the Meta Liberation Army would take advantage of the chaos. Yet I didn't expect for them to attack you of all people, let alone predicting the presence of Hassan-i Sabbah. As much as I like to have complete control over my chessboard, as you say, it seems something always has to go awry. Every. Single. Instance."

"How… How did you know? How did you know that Wolfram was planning an attack? The only logical explanation is that, well, you have sources linked to the criminal underworld."

He nods. "That is a valid explanation, but you're wrong to put it simply. You forgot that David Shield paid Wolfram to attack the Central Tower. Why? I'm not quite sure. Nevertheless, as nothing ever goes to plan, Wolfram went back on his deal with Shield and he was apprehended by All Might with the aid of some 1-A students.

"I had a personal chat with Shield the day before the attack occurred. You can deduce how I obtained my information from that sentence alone. About how I obtained it though, I'm afraid that's a secret I'm obligated to keep."

That...makes sense. David and Dad are close associates, and if Dad senses something is wrong, he'll get to the bottom of it. "So you're not affiliated with criminals in any way?"

"No, not at all. Well, if we're not including the Meta Liberation Army." Dad lets out a small chuckle. Yeah, I shoulda excluded those guys. It's kinda impossible to not associate himself with the M.L.A. considering they're very powerful people in charge of very powerful corporations. Least we're not a part of them.

So from this conversation, I gathered that Dad obtained prior information about the attack from David Shield. He neglected to tell the authorities, but I'm assuming that's due to the respect he has for David and/or his faith that his plan will go according to plan (it didn't). Using that information, Dad intentionally didn't send a limo to escort me and my friends to the Central Tower on the night of the gala under the assumption that we'll be safe from harm. I think, crazy thought, that he wasn't afraid that Wolfram would hurt us, but rather, he was afraid that we would do something drastic that could put us in danger.

He assumed the Meta Liberation Army would take advantage of the chaos, predicting that they would receive the same information he did albeit another method—if my Dad, just a single genius CEO, could get that outta someone, then the M.L.A. with hundreds of resources could too. However, he didn't anticipate that the M.L.A. would attack us in response to my operation to expose their ugly butts. And no one, absolutely no one, was able to predict that Hassan-i Sabbah would destroy everyone in a fight.

In the end, Dad was enraged when he found out about our attack. He didn't say much to me, his own daughter. Letting his anger subside, and not punching Sanji this time, he's having this conversation with me while outright voicing his disappointment. Yeah, I'm a disappointment now… Feels amazing, feels absolutely great. I can't imagine how he feels… Building his daughter up in every way imaginable only to her to blunder it all and do something incredibly stupid that forever changes the dynamic of his standing as a corporation superpower and unintentionally ignites a shadow war between the government and a shadow organization.

Yeah, this is a major oopsie.

"Dad, I'm—"

"—Are you apologizing? For what exactly? For being a major participant in this charade?"

I choke up with my words. I can't finish my sentence. I don't wanna be a disappointment, especially not in his eyes. He worked so hard for me, and I almost crapped on the chess board and tossed it off the table!

And Dad… Dad takes my silence as my answer. "So I thought. Do you wish to know why I'm disappointed? And why I was so furious a few days prior?

"For the latter, I was blaming myself for my lackluster response. I didn't nearly do enough in my power to ensure that you and your friends would be safe in regards to the Meta Liberation Army, evident by the injuries you all sustained. As for Hassan-i Sabbah, logically-speaking, I'm not so remorseful considering how absurd her intervention was.

"For the former, I am disappointed because I knew you would react exactly like this. This is why I didn't elaborate on my answer when you inquired earlier. Although I concede that interpreting my answer was unfair due to the context of both our circumstances and current dispositions, you could have easily asked about the exact reasons for my emotions."

I'm getting scolded by him. Great! I'm getting scolded! He's telling me that I could've easily asked him, but this was the exact thing I was afraid of! Dad rarely yells whenever he reprimands someone; it was always a barrage of words that dug deep into your skin. He left you vulnerable, constantly thinking about what he said and trying to understand where you went wrong… That's how he does it.

But what am I supposed to do here? I don't wanna make him upset or angry. I wanted to do everything he said, and apologizing for my actions was the correct choice! But it's not anymore? I thought being a royal screw-up was grounds for me, the girl on trial, to profusely repent! Yet he's disappointed at me for doing that in the first place? Because I deviated from his plan? I don't get it!

Is he saying I never made a mistake in the first place? While I thought I made a horrible error? But when I admitted that I thought of my actions as exactly that, that admission was the mistake in actuality? What am I supposed to do?! What am I supposed to say?! Am I wrong for saying "sorry", for feeling like a garbage daughter?!

"Truth be told," Dad continued his assault, sitting there in his leather chair as comfortable as he could be, "I predicted the Commission would recruit—more specifically, forcibly enlist—my aid against the Meta Liberation Army, so what happened tonight forced me to accelerate my plans. It's a small frustration. I even predicted that they would focus their attention on the first-years in U.A. High School, and I was correct to an extent. What I didn't predict was Mister Inochi's possession of an Origin-type Quirk.

"In essence, everything is according to plan. The timetable's been moved up, but I can easily adjust."

Wait, is he saying that he literally thought everything was gonna happen?! Is he trying to convince me that I pretty much have zero reasons to act the way I'm doing right now?! I went against his specific orders, I remember them clear as day, and normally, he would punish me for it! He did exactly that when Catharsis happened and made me stay at home a lot more! I thought he would go on about how I should've listened and listened, how I shouldn't have acted and acted…

And now?! It's not a problem whatsoever?! Am I not a good daughter for being genuinely remorseful?! Am I a good daughter for following orders?! I don't get it! I really don't get it! I don't understand!

Is everything I did… Everything I caused… Was it all a minor inconvenience to him? But why does it feel like I pushed Japan into its final days? Please let me understand. The dissonance is driving me crazy… I don't know what to do…

"All in all, for you to cast blame on yourself for a wholly inconsequential incident is not aptly supported by much logic, if one could consider your thinking as logic anyhow"

"B-But…" I'm stuttering. I feel like crying, but I can't cry in front of him. "...A man was killed—"

"—Hassan-i Sabbah killed him. Like I said, no one could've predicted her. Anyone who did would be a lunatic throwing darts at a wall, hoping one of them would stick."

"What about everything with the M.L.A.—?"

"—Just like myself and the Commission, all of our plans are accelerated. We have been preparing for this for a long while."

"I—"

"—Aren't you somewhat happy with yourself, Setsuna?" Dad asks. "Why don't you take responsibility? As in, not self-flagellate yourself but rather, being able to strategize to defend against a mighty force? I take pride in that fact, why don't you?"

Because I was forced to after I made a mistake. I never wanted to fight for my life. For crying out loud, I'm not the sort of masochist who'd go searching for a death wish! I put my friends in danger, I tipped the scales of balance towards anarchy, so why should I even be proud of having the ability to adapt?! If anything, that's supposed to be expected from the get-go!

I can't find myself to answer him.

"Setsuna," Dad firmly says my name. "Are you proud of what you did?"

Asking that question is like asking if I'm proud of being a monster.

"Setsuna," he reiterates, having steel in his voice.

"Y-Yeah…" I do what he asks, just barely audible. "I-I'm proud."

"Good. You can go back to your room now and prepare for your transfer to the dormitories. Your mother will call you when dinner is ready." And with that, Dad politely tells me to get out. I don't have anything else to ask, say, add, or interject. Nothing.

Without a word, I leave his study and head into my big, spacious room. I join my rightful place right on my bed, taking my phone out. I scroll through my contacts. Maybe I can—

—No, never mind. No one has the energy to listen to me ramble. Everyone's exhausted after what happened; they don't want me to add to their pile. I'm not helping anyone here.

I'll just lay here, I guess.

Yeah, that sounds nice.

For once, I don't wanna put my beautiful mind to work.

Sanji Inochi

THUD!

"Hey idiot, don't drop your freaking box near my feet! You tryna crush my toes or something?!" Awase yells at Tsuburaba who 'accidentally' dropped his box of I-don't-know-what a few centimeters away from destroying Awase's little piggies. I'm just here helping unpack some stuff for the communal kitchen. All my stuff is already moved in.

"What if I am?" Tsuburaba challenges Awase's assumption. "'Sides, if I crushed your toes, flesh and blood wouldn't come out of your shoes. Just disgusting toe jam! Real charming there, Awase—?!"

—DROP!

Awase drops his own box onto Tsuburaba's toes. Tsuburaba howls in pain and hops around like Miruko, but he's neither a rabbit nor has athletic legs. When he's done with his dramatics, he spins around and gives Awase the death stare. "I will strangle you with your own headband, Headband!"

Tsuburaba grabs Awase's headband around his neck and tries to make good on his promise, while Awase proceeds to wrestle with his best friend. Shoda, who's standing beside me, is watching this fight unfold. "Inochi."

"Yeah?" I'm watching them too.

"Shouldn't you stop this?"

"I should, shouldn't I?" I say to myself. For some reason, I have the sudden urge to just not directly intervene. I think I want to see the world burn, but unfortunately, I still wanna keep living in this world. What can I do that doesn't end up with my own toes getting crushed? Oh, I know. Raising my voice, I holler, "I think I see Shojo!"

Awase's head perks up at the mention of Shojo's name. Suddenly gaining the strength of All Might himself, he pushes Tsuburaba aside and looks for her, but soon realizes that I lied. He points an accusatory finger at me, betrayed that one of his friends used his greatest weakness against him. "Inochi, you asshole! I really thought she was paying a visit!"

"Too bad sucker!" Tsuburaba, now pushed back, finds a nearby body pillow—okay, which one of us owns this thing—and raises it above his head. "How 'bout you pay a visit to the grave!"

Before Tsuburaba unveils his wrath, a mighty hand comes from behind and grabs the body pillow. "Oh cool, you found my body pillow. Been wondering where it ran off to."

K...Kaibara? Shoda stammers, "W-Why do you own a body pillow? Are you one of those kinds of guys too?!"

Kaibara raises an eyebrow. "'Those kinds of guys'? Don't know what you're trying to imply, Shoda, but I'm not doing anything risque."

Awase frowns, crossing his arms. "What are you doing with it, dude? There's only one good reason."

"I'm using it to help with my back and neck pain," Kaibara deadpans. "It can help relieve your pressure points and provide better support for your body."

"...That's kinda boring, not gonna lie." Tsuburaba looks almost upset that Kaibara has a normal answer. Did he want a bizarre answer?

I chuckle to myself. "Looks like my friends aren't complete degenerates after all."

Shoda makes a weird face. "What do you think about us in the first place, Inochi? Do you think we're 'degenerates'?"

Well—

BURST!

—Tetsutetsu's in the room. He sees Kaibara holding his body pillow and smiles. "Kaibara bro, you got a body pillow too?! Wicked! What's his name?!"

For some reason, I'm not surprised that Tetsu has a body pillow. It looks like I'm the only one because Awase and Tsuburaba look like they're equally freaked out. Tetsutetsu, breaking into his very battered box, pulls out a…

...What the heck.

His body pillow is dead. I'm not even kidding. There's zero stuffing inside it. There's even holes in the fabric! And to top it all off, there's two dots and a smile drawn with a black marker at the top. "This guy's name is Villain! 'Cuz y'know, I treat him like one!"

Kaibara drops his body pillow in shock. This is one of the few times that he's flabbergasted. Tsuburaba's staring blankly at Villain while Awase is rethinking his life. Out of them all, none of them is able to speak. Okay, guess I'm doing this. "Hey Tetsu… Care to explain what you did to Villain? Because uh, I'm not sure you're supposed to literally cuddle a pillow to death."

Tetsu quizzically tilts his head. "Cuddle? Whatcha mean? Ain'tcha 'posed to, y'know…" He holds Villain up and starts throwing jabs at his body. "...Do that? It's why they're called body pillows, right? 'Cuz you use 'em like a punching bag?"

Oh my God.

"Tetsu, holy crap Tetsu…" Tsuburaba falls against a wall, ready to give up on life. "Are you telling me that you beat the shit outta your body pillow?! It's a pillow! You don't fight a pillow!"

Kaibara remarks, "Are you telling us that you sleep on your punching bag too?!"

Tetsutetsu is so confused. "But it's a body pillow! What else couldja mean?! If it says body, you punch the daylights outta it, right?! Just like how a punching bag has 'punching', y'punch it!"

Awase shouts, "If you see a bottle that has 'body wash' on the label, are you gonna squeeze the hell outta it?!"

"Yeah! 'Cuz I need that crap to stay clean! My Steel's gotta stay nice and shiny! I don't get whatcha mean, bro!" Tetsutetsu doesn't get what Awase said, but that's to be expected. Me and Shoda, on the other hand, are neutral bystanders. I, for one, am not sure what I should say.

Tetsu, not wondering why his friends are losing their collective crap, decides to do what's best: he locks his eyes on Kaibara's body pillow. "Y'know Kaibara bro, that looks pretty nice—"

—Kaibara snatches his body pillow and retreats. "You're not using this as a personal dummy! I paid nine thousand yen for this!" N-Nine thousand yen?! (Author's Note: That's around $80.)

"Who pays nine thousand yen for a pillow?! It's a pillow!" Tsuburaba falls to his knees while Tetsutetsu begs Kaibara, chasing after him. "I don't understand! Who's willing to drop nine thousand yen on something you tuck between your legs?! Y'coulda buy so many good magazines! What the hell!"

Awase is in the center of a goose chase. Kaibara's running away from Tetsu while he's just there, absolutely done. So he decides to take his box and go upstairs, abandoning his friends. Right as when he leaves, three newcomers join: Itsuka, Yanagi, and Komori. They see the chaos, they see me and Shoda, they walk up to us.

Itsuka leans over the counter and shoots me a smile. The smile causes my heart to spring forward. From how pretty it is, I wanna lean over the counter and steal a kiss from her. And maybe feel—Focus. I can't let my thoughts wander again.

She asks, "Hey Sanji. What the hell is going on?"

"Body pillows," I say with no context whatsoever. "Two of 1-B's brightest minds are literally battling over how body pillows are meant to be used for while a poor bystander is too mentally overstimulated to process what's going on."

Komori whistles. "Wowie, I don't know what goes on in your guys' heads. I act like my body pillow is my adoring fans when I'm eventually gonna sing on stage!"

Yanagi nods. "My own stands in the place of an audience eagerly awaiting my narration of paranormal stories."

Itsuka has a bewildered look on her face. "Why does everyone have body pillows? Am I missing something? I—Actually never mind. Sanji, is the coffee machine up and running?" she resigns, sitting up on a chair.

"First thing I hooked up," I say, getting started on making her a cup of coffee. "Shoda, Yanagi, Komori, want one too? Oh, wait a second—"

—I turn to the two geniuses and Tsuburaba. "Hey you guys! Want some coffee?!"

Only Tetsutetsu responds, "Sure bro! Oh Inochi, d'ya got a body pillow too?!"

I shrug my shoulders, eyeing Itsuka. A body pillow… I got a perfect one right there. Any time I want, I can just ask and she's mine for the entire night. That sounds creepy now that I'm outwardly thinking it, but it's true. "You could say that. My body pillow's a little different, but it has a name—"

PINCH!

"—aah?! 'Suka, stop tugging my cheek!" I plead, but Itsuka doesn't budge. Her cheeks are puffed up, and she's pulling her pouty face again.

Well, I should've expected this.

After the body pillow incident, just about everyone is settled into their dorms. Everyone talked to their parents, with Rin as the exception, and no one is pulled out thankfully.

Master Kendo and Hayami are talking to Nezu about their new status as U.A. faculty—he was thrilled when they asked to be teachers—and we'll soon have them in our classes. For the rest of our time as students, we'll be living together under one roof in Heights Alliance! That's the name Nezu gave the complex of dormitories. There's the first-year pod with all departments—Hero, General, Support, Business—second-year, then lastly, third-year.

Yeah, for three years, I'll be with these guys everyday. We eat together, train together, and sleep together. There's no better way to build camaraderie, or a nuclear war if things go south. It hasn't set in that my entire dynamic has changed so drastically. Every morning, instead of seeing just Itsuka, Hayami, and Master Kendo, I'll see Itsuka trying to wrestle Neito away from terrorizing 1-A.

My life was already exciting, but every day will be a battleground now. Just like right this moment. When everyone finished unpacking, all of us decided to hang out in the commons with drinks and snacks.

Everyone's having fun. Unfortunately, Shojo couldn't join us since her class forced her to, and I quote, "create torture devices". Sounds amazing. I'm here with a can of soda in my hand, awkwardly listening to Honenuki tell a story about middle school. Can't say I'm paying attention though.

Ibara's been making glances at me every now and then. I'm kinda creeped out.

"Hey Sanji," a cute voice perks up, "how ya feeling? I'm ready to bring a party to this place." IT's none other than my princess, Setsuna Tokage.

"Hate to break it to you…" I gesture towards the mess we already made. "A party's already here. Other than that, feeling good."

"You sure? You really sure?" she asks, nudging my shoulder with her own again and again. "I cataloged every face you make and what emotion you're feeling with each one right up in my brilliant mind. And lemme tell you, you don't look exactly happy. Is it 'cuz you revealed your alter ego?"

"My alter ego?" I ask almost amused. "Care to elaborate on that?"

Setsuna lays back and stretches her arms, gladly humoring us. "Of course! Like night and day, day and night, you have an alter ego that's slightly more violent than expected. Really though, I don't wanna joke 'round too much. You talked with Itsuka about this?"

I nod, taking a sip of my soda. The sweet taste stings my mouth. "Yup, I'm planning to air things out soon. I'm assuming you're okay with me."

"You're assuming right. You're still my glorious and dashing knight after all, and nothing will change that. So what if you're kinda angsty on the inside? You're still everyone's trusted Sanji Inochi, and that's what matters."

That's what I needed to hear, but I don't know about the 'angsty' part. It makes me sound like I'm emo. "Glad that you said that. I am wondering something interesting though. Like, I dunno, some thoughts regarding the I-Island Incident?"

Setsuna awkwardly laughs. "Haha right, yeah… I-Island Incident, I remember that. Yeah no, I'll join you with the profusely apologizing stuff."

She's bothered by it. I understand. Setsuna probably feels guilty putting everyone in danger when they never asked for it. It's not her fault. No one would've thought that the M.L.A. would attack us. "Good. It'll be a sour note if you left everything unsaid. Personally, what happened at I-Island isn't your fault. You did what you thought was best, and it was. We are now aware of the greater threat in Japan thanks to you. What you did ensured that we'll fight back stronger in comparison to our strength when we're ignorant."

"Y'think so? Even when you have the President of the Commission breathing down your necks? 'Specially with your power?" Setsuna asks me. She knows that I have an Origin-type? Her father probably told her, so it's not completely unexpected.

"Well, I would've trained more anyway. But about the President... Between you and me, she'll be our second greatest enemy besides the M.L.A., heh…" What's worse than a clear enemy you're fighting? Fighting internally with your own allies, especially powerful people who have differing views.

"Sucks, but you're right. Thanks Sanji… What you said cheered me up a little, but that's prolly 'cause you're good with words. Well, about half the time. The other half is you acting like a goof."

"It's my special power, stronger than any Quirk out there."

Our conversation ends there because I can sense Itsuka staring at me. When I acknowledge that, it's the same second that my phone buzzes.

Itsuka: "you ready?"

Me: "Yeah, setsuna will apologize for uh"
Me: "Jumpstarting everything"
Itsuka: "so i dont have to ask, good"

Itsuka: "ill get everyone's attention"

Here we go. I watch Itsuka stand up and walk to the middle of the commons. From the mere action of standing, everyone's eyes are on her. She commands a room, that's for sure. "Hey everyone, know that you all are enjoying the impromptu housewarming party, but Sanji has something to say. I'm sure some of you—hell, maybe all of you—know what this involves, but hear him out."

Hearing my cue, I put down my soda and stand right up. Out of the corner of my eye, Ibara has her eyes averted, but I know she's listening. Alright, this is my one chance to make things up with her and everyone I've wronged.

"Alright…" My voice is steady, steady as I can make it. I analyze the crowd. Everyone has their attention on me full-heartedly, including Kagesuke who's nibbling Kuroiro's thumb. "You guys know who I am already, and like what Itsuka said, you probably also know what I'm gonna talk about. I,'s what happened at I-Island; more specifically, my, uh, not-so-pleasant outburst towards some of my teammates during Operation Hero Force Army. I know what I said was hurtful and shocking, for the lack of the better word, 'specially from someone like me.

"That's why I wanna apologize for my temper, for letting the situation get too much into my head and channeling that rage into insults towards you all. But if you're looking for an apology about the other things I said, about Villains, about me not really having much empathy towards their ilk, then you won't get one from me."

The audacity startles Ibara, taken aback in response to my honest and unwillingness to bend the knee. In fact, it startles almost everyone in this room.

"If you're out of the loop…" I take a deep breath in. What I'm about to say is harsh. "...I don't treat Villains, the same caliber as the M.L.A. if I might add, as 'people' like you and me. They're the ones who make martyrs out of their allies, constructing a bonfire of the people they killed, all as a bombastic monument to their pride, it makes me sick to my stomach. They don't deserve the worst prison you can think of; they deserve to rot in Hell.

"I'm unapologetic about that belief, and as some of you might've seen with me and Catharsis, you know that I stand on the same podium I speak from. You can even see it in the way I fight. If you disagree, so be it. That's where you stand, and this is where I stand. So that's why I'm willing to apologize for my insults, but not for that. Otherwise, I'd be lying. Some of you might be shocked, and yeah…

"When I first came to U.A., I was nothing but a bottle of positivity, goodwill, and uh, filled with enthusiasm about heroism to put it lightly. That was, arguably, what everyone imagined a perfect Hero Course student to be. I focused my energy outwards, and due to that, I received praise because of how 'pure' and 'perfect' I was. Realizing that now, I might've deceived some of you guys.

"So lemme say it here: I'm not that kind of student. Don't get me wrong: I try my best to be positive, treat you as good as I can, and be as determined as I can be, but I'm not that perfect image of a student. I'm sorry for making you think otherwise, but please don't treat me like one. When I make a mistake, call me out on it—like the one time Rin punched me during that one exercise with the General Courses, though don't exactly punch me every time. Don't go 'Sanji Inochi would never do that' because that's irresponsible on both of our parts.

"Moving forward, onto this entire mess with the Commission and the M.L.A., that's the reason why I wanted to say this. All of us, as a team, need to be straight with each other, and I wanna lead by example. If you look outside our dorm, in the plaza for Heights Alliance, you'd see a statue of various alumni that attended here. If you see me as one of those statues, bleach your eyes because I'm right in front of you.

"Especially since…" I look at Itsuka and Setsuna. I didn't plan for this, yet I think everyone deserves to know. "...I'm destined to be as strong as All Might, maybe stronger. I have what's called an Origin-type Quirk, a Quirk Type that persisted through genetics ever since Quirks first emerged. Hassan-i Sabbah was powered by an Origin-type, Lian had an Origin-type, All Might have an Origin-type, and I do too.

"But I'm not gonna stand here and say, 'With this power given to me, I'll take down the M.L.A.' because that's absurd. I can't do this alone. Even when I'm at my strongest, I'm too weak to defeat that kind of power on my own. I need each and every one of you. I might have the capability to destroy mountains, but we collectively have the will to move them. Please, don't remain stuck in the same perception as me before. I'm supposed to be a leader, right? Admiration is fine and all, but don't let it turn into vapid adoration.

"I'll do my best to try to improve myself, because as I speak, I'm a bundle of nerves, you just don't see it. I know I have some kinks I need to work out, but given enough time, I'll come out stronger. That's a promise."

Finally, I bow. "Thank you for listening."

CRRRRUNCH!

"Eh—"

—THONK!

Togaru threw a crushed soda can at my head. "Some fuckin' kinks you got—"

Ibara chimes, "Language."

And Togaru frowns. "—Right, forgot Catholic is 'ere. Ahem. Some freakin' kinks you got. If ya call 'em 'kinks', then you're one freak. But, makin' a dramatic speech like that, actually sayin' that you'll be just as strong as All Might… Y'don't do that. It's not like Quirkless to say somethin' so wild, so freakin' egotistical as that. That means it gotta be the truth, so I dunno why you wanna work 'em out yourself. Ain't the point of bein' a team is, y'know, workin' shit out together? If one falls, the rest flop like useless sacks of shi—ahem, crap."

Komori raises a hand, almost hopping on her seat. "I can't believe it, but Kamakiri has a point! I mean, he's completely right! I can't imagine what it's like in your shoes, Inochi, but we'll be here for you! Emotional support and physical too! You're not alone!"

Kaibara nods with a slight smile. "Pretty sure Kendo already gave you this talk before, but it's our turn now. If you need us, we're here, especially when you think you don't need anyone."

Neito adds, "Exactly what he said! My friend, don't you know how great this news is?! Well, about the fact that you proclaimed your future strength?! With this, perhaps Class 1-B can finally receive the respect we deserve!"

One by one, they say the same thing, leading up to my teammates during I-Island. Awase shoots me a bright smile and a thumbs up. I believe in ya, dude! No hard feelings.

Manga makes a thumbs-up emoji with his comic head. Thanks for taking responsibility. Next time when you step out of line, I'll be sure to pull you back. Unless you're getting a new power-up. If that happens, I'm leaving the city to avoid the collateral damage.

Rin nods, not having much of a gesture, only a slight smile. Now I know why Lian took such a liking to you. You're meant to be a great leader.

Kuroiro joins the forgiving-me-thing. It's a bit awkward since they're not saying anything; what more do they need to say when everyone else already said it for them? Maintaining enough humility yet pride to maintain your status as a starbound leader is something admirable. Be sure to have a stable hand on the leash anchoring your anger.

Pony's stuffing herself up with food, but she has a smile on her face. Yeah, that's about what I expected from her. She forgives easily. Considering how innocent she is though, I'm not quite sure that's a good thing.

Last but not least is Ibara Shiozaki. She's finally facing me now, her expression a mixture of disappointment and remorse; not sure if she's disappointed in me or herself. The kind of person she is… The way she expects things from others… It's something you can only do when you introspect so much. Standing up, she answers in the form of a bow, graceful even with the causal setting. "I...apologize for my recent behavior as well, Sanji. Due to my part, I placed unreasonably high expectations on you, fitting for a role model but not for a friend. In spite of your oddities, however, you will become a mighty fine Pro Hero, and a leader most of all."

"You don't need to bow, Ibara!" I exclaim, rapidly moving my hands but she stays in that position. "I'm not your senior! I'm literally in the same class as you!"

Ibara, hearing my pleads, uprights herself with a small blush of embarrassment staining her ears. "M-My apologies… I thought that would be the appropriate gesture for this occasion."

"This is one formal occasion…" I joke, motioning towards the empty soda cans and half-eaten bags of chips. We have a good laugh though. Now, it's Setsuna's turn. "Anyway, I'm not the only one who has something to say."

I pause, letting Setsuna speak.

However, there's one problem with that: she's not speaking. She's staring into my eyes as if I'm supposed to do something. Jeez, did she forget? "Setsuna, I'm talking about you. You're speaking after me."

Setsuna—she really did forget—hop up from her seat. "Shoot, you're right! Uh, frankly Sanji, I dunno how I'm supposed to compete with the long speech you gave. I had this whole spiel planned out in my head before you took up minutes with yours. It'll kinda damper our little party."

Honenuki, throwing out a wild guess, asks, "Are you gonna apologize for I-Island? If so, eh!"

Setsuna repeats, "Eh?"

He throws up his shoulders. "Eh! You put us in a better spot if we hadn't gotten attacked in the first place! The Commission would've never disclosed this information otherwise, and we would prolly be training harder a lot later, when Japan really is in danger! You mighta made a mistake, prolly an understatement, but don't think anyone here holds a grudge for it."

Togaru corrects him, "Actually, if Lizard Head ends up with us runnin' a hundred laps ev'ry mornin', I'm gonna gut myself then 'er."

"Ditto," says Kaibara, "just not the 'gutting' part."

Tetsutetsu looks at the two of them in shock. "Eh?! But running laps is fun! 'Specially when you feel like you're 'boutta die! That's the best part 'cuz you know your body's gonna get stronger!"

Bondo stammers, "I-Is th-that your idea of fun?!"

Shishida pushes up his glasses. "Seems that any physical activity of any measure is a most enjoyable experience for Mister Tetsutetsu."

Tetsu indignantly points a finger at Shishida. "Hey! If you're gonna use my first name, then don't put 'Mister' 'fore it!"

Itsuka straightens her face. "...How can we tell? Do we just enunciate a syllable more than the rest?"

"Haha! I don't know what 'enunciate' means, but probably!" he exclaims without a care in the world.

Yui deadpans, "Tet-SU-tet-SU. Hmm… TET-su-TET-su. Eh…" I want to rub her head.

"What 'bout Tet-SU-TET-su?! Or TETSU-tetsu?" Pony adds, further derailing the conversation.

And to finally kick the entire train off its tracks, the one and only Kinoko Komori starts to make a song out of Tetsutetsu's name. Yeah, that's how easily we can get off-track. This is the best ending we can get, honestly. By the fact that they're joking 'round, yet not dismissive of my feelings or Setsuna's, it means everything is truly alright.

Setsuna tugs on my sleeve. "Well, guess I didn't need to do a big apology after all. Like what the Pun-Man said: no one holds a grudge. Guess I worried for nothing."

"Yeah… These guys, when they laugh like that, you know they'll have your back when the going gets tough. I don't wanna sound like the infamous Phantom Thief, but maybe, just maybe, we have that over 1-A's heads. You know me though, I don't like wasting my energy on petty rivalries like that."

"Mhm mhm." She nods her head. "You have so many bigger things to worry about. For example…"

Setsuna stands on her toes to whisper something in my ear. "Romance. A new star approaches, and she has very big fists."

"Yeah."

"Don't try to deny it this time."

"I'm done denying it."

"That's right, you're not—Huh?"

Quietly, to not absolutely throw this party into disarray, plastering a big smile on my face, I tell Setsuna, "I love her."

Stunned, shellshocked, silenced, and all the other adjectives to describe it, Setsuna stands there dumbfounded at my casual revelation. After giving herself a light tap (it was a very hard slap) on her cheek, she grabs me by the arm and drags me into the kitchen so no one can hear us. Nearly whisper-screaming my ear off, she asks, "You finally admitted it and you didn't come to me first thing?! Why?!"

"We had the same list of chores everyone else here had: recovering from I-Island. I mean…" I think back to all the times I shared with Itsuka. From my memories… "...When I think back on it now, I might've loved her for a while, but, uh, after a few intimate moments between the two of us, something akin to throwing a lighter onto a pile of gasoline-soaked wood happened."

"Intimate?" Setsuna questions my wording. "Throwing a lighter onto a pile of wood? Holy crap, Sanji… I thought you would tiptoe around this landmine. Never thought you'd be so straightforward."

"I would be a lot more cautious if I wasn't one hundred percent certain that Itsuka feels the same way."

"Really? I mean, I could probably tell but even then, that's about ninety-nine percent. What gave you that extra percent?"

I think back to the nights we spent together in the same room. How do I wanna break this carefully... "Remember the body pillow incident?"

"Of course, it happened earlier. Tetsutetsu owes Kaibara a new body pillow. Why you ask?"

"Well, it doesn't come close to the real deal."

"...Oh. A-Anything else you wanna add?" Setsuna says almost stammering over her words. She seems nervous. Why's that?

"Uh, ever since I came to terms with it, I've done some thinking in the past few days and made a few revelations."

"And they are…?"

"I wanna hold her a lot."

"Naturally."

"Each time she wears something comfy, I have this urge to hug her for hours."

"Also naturally…?"

"Every morning, when I make coffee for her, she gives me these sleepy yet gorgeous eyes. Now that I feel this way, I'm trying to restrain myself from leaning over the counter to kiss her."

"You're kinda laying this on me heavily here…"

"Each time she acts cute or sweet to me, I want to kiss her multiple times. A lot, actually. When I think of a number, I get a strange feeling that I'll somehow triple that."

"Okay. That's cool."

"Yesterday, while we were packing up Master Kendo's dojo to prepare for his transfer here, we decided to have one last spar. I lost because I got very distracted by her workout clothes. Very, very distracted, so much so that I had to excuse myself to the bathroom for a while."

Setsuna reaches up and flicks my forehead. "Hey Sanji, I think you're going too much into detail here! I get it, I believe you now! Please, don't tell me more! Are you punishing me 'cause I tease you two so much?! Don't go on about how you got distracted by her! I might like girls, but even I got embarrassed!"

...I wasn't punishing her. Where did she get that idea from? "I thought I was being honest… That's genuinely how I feel around Itsuka now. If it wasn't for the fact that we were actively packing our things to move here, I might've done something. I have good self-restraint, but I'm no Buddha. She already asked me if I'm sick because I've been straining a smile so much."

I turn to look at Setsuna and she's actively straining a smile now. What the heck? Quickly spinning around away from me, Setsuna frantically mutters, "Oh my Ibara Shiozaki and the abyss between the stars as proclaimed by Shihai Kuroiro, I always thought Sanji was laced up in ethics and good morals! I thought he'd never be so primal about his instincts and act shamelessly about it! Wait…"

She faces me. "Where's your room and Itsuka's?"

I answer, "We're both on the top floor across the hall from one another. We asked Principal Nezu, he gave us one long look then went 'I'm not responsible for anything!'."

And Setsuna turns back around. "My sweet innocent child wasn't as sweet or innocent as I thought! Inside is a lustful, starving animal who wants to eat and eat! Only his own restraint is holding him back. Otherwise, he would've already claimed the poor Itsuka Kendo as his own!"

I cross my arms. "I have no idea what you're mumbling about, but I'm not a monster who's lusting after her."

"Oh that's what you think!" Setsuna throws her arms up in the air. Walking to the fridge, she opens it and pulls out a can of orange soda. "I'm here listening to you shatter all of my preconceptions! You really aren't the pure idol of heroism like you said! You're very corrupted! And sinful too! You need an exorcism!"

"I don't have a demon inside me to exorcise!"

"Yes you do! I always knew you were shameless, but this is taking it to a whole new level, Sanji! What does Hayami think about this?!"

Why does she think that I would ask Hayami about this? I know she approves of me and Itsuka dating, but do I really need to indulge in the details…? How would the conversation actually go…

"Hayami! I need to tell you something! It's about me and Itsuka."

"Okay, who broke whose arm? I'll go call Auntie Chiyo…"

"Oh, we didn't break any arms. We did break something though."

"Eh?"

"Uh, I need a new bed."

BANG!

She'll shoot me in the head. What about Master Kendo…?

"Master Kendo, something happened between me and Itsuka."

"What Villain did you run into this time?"

"Nah, we did have a spar where one of us played the Hero and the Villain... About what happened in said spar…"

"And…?"

"She really liked me being a Villain."

SLASH!

Instant decapitation!

Crap, I really might be a lustful, starving monster like what Setsuna said! I never realized how many indecent things I wanna do to her!

"Sanji," Setsuna reminds me that she's still in the room.

"Uh…" I nervously smile. "She approves of our relationship, but I don't think I should give her too much information."

"Duh. At least you got parental approval. How are you gonna do this? Are you gonna start your relationship when you can't hold yourself back? Or do you wanna start it on your terms?" she asks.

"My terms. That's what I hope at least. I've been thinking about that exact answer, and I think I know how—"

"—Know how what?" Itsuka, the very person we're talking about and the idol of my affection, is leaning over the counter with an arm holding up her head. "I couldn't listen to what you two were talking 'bout, but from the looks of things, it must be a very passionate conversation. What's up?"

Before Setsuna can answer, I do it first, "I wanna confess to you during the Eiyukawa Fireworks Festival. It's in a week."

Itsuka laughs. Such a pretty laugh… How her face—Ahem, let's not. "That's a cliche way of confessing to someone, Sanji. You've been reading too much of Shojo's romance mangas. I thought you were an Ally of Love with Ashido from 1-A, but guess you too can have creative droughts. Who you're helping out?"

"Me and you," I bluntly answer with Setsuna staring at me with her mouth open.

"Fancy way of saying the entire class and keeping a secret." She raps her knuckles against the wood counter. "But fine, keep it a mystery. If it goes south, I won't take responsibility."

Setsuna takes a sip of her soda to regain her composure. She says, "The Eiyukawa Fireworks Festival? That's your plan? Anything special 'bout it?"

"It's also my birthday," I state with a smile.

"Huh?"
"Your what?"

"...My birthday." Please tell me they didn't forget. "You guys remembered my birthday, right?"

I look at Itsuka especially, and she's giving me one of the most awkward smiles she has. Setsuna too! They really did forget about my birthday! Two of my closest friends forgot! Itsuka shifts her eyes to the side. "Yui! When's Sanji's birthday?"

"Mmm… Isn't it… Hmm… The same as Eiyukawa?" she answers, proving me right on both counts. As soon as she does, everyone suddenly gets louder.

"Wait?! Inochi's birthday is coming up?!"
"When did this happen?!"
"Isn't his favorite season winter?! Why is his birthday in the summer?!

Oh my God, only Yui remembered my birthday. Suffering from this grief, I stumble out of the kitchen. All the eyes on me now. Kuroiro asks, "Why do you look so pale? Does your birthday bring up bad memories?"

I shake my head before I point at the two girls behind me. "They forgot my birthday."

"Ehhh?!"
"They knew each other since middle school, how could they forget?!"

"How did Kendo forget his birthday?!"

"How did Tokage forget his birthday?!"

"How did Kodai remember that of all people?!" ("Mmm, rude…")

Togaru looks at everyone like they're idiots—so it's him normally—and goes, "Y'idiots didn't know? I thought y'all were gonna throw a surprise party or somethin', so I was just waitin' t'get the invite."

Tsuburaba, offended that Togaru beat him in something, yells, "How did you remember that, mantis bastard?!"

"I got your birthdays saved on my calendar, jackass. All of ya."

At that moment, the room goes silent. The weight of Togaru's words fall on our shoulders. The deafening sound causes him to panic, shouting about what's going on. His pleads go unanswered before Pony hugs him out of the blue, cracking under the weight. "You're so sweet, Togaru! I gotta a feeling that you loved us!"

Togaru turns red, trying to push Pony off of him. "What?! Shaddup 'bout that nonsense, Horns! Get the hell off'a me!"

One by one, Togaru gets stabbed via teasing while a horse tries to hug him to death. What a good way to die.

On my left, Setsuna tugs my sleeve. "Hey Sanji, sorry about forgetting your birthday. I'll make it up to you."

On my right, Itsuka does the same thing, just a lot more embarrassed and ashamed about it. "Name your price." That's a dangerous thing to say to me. I'm already getting bad thoughts.

"...I'll tell you when I get an idea." It's a better answer rather than being incredibly upfront about my feelings. I'm not sure if Itsuka feels the same intensity as I do. But as I keep my neck on a leash, I'm bottling everything up. I'll explode at some point.

CLICK!

Someone's coming in. The three of us look and it's none other than Mister Kan and his bulldog. I wish I remembered his name; either way, he's a ferocious guy. Once Mister Kan comes in, everyone stops what they're doing—mainly arguing on the verge of fist-fighting—to greet him, acting like nothing bad was gonna happen. His dog runs into the crowd, and Kagesuke hops off of Kuroiro's lap and right onto his head. Looks like a new friendship is striking up.

"Arf arf—!"
"Grrr…"

If you can call hostile growing on Mister Kan's end as "friendly banter", that is.

Mister Kan rubs the back of his neck, staring blankly into the mess we made already. "I was gone for only a few hours finalizing everything. Next thing I know, you threw a party and made a complete pigsty of this place."

"Wanna join?" Awase asks, not fazed by his gentle scolding whatsoever. "I'm 'bout to beat Tsuburaba's ass in a Bash tournament!"

Mister Kan scowls.

Itsuka takes a moment to elbow him lightly. She whispers, "My mom brought some sake as a housewarming gift. It's deep inside one of the top cabinets so no one would find it."

From those few words, Mister Kan's scowl goes upside down into a smile. I suppose you can't keep adults away from good sake. "Guess I am joining after all."

He takes a few steps forward then stops, turning to face me. "I almost forgot, Inochi. I ran into Midoriya from 1-A earlier. He wants to talk to you."

Surprising, but not completely unexpected. I would've been more shocked if Midoriya didn't talk to me after what happened at the warehouse. "Think you can hold down the fort, Itsuka?"

"The fort might not survive, but I'll do my best. Tell me how the conversation goes, Sanji." I wasn't planning on keeping anything a secret. Well, unless Midoriya spills something that I don't know beforehand.

Setsuna pats my back and ushers me outside into the chilly air. Heights Alliance is bigger than one would think. So much bigger that it's almost startling each time you look out into the campus. The entirety of the first-years is massive, but two more years on top of that? It's insane.

Looking over to 1-A's place, I can see Midoriya's green hair before I see the man himself. I make my way over. "Midoriya, how's settling in?"

Midoriya perks his head up and nods. "All settled, uh, I guess. Can we move to someplace private? Well, more private?"

"Yeah, it'll be bad if anyone hears our conversation." Especially Tokugawa. His Quirk is Superhearing or something along those lines. But anyway, I start leading the way into one of the courtyards. No one's there luckily, only cameras. They're manned by security bots; there's no living person watching them. Basically, we're as isolated as we can be. We just need to keep an ear and eye out for eavesdroppers. "So…"

"So…" Me and Midoriya stare at each other for a few awkward seconds. "Inochi, do you think we can do it?"

I put my hands in my pockets. "Save Japan? Or am I inferring wrong?"

"Yeah, do you think we can save Japan? When…" He gulps. "When I received All Might's gift, I knew I was capable of doing, well, a lot! After U.S.J., I thought I had to only worry about Shigaraki and the League of Villains. But now, hearing the Meta Liberation Army is making a comeback, and that I'm not the only one with a powerful Quirk.. We have a lot more to face other than the League."

I was in the same spot, frankly. Before I-Island, I thought I was the only one with a weird Quirk. The Top Ten Heroes? They were lucky with what they got. Yet to find out about Origin-types at I-Island, to see Lian and Hassan-i Sabbah fighting, I knew there were powerful people across the world that we had never seen before. But we don't have to worry about the world. We need to worry about Japan.

"If you want my opinion… I think saving Japan is impossible."

"Eh?!"

"Hear me out!" I take my hands out of my pockets. "Remember what the President and General Masayuki said? Japan is experiencing decay from the inside out. Unless we can reverse that, then the tree's gonna get chopped down. What the plan is. It's… How do I explain this… After the tree falls, we'll be there to immediately plant another."

"Isn't that the same as giving up though? To say that it's impossible to save what we already have? The same buildings that surround us, the same cities that we live in? I refuse to believe it's that hopeless or impossible! What about All Might—"

"—All Might is a Hero, and that's all he'll ever be. He's not a professor, he's not a doctor, he's not a newscaster, he's not a journalist, he's a Pro Hero. Our world revolves around heroism, but it's isn't the only star out there. He can only do so much."

"What about what happened at I-Island with you? Tokage tried to expose the Meta Liberation Army, right? What if we tried to do the same thing?"

"If we can take out the entirety of the M.L.A. in a single swoop, that'll be amazing, but they're in really high places. I don't doubt that some form of economic collapse would happen, or collapse in every sector in general. If we take out the leaders, another will take their place. If we reveal this to the public, what's stopping them from waging war right then and there—assuming that the media can't wipe the story off the face of the earth. They already wanna overthrow us; they're just planning a way to come out of it unscathed."

It's the logic that kills us. If this, then that. If we do this, then they'll counter. They have all the cards while we're going bust. Really, the only thing we can do is prepare for that eventuality. Me and Midoriya are the Commission's trump cards. They're relying on us to put an end to their regime. Regrettably, it's not as simple as cutting off Re-Destro's head.

"Is it really inevitable, Inochi?" he asks. "It doesn't feel like it's the end of the world. It feels like it's any other day. I know tomorrow will come, and the day after tomorrow. I feel like I can do so much, but I feel like I can't do anything at the same time. Why is Japan collapsing right now? When it feels so peaceful?"

"I think those movies lied to us, heh." I awkwardly scratch the back of my neck. "I thought there'd be a big event that'll rupture society too. But no… No, it's just a slow, gradual process. It's depressing to think about, yeah. It sucks looking outside the window knowing that you're on a train track to doom. It sucks even more that the people who built the train put you as the conductor."

When we stop believing that tomorrow will come, it'll be the same day when Japan is caught ablaze.

Midoriya looks down at the ground. "So either way, we'll be training a lot more than we initially thought. Kacchan said he's going to join me because he doesn't want to get 'left behind'. I'm not sure when me and All Might will tell him about One For All though."

Migraine. It's like someone slammed a baseball bat into my skull and kept beating my brains in, but my head just wouldn't break. Trying to maintain myself, I say through the pain, "Y-Yeah, me and Itsuka figured your secret out a while ago. It wasn't too hard to piece together, especially when we're two peas in a pod. Looks like you were Quirkless. All Might too."

"I guess Master Kendo told you about All Might, huh?" Anxiously, he starts to twist a foot against the concrete. "You're legally Quirkless, so uh, we're two weird peas… We're two underdogs."

"Underdogs?" I curiously tilt my head. The migraine's fading away. "I never considered myself as one. If I say that I am, then I have something to prove to the world, y'know?"

"Right right…" Midoriya makes an awkward face. "I don't think about being an underdog too. I would rather focus on saving people and defeating Villains. The only ones I have to prove to are our teachers."

"Least we have that in common. Back to the Quirkless thing, about us… When I found out All Might was Quirkless before inheriting…" I pause. "...that Quirk from Nana Shimura, I thought I'd be ecstatic 'cause he was my role model growing up."

"You thought? What happened?" says Midoriya with a hint of offense in his voice.

I shrug my shoulders. "Not quite sure. When I found out, I felt indifferent. My opinion of him didn't change." For no particular reason, I start walking towards the center of the courtyard. Midoriya follows me.

I spent a lot of time training. I spent a lot of time wishing I could be a Pro Hero, to emulate myself after All Might. Really, everything was just a getaway…

"I still admire him. He deserves to be memorialized with a statue when he eventually puts down the Earth. He's an amazing role model to have, and some even define their lives around him. I know you're an All Might fanboy, so I hope I don't offend you by saying that. It's just… I dunno, what can I say?

"My life isn't defined by him. It was definitely impacted in ways more than one, but that's about it. Where I'm standing now…" I stop. "...Compared to where I stood years ago, I think I needed an excuse to make my life better. It sounds selfish, I know, but it gave me the push I desperately needed."

Midoriya sighs. "I don't know what your life was like, Inochi. For me, I spent thousands of hours watching clips of All Might online, memorizing his catchphrases, memorizing each and little tidbit of detail I could get my hands on. My mind was running laps with him, so I wrote a series of journals about people, detailing their Quirks, support equipment if any, all of that. Whenever I felt sad, I buried my head deep into my passions and never looked back.

"And… And I don't wanna look back now! I was Quirkless, but I don't wanna remember the pain it caused me! Now that I have this gift, given to me by the man I adore so much, I wanna stop that pain for everyone else in the world! I know curing people of their pain can't be solved by being a single Hero, yet if I try to be a smiling, cool, dependent, brave, courageous, and the best Hero I am, then it might be possible!

"Even if you say that stopping the Meta Liberation Army before they make a wreck outta Japan is impossible, I still think there's a shot! I don't wanna resign myself to that kind of thinking! What kind of Hero would I be then?! I don't wanna give up, because not giving up already took me this far!"

Midoriya has a unique sort of determination in his eyes. It's half-crazed half-noble. Well, he's right. By preservering, that alone gave him the opportunity to become the next heir after All Might. And well, I don't like that the Commission is giving up on saving Japan too. If Midoriya can figure out a way to save our skins and not sink our already sinking ship, then I'm with him.

"Jeez…" I mutter. Midoriya's fluffy, out of control green hair starts swaying in the wind. The moonlight perfectly encapsulates him, almost like the moon is giving him a spotlight, a soapbox to stand on. "Midoriya, out of everything in the world, I treasure dreams the most."

Midoriya, hearing me say something so off-topic, stops himself from talking any further. It seems he was ready to fight me on his stance.

I go on, "Sorta like the kind when you sleep, but rather, your aspirations. Everyone has a unique dream, compounded by various factors and circumstances. 'Cause of them, you can create roads, these walls, this school… You can create, you can heal, you can save… They, out of everything, can break the realm of impossibility, and you proved exactly that by you being here.

"I know that makes me a hypocrite considering what I said, but I don't like reality either. Midoriya, if you manage to find a way to stop the M.L.A. before they revolt, then I'll hear you out. Your Quirk might be…" I frown. I'm beginning to hear whispers again. "...One For All, but it's just… Doing everything alone is crazy, y'know?"

He nods. Then nods again. And again. "Y-Yeah, I'll be sure to tell you if I have an idea. Can I ask you something though, Inochi? Your Quirk…"

Instinctively, I suck in a breath.

"...You know what it is, don't you? When you were in the warehouse with the President, you kept it a secret from her."

A small laugh comes out. Guess that's me admitting it. The whispers quiet themselves; I still can't make out what they're trying to say. "Yeah, I know what my Quirk is. You're the ninth holder, I'm the tenth heir."

However, I can't feel the other eight holders. I'm at a point where I can feel resonance from other Origin-type Quirks. All Might gave off a signal, but Midoriya isn't. "...Did you tell Master Kendo and, uh, Kendo yet?"

I shake my head. "I will at some point. Not now, 'cause I don't wanna focus on serious business for a while." After all, I wanna confess to Itsuka. Well, that's if I don't break and do something that I might regret. "Can I tell you something about your Quirk though?"

"Tell me what?"

"You're not fully awakened like me," I tell him flat. "People with Origin-types can feel each other's presence. That is, if they're awakened too. I'm at a point where I can sense others like Lian, All Might, and Hassan-i Sabbah, but not you. It's really weird because you can use your Quirk as it should, yet…

"It's like you haven't broken into the entirety of its strength, only a mere fraction."

"Are you saying that there's more to One For All than you think? That doesn't explain All Might though. He doesn't have any other power that I know of."

"Then it has to be something unique to you and you only. Lian called it your 'Quality'. Imagine it as the 'quirk of your Quirk', where each heir of an Origin-type has something unique that separates them from the rest. And you? Uh, I frankly have no idea."

I feel like a messenger giving Midoriya a ton of mail.

"There's so much I don't know… But uh, thank you for telling me, Inochi. I'll be sure to be careful in the future," he says. "So, I guess you should head back to your dorm?"

"Yeah, but lemme stay here a little while. You can go back." Midoriya nods, returning my farewell before heading back to his dorms. I'm left behind in the courtyard. I just wanted some time to myself.

The headache stopped. The whispers stopped. What do I do now? When school starts back up, I'll be training non-stop. I have a lot to think about, too much to think about actually. I should be responsible and try to figure out what's going on with me, but I don't wanna think at all. I have so many questions, but I don't wanna chase after answers. Really, all I wanna do is just…

Just do what Yoru said: seize the day.

Seize the day and be merry, rejoice and be jovial, and that's all of the flowerful language I can think of.

My problems can survive a week without deliberation.

That's what you want, Yoru. I'll do it.

I'll definitely do it.

24 Years Later

"Wanna stop there for now? It's a long story, but hey, you wanted to hear the entire thing," Itsuka asks, standing up from the kitchen table with a warm mug of coffee comfortably snug around her hands.

The younger girl, standing up with her, shrugs her shoulders in response. If there's a trademarked expression for all teenagers, then she has the exact image plastered on her face: wholly indifferent. "Might as well. I don't wanna sit here all day. Didn't expect you to go from the very beginning when you two first met."

Itsuka sassily puts a hand on her hip, almost regretting telling the story to the girl. "It's the entire story from beginning to end. I thought you oughta know the full context so you won't be stuck with some random guy ranting to you about him while you're stuck there mindlessly nodding your head."

"I do that regardless. At this point, when they mention his name, I don't care if they have good things or bad things to say about him. I take a deep breath and say, 'Yes ma'am. Yes sir. No ma'am. No sir. Haha, I agree. I see.' Y'know, like that." The girl mimics maturity as she spoke, standing up straight with her posture strong, voice stable without a hint of annoyance leaking through her facial expressions. It seems she's a master at acting already, right at the age of sixteen.

Itsuka rolls her eyes, taking a sip from her mug then sighing in satisfaction. Some things don't change, even after a couple of decades. "Really though, you oughta know his story. This is the perfect time too since you're about to go into U.A. and all that. You should know where he started. How much he changed, how much he suffered, and what he did…"

"Everyone in town tells me that," the girl says. "They tell me stories about him. Some long, some short, but every word is praise. He suffered, but he pulled through. On the other hand, if I look up his name, I get links to articles saying he's the worst man on Earth. He's a mass murderer, a war criminal. Y'know, the average insults someone could get."

She looks out a nearby window, continuing to have that indifferent expression. On the other side lies a bustling town, roaring with activity. If she points at any random place, she can tell what that establishment is and who owns it. The girl knows her hometown like the back of her hand. She knows everyone who lives there, and especially, she knows how each person is connected to him.

Itsuka crosses her arms. "Is that why you asked me to give you the entire story? I mean, I'm no journalist. Hell, I don't wanna be those jackasses. My story is obviously biased and skewed. Otherwise, we wouldn't be talking."

"It's true though. I could've asked Grandma, but she would've pointed me to you. I could've asked Sage, but whenever I visit her, she always goes off-topic then tries to make me eat candy. I tried asking her for help on my math homework once and she went on a tangent about how much math changed since she went to school." The girl cringes thinking about Sage. She loves her no doubt; however, Sage is an...acquired taste. If the word 'eccentric' had a face, she would be it.

Amused by the girl's story, Itsuka laughs to herself. "Be nice to Sage. She does her best, and she loves you a lot."

"I know." The girl lets her head rest against the window. "Back on topic though, I wanted to hear his story because I'm tired of hearing lies. Is he great? Who knows. Is he terrible? I dunno. He's controversial, and this is the perfect time to dispel those mysteries."

"I get ya. I could've gotten Aki to come downstairs and listen." Saying that out loud, Itsuka frowns. "But it's too much of an adult story for him to handle."

"Clearly, you two were doing some crazy stuff when you were my age," the girl sarcastically says. "Holding hands, cuddling, then all the way to third base. Oh, and the occasional life-threatening event here and there. Can't believe it's the same person who did all those things."

"Sweetheart—"

"—What is it, Mom?" the girl raises her voice, her gray eyes staring into her mother's crystal blues. Those few words are filled with contempt for that man. He was the same one who cherished his friends, and according to her words, the same one who was called a "war criminal" by the news. "Will you tell me that he's a good person again?"

Itsuka sighs, letting every part of her body frown, down from her eyes to her shoulders. "Don't judge him like that. Not until I tell you everything."

"Mmm—"

"—Ayuko."

Briefly, as if she's weighing her options, she concedes. Ayuko sits down at the table again, right in front of her mother.

"Fine. I doubt my judgement is harsher than Japan's."

Author Comments

Hi. It's me again. I wanted to make this chapter "shorter" than the others but it somehow ended up being 26k words, which is pretty damn long but hey, I got it out! In three weeks no less. I would've done it last Saturday but I was preparing to go on vacation. I just got back yesterday night and got enough energy to post this chapter. It's a fairly eventful chapter with some reveals here and there.

The first is obviously the, well, first scene. The President of the HPSC and a military general are going up to some random high school students saying, "Guess what? Japan is fucked, and your responsibility is to un-fuck it when the time comes." This is one of the biggest canon-divergent events so far, where *everyone* (1-A and 1-B) is aware of the M.L.A.'s presence. This means during the Paranormal Liberation War Arc (anime-onlys are not respected here), everyone is more prepared. That is, if you assume the PLF aren't prepared also. The stakes are raised in this fanfic; you could guess that already during the I-Island Arc when I introduced some of the strongest characters in terms of power scaling. Hell, Midoriya learned Shoot Style *earlier* and dorms were established *before* the Training Camp Arc. The Japanese government is also fully aware that the M.L.A. are very much about to destroy Japan from the inside out, but they can't do anything because that same group have people on the inside that would guarantee their freedom.

It's no wonder why the President is drastic with her measures. Increased training, especially for Sanji and Deku. Unfortunately, she's not an ally either. She has her own views on how to handle this crisis, and thankfully, she doesn't have the power to execute them to the fullest extent. Chapter 51 will introduce a greater dynamic to the world and especially the powerful figures involved in relation to the characters. Before, they were students; now, they're the next hope. But it sure as hell doesn't feel like they are. They're the last resort, yet they're treated like weapons. No one is praising them because they haven't showed anything that's worth praising. When the job is done, maybe they wouldn't receive praise at all.

Sanji, during this, feels the President's wrath hard, being worked up by her words. In the next scene, he comes to terms with himself. Here, the introspection regarding his relationship to All Might is really important because it puts his previous character (in the early chapters) into context. Sanji then is not similar to Sanji now, who matured especially after Catharsis and now I-Island. He doesn't have the same ideation that Deku had, and that was one of the sole reasons why Sanji doesn't really idealize All Might to the point where it defines his entire motivation. Really, due to his circumstances before, being a foster child and constantly bullied, he simply wanted to have a better life. All Might gave him that drive, and his mind made All Might a proxy for his own motivation. He's not acting like All Might; rather, he's acting as the person he wanted to be. And he is. He is that person. At least, 85% of it. That 15% is eh...

Of course, we have to mention that Sanji and Itsuka found out the secret of One For All, but it's not a dramatic reveal. They pieced the clues together and this meeting confirmed their suspicions. It's not a big event and frankly, it doesn't change their dynamic between Deku and All Might. The most interesting thing though is Deku not being "woke" enough that Sanji can feel resonance. Why? Well, manga-spoilers (again, anime-onlys are not respected). It's simply because Deku is able to use the previous Quirks of each OFA holder. Once he awakens to that, Sanji will feel his presence. I don't really consider this a spoiler in the fanfic since you can deduce that already. In my eyes, I see it as a "wow nice detail" instead of a big foreshadowing event or crap like that.

After that, it's another Sanji and Itsuka scene. Lemme tell you, brainstormed exactly when Sanji would realize his feelings a hundred times and settled on *this chapter*. Why? You'll see later. Really, from the moment he spent the night with Itsuka in I-Island, it woke something up inside him: he longed for intimate touch because he never had it before. Back then, he only had heroism to keep him going. Now? He has friends and someone he loves him; in a way, it gives him another reason to keep pushing forward. When he realized that he loves her, he wants to seize it. Skipping ahead to the conversation with Setsuna, he showcases this in a comedic fashion: he fell hard. This is why I was careful with him because I knew, once it was established, he'd chase after it as soon as possible.

Speaking of Setsuna, oof. For her life, her dad told her what to do. She became dependent on him for big, massive decisions regarding her life and trusted his "masterplan" to make her successful. Now that she made a big decision on her own (and it blew up in her face somewhat), she felt guilt. In a way, she wanted Papa Tokage to scold her for being an idiot, for endangering her friends, for making him a pawn of the government, et cetera. However, she's told that it's not a big deal since he expected this all along, albeit a few deviations. What she did, outside nearly endangering her friends which actually angered him (but not for long), was an inconvinence. It made her mind spin in circles because she couldn't understand. Much like Sanji, she's keeping everything to herself. Although Sanji has Itsuka to confide in (not entirely though), Setsuna doesn't take that step that Sanji has. Her character development is slowed because she doesn't allow herself to open up (genuinely open up) to others. All she has is short-term happiness when her friends forgive her, quickly moving onto being goofballs, or focusing on romance that other people have.

Then dorms. The first scene, back to Sanji, is pure fluff. Don't have much to say. After it is Sanji taking responsibility. He cleared up any misunderstandings and wanted to become a genuine leader for his friends to follow, but most importantly, a friend that they can laugh with. He ensured that they will treat him like that. For me, this is a good scene for him because he clearly shows concern for his image. Not arrogantly but rather making sure that his friends don't treat him differently, even when admitting that he has a powerful Quirk. Moving on afterwards to the scene with Deku, this scene is here because they needed to talk after the first scene. I wanted to establish more of a contrast between them, but also more of a common ground. Here, this is where their stories have more interactions rather than scattered ones in the past. They both realize their responsibility and what they need to do; however, their story is also their own. They can play an influence in each other but ultimately won't decide where they end up.

And apparently, 24 years later, Sanji's story ends up in the hands of Ayuko, his daughter. Sanji is 15 (soon 16 when Eiyukawa happens), so he has a daughter roughly 8-9 years from then. In Ayuko's time, Sanji's story has already ended. If you remember from the first chapters, Itsuka was narrating his story to someone else (that someone is Ayuko). Sanji Inochi had a tragic story to tell, but Ayuko has a different perspective. He became famous; he became infamous. Ayuko grew up hearing both sides; Ayuko knows exactly what happened that gave him such a bipartisan reputation. He's a "mass murderer", a "war criminal". Because of that, or who knows what Ayuko is thinking, she doesn't have the best image of him.

Here, 24 years later, takes place in the final part of Dreaming of Stars, where everything ended and the good guys won. The Villains are gone, and the Heroes remained victorious. However, there's still a central conflict that hasn't been solved. What that conflict is, I won't reveal that. It's not a Villain though, but it lies within the heart of Japan itself. Who's Sage? Why is Sanji called a "mass murder" and a "war criminal"? Is he still alive? Why did I include this scene in the first place?

Who knows. I have the answers, but eh, fuck you. (For the last question: I like setting things up, especially overarching themes that haven't properly introduced themselves.)

The next chapter will be a lot less eventful. I need more fluffy moments.

Please. (PS I'm sorry if there's any formatting issues.)