Dreaming of Stars

by Gushy48

Sanji Inochi, a selfless man who is unable to use his Quirk—Dreams, being considered Quirkless. Through luck and seemingly-impossible odds, he finds his way to U.A. High School in Class 1-B. With what Life brings to 1-B, the society that they live in—the Hero Society—will forever be altered. (x-posted on AO3)

54. Fireworks

Itsuka Kendo

Wonder how everything ended up like this? I'll just check up on everyone else for a lil' bit.

Me: "Who's dead?"

Queen_of_1-B: "arent you on a date"

Jacky: "quirkless broke up with you already huh?"

Yui: "sad"

Reikoko: "Tragic, you could say."

Abyssal_Soul: "Woeful, thou art"

Me: "Shut up, we met someone unexpected"

Phantom_Thief: "Pray tell, do elaborate! Keep us naught in the dark, but in the light!"

Me: "I swear I will punch you so hard that you'll be kept in the dark for the rest of your life"

Phantom_Thief: "Violence is not a beautiful look on you, my dear friend"

Queen_of_1-B: "ignore him, i'm interested"

Queen_of_1-B: "who did you meet"

Me: "Uh"

How do I explain this…? Well, me and Sanji met Chae Hamin, the current No.1 Hero of South Korea. We had a short conversation where we, mainly Sanji, kept sputtering over ourselves because we met a literal prodigy who can take us down without moving a muscle. Thankfully, the awkwardness was cut down when Grandpa texted me that we should meet up.

And that's where we are now: we met up with Grandpa and Mom, but that's when we met more people, singular actually. Her name is Hyun Yeong-ju, Bam, a former No.1 Hero and the woman who raised Chae Hamin and his older sister, Starlight, or Chae Haneul if we use real names.

Yeah, I'm not overloaded with information at all. No, I don't feel bad 'bout myself having a living weapon in front of me. Right now, Miss Hyun and Grandpa are watching Sanji and Chae Hamin hit it off. Mom is off to the side staring at this sudden encounter like how I am: awe plus general bewilderment.

Let's see how these goofballs react...

Me: "Do any of you know the current No.1 of South Korea?"

Airhead: "i dont even know where south korea is"

PunMaster: "our education system at work!"

Airhead: "shut up juzo do you know the current no.1 of south korea"

PunMaster: "chae hamin, hunter, youngest recorded no.1 at the age of 18"

Me: "Exactly it"

Airhead: "how the hell"

Ibara_Shiozaki: "Language."

Airhead: "how the heck"

Shemage is online!

Uh oh…

Shemage: "hunter is also the younger brother of starlight! both of them were raised by a former no1 hero, bam! the chae family had their parents taken away by them during the busan bombing but starlight who was only twelve wanted to protect her little brother! her parents knew Bam personally as heroism managers so she begged her to teach her the ropes! And bam did, raising one of the best kpop idols to date!"

Shemage: "but don't forget about hunter! he wanted to be like his big sister so he enrolled in south koreas equivalent of ua, yeong-ung academy seoul! he started off weak, his quirk wasnt as powerful as it is now. but but but, through a chance encounter with the country's most infamous villain admiral, who could manipulate water without any limitations, he experienced a quirk awakening and was able to beat him as a first-year!"

Shemage: "now hunter is one of the most popular heroes in the country! Both cause hes really strong and really handsome!"

PunMaster: "ok, you guys cant complain about my rants if you let kinoko do this"

Abyssal_Soul: "Each, we contain an infinite well of knowledge. In Kinoko's case, let it be idols"

Abyssal_Soul: "If I might also add, this is surprisingly well-put together in stark contrast to your essays, Kinoko"

Shemage: "who needs to write an essay about boring laws when you got idols?!"

Not gonna lie, I wasn't expecting Kinoko to give me a textbook entry on these three, but I'm thankful. I got some context I could use. But what was the Busan Bombing again…? Right right! It was an incident where a Villain ignited a bomb in Busan, a city in South Korea, which killed thousands and injured thousands more.

Wow, kinda depressing remembering it… Even in the modern era, we still have tragedies such as that, countless deaths 'cause of a man's whim. Reminds me just how shitty this world can be sometimes, but that's why I'm here.

Phantom_Thief: "Hunter, the youngest recorded No.1 in the world… What's your connection with him, Itsuka?"

Shemage: "yea yea! spill the shrooms else ya might go kaboom!"

Me: "Me and Sanji actually met Hunter earlier, Bam met my grandpa and mom, and now we're together"

Jacky: "how many no.1s are you meeting"

Jacky: "first valjean and monarch, now these chuckleheads"

Shemage: "these chuckleheads can beat you up and make you taste how bitter defeat is!"

Shemage: "wait"

Shemage: "itsuka, did you actually meet them"

I take a picture and attach it to the group chat. There, they can see my family talking with Miss Hyun and Chae Hamin.

Abyssal_Soul: "I am right beside Kinoko"

Abyssal_Soul: "She is currently screaming"

Abyssal_Soul: "She is also gaining the attention of everyone around her"

Abyssal_Soul: "It does not help that Juzo is screaming with her"

Jacky: "sounds like a you problem"

Shemage: "autograph get me an autoawijkjwa;kjdwa"

Airhead: "kinokos going shroomcrazy"

Ibara_Shiozaki: "May God have mercy on her soul."

Me: "I'll be sure to get an autograph for you"

Me: "Just don't die on me before then"

Shemage: "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"

Queen_of_1-B: "too late for that"

Me: "Think I should go offline"

I put my phone away. Mom's still watching everyone, so I'll just see what she's doing. I walk up to her and put my head on her shoulder. "Didn't think I would meet another No.1 so soon, let alone two."

"You and Sanji are making some big connections," Mom says. "Get their business cards. You never know if you need some international contacts."

"Ah, Sanji can handle that. He's the one who saw Chae Hamin in the first place. It's the, uh, what was it again? Some sorta sixth sense he has 'cause of his Quirk."

"Not surprising… I watched a video of Chae Hamin fighting after he introduced himself. Actually, lemme pull it up." Mom takes her phone out and shows me a video.

In the video, Chae Hamin's there and his partner: a building that's about to collapse at any moment—a tag team made in heaven. Really though, a collapsing building? That's something even All Might would have trouble with. And Chae Hamin doesn't have a, no offense All Might, gaudy costume; all he's wearing is just a black long coat with black pants, also wearing a black bodysuit underneath it all. It's nothing but black. Reminds me of Shihai's.

That's besides the point. The building won't collapse into itself, but rather, ready to take a few of its friends with it. The camera zooms in on Chae Hamin right as the entire structure tilts over to the right. He clutches his head, and instantaneously, a blue glow swarms every nook and cranny, engulfing it like fire. It stops completely. The...whole freaking building stops. I heard that Psionic-type Quirks were insane, but this? Being able to control a skyscraper's little brother? What kind of bullshit is that?

Adding onto said bullshit, Chae Hamin yells something in Korean and people start running, blood pouring down his nose. The cameraman escapes with the crowd, lens still focused on the Hero. They get a few blocks away, the building shifting too much for comfort, crumbling under the pressure that Chae Hamin's putting on it.

Then, he clenches his hand. The foundations crack and splinter apart, falling on itself within seconds. So that's what he did… He stopped the building's descent with his Quirk and uprighted it; once everyone was at a safe distance, he basically caused an implosion like how construction companies handle it. 'Cause of that, it reduced as much damage dealt to its surroundings.

Okay, let alone having a monstrous telekinetic ability, he has technique to back it up. Yeah, now I'm starting to get jealous of all these guys with powerful Quirks.

"All that for a bad nosebleed," I mutter. "Psionic-types really are something, huh Mom? Imagine Reiko with that kind of power."

Mom jokes, "This is why I don't trust espers or whatever you call 'em. They have too much going on inside their heads, ha. Mom joke, I'm sorry."

"Doesn't look like he has an Origin-type though—Sanji would've said so by now. He must be strong enough where his senses get ticked off regardless of the fact." I groan, blowing air through my nose. Guess I'm a tad peeved that a No.1 intervened in my night out. "Didn't expect my date to take a detour though."

Mom sighs, eavesdropping on everyone chatting among themselves. "Sorry sweetheart. Well, what can you do? Bam worked with your grandfather in the past, so they're catching up. Not only that, Sanji managed to catch the interest of Hunter, who's apparently notorious for being belligerent."

I frown. "That's what I get for falling in love with a complete wildcard. You end up in unexpected situations daily. Heh, you could say that's 'part of the fun. But am I having fun right now? Debatable."

With her elbow, Mom nudges me forward. "Then join the fun, or at least, be 'round Sanji. Don't let him handle all of the talking on his own. Remember, he's an introvert. He doesn't look like it, doesn't sound like it, but he still is one. He's prolly anxious from talking to two very influential people."

"Alright alright, guess I'm gonna save Sanji again." Mom laughs a lil', letting me swoop in and join the chit-chat.

Chae Hamin has Sanji taken hostage, forcing him to give every last detail about his personal life. No but really, once I approach 'em, I hear Sanji giving his story to the guy. Stuttering though, not surprising. Hearing that this man is the youngest No.1 in recorded history, it'll fry some nerves alright.

And clearly, his nerves are pretty fried. His shoulders are tense, his eyes are unwilling to meet halfway with Chae Hamin's, he has a strained smile, I can hear him rambling, so yeah! He's definitely not having the best time right now. That's why I'm here.

Coming 'round to Sanji's side, I chime, "Telling your life story to Mister No.1 over here? I forget, who's exactly your date?"

Once I came in and gave him a tease that's equivalent to a weak jab, he eases up. He fixes his posture and manages to replace his strained, goofy smile with a genuine one. Just from me being here, that anxiety he has just melts away. "Sorry sorry, Chae—and it's fine to use just his last name by the way, Itsuka—wanted to know more about me."

Chae nods, crossing his arms. Mom's right. He does look belligerent. The tone he took with us earlier definitely points to him being on constant edge all the time. For someone who's only a few years older than us, he acts a decade more. That look on his face… Definitely handsome. Can give any girl a heart attack with a smolder, but it's high strung, like a Villain will come outta the woodworks to ruin our night.

"It's…" Chae begins, "...interesting hearing his story so far. A foster child bouncing around from home to home before eventually being left in your care. Deceptively weak, yet holds the greatest potential in his generation. Makes a man think…"

"Think 'bout what?" I ask.

"That's none of your business." he snaps as if he's gonna bite my fingers off, but a second after, he frowns. Must've realized he sounded like an asshole. "Sorry. Didn't mean to."

"Mhm, yeah." My lips form into a line. Better not pry into Chae's words. Got a feeling he isn't so receptive to pouring his heart out to two kids he just met. "Least you aren't the only crabby Hero in Japan. We got one of those too: second under All Might."

"Endeavor, correct?" Chae turns away, scowling. Is this guy upset that I compared him to Endeavor or…? Y'know what, he's giving me mixed signals. He's either terrible at expressing his emotions or he's a real asshole. Right now, he's not saying anything. He's thinking a lot—that's what I believe anyway—but there's not a single word coming out of his mouth. Pure silence and nothing else.

And it stays like that for about a minute. Nudging Sanji with my elbow, I whisper, "What d'ya think 'bout Chae so far? You've been talking to him longer than I have."

Sanji shrugs. "If small comments constitute 'talking', then you'd be right. From body language alone, 'defensive' isn't the right word for his current attitude. Think 'cautious' is better, but overtly so."

"Is he still considering you a possible threat? Or is he sizing you up because you 'hold the greatest potential in our generation'?"

"The latter, I'd wager." Sanji puts his main hand over his mouth, his elbow held by his other hand, arm perpendicular to his body. "Encountering someone who parallels you in strength, you'd be interested in knowing everything about them too. Morbid curiosity or necessary precaution though, that's a debate to be had."

I rest a hand on his shoulder. "Then we oughta get to know him too. Setsuna's the daughter of a shrewd businessman, so let's channel him for a few minutes."

Chae asks, "What are you two whispering about?"

I cut to the chase, "You actually. What's your story, Chae? How did you rise to fame so quickly?" Thanks to Kinoko, I know the general details. It'll be good to get Chae's spin on things being the man himself.

However, he gives me a frown. Not sure if he's so eager. "Admiral's defeat. I skimmed through current events in Japan, so you can think of Admiral as the equivalent of Tomura Shigaraki or Stain. I took him down when I was a first-year in school."

"And you experienced a Quirk Awakening, right?" My words make Sanji raise an eyebrow, surprised at the reveal. Chae, on the other hand, deepens his frown.

He says, "You didn't recognize me earlier, but you know something like that?"

"Is it unreasonable to look up your name on the internet?"

"Hmph." Chae turns to the side again before staring at me in particular. "Yes, I experienced a Quirk Awakening. Before then, my Quirk was known as 'Lesser Telekinesis'; now, as you most likely read on my ID card, it's 'Psychokinesis'."

"Is there a difference between 'Telekinesis' and 'Psychokinesis'? I'm not well-versed in anything psionic," prods Sanji.

"There's a subtle difference. It's not relevant to the conversation at hand. I thought your girlfriend wanted to know more about me."

My cheeks flush with a tinge of red. Heh, girlfriend. Something about that makes me wanna giggle. Something tells me I shouldn't giggle like a dork in front of Chae though. He'll look at me like I'm some sorta freak.

I elaborate, "I do 'cause you're a world record holder. And from the sounds of things, you and Sanji have more than a few things in common. Handsome, shrouded with mystery, complete weirdos though. I thought you had tidbits of wisdom you could share."

"'Tidbits of wisdom'?" Chae almost scoffs. "I don't feel like sharing. I would rather stay back and keep my mouth shut."

I cross my arms. "Seriously? So you picked Sanji's brain but you keep a lock on yours?"

"My wiki page has enough information for you, Kendo. I know my auntie is old friends with your grandfather so I extended enough courtesy then. Frankly, I don't feel like talking."

Not gonna lie, I'm getting kinda pissed. I heard enough to figure out that he's a complete ass. Wonder what side of the bed he woke up on. Tried giving him the benefit of the doubt but think I'm gonna drop the niceties.

Sanji whispers, "Hey Itsuka, I'm not exactly sure antagonizing the man on par with All Might is a good idea."

I whisper back, "Don't worry, I got this. Have a lil' faith in your girlfriend."

His cheeks grow red, but he cutely pouts.

Doing good on what I say: "Courtesy? Is that what you showed us when we cleared up the misunderstanding earlier? As I see it now: this entire conversation could be an insult against Sanji."

Chae stiffens up. He stands sideways, facing a random stall just so he doesn't make eye contact with me. "An insult…?"

"Yeah, 'cause for one, you made him talk about his life while giving us minimal details about yours. Not to mention your tone. You're acting like we're gonna stab you in the back. I get it though. Can't take too many measures against guys like Sanji. Still dwelling on the chance that one of Japan's upcomings will be rotten?"

Sanji stares at me wide-eyed. "Itsuka…"

A bead of sweat runs down his face. "Ah, that's not what I—"

"—Hamin!" Miss Hyun walks up and playfully whacks him across the head. "You're right, Sasaki! Your granddaughter really is confrontational."

Grandpa puts a hand on my shoulder, sighing. "She got that from her mother." Speaking of Mom, I don't see her. Where did she go? "Even against your boy, she's willing to chew her tongue off."

Chae uncomfortably shifts around while Miss Hyun leans against him. She says, "Please excuse Hamin here. I figured this would happen tonight. You see, he has a really dark, intense secret that he wants no one to find out about."

He stiffens up further, becoming a steel beam. "Auntie—!"

"—He's socially awkward." Miss Hyun hovers a hand over her heart, shedding a fake tear. "Poor Chae Hamin, he might be the No.1 in Korea, but he's in last place when it comes to social skills! Any time he's out in public, he prays to every single God that he doesn't encounter a fan! A press conference? He says the bare minimum to get by!"

"So his reputation of being belligerent is…" I start.

"...Him shutting down conversations before they even happen. Otherwise, he'll mentally shut down. Remember, he's only eighteen! Just a couple of years older than you two," Miss Hyun explains. Wow, so it really was the other thing… Now I feel bad for pushing him. Hmph, I'm not completely remorseful though. As shameless Sanji is, he's not used to confronting asshats who want to irk him.

Suddenly, Sanji pushes a hand between my shoulderblades and forces me to bow. "We're sorry if we said anything unkind, especially Itsuka. Just as you said, she's confrontational. It only happens when someone offends the people she cares about."

We stand back up. To pay Sanji back for forcing me down, I pinch his arm. Grandpa catches me and shoots me a look of disapproval. Yeah yeah…

Miss Hyun pats Chae's back, who afterwards, finds a place to stand off to the side, pulling his hood up. Embarrassed, incredibly embarrassed. Reminds me of Amajiki from the third-years… "I guess he took your apology well. Don't worry, he's a strong boy. He'll mentally recover. However, I'm wondering something about you, Sanji—hope I'm not being too presumptuous by using your first name…"

Her eyes focus on Sanji, then sets her sights on me, then on Grandpa. "Was one of your parents Korean?"

"Eh?"
"What?"
"Korean?"

Sanji scratches the back of his head. "Uh, no idea? I'm definitely Japanese, but Korean? Never considered it."

Miss Hyun takes a few steps towards him, making extravagant and frankly pompous strides like she's a walking comedy show. Once she's in front of us, she leans forward and analytically takes a closer look at Sanji. "You're definitely half-Korean. You have features that Koreans typically have, yet your facial structure resembles that of Japanese boys. How have none of you noticed this before?"

"I can barely distinguish between my bathroom sink and my toilet, Bam. Do you think I can tell the difference between Koreans and Japanese?" Grandpa says.

"Never thought 'bout it before." I think back to Kinoko. "One of my friends listen to K-Pop all the time and she never mentioned it. In her defense, she, uh, isn't the most perceptive."

Hearing something new about himself, Sanji takes a second to gather his thoughts. "Half-Korean, huh? You really do learn something new everyday. Well Itsuka, guess we make up the Asian trifecta: you're part-Chinese, I'm part-Korean, and last but not least, we're Japanese"

"You inherited the best of both worlds," Miss Hyun compliments us. "If heroism doesn't work out, you should try modeling. It's incredibly lucrative."

I adamantly shake my head. "Incredibly not-me. During my one-week work-study, I had to model for a shampoo commercial. Big waste of my time." And accounting for Catharsis's rampage, Stain's too, that week was the worst. I was trapped 'round red tape and couldn't do anything. It ruined modeling for me. Besides, I'm not the latest fashion icon and don't wanna be.

"You looked fantastic in that commercial though," Sanji teases. "Too bad it's not running anymore. Good thing I saved it to my phone."

"Y'know Sanji, some of the stuff you say and do can easily be stalker-y."

"I'm not a stalker!"

"You're around me twenty-four seven."

"That's because we lived in the same house for nearly a year, went to the same school, and now, we're staying in the same dormitory."

I smirk, coyly facing away from me. "Obsessive…"

Grandpa groans for a few seconds, tilting his head towards the empty black sky. "This is the stuff I have to deal with all the time, Bam."

Miss Hyun clicks her tongue. "If I was in your position, I'd be smiling at how cute these two are! This is your first 'official' date, right? I chewed your grandfather's ear off because I really do adore youthful romance. Reminds me of the days when I dreamt of being the female lead in a K-drama. Of course, I couldn't juggle being an actress on top of my career as an Idol Hero. I'm multi-talented, but time management isn't one of them."

She's looking at me directly. Well, just to be courteous of my elder, I oughta reply. "Yeah, this is our first 'official' date. He's the one who asked me out, and seeing his puppy eyes, I had to give the poor guy a chance."

Sanji crosses his arms, tapping his right sandal against the pavement. "I'd like to apologize for my date again. She has a habit of being cheeky with me, never wasting a good opportunity to throw some wit."

Our honored elder laughs, putting her hands together with elegance. Seeing how she moves, even all the small gestures, it's with a ton of grace. Guess she can leave the idol world but the idol in her never left. "It's fine! You can't have a good relationship without some jokes thrown here or there. I wish Hamin would find a girl like you, Itsuka. Someone who can really put him in line—"

"—Hmph," Chae huffs in the back.

"Aw, don't be so bitter! You need a girlfriend, Hamin! You can't act moody all the time! Sure, the date with Yeseul was a little bit of a disaster, but—"

Chae retorts, "—Please don't mention Yeseul."

I smile. Speaking of me not wasting a good opportunity. "Who's this Yeseul?"

And Chae lowers his head in shame.

Miss Hyun claps her hands enthusiastically just like a mother telling an embarrassing story about her child. "Yeseul was one of Hamin's classmates in Yeong-ung. Me and his sister convinced him to ask her on a date to a nearby cafe. Through a miracle, he did exactly that! However, at the date itself… Let's just say more than a few iced coffees were dropped on her. And a few sandwiches. And a ceiling light fell on the table. No one was hurt thankfully! Yeseul laughed it off, what a wonderful girl!"

"It was a few months after Admiral… I was still trying to control myself with Psychokinesis…" explains Chae, his voice wavering from the abuse he's getting. "It's not intentional…"

"Yet he's deathly afraid of another accident. Since then, he never went on a date again. Each time me or Haneul bugs him about it, he says, 'I don't have time to worry about trifling matters such as romance,'" Miss Hyun says, mimicking Chae's deep, intense voice at the end. Pretty close actually.

"Auntie, I don't sound like that."

"'My beloved aunt, in no way shape or form do I resemble the timbre of voice you supposedly mimic in a false imitation of the genuine article.'"

"..."

Sanji nudges my arm. He whispers, "I won't lie, my image of him is completely ruined now. I thought the youngest No.1 would be more… How do I say it…"

Grandpa hears us whispering and chimes, "Mature?"
I add, "Put together?"

Sanji shrugs. "I was gonna say 'composed'. Think all three of us are off the mark."

"Whatever we call him, he's an oddball either way," I conclude. "Anyway, where did Mom go, Grandpa? I saw her earlier."

Grandpa answers, "Taking a walk. This is her break too. After this, she'll have to put in the hours for her classes."

Right, almost forgot Mom will be an actual teacher too… But to tell you the truth, I don't think that's everything. I know my mom enough that she wouldn't randomly disappear without telling me directly. Hope she's doing alright.

"When she comes back, tell her that we love her," Sanji says. Can't forget about him. He picks up on emotions pretty well.

Grandpa smiles, a barely audible laugh coming out. "Yeah yeah, I will."

"Oh!" Miss Hyun exclaims, holding her phone. "Hamin, Haneul's gonna start the show in ten minutes! You should head over to the Agency. Top floor's already reserved."

Chae nods, and without a word, almost leaves before Miss Hyun grabs him by the arm. "And Hamin, aren't you forgetting something?"

He blinks. "...My wallet?"

"A goodbye, silly! It's a little rude to leave without saying anything." She gestures towards the three of us. Chae expresses his displeasure through a very pained sigh, the kind of sigh Shihai does whenever Juzo bothers him.

Chae bows. "I'll be heading off. Don't worry, I'm coordinating with the other Heroes here to ensure the festival proceeds smoothly. And Kendo…"

"Hmm?"

"Sorry about what happened earlier."

"Thanks for the apology. However…" This is my chance to abuse my newly made connection. "...One of my friends is a big fan of your sister's. You think she has time to meet her after the show?"

Chae looks at Miss Hyun who nods. "She'll have plenty. If Hamin 'forgets', I'll be more than happy to invite her."

Sanji comments, "Looks like this'll be the best night in Kinoko's life. She'll talk about this for weeks."

"Months, even. You know how much she likes to fixate on things," I remind him.

"Mm, right." Chae turns his back to us. "...Have a good night. I'll make sure everything's safe so you don't have to act."

And with that, he disappears into the crowd. Wow, he really does act like a video game character. At least, he models himself after one, trying to act cool. He's the No.1 Hero in South Korea, yet he's eighteen. Reminds me that, well, even the most powerful humans are humans. They're in another realm in terms of Quirks, but they're still people. Chae Hamin has one of the strongest Psionic-types, but he's socially awkward. Sanji has, uh, something strong but he's a dork.

"Well…" Sanji starts, facing Miss Hyun, "...I think me and Itsuka should continue with our date. It was nice meeting you. Thought you'd be going to the stage though."

"Ah, Haneul can handle it. I want to steal your grandfather for a little bit, I hope the woman of the house doesn't mind. You two enjoy your date, alright?"

Grandpa nods. "Yeah, scram. We might be old but we can still kick your ass."

"That's right."

Sanji links arms with me, and together, we bow. He asks me, "Since the show's starting soon, wanna head there?"

"Sure."

We head towards the stage, integrating ourselves in the crowd. It takes us a few minutes to find a good spot since we constantly have to maneuver ourselves around countless people. There, Sanji stares directly at the stage. It's massive. Smaller than a soccer field, but big enough to draw a reasonable comparison.

Right now, the spotlights are lit up shining a white light on the stage with LED lights framing the edges with an array of color—purple, blue, red, the tones you'd see on actual fireworks. There are workers on, beside, and around the stage itself, checking and double-checking everything to ensure no malfunction will occur. I also see a few Heroes and police officers on site too, checking if any suspicious objects are present.

Around us, we have dads holding their kids up in one arm talking to their wives, couples doing exactly what me and Sanji are doing, groups of rambunctious friends making chaos in this place, and I spot a few die-hard fans of the idols coming up. Sanji watches everyone like I do, maybe out of pure boredom or our growing instincts as Heroes, needing to observe everyone just in case they're a potential threat.

Though, he goes, "Hey Itsuka."

I give him my attention. "What's up?"

"What do you think about Hyun and Chae?"

"You wanna know my thoughts? Well…" I take a moment to compose my words. "Hyun seems like an awesome aunt. It's hard to imagine that she was a No.1 Hero at some point 'cause of how sweet she is. On the other hand, it's easy to tell how Chae got his ranking. No social life, purely heroism."

Sanji pouts, not liking the indirect insult I said. "Don't rag on him too much, Itsuka. You heard what Hyun said: he's socially awkward. The butterflies in his stomach? They're locked in a cage surrounded by Tartarus-level of security. Like Togaru even, just replace 'anxiety' with 'general hatred of people'."

I lean my head against his arm. "Just joking. What about you? Found out something new 'bout yourself. How are you holding up, Mister Half-Korean?

"Well Miss Half-Chinese…" Sanji starts with a playful smirk, "...I'll treat it like everything else: Awesome, moving on. That's literally my life ever since U.A. started. My AP Levels are absurdly high? Okay, next thing. Origin-type? Cool, another item off the list. Memory remnants of my family? Weird, but alright. And nationality? Sounds important, don't know what to do with it right now.

"I'm taking the punches as they come along, hoping to get a reprieve. Kinda frustrating though, knowing the answer is stored somewhere in the future."

Sanji turns his head to look down at me, our eyes meeting. As much as I would love to compliment 'em, they're melancholic. As happy as he is for finding some closure, it's not due to his own volition. His family has an Origin-type passed down from heir to heir, rendering them essential to finding out more about Sanji. And who knows, maybe Sanji is afraid of finding out.

I would be. I definitely would have some reservations.

"Don't worry too much 'bout it, alright?" I try to assure him, moving my head a centimeter closer to his. "When the time comes, I'll be there as your loving girlfriend and your most supportive fan. So for right now, all you gotta do is enjoy your time now."

"Heh…" Sanji replies by moving his head a centimeter closer too. "I can do that. I can more than do that. I gotta ask though: Isn't it kinda dangerous to move your face closer to me?"

"Why? You gonna kiss me?" I test the waters by inching up again.

Sanji grows red and 'stead of shying away, he basks in it. "Trying not to. I don't wanna rush things, but every time my wandering eyes anchor down at you—you, wearing a sightly yukata, having such an alluring smile, giving me all sorts of attention… It's really hard."

I pull my head back. Better not tease him too much or else he'll break. The timing isn't right. Our first kiss oughta be something special. "Don't wanna push you over the edge. We can wait a lil' longer, can't we?"

He smiles and nods, facing the stage again. Heh, his ears are red too. I wanna pinch 'em. "Just a little while longer."

"Mhm."

"Looking at that stage now… It makes me think…"

"Think what?"

"How much do you wanna bet on a U.A. student jumping on stage?"

"...I should text everyone."

---

Manga Fukidashi

I'm watching you.

"Y'know Shojo, this totally beats I-Island! Sure, there was a ton of cool stuff like jetpacks or giant flaming swords or flying cars. But the one thing they don't have is fireworks lighting the night on fire! Like c'mon dude, can't get more Japan than this. We're defined by two things: katanas and yukatas. You're rocking the latter."

I swear to God, I will murder you.

"...I'm leveling up, Shojo! Like hell I'm gonna stay complacent with where I'm at. Hearing all those assholes chirping our ears off like annoying cicadas, I wanna get hella strong! I'm having Sanji teach me a few martial arts tricks so I got more cards in my deck. Right now, all I can do is weld a few limbs, maybe a few bodies. Hey, maybe if we team up, you could invent something magical that works perfectly with my Quirk!"

Don't brag about yourself, stupid! I've read romance slice of life mangas before, and you sound like a complete jerk!

"...Make sure you stay close to me, alright? Feels like this plaza gets more crowded each year, pretty bad for someone like you—ah, I mean, someone who doesn't do well outdoors. Last thing we want is you getting lost in a crowd, y'know? Better stick with someone you know rather than some old bastard with one or two strands of hair."

Or a headband-wearing pervert who's obsessed with my sister's thighs.

"...I kinda underestimated how relaxing downtime can be. I-Island was constant fighting. I was hopped up on adrenaline so long that, when I got a chance to sleep, lights out for a solid twelve hours. Here, I just wanna kick back, drink some jasmine tea, hang out with a pretty cool girl, and watch fireworks pop. Sounds pretty good, right? Sorry if I sound a lil' cheesy or anything."

What a—

"—Officer, there's a strange creature hiding in the bushes."

"I'm a human, not a 'strange creature'—?!"

"—It's worse." Suzuki looks down at me squatting in the bushes. "It's the elusive nerd. These species are hermits, dwelling in dark caves reading nothing but manga, getting their rocks off to fictional girls. Rarely do you find one out in public, let alone stalking their sister going out with her date."

"It's not a date, jerk!" I exclaim and it's kinda louder than I wanted it to be! Glancing at Yosetsu and Shojo… Good! They didn't notice me! I say again, much quieter so I don't give my position away, "It's not a date, jerk. Just two friends hanging out, but I'm making sure one friend doesn't cross his boundaries. So it's not stalking. It's, uh, constant surveillance! Yup, that's it! Constant, unsolicited, surveillance!"

"You're like an annoying spirit." Suzuki grabs me by the collar and stands me up. Ugh, if I was stronger, I wouldn't be lifted so easily. "Look, your classmates? I don't really care about them—you know that—but I gotta ask: What's so bad about the headband guy?"

I cross my arms, keeping the two at the corner of my eye. "He's a pervert who likes girls—"

"—You just described ninety-five percent of men—"

"—Who's obsessed with thighs—"

"—Ninety-five percent of men."

"You don't get it, Suzuki! I—" Crap, Yosetsu and Shojo are moving! "—They're moving. I swear to God, don't blow my cover."

I move past Suzuki, moving out of the bushes and onto the paved roads. They're heading further into the festival towards a big open plaza. Think they're planning to watch the show. There's a ton of people and that's my advantage! Because there's a lot of bodies, I can easily blend in with the crowd. Wait, I'm incredibly short! I might lose them completely! Ah, I'll figure that part out!

I can't lose them! They're in my sights, chatting about something. Wish I had the ability to read lips, but I know Yosetsu's being an asshole!

Suzuki's right behind me. Wish he wasn't following me, but I guess I got a partner-in-crime now! I start where I left off: "As I was saying—" we brush past a man with a literal steel hammer as a head, "—you don't get it. You're an only child, right?"

"Yup, only me. I was the center of my parents' attention," he remarks. I almost forgot how gloating he can be.

"That's why you can't understand. For me, seeing my sister—who I shared nearly everything with for almost sixteen years—going out with a sleazebag like Yosetsu Awase? She can do a lot better."

He clicks his tongue. "Aren't you a little happy that she has a love life? She used to be a hikikomori not too long ago. For a nerdy, short shut-in without a lick of social aptitude, Shojo's doing pretty damn good for herself."

Well, you would be too after dealing with psychopathic extremists for twelve hours. Walking around with a boy sounds like a cakewalk, but for once, I wish she was racked with crippling anxiety!

Me and Suzuki swerve around a family of three, all of them sharing big red horns like an oni. That would be so much cooler than my big head I'm lugging around. "So what? I would be okay with literally any other guy except for that headband jerk." I glance at Suzuki. "Actually, I'm adding you to the list."

He cracks, "Che, you're lucky that I don't have eyes for your sister. She's too—how do I say this nicely without hurting your feelings—insipid. Yeah, that's a good word."

"What does that even mean?" I ask. "Insipid, sounds like an insect Togaru would keep in a box."

Suzuki, speaking like an intellectual with the accent and everything, explains, "Lacking flavor, vigor even. I have a sophisticated palette for my potential partners. Of the otaku variety, I have a strong gag reflex for."

Yosetsu and Shojo stop in front of a stall selling cute plushies of mascots from mainstream anime. Before Suzuki idiotically steps in a clearing in front of us, I grab his arm and pull him behind a wooden pole holding up a streetlamp. I whisper, "The more you know. By the way, why aren't you with your classmates?"

"Good question." Suzuki pulls out his phone and shows me a picture of Mantora, the guy whose hair is always covering his eyes, passed out on a bench. A pink and green-haired girl is making kissy faces at him while her tanned skin friend is drawing a moustache on him with a marker. This is why I don't trust my friends. They would pull embarrassing crap like that!

What if I passed out and found myself floating in a river? Or drifting out into the Pacific Ocean? They would totally do that without hesitation! Gah, not important!

"Suzuki, what kind of friends do you have?"

"Sociopaths," he answers. "I have no idea what they did to Mantora; in all honesty, I don't really care. He should take care of his own problems."

"He's literally unconscious."

"That's no excuse." He puts his phone away, letting his back hit the pole. His ears flicker, probably sensitive to all the noise around him. I must be blind because it's only now that I noticed he's wearing a yukata. Why does he look good in it? Could be in the front page of a magazine. Ugh, let's not stare at him too much.

I say, "You wanted to be left alone, didn't you? It's kinda obvious considering how much you hate other people and how much you like Japanese traditions."

"Won't confirm nor deny that," Suzuki replies, cocking an eye over towards the pair. "But I will confirm that your sister and your future brother-in-law disappeared."

"They what?!" I peek over and they're completely gone! Vanquished! Carried off with the wind! Whoosh! Where did they go?! Crap, they probably integrated themselves in the sea of tall people! I can't possibly find them unless I literally bump shoulders! At that point, the jig is up and I have to explain why I'm spending the festival behind their backs! "Suzuki, do you know where they went? Specifically, I mean?"

"Nope. And before you ask, my hearing isn't that attuned. I can hear you breathe with loudspeakers blaring out awful music, yet surrounded by at least a thousand people simultaneously talking at once is a little much even for me. To try to pick out one or two unique voices in the cesspool of wrinkled shorts and ugly yukatas? Go ask that kid in the Business Course—Tokugawa."

"Thanks for nothing, Suzuki…" I groan. Alright, I lost Yosetsu and Shojo. Where can I go…? The plaza's way too big to brute force. You know, what would Setsuna Tokage do? She keeps telling everyone that she's a prodigy, so what would a prodigy-genius do? If I had her Quirk, I would send an eye to the sky but like most people, I can't do that.

I don't have eyes.

What about the surrounding buildings? Actually, I remember reading that some are allowing festival-goers to loiter inside. What if I find a balcony to watch the plaza from? Hold on, that's a great idea!

I turn to Suzuki. "Suzuki, do you know which buildings around the plaza will let us enter? If I'm lucky, I can get a view of the entire population here."

Suzuki frowns, peeved. I'm asking him another question. He points to a big white building at ten o'clock. It's a Hero Agency actually. I recognize it, I just can't memorize whose agency it is. "I saw a few chuckleheads going in there earlier. No better view of the concert than there."

"Sounds like we might need an invitation. Ugh, possibly talking to a stranger is chilling. I don't wanna deal with an angry Hero yelling at us for trespassing."

"We're U.A. brats, Manga. Just say, 'We're from U.A. High.' Flash our ID cards, act like we're some high-brow snub-nosed daddy's money kids and they wouldn't dare touch us," proposes Suzuki. It's, uh, a good idea. I'm afraid of the chance that we'll meet an M.L.A. sympathizer who shuts us down completely. It'll be hard to explain to Suzuki about that.

"Then you're doing the talking," I tell him. "Do you think I have the guts to pretend I'm a hotshot? No, my guts are scrambled eggs."

Suzuki huffs. Rolling his eyes, he leads the way towards the Agency. "What makes you think I wanna spend my festival with you spying on your sister?"

"You're asking me that yet you're showing me the way," I point out.

"Ugh." Somehow, for some reason, that shuts Suzuki up for the rest of the walk. We have to take multiple detours around people to get to the front doors, but we make it. A Hero's there dressed up in a white bodysuit with an orange upside-down triangle at the center of his chest, also has an orange cape clipped on his shoulders. Suzuki whispers, "This guy looks like a walking street sign."

The Hero sees us. "You two, whatcha want?"

"Want inside." Suzuki crosses his arms, impatiently tapping his feet. "Saw a few jolly folks head in, getting a better view and more importantly, not drowning in the swarm of tacky yukatas and babies snotting up the place. Plus, A/C. I'm dying here. You're a kind cape, aren't you?"

He frowns, seeing Suzuki's jerky-ness practically popping out of him. Rubbing his eyes and shaking his head, he says, "I told Boss we should've put up a sign. Look kids, you need an invitation. Otherwise, you have to cause a mess elsewhere."

"I'd rather cause a mess here," Suzuki replies, pulling out his ID card and showing it to the Hero. Actually, he's doing something slick. He has this thumb covering "GENERAL COURSES". I get what he's pulling; if the Hero knows he's a Gen Ed student, he's not letting us in.

"U.A. High School, huh?" The Hero puts a hand on his hip, indifferent. "So what? Just because you go to the best Hero School in the country, you think it gives you the right to head inside?"

"It's not what I think." Suzuki tucks away his card, waving a finger at him. "It's a fact. Thoughts can be proven wrong; facts are facts. Me and my friend here, we're Hero Students. I personally took down a robot the size of a skyscraper and he brought in an universally-hated criminal known across the country."

"Rattling off accomplishments like you're drawing cards in blackjack? You must be a naive brat believing that alone gives you enough clout to open these doors," the Hero adamantly says. Dammit Suzuki, this isn't going well.

Suzuki flashes a toothy smile, but he must be fuming inside. Briefly, he spins around to me and mutters, "This hardass must be so unsuccessful that this door is the hill he wants to die on."

He twirls back to the Hero, acting like nothing happened at all. "Sir, you really hurt my feelings. My friend's too. It'll be a shame, a real damn shame, where news got out that a Sidekick harassed two U.A. students all to protect a door."

The Hero tenses up, his face coiling. Reminds me of Togaru whenever he gets angry. Just about every muscle in that man's face is used to display just how peeved he is. "You threatening me, little fox urchin? Knew I had a reason to despise you U.A. kids. I went to Ketsubutsu, we hated U.A., so I'm plently glad that our hate is warranted. Will you really pull that cheap trick?"

"Maybe. If it does happen, the public square has a guillotine with your name on it, whatever it is, I don't bother remembering anyone from Ketsubutsu anyway—" the Hero scowls harder, really working out his facial muscles, "—Since we're 'urchins' and 'kids' going against a scary adult, who do you think will win?"

"I will." He reaches behind his orange utility belt at his waist, flashing zip-ties. "I can arrest you for interference in a Hero's duty."

"I can sue you for wrongful arrest and abuse of heroic power!" Suzuki raises his arms happily, his fox tail wagging. Settling down, he lowers his hands, calmly holding them at the center of his chest. "Look sir, we can do this all night long. Is this fight really worth the trouble?"

You know, I don't think this Hero is an M.L.A. sympathizer. He would've recognized me by now. However, he's something equally bad: a complete asshole. I thought I was pathetic, lost in the world of fiction, but he's stuck in his high school days. Hating a high school student when he's well into his adulthood makes me judge him. Youch.

That's saying a lot too… This is the same guy, me, who's literally not saying a single word because I'm afraid of getting my head bitten off.

But the Hero bites Suzuki's head off instead: "Yeah, are you really a Hero Student? What about this short twig? He doesn't look like a Hero at all."

Okay, I should save myself here. I could let Suzuki speak for me, but I have enough of a spine to speak for myself. "Class 1-B, Manga Fukidashi."

"1-B?" repeats the Hero. Suzuki cocks his head to the side. "1-B? Seriously? That class?"

"Yeah? I, uh, think that's my class. I've only been there since March."

He stares at me, really really stares at me with his dark eyes and his piercing glare ready to make me cry. Mockingly, he says, "No wonder I didn't recognize you. 1-B got their asses kicked in the Sports Festival, and I remember a Quirkless kid is in there. U.A. will really accept anyone these days, huh? A freak like you and a Quirkless scamp."

"Sir—"

"—Hold on!" I exclaim, cutting in on Suzuki. "You don't get to say that about us!"

"Why not? Your class doesn't have much to live up for," he scorns. "When your batch eventually gets shipped out, I doubt that you'll make it to the Top Hundred. And the Quirkless guy, he'll die before he even gets his license!"

"What kind of an asshole are you?! He's—!" Crap, almost spilled Sanji's secret! Shouldn't say that he has one of the best Quirks in existence!

"He's what? Come on, kid, spit it out—"

"—What's going on here?" A man in a black hoodie comes out of the building, hood over his head. I can only see his blue eyes which are practically glowing in the dark. His Japanese is kinda weird too… What kind of an accent is that?

The Hero explains, "Annoying teenagers. Don't worry, they don't deserve your attention—? Eh?!" Then, he sees who's asking. His throat stickies up.

"Annoying teenagers…" repeats the man, glancing at us. His eyes paralyze me on the spot. This is… Incredibly heavy. Exactly the same feeling I got when Hassan-i Sabbah showed up! "You—"

"—Me?" asks Suzuki, covering for me.

He shakes his head. "No, the other one. You're from 1-B, U.A. High School, correct? And you want a better spot for the concert?"

I slowly nod.

"Come with me." The man turns his back. "Sidekick, I trust there won't be any future problems."

"Y-Yessir…" Humiliated, the Sidekick lowers his head, letting me and Suzuki through.

We follow the mysterious guy, taking the stairs with him. Suzuki nudges my arm. "Hey Manga, do you know him?"

"No idea," I answer. "His aura is intense though! I can barely breathe!"

Suzuki taps his chest with the side of his fist a few times. "No kidding. I hope we aren't being led into a death trap or something."

"You aren't," says the mystery man. He pulls off his hood, and to be honest, his hair is just as black as his hoodie. You know, he could also be on the front page of a magazine. I'm surrounded by two good-looking guys, what the heck?! "I'm Hunter. Inochi and Kendo met me earlier, so I decided to do them a favor."

"Hunter…?" That name sounds familiar, let me check my phone—Oh. I missed an entire conversation in the group chat. Hunter, Chae Hamin, is the No.1 Pro Hero in South Korea. Okay… Alright, that's, wow…

I want to scream. I want to scream so loud that the entire building collapses, but I'm afraid that I will horribly die.

"Suzuki," I stammer to him, "this guy is literally the No.1 in South Korea!"

"Eh? You're fucking with me, right?"

"I'm not! He's only eighteen too!"

"What did South Korea put in their water?" Suzuki mutters back. We couldn't get an answer. Hunter leads us to the top floor of the agency. It's a big open space with rows of tables filled with food and drinks. It smells fantastic, just like standing outside a stall with freshly-cooked goods. There's enough food here to feed about fifty people, maybe more.

Hunter explains, "This floor is reserved for close family and relatives of Starlight and Kira. We rented it from the Pro Hero who owns this agency. After the concert, they'll come here to enjoy the rest of the festival without the hindrance of any rabid fans."

"Why are you hanging up here alone?" asks Suzuki. "Are you a loner or something?"

Hunter huffs. "You could say that. This floor provides a good vantage point of the stage, and I am a working Hero. I can see anyone from that balcony." He gestures towards a balcony facing the inner plaza. Awesome, looks like I got a perfect spot to find Yosetsu and Shojo!

"Really? Uh, uhm…" I anxiously hold my arm. "...Can I join you? Not because of heroism or anything, but my twin sister's on a 'date' with one of my classmates and I need to watch them."

Suzuki nods. "That's the reason why I harassed the Sidekick earlier. He's an overprotective brother."

He stops, his head perking up confused. "You...want to observe your twin sister's date? You went through all this effort to do that?"

"Like I said: overprotective," Suzuki snorts.

"I'm not 'overprotective'. I just, uh, care about Shojo a lot! More than you can imagine, Suzuki!"

Hunter sighs, stuffing his hands in his hoodie's pockets. "Well, I invited you up here. It's something you can do instead of loitering around. On the off-chance that you do spot a suspicious individual, tell me."

"Yessir." I look at Suzuki. "You staying here?"

Suzuki shrugs. "Might as well. Came this far."

Us three head out onto the balcony. It's bigger than I expected actually. It spans multiple windows with two points of entry on the far ends, and can fit about ten people across. I lean against the railing, looking down towards the crowd. At my angle, everyone's a painting of vividly-colored yukatas matched with bright, glowing lights.

I'm not so high up that it's impossible to identify anyone, but high enough where I really do get a great vantage point of the entire populace here. Not gonna lie, this is really relaxing in a way… The noise is distant so my eardrums aren't being abused, and I won't be afraid of a few maniacs possibly running my short-self over.

Suzuki's on my right, his arms on top of the cold metal bar. "You see them yet?" Hunter's on the far right edge of the balcony, eyes glazed downwards. Yeah, he looks really focused. Shouldn't bother him.

"Not yet—wait, I think I see them!" I point towards two familiar heads about left of center. Yosetsu's headband gave them away. No one else wears a headband around their neck. "There's the asshole! Wish I could hear what they're saying though…"

"Do you need to?" Suzuki finds the two of them, frowning. "I will gladly rain on your parade, Manga. I can barely see it, but Shojo's smiling, isn't she?"

She is…? She's… Ah, yeah… Shojo's smiling. I see it. I might not have visible eyes, but I see it. Can't believe she's smiling against that greasy guy, Yosetsu. Obsessed with her thighs, talking about them all the time…

"Just a few months ago, she would cry at the thought of going outside." My voice lowers. I still sound like a whiny nerd, but I sound a lot more glum and solemn. "It's weird seeing her smile, you know? I mean, I don't wanna sound like a jerk or an asshat or anything! You know, just, uh, it's just weird seeing her smile in a place where I think she wouldn't. You get what I mean?

"Surrounded by hundreds of people with only one trusted friend at her side… I would get an anxiety attack. She's…" I pause. "...doing great."

Suzuki jokingly pushes a shoulder into me. Ugh, good thing he wasn't serious. I would've seriously got thrown over if he did it an ounce harder. "Told you, idiot. Shojo's growing up. You should too."

"I am growing up! I'm not Comicman anymore! I'm Kodomo!"

"Uh huh. Why did you choose something as stupid as Comicman anyway?"

"Uh… I dunno! Don't make fun of me though, Suzuki! I got a better Hero Name! I—!"

"—What happened to your sister?" Hunter asks, shutting me and Suzuki up. He's a watchdog still, not wanting to be lax and risk an attack. Some of his attention might be on his job, but some of it is on me now… Hoo boy, don't wanna upset him. Better pick my words carefully else I'm dead meat!

"What happened, uh…" And immediately, I get stuck. Just breathe and start again. "...A Villain happened, long story short. She used to be a shut-in until after the Sports Festival here in Japan."

"I see… You care about her, don't you?"

"Grew up nearly every second together. As much as I hate her, I care about her just as much. She's going to be a support scientist, and I'm trying to be a Pro. It's kinda my job to protect her."

"You seem like a strong man," Hunter...actually compliments me? "I'd rather not make assumptions about your relationships with your class, but I believe they'll say the same thing."

Suzuki smirks, and I gotta look away. My heart can't take this.

"Y-Yeah, they probably would, yeah… As much as I rag on Yosetsu, he's a good guy—just a little bit. My friends… Life would be a lot harder without them."

"No doubt about it." Hunter takes a step back from the railing and—?

SHINE!

Two platforms on the stage begin to rise, spotlights shining on them. Oh crap, the show's starting! Uh… I don't follow musicians so don't ask me to identify either of the idols. The one on the left has black hair dyed silver at the tips, wearing a glittery black corset with white sparkles. And a really frilly, "out there" skirt that matches the same color scheme. If I had to take a guess, that's Starlight.

Kira, her Hero Name literally means "sparkling sparkling". Starlight has a flashy outfit but Kira? She's like a walking mirror! Everything down from her gray hair, her get-up, her shoes, even her eyes! Everything sparkles. My eyes hurt from looking at her and I don't even have eyes to begin with! She's wearing matching outfits with Starlight. Out of the two, she has a ton more presence just because of how blinding she is.

It might be me complaining but holy crap…

Suzuki whistles. "I will never understand idol culture."

Once the platforms fully risen, the spotlights hone in. Though they're just standing, literally only standing, they have so much swagger and confidence and gusto in their posture that they pretty much own the entire night. I thought two idols having overwhelming stage presence would clash, but they play into each other better than I would've thought.

The evidence is clear, I mean: the crowd is hyped. They're screaming, hooting, yelling their names, everything a Pro Hero gets but elevated ten times more. Starlight and Kira prance to the edge, microphones in hand and tucked close to their chests.

Starlight, with a massive smile showing teeth, shouts, "Annyeong haseyo, Japan! You got front show seats for our show, Musutafu!"

Kira follows up, "Welcome to the Eiyukawa Fireworks Festival! You're ready to see fireworks, but are you ready to hear them?! C'mon, let us know!"

The crowd roars. Even from up here, they're so loud that the world goes partly deaf. Starlight and Kira—doing what I definitely can't, no way—dances around the stage, prompting parts of their audience to grow louder and louder.

At the corner of my eye, Hunter cracks a small smile. "Haneul… For the longest time, you continued to smile where no one would."

A tune plays. Yeah, Kinoko will kill me but I don't recognize the song. It looks like it's one of Starlight's. She's taking center stage.

They sing, "Oh, was the heartbreak worth it?" ("No!") "The tears, the aching, or the grief?" ("Nuh-uh!")

It's a break-up song. Awesome, this totally resonates with me. Just like Suzuki or the other playboys I know, I went through countless relationships and had my heart broken by each of them. Yeah, I'm being sarcastic.

Suzuki comments, "This song makes me wanna choke on ice cream and shit-talk my ex-boyfriend. Take that, asshole."

"...Ex-boyfriend?"

"A joke, brainless."

"You know, I would be so offended that you called me 'brainless' if it wasn't for the fact that I have zero idea if my mutation gives me a brain—!"

"—Hey."

"Ack?!"

Hunter suddenly appears behind Suzuki, who jumps back. Jeez, I didn't hear or see him! "Sorry. I texted my aunt who's more or less the manager. If you want, you can invite your friends here."

"Huh? I can invite everyone here? Isn't this supposed to be for, uh, you know, the idols and their friends?"

"Don't ask me. Ask my aunt who thought it would be a good idea. Starlight's supposed to meet one of your friends anyway, so this effectively handles that. Are you taking the offer?"

Suzuki cocks his head to me. "It's a good offer. Free food and free autographs with celebrities?"

"Yeah, yeah… This means I can definitely keep an eye on you-know-who. I'll go and text everyone in the group chat."

Hunter nods. "It goes without saying: be on your best behavior."

I take my phone out. "We'll do our best but no promises. As much as I like my friends, there's a reason why I wanna lock myself in my room for the rest of time."

Suzuki pats my shoulder. "You go ahead and do that. I'll head out and find my own idiots."

"You're not joining in?"

He snorts. "You're offering me? No thanks. I'd rather not be in the same room as Inochi honestly. Our presence, my presence, would put a damper on things. I'm an asshole, not a party pooper. See you around, Manga. Nice meeting you too, Hunter."

Hunter crosses his arms. "Have a good festival." He's not stopping Suzuki from leaving. Ah, it's selfish and stupid of me to think a random Hero would do that for someone he just met.

"Well…" I start. "...Enjoy your festival, Suzuki. Thanks for, uh, helping out."

"Thanks for being helpless."

Kinda in half-contempt and half-sarcasm, he waves, walking away like he just saved the world. Yup, that sounds like Suzuki alright. Hunter doesn't pay him much mind, or any mind for that matter. He's back to watching the idols perform and the deafening crowd ready to make my non-existent ears be more non-existent. Time to break the news to everyone. Finally, I can definitely snoop on Yosetsu and Shojo! And it'll be socially acceptable too!

Me: "hi"

---

Setsuna Tokage

"Hunter, is it true that there's recorded footage of you singing with your sister?! D'ya have it?! For the love of everything shroom God and all, d'ya have it?! You must be a good singer right, right?!"

"Ah-ah-ah, it's good manners to not bother the Hero-on-duty, dear Kinoko." Ibara swiftly sends her vines to coil around Kinoko's waist, pulling her back from Hunter who exchanges a very thankful glance towards the saint of 1-B. Kinoko whines as she's pulled back, not willing to physically struggle because Ibara's vines can lift a car if needed, and I dunno about most people, I can't exert a force greater than a car.

When Kinoko's back in our loving arms, I put a hand over her mouth. "Sorry 'bout the noise, Hunter. She's a massive fan of your sister's and idols in general. We'll keep her on a tight leash so you can keep doing your job. Actually—" There's Shihai Kuroiro; he's talking with Kosei, "—Shihai! Kinoko's your responsibility!"

Shihai sputters, choking on a piece of Korean BBQ. "Eh?! You're assigning me the task to restrain a fanatic of the musical performance arts?!"

"Not 'restrain a fanatic of the musical performance arts', but encourage restraint of a fanatic of the musical performance arts!"

Ibara, with her soothing voice, comments, "Self-restraint is a virtue that many should practice."

"Yet I ought to say that virtues are worthless if one cannot live to practice them." Shihai averts his dark, abyssal eyes away from us, all spiteful and angsty. I know him well enough that he'll implode spending time with his secret crush. He wants to avoid it at all costs.

Kinoko mumbles something into my hand. Ew, her drool is kinda soaking my hand. I might like girls but this version of a kiss isn't my thing.

Frowning, I ask Shihai, "So you're refusing to take care of Kinoko? That's pretty heartless, y'know! Look at her! All helpless and dependent! She needs someone to watch her or else she might go shroom-crazy! Don't you want someone to depend on you with a mush brain?"

"You imply that I am literal human trash in terms of romance and relationships! Though my inexperience may be my entire story in this accursed area, it does not automatically assume I am exactly that kind of mortal man!"

"Then what kind of 'mortal man' are ya, Vantablack? Is there anything else you would rather do instead of this?"

"My soul would rather—!" Shihai pauses before he says anything he could potentially regret. He's stuck, and I laid the glue. There's a correct way of answering my question but Shihai isn't too quick on the draw, not willing to risk spoiling his good name nor his friendship points with Kinoko. So really, the best way to resolve this conflict is…! "Ugh, fine. I'll do whatever the prodigy asks of me. I'd rather not have a lengthy argument with you, Setsuna, the lizard who twists words and throws assumptions recklessly."

He hands his plate over to Kosei and takes Kinoko by the wrist, letting Ibara unwrap her like a Christmas present first then taking her away.

"Hey Shihai! You know how much I like Hunter and Starlight! Why are you doing what Setsuna says?! I love her but she's wrong! Lemme go!"

"No. To feel the fury of the youngest No.1 Hero is a feeling I'd rather not acquaint myself with, dear Kinoko."

"I would! Feeling the wrath of a handsome man like him would be awesome! Would literally make my mind go mush like chomping down on a psychedelic shroom!"

"Then we're two very distinct characters with two very distinct personalities."

"Arrg! You're no fun, Shihai! I just wanted to admire Hunter up close!"

"You can do it from afar."

"Afar is far!"

"Yes, that's exactly what it means."

"Shihai!"

He mutters under his breath, "The lengths I would go for that fiendish genius…"

"Hehe." I cross my arms with a proud and gorgeous smile on my face. Worked out perfectly. I love Kinoko but even I know better than to constantly bug a No.1 Hero. Unlike Lian or the other No.1's we met, Hunter isn't the talkative type. I tried. First thing I did was approach him as charming as ever, and he only nodded his head.

Handsome and boring.

"I suppose Kinoko will be preoccupied for a short while." Ibara lays a gentle hand on her cheek, tilting her head and gaze towards the two of them. "Shihai is a determined man, I will admit, yet I'm afraid his determination is dwarfed in comparison to Kinoko's."

"Nah, he can handle her. He might be timid and all, but he's capable of holding his own against our lovely little shroom."

"I pray for his success then. There's also something I wish to note, Setsuna…" She looks around the open floor, taking attendance of everyone here. From the bros hanging out in the western wall to Reiko telling a ghost story to the east, from the manacial scheming of Neito at our north to Manga spying on his sister to the south, Ibara accounts for almost everyone. "They're not here."

"Did you expect them to be?" I spot a couple of empty chairs against the wall near me, the eastern one—Reiko's at the end of the row. Ibara takes the cue and sits next to me.

Ibara slants her head. "Well, considering they're the most prominent in our class… I thought they would enjoy a get-together such as this. Having a large array of food accompanied by music without the annoyances of the outside world… It would be bliss."

"Trust me, I'm in complete bliss, 'specially when I'm talking to you." I wink. "Flirting aside, they're doing exactly that. You forget that they're leaders. They're like robots! Them being here will flick a switch in 'em and they automatically feel the need to maintain the peace. It's impossible to have a romantic night if that happens. Not to mention how much we tease them too."

"So you're implying that they're absent because they want privacy?"

"Exactly it! Itsuka wants to spend time with her boyfriend, Sanji wants to spend time with his girlfriend. There's nothing wrong with that. That's how love works. Sometimes, you don't wanna be 'round friends 'cause it'll spoil the mood."

Ibara has a cute, tiny smile. "I see. Thank you for explaining. I was, well, I was never well-versed in that area. Yes, I love my father, my sister, and God, yet romance… I dare not to make too hasty of a comment."

"Luckily for you, I'm more than well-versed." I would've asked if she had anyone who rattled her heart-strings like a harp, but I'm kinda afraid of her saying "no" and making me feel kinda awkward.

"Really? You had partners in the past?" Ibara asks, curious.

I straighten my lips. "...In my head."

She giggles, holding a closed hand over her mouth. "I expected nothing less. You like to meddle in the affairs of others, but when it comes to yourself, it's entirely different."

"Hey, I'm just gathering experience for when I get there, y'know!" I take a look at Manga. "Least I'm not Manga, who's waiting to have a reason to stab Yosetsu with a steak knife."

"As much as I frown upon needless violence, he had a chance encounter with Hunter which eventually led to this."

"I'm pretty sure he mainly did it 'cause he gets to keep a closer eye—wherever his eyes are—on Shojo and Yosetsu. Least he got something better: he's half-occupied with the dudes and half-occupied with Shojo."

"You may be correct." Ibara stares at me for a few seconds, longer than socially normal. "I must say: you're quite observant. You chose to pair Kinoko with Shihai and saw through Manga's reasoning."

"I mean, I am a prodigy. Kinda my thing. Besides, that stuff is child's play if you pay good attention to everyone." I peek over at Reiko's corner of the room. "For example, everyone over there is furthest away from the concert. Every single person—Reiko, Yui, Nirengeki, Hiryu, Pony, and Togaru—aren't interested in the music. Most of them don't like the noise while some are interested in the story. Only one of 'em is watching a certain someone."

"That makes the most sense. Yui, I adore her, isn't the most sociable woman. Nirengeki also—well, a sociable man. Hiryu and Pony would be interested in a story; then, Togaru Kamakiri… At least Pony is enjoying herself." Ibara gently folds her hands on her lap. "What about myself? From a single look alone, what do you perceive in me?"

"Other than a great sense of fashion?" I joke. If the goddess, the holy figure of 1-B is asking me to look at her, then I gotta oblige. "But what do I see in you? Good question... We're not too far away from the noise, so you either don't mind or have gotten used to it—I'd say the latter considering you go to church often so loud noises are somewhat common, 'specially choir or something.

"Speaking of choir, I have a sneaking suspicion that you're involved somehow. Your voice is, I daresay, smooth like butter. This might be cheating since I got this from previous instances, but whenever Kinoko talks about singing, you have this shy look, y'know? Like you wanna join in yet you have reservations.

"Anywho, considering you're talking to me and not mingling with the others, that says a few things. First of all, you trust our friends enough where they won't cause a major ruckus. You're just like Sanji and Itsuka, wanting peace and civility in our barnhouse gang. Since you asked me to say whatever comes to mind, you place a greater trust in me to not, uh, how do I say it…? Shatter your self-confidence? Hehe, thank you but I'm not that cruel.

"Why did you ask me this? I have a few theories: I'm gorgeous and an amazing conversation partner; you don't wanna intrude in the business of others; you're unexpectedly bashful being in the presence of a No.1 and soon, popular idols. That's what I got off of the top of my head. It's all about having that perfect perception prying in the pursuit of particulars and personalities."

Ibara sits through my endless—not technically endless anymore—ramblings borne from my astonishing lizard brain. I could've gotten a little deeper but I didn't wanna bore her. She sits comfortably in her plastic seat, her mind working through the conclusions I came across. Takes about six or seven seconds for Ibara to respond with a tinge of red on her cheeks: "I never anticipated for you to speak about choir… I'd say that was the most accurate assumption you made."

"Really?" I reply, kinda shocked. "What about the other stuff?"

"Well, you were also correct that you are a good conversationalist. Though I admit that your constant boasts do irk me somewhat, you have evidence to prove your wit."

"So I'm right about you being more reserved than you let on?"

"Ah…" Ibara's tinge of red evolves to a coloring. "I wouldn't say 'reserved' per se. I'm not as 'loud' as Kinoko."

"No one is as loud as Kinoko, don't worry about it. Look at her!" Checking up on Shihai, Kinoko is currently trying to escape with him foiling every single attempt. "It's her charm. Just like the scientific name of a mushroom, that's hers. Your charm is something completely different, and it's just as alluring as hers."

"Hah, you really believe so?" she asks, confiding with confidence in me.

"Mhm. I do have amazing eyes, and I see a wealth of bewitching beauty from you. And hey…" I lower my voice. "...Maybe someday, you can bewitch me with your singing."

Ibara smiles and nods. "Someday, I might accept your offer. I hope you don't mind any mistakes. I'm not as skilled of a singer as Kinoko or the idols you hear in the background."

"I don't mind at all. Just you singing would be a gift enough—"

SNAP!

Something loud snapped and broke. It's… Oh, it's Tetsutetsu. He's standing over a broken plastic chair. "...Bro, if your chair can't take a punch, then how can it take your butt sitting on it?"

Good question. Unfortunately, I'm not planning on butt-punching chairs. At the corner of my eye, my left eye to be precise, Hunter snaps a very irritated look at me.

Ibara clears her throat and stands up. "I'll console Tetsutetsu, Setsuna. Someone ought to teach him proper etitique of chairs." She pauses for a moment. "...Only in this class would I ever have to say that sentence."

"Good luck," I bid her farewell while Hunter does his best to maintain his stoicness. Awesome! Looks like I just got a future date with Ibara and her voice, serenading me to a bathtub filled with love and warmth.

I need to brag.

I would bother Sanji, but he's unavailable for obvious reasons. What about Manga? Nah, he's focused on Shojo and Yosetsu. Then how about…!

TUG TUG!

"Hey Togaru."

"How the fuck—?!" he exclaims, getting the attention of everyone listening to Reiko and the storyteller herself. Togaru waves their eyes off, giving me his focus. He whispers, "What the hell, Lizard Head? Y'gonna give me a heart attack an' I'll gladly die."

"I always wanted a man who would die for me," I tease back. "But anyway! Guess what happened to me?"

"Judgin' from the smile on your face…" Togaru crosses his arms, his mandibles twitching with irritation. "...You're finally goin' to a mental asylum."

"No! I was talking with Ibara earlier and she's gonna sing for me personally!"

"Oh, the Catholic?" He peeks at Ibara reprimanding Tetsu. "Congrats? Didn't know she liked to sing. All she ever sung 'bout was how annoyin' each of our asses are. She's right, but that's the only song stuck inside 'er head."

I huff. "Hey, there's more to her personality than a strict aunt type! We only see that side of her 'cause we drive Ibara crazy all the time."

"No shit. Down from the guys laughin' their asses off while drinkin' soda to Shrooms buggin' Hunter so much that a massacre might happen, 'course Catholic would be driven nuts. Fists too, an' Quirkless, an' just 'bout every law-abiding citizen 'ere."

"Y'know, it wouldn't kill you to step in every now and then. I don't trust myself with quelling any fires; I'm a firestarter, not a fire-ender. You are the right type of no-nonsense guy."

"Thanks. Don't feel like it." What a curt response. "Don't got enough energy in a day to deal with your shit. While you go off an' flirt with Catholic or anything with a beatin' heart, I'd rather lay low an' fuck 'round."

"C'mon, really? 1-B needs a big brother, and you could be it. There's nothing more brotherly than an angry mantis man threatening to chop your limbs off and turn ya into sashimi."

"Not gonna lie, choppin' your limbs off is a pretty good idea, Lizard Head. Too bad ya can just sneak outta it with your Quirk."

"Wow, where's your festival spirit? Look!" Taking Togaru by the wrist, I drag him away from Reiko's corner and out onto the balcony. Way on the other end is Hunter. He acknowledges us with a brief glance before devotedly watching the concert. Togaru swears—under his breath, he's not cursing out loud again—really ready to actually filet me like fish.

I introduce him to the rest of the festival. The adoring crowd, beautiful women dressed in yukatas with their partners' arm hooked with theirs, bright lights that twinkle like stars, the aroma of freshly-cooked food, the innocent smiles of kids, there's nothing more exciting than this! There's life in the streets. No Stain, no Shigaraki, no one dares to talk about them. There's an unspoken rule that those topics gotta stay out.

Your entrance ticket is a smile and the desire to have some fun.

The air is inherently romantic. Take a whiff in, you breathe out hearts. Letting yourself be dazzled by fireworks, letting yourself be taken over in a stupor by your partner's gaze. Maybe you should feed them some treats, then plant your lips to give them the sweetest treat of all? That's what the festival means to me! Too bad I don't have a significant other, but indulging myself in other people's relationships is just as fun!

"What am I 'posed to be looking at?" asks Togaru, completely offensive to the festival spirit. If ghosts do exist, they would be haunting him so hard.

"The festival? Or are you a loner who hates anything that involves going outside?" I reply, leaning on the railing to look down at the common folk of Japan.

"Not a nerd like Chuuni or Comicy. Just don't like big shit like this. Too much noise, too many people that will prolly chew me out. Who the hell cares 'bout 'atmosphere' or 'climate' or garbage like that? Doesn't mean much to a guy like me."

To a guy like you… I think I getcha. To each of their own. "Then what does mean much to you? You went anyway."

"You woulda bothered me to come. Saved myself some trouble."

"Hmm, did you go 'cause of Pony?"

"No," he quickly snaps. It's like he anticipated that I would ask that. Well, I do tease him a lot.

I giggle, now leaning my back on the railing. I'm not worried if I fall. I can catch myself. "Are you sure? You might hate big events, but even you gotta be breath-taken by Pony wearing such a cute yukata."

Togaru goes silent. He bends his head upwards towards the empty sky, doing everything he internally can to quell his anger and not shout profanities at me. "...Lizard Head, Horns looks like a complete dunce."

"An adorable dunce." I cross my legs. "I went over this song and dance with Sanji and Itsuka before. Guess what? They're on a date right now. Do you wanna sing and waltz with me?"

"Hell no." Togaru lets gravity take him backwards to a wall. He eyes a nearby exit, wanting to make a quick escape. "Dunno how many times we gotta say this: I. Don't. Like. Pony."

"Even when she showed you her festival get-up with a big, squishy smile on her face?"

"..." He scowls. Unfortunately for him, something on his face betrays the look he's giving me.

"Or when she annoyingly hugs your arm and drags you off to do something against your will? It's worth it anyway, right? Just to see her happy."

"..."

"What about seeing her inhale a boatload of sweets? No matter how much you scold her, it's impossible to be mad."

"..."

"Really Togaru? Each little thing I've said so far, that blush on your face got worse and worse. But fine, maybe that isn't good enough evidence. Lemme ask you: is Pony a constant thought inside that angsty head of yours?"

"..." Togaru stares at center stage with Starlight and Kira performing, singing their hearts out. "Only 'cuz she's a complete idiot who needs lookin' after. She can still look at me with those big eyes an' goofy smile, it's stupid. Someone like 'er woulda been discouraged or just fuckin' quit outright.

"Pony's the biggest numbskull 'ere. Lowest IQ, includin' the guys. Sure, piss 'er off an' you'll get a horn in your gut. Sure, she's pretty damn good at fightin' in 'er own particular way. Y'know what's the kicker? She continues, through 'er own fuckin' stubborness, to hang 'round me. With her enthusiasm, her big ol' eyes, that smile I wanna wipe off…

"It's sickenin'. So much that, for some goddamn reason, I can't break myself away."

"Wow." I clap for that wonderful splurge from the heart. "You sounded like a delinquent, but a kind-hearted delinquent. A good bad boy, y'know? You love her."

This time, my words got through. After Togaru spilled the contents of his soul, he, for the first time, couldn't find the words to say. The redness in his face goes to the tip of his ears and the tip of his mandibles. Blushing, humiliated that I bested him, he—?

—And from the stage, Starlight interrupts this heartwarming realization, "Are you ready for the next song?!"

Without hesitation, Togaru shouts, "You bet your fuckin' ass I am! Fuck yeah!"

"Togaru…" I mutter.

Asshole.

---

"...So that's what happened with Togaru. Ridiculous, right? To double down, he actually listened and watched Starlight's performance, knowing I would pounce the moment he ran away."

"Mmm." You're persistent enough to cause that sort of reaction.

"True, but to go that far… I dunno if I should be insulted or impressed." I stretch my arms and legs. "Oh well, I got him where I wanted him. He practically admitted that he liked Pony, so I'm more than satisfied."

"Mhm." Seems like romance is in the air. Yui stares at Shojo, then at Pony, then at Neito, then rests her eyes, looking at her phone.

"Heh… I'm happy for them. Yui, do you remember when we were in middle school?" I ask, nudging her shoulder. "Young'uns, not educated enough about the world but now here we are. We're growing up faster than you can blink. My boy's leaving the nest, finally chasing after the girl of his dreams."

"Yeah…" Yui agrees, saying a word that's not just mumbles this time! Rare! "I…" She frowns. That's an awfully peculiar look on her face. Haven't seen it before.

"Yui?"

"I remember when I met Itsuka for the first time…" she says with barely a hint of nostalgia in her voice. Strangely enough, she sounds almost sad? "...I went to the nurse because of her."

"What? Did she punch you or something? Okay, I don't know her pre-middle school so who knows, she may be a completely different person!"

Yui shakes her head. "No. School ended. I was walking home. A concrete wall collapsed on me. Itsuka wanted to test her strength. She was stronger than she thought."

"Really? That's how you two met?" I laugh. I didn't know Itsuka was irresponsible with her Quirk when she was younger!

Yui nods. "Afterwards, she kept apologizing to me. That's how we started hanging out. Remember the fanclubs the guys made?"

"I could never forget." I sit back in my chair, reminiscing about how absurd everything was. Middle school was boring, so naturally, the guys entertained themselves while being hopped up on hormones. "Me, you, and Itsuka all had fanclubs. Imagine the three of us hanging out? Big Three, right there. Then, comes Sanji, disrupting the natural balance of middle school gossip. He was accused of having a harem, God forbid."

"Mhm. It was kinda funny. Some of our classmates confronted him about it. They would've eaten him alive if Itsuka didn't jump in to save him. It reminds me… I remember when Itsuka told me about what kind of a guy she likes. I kinda forgot exactly what she said though. I wasn't paying attention because I was thinking about food.

"But… I think she liked someone who was strong and selfless… What Sanji is. It's weird though. He depended on her a lot at the start."

I shrug. "Because he was nervous, rightly so since he was a fish outta the water in the big city. I think Itsuka fell for him during the Sports Festival, which was kinda the start of Sanji being a badass. Catharsis, now I-Island, what next? God? Hehe…"

"Heh. I'm happy for them. It's really nice to see my best friends together. Kinda jealous." Yui looks at me in particular. "You three are special in your own way. I'm normal, like what Nirengeki talks about a lot. Don't have anything interesting. Just me, simple stuff, that's it. I'm good where I'm at though."

"You sure? You might not be special, but you're pretty special to me. You might not talk a lot, but you're a needed screw in 1-B. How can we function without our lovable silent princess?"

"Hehe. Yeah, I'm good. Everyone…" She scans the entire floor, acknowledging each person she sees. "...Everyone makes me feel special, and that's fine, mhm. Without you, I wouldn't feel as special. This year has been the most exciting time of my life. It was scary, really scary sometimes, but it's worth it."

"Aw, Yui. You make me feel special too! C'mere, give me a hug!" I open my arms for Yui.

She stares.

And keeps staring.

"Pervert."

My arms fall in defeat. "This was your one chance to end this wholesome talk with a perfect ending. Do you enjoy tormenting me, Yui?"

"Mhm." Yup, lots.

Back to Yui Speak, I see. Ugh… I love Yui, I really do. It's just that, she loves to torture me.

Reiko approaches us. "Setsuna, the concert's over. The fireworks will begin shortly. We're about to gather onto the balconies to watch."

"Really? Man, time's moving by fast!" Me and Yui stand up. Before we watch the fireworks, there's something I need to take care of first.

CLAP CLAP CLAP!

"Hey!" I shout, getting everyone's attention. "The Queen of 1-B is asking for your attention! I have one decree before the fireworks pop! A family picture! We need to send Sanji and Itsuka our best wishes, especially Sanji, the birthday boy! C'mon c'mon, gather around!"

These goofballs burst out in noise, arguing about who's standing where, who has to be kneeling, asking if we're doing any cute poses, and some who are desperately trying to maintain order. There's not a single conversation, a single sentence to be specific, that makes a lick of sense.

Somehow, within a minute or two, we find a groove. I'm standing near the front since duh, I'm not tall. I eye Hunter, waving my phone at him. "Hunter, do you mind if you take our picture?"

Hunter nods. "I don't mind." He takes my phone, standing a meter or two away. He motions with his hands for us to squeeze in a little tighter—some of us complain (Kosei).

After that mess…

"Three." We smile.

"Two." We smile brighter.

"One." Brightest!

FLASH!

---

Sanji Inochi

Image embedded.

Queen_Of_1-B: "happy birthday!"

Phantom_Thief: "Best wishes!"

Yui: "mhm"

H_Rin: "Happy birthday, Lian wishes you the best as well"

AbyssalSoul: "May your birth bring great blessings"

Horns: "and cake!"

Shemage: "lots of cake!"

Ibara_Shiozaki: "Happy 16th birthday, Sanji."

Yo_Awa: "happy birthday dude"

PunMaster: "birthday"

Jacky: "what everyone else said"

Jurota_Shishida: "I concur."

Reikoko: "Shall I adorn your cake with white candles?"

Shoda: "Happy birthday"

Shoda: "Can't think of anything unique to say, sorry"

Airhead: "you'd better enjoy the attention we're giving you, hehe"

Real_Steel: "hell yeah, bro! imma give u all the attention!"

Cedemine: "just a little is fine, not too much"

Kodomo: "happy birthday, sanji"

Kodomo: "shojo will bake a cake tomorrow"

Senbara: "hope you and itsuka are having fun"

Vlad_King: "I'm missing the party, huh? Regardless, happy birthday, kid."

"Happy birthday, Sanji. Tonight's all about you."

"In this situation…" Holding my phone in my hand, having that picture stuck in my head, it's hard to stay composed. Small, awkward laughs squeak out of my lips, just a precursor to a couple of tears I don't wanna shed. "...I would say that I hate attention. This though? It feels really nice."

"You look like you're 'bout to cry," Itsuka points out. It's not in a teasing voice. She simply states it as a matter of fact. To comfort me, she puts a hang on my back, letting me see that cute smile of hers.

"I'll be fine." I wipe my eyes with a sleeve. "I wish I was there in person, but this is more than enough for me. Can't tell you how much this tugs on my heart, but you get the idea. Anyway, think this spot is good enough to see the fireworks?"

"I think so." Itsuka waves a hand around the spot she picked out for us. We have a small area of grass in Musutafu Park all to ourselves. We're stashed in the center; it's an open area with a stray tree here and there, but it's mostly just grass for kids to run around and play in. Filled with tons of people too. Families, couples, singles, and that's all the kinds of groups I can name, heh. There's no sense of animosity lingering in the air, only held breaths waiting for the main show to begin. "We don't have a blanket to lay down on though. The grass is plenty soft, so it should work. Unless you're picky 'bout your beds."

"You definitely aren't." I lay down on the grass, and just like she said, it's soft. It doesn't uncomfortably prick against my neck like I'm laying on a bed of tiny, dull needles. "I don't exactly have the softest body, yet you like using me as a bed."

Saying that, Itsuka rests her head on the left side of my chest, just underneath my collarbone. "What can I say? You're warm."

"Heh…" I let my head lay flat against the earth, eyes tilted towards the starless night. At the back of my head, I can almost feel whispering itching at my skull; I shut the sensation out. I'm preoccupied with how close Itsuka is to me, her head hovering over my heart. It beats, it drums. Having it march raises my anxiety, yet it feels so exciting…

Although this is my first fireworks festival, first time really celebrating my birthday, I anticipated a private date with Itsuka more than the display itself. It's just a backdrop. A backdrop, the background noise leading up to this. In front of so many people too, least we're invisible, two unsuspecting teenagers living their best lives.

The fireworks, her, fireworks, her…. Whatever comes after that, us officially together… The thought of it, the thought of everything is sending my mind for loops.

Itsuka hums, tapping my chest with her index finger. "Your heart's getting faster, y'know. Is it dawning on you that we're almost at the climax?"

"Yup, it's hitting me like a truck, ha…" I laugh, roping an arm around my partner to drag her closer. "Let's talk about something while we wait. Staying silent will make me go crazy."

"Definitely. Sooo…" Itsuka takes a second to think of a good subject. "...Our friends? I know we talk 'bout them a lot, but hey, they're an endless source of gray hairs and conversation pieces."

With my other hand, I peek at my phone. Those messages were really sweet. Smiling, I say, "For once, I can't think of anything involving them. What can I say? They're crazy, and we're their charge. What is there to say? They're with us every step on the way just as much as we reciprocate.

"From Golden Week, teaming up against 1-D. During the Sports Festival, you did your best. The internships, the tutoring program with the General Courses, the Finals… Even I-Island, we never had anyone break other than the scare Togaru gave us."

Itsuka's amused, laughing while turning her eyes to meet mine. "For a guy who didn't have anything to say, you said a lot. It really is nutty that we went through an action movie's worth of drama in a few months. If I had to pick a single event outta that list as my favorite, then it'd have to be… Actually, it's hard.

"Looking back on it, some of the stuff was really shitty. You in the hospital, me in the hospital, you almost dying, me almost dying, assholes left and right, scars left and right… Ultimately though, think I'll pick I-Island."

"I-Island? I'm assuming it isn't because of your thrilling stay at a makeshift hospital tent."

"Ha, smartass." Itsuka sits up, taking a majority of my vision. I lift myself slightly off of the ground, my elbows holding me. "No, I picked I-Island because of you. Since then, you looked at everything differently, did you realize that? Yeah, you looked like a pretty boy before then, but it's just… Just, hell, you look better. I can't explain how, but you do."

"Heh…" I push off the ground using my elbows, sitting upright with my back straight. "It's ironic because I would've picked I-Island too. Not for that reason, mind you. Also not for the pain, or the constant struggle against an international Villain, no… I picked it because it was when I realized…"

I inhale. "It's when I realized I loved you." I feel a weight has been lifted off of my chest.

A brief silence runs through us. Itsuka, digesting what I just said, can only lower her head to snicker probably from how embarrassing I sounded. "Is that your big confession, Sanji? Luckily for you, you didn't get cut off by the sound of fireworks."

"Hey, don't try to act cool. You've been giggly for a while." I run my hand through my hair, taking a few strands off of my face. "Regardless, putting my feelings into words is underrated. It felt good saying that, saying 'love'. This date, on the other hand, I'd imagine it's one big confession that you feel."

Itsuka nods, bringing her knees to her chest. "Definitely felt it, Sanji. This date is really fun. Can I ask you something though? Since you realized you loved me back in I-Island, when did you actually fall in love?"

"When did I fall in love…?" I repeat her question to myself. "...Don't know. I have absolutely zero clue. You're the first person I felt this strongly towards, and to say exactly when those feelings erupted… Yeah, I don't know."

"Well, I can pinpoint the exact time. For me, Sports Festival. It was like a volcano bubbling inside. I forgot if I told you this before, but I interned with Uwabami to figure out my feelings. In hindsight, stupid idea. I was fighting feelings, you were fighting Catharsis."

"Don't beat yourself up, but seriously though? Sports Festival?" I whistle. "Guess I kept you waiting. Since we're on the topic of reminiscencing… Let's go back to the start. I wanna hear your true thoughts, unfiltered. What did you think about me in the beginning? Besides accusing me of being a delinquent?"

Itsuka's face gets red, half-anger half-embarrassment. "For the last time, Sanji, I'm sorry for accidentally spreading that rumor around!"

"I had classmates approach me going, 'How did a crook like you hang around the prettiest girls in school, huh?!' I was so baffled that I was literally speechless! Worst part: Hayami told me, not you. You never bothered to explain!"

"I didn't want to hurt your feelings or your trust in me!"

"Okay okay, fine! Back on topic, what were your first opinions? When we first met, not when you first heard of me."

"Honestly…? You were like a lost puppy," Itsuka admits. That's…. Y'know, I don't know how I should feel about that. "When we ran into that corporate jackass, you looked out of your realm. Nervous, stuttering, prolly on the verge of a breakdown, I had to step in. Oh, I should mention that you were cute too."

"Not sure if I should feel insulted, but alright. Is that all? Me being a helpless puppy in your eyes?"

"No, you weren't helpless. I wouldn't have liked you if you were helpless, Sanji. Remember that lost kid? You showed me that you were capable of holding your own. Just needed some help to achieve your potential. That's why I thought you were a lost puppy, not a plastic bag or garbage like that."

So that's how she saw me… I'm happy with that. I wasn't expecting love at first sight, heck no. Really, I'm glad I made a great first impression. "That was my biggest worry, y'know? Me, a burden. To me, you were a capable girl who didn't need someone like, well, me. You were more than nice, you were kind. I was intimidated by all that; I didn't wanna bring you down. Can you believe it, Itsuka?"

"It's you, of course I can." Itsuka slides herself over so our shoulders are touching, her head lending over. She smiles. "I'll always remember how stupidly withdrawn you were. I kinda miss it, actually. You were cute."

"'Were'? I'm not cute now?" I cheekily ask.

"Nope, you're hideous, Sanji. So ugly that I can't stop staring at you," she flirts, moving her head closer. Peeking at others near us, Itsuka stops before our foreheads would be touching, self-conscious about what we're doing.

"Itsuka…" My heartbeat picks up again. I noticed it just now. Her slant eyes, sparkling with interest, captivated with mine, I'm enchanted. Almost naturally, my focus falls to her pinkish lips. If we weren't in public, how nice would it be to feel them for the first time? Just lean in slightly further, not caring about what everyone else thinks, and give into my desires?

I frown. It's a one-way trip. Honestly, I feel guilty for having these thoughts about her. It took every bit of self-restraint to prevent me from acting on my urges this past week. So many close calls because I couldn't take my eyes away. Even now, I have this call to the void telling me to abandon any semblance of social civility.

Guess this is what it feels like to be madly in love. I'm starved for touch where I wanna snatch her right now; I'm starved for something more, where the mere words would bring nothing but a confusing mess of shame and satisfaction.

Itsuka's going through her own motions, stuck in the same stupor as I am. Through it, she reaches down and covers my hand with hers, her fingers gently wrapping around, the pats pressing against my palm. "Sanji—"

"—I love you," I blurt.

My sudden retort catches her off-guard, her blue eyes widening in the second, then relaxing in the next. The teasing attitude she has is nowhere to be seen. It's only her and her emotions with nary censorship.

"I lo—!"

—POP POP!

I almost fall flat on my back from the commotion. The starless night sky is filled with stars of our own creation: fireworks. Multi-color explosions light up the air with thin strands of pyrotechnics dissolving into the atmosphere. Some create cute shapes—mascots of famous Pro Heroes like All Might and Crimson Riot.

"Woah…" And thanks to that, I'm completely taken out of the mood I was in. Wow, that scared me. Felt like my heart would burst outta my chest for a second. What's more important is that… "Itsuka."

"I was about to say it," mutters my girlfriend. "I was about to say those three fucking words. I don't understand, Sanji. You were able to say it, but I got cut off by fireworks?! How the hell does that happen?!"

"Pfft! Hahaha!" I burst out laughing, my attention tuned to the inspiring display above. It really is a beautiful sight. This was what I was missing out on all these years. Somewhat too loud for my taste, but it's great. It's great. Flashes of purple are followed by a bright blue in the shape of a dog, then a massive cloud of white and gold sweeps across the cosmos mimicking a shooting star, then right after that, we have a tower of red bursting upwards like a volcano!

"Itsuka," I start, "can you really sulk when you see this?"

She lays her head back and groans almost like she's telling God to go to hell. It's enough to exorcise every negative emotion she has. Afterwards, instead of watching the fireworks, she watches me. Instantly, I'm mesmerized. The colors splash against her skin, her eyes, as if they're illuminating every aspect of her beauty. "Not when you look so happy. Is everything you imagined?"

I nod. I'm lying, but this is good enough for me. "Yeah. Oddly enough, despite stargazing at the fireworks, I'd rather stargaze into you. You make the fireworks memorable, Itsuka."

What I said earns an adorable blush on her cheeks. "Alright, stargazer. I got an idea. You trust me?"

"Of course." Hearing the word "stargazer", a sublime headache runs its course.

"C'mon, let's go!" Hopping up onto her feet, Itsuka suddenly takes me by the wrist. With her strength, I almost get dragged across the grass before I manage to stand myself up barely on my feet. She leads us out of Musutafu Park, navigating through small gaps in the crowd. We get shouted at by a few adults, but she keeps trucking by without a care.

Eventually, she pulls me into a nearby alleyway. It's so narrow that I can't fully stretch my arms across without touching both walls. That's all of the details I can get before Itsuka turns the corner, dragging me along with her.

Finally, she lets go of my wrist. I look behind us, seeing the fireworks pop off in a carnival-like joy. I'm further away from the source. I can clearly hear the happy squeals of gawking children adding onto the noise.

Turning back to face her… "Itsuka, why did you—?"

—Time slows, coming to a crawl. Itsuka's arms slither around my shoulders, using her inner arms to hook my head in as if to ensnare me in her little trap. Her fingers brush against my hair, then her nails dig into my scalp to hold me in place. She closes what little distance we have. It's not even a step or a half-step. All she needs to do is stand taller and drag myself shorter.

All she needs to do is glide herself over… All I need to do…

"Mnn…" In the span of a second, Itsuka effectively steals my first kiss, completely on her terms. Without any hesitation or fear, she lays claim to my lips, sealing it with her own, softly pressing against them with a fraction of her weight behind it. My entire body burns with heat, first paralyzed with the cloud-like sensation I was dealt, then easing away like oil washing over me.

I'm lost in the heat. I'm lost in the marvel. My mind's gone blank, completely unable to think as a single action, a single small action like this, conquers me totally. Itsuka's lips, they're just as delicate as I imagined.

The kiss lasts forever, it seems like. But it eventually ends, the same one who initiated pulls back, pressing her forehead against mine. I can still feel her touch against the beds of my lips.

"Sanji," she says, heaving. Not even she's immune to what happened. "I wanted to—Mmnn."

Something snaps in me. Hearing her pant so arduously, her hot breath striking the hairs on my face, the vulnerability afflicted in her expression, something told me that I needed to kiss her again, and I did. In contrast to Itsuka's, whose kiss was gentler, teetering on the edge of inexperience and apprehension, mine is rougher to say the least.

I wrap my arms around her back, trapping her just as how she trapped me. I press her against the alleyway walls. Her grip on my hair loosens and her arms lose their strength, retreating. All she can do is weakly press her hands against my chest, gripping the fabric of my yukata.

I dominate the first few seconds of my kiss, spurred on by the almost soundless moans Itsuka squeaks. Bolts of guilt and shame override my mind, the last bastion of my civility, begging me to stop before I force myself further. It's enough that I pull my head back with strands of saliva bridging between our mouths. "Itsuka, I—"

—She kisses me with the same intensity as with mine. Her grip on my yukata tightens immensely, pulling me back in. The composure I originally had melts away. Just like our minds, our hands forgo any sense of sanity. We take the time to find anywhere to hold each other in a constant tug-of-war, desperately trying to sate the hunger digging inside our stomachs.

It's a cruel cocktail of impulses and cravings, a bodily need that tells us to disregard any barriers we place upon ourselves. I don't know how many kisses we exchanged. I don't know how much time we spent hidden away in an alleyway with fireworks crackling. I don't know how much I wanted this to happen so so so much. The apprehension, the reluctance I had disappears.

I'm granted relief feeling her eagerly pressing herself against me, having her hands grab, clinging onto anything they find. The little sounds she makes serves as encouragement for me to continue even when my breath is taken out of my lungs over and over, gasping for air between each kiss.

It's only when the fireworks end that we stop, breathing so intensely like steam could be whining off our skin. Itsuka has her hands around the back of my neck. We're messier than when we came in.

Composing herself, Itsuka says, "Is it too late to say 'I love you'? I don't care, I'll say it anyway: I love you. For the past seven days, knowing that you felt the same way and more, it was really hard to not shut you up. To do this. Hah, that was really intense too…"

"Heh, try walking in my shoes," I begin, cupping her face, "I've never felt this strongly about a person before. You take up much of my headspace, y'know? I constantly think about how happy you made me so far, and awkwardly enough, I constantly think about things I don't have the confidence to admit."

"You sure as hell have the confidence to do something alright," she jokes, pressing her forehead against mine while laughing.

"Apparently…" I muse, my hands falling down to her hips. "What now? The fireworks are over. We only have an hour left until curfew."

"Let's go back to the dorms early," she says, a sparkle lighting her blue eyes.

I gulp. "T-To the dorms?"

"Mhm. We ate, met a No.1, saw fireworks, what's more to do?"

I hold myself back from making a joke. "Guess that really is everything, huh? Well, I don't have any reason to say no."

Itsuka smiles, reaching up to give me a quick peck on the lips. "No, you don't."

---

"..."

"...So, we're in my room."

"Yeah… We are." Itsuka awkwardly stands around, fiddling with her obi.

The walk back home gave me enough time to reflect on what happened in the alleyway. As much as I wanna kick myself, I don't feel guilty at all. It was nice. It was more than nice. I loved it. At first, hearing Itsuka wanting to come back to the dorms early, I imagined it would be too early.

But now, maybe it isn't. We've been together for a while, trusted each other with our lives at certain points. This, I believe, is the natural destination. Doesn't mean we're ready to arrive there now. To be sure… To be one hundred percent sure…

At the foot of my bed, I turn around, facing her. "Itsuka, do you want this? I know you offered it—albeit with implications—but it's not unreasonable to back out now. We can watch a movie, snack on whatever's left in the pantry, maybe pick up Kagesuke from Hound Dog so we can have a guest."

"I should be asking you that question," she replies, not answering mine. Dammit, I wish she gave me a straight, clear answer.

"You know how I feel." Wavering, my eyes fall to the floor. "...I got everything we need in the nightstand. Doesn't mean you should force yourself to do anything. Might be my birthday, but that doesn't excuse it."

"I'm not forcing myself to do anything, dummy. I was the one who brought up the idea first, didn't I?" She approaches me, fingers hooked on the reams of my yukata that effectively acts as my collar. It's impossible to not look at her. I'm drawn to her lips again, remembering how we enjoyed that timeless moment only a while ago.

I clench my hands. "Just tell me outright, Itsuka."

Itsuka sighs, annoyed with my insistence for a concise answer. Stepping up, she kisses me just like how she kissed me the first time—soft and sweet. "I want you."

A moan escapes me, finally having the answer I'm looking for. Shutting my eyes, my hands find the ribbon that's tied using her obi. I begin undoing it.

Itsuka kisses me again. My yukata gets looser and looser.

Somehow, she ends up on the bed with me on top of her, ogling as her yukata slowly slides off of her shoulders. In this compromising position, intentional position, my throat suddenly dries up.

"I'm nervous too, alright…?" Itsuka assures me, guiding a hand to my cheek. "I have things I'm too muddy-in-the-heart to say, just like you."

She caresses my skin. I never had sensitive skin, yet when Itsuka touches me, it tingles like I'm caught in a snowstorm.

"Itsuka…"

"Lemme show you what I want first." Her hand moves away from my cheek. The fingers wrap around the wrist of my right hand, picking it off the bed. Bringing my hand to her, she plants a small kiss on my knuckles before moving it down…

And down…

And down, my hand sliding underneath her yukata, desiring a more intimate touch.

For the rest of the night, I let myself go from my treprediations, from the outside world roaring around us. Tonight, it's only a private island where the two of us can enjoy without any hindrances.

It's a feeling so enthralling that it almost makes me rethink my life of heroism.

---

Past Debts

Click clack click!

"Haruto," says Fuyushiro Tokage. Tonight is the Eiyukawa Fireworks Festival, and much like the other years, he's spending his time stowed inside his office. There is no need to worry about his daughter and wife. The former has her friends, though irresponsible, are dependable when the situation calls. As for the latter, he's sure she is occupying herself with idle tasks.

Haruto, formerly Setsuna's chauffeur before she moved into Heights Alliance, is still under the Tokages' care. He steps inside into Fuyushiro's office, bowing respectfully to his superior. Though, his office is locked. Despite that fact, Fuyushiro is largely unsurprised that Haruto made his way in despite the initial obstacle.

"Wonderful night, isn't it, sir?" Haruto asks with a tip of his imaginary cap.

"You know me well enough that I dislike pointless chatter," snaps Fuyushiro, prying himself away from his laptop to scowl at his underling. "What's the real purpose of your visit? You never go out of your way to contact me unless you desire something."

Haruto stands upright with an uncharacteristically prideful smile. He's no older than a college student; at least, his outward appearance. "The upcoming summer training camp for the first-year Hero Students at U.A. High School. You're aware that Edgeshot and a metaologist is chaperoning, right?"

"Unfortunately, I am." Fuyushiro's gaze deepens. He has an intense dislike for the Hero Public Safety Commission, which borders on righteousness yet having some operatives working in the muddied gray area between law and disorder. The current president is too controlling, and that is terrifying to the corporate star. He concludes, "To conduct research on Midoriya and Inochi, I presume?"

"Given One For All and the mystery Quirk…" Haruto smirks. "It's only natural for the top brass to gather as much information they can on their two most powerful weapons. You say that knowing this information is unfortunate, but I have worse news for you. He contacted me."

The hairs on the back of Fuyushiro's neck stand up. He jumps out of his chair, hands tense against his desk. "Are you serious?! What is he planning to do at the training camp?!"

"He'll send Tomura Shigaraki and a group of new hires—followers of Stain's philosophy I think—to do what they do naturally: destroy," informs Haruto, a soldier of All For One. A twisted, malevolent smile snakes across his face, twisting his muscles to appear as an amalgamation of evil. "I'll be attending as redundancy."

"My daughter is right in their crosshairs then!" shouts Fuyushiro. He walks away from his desk to grab Haruto by the collar. "All For One swore that no harm will ever come to Setsuna's way by one of his own! That's the exact reason why you're associated with me, Haruto!"

Haruto maintains his wicked grin. Using his overwhelming strength, he grabs Fuyushiro by the wrist and tears him away. "Don't touch me, sir. I'm not done explaining everything yet."

Pushing his supposed boss off, Haruto clicks his tongue. Fuyushiro holds his wrist, wincing from the pain. "Why… Why is All For One, or just Shigaraki, attacking the camp?"

"Class 1-A, as I've told," Haruto answers. He gives Fuyushiro his side, staring at a painting hanging on the high walls. "Shigaraki came up with the plan himself and All For One gave him the necessities to execute it. He's interested in a couple of students who might turn to the dark side. One of them being Katsuki Bakugo, the winner of the first-years Sports Festival. In my opinion, the plan's a bust since you can't guarantee that, but I'm not the one making orders."

"Regardless of 1-A, they aren't relevant here! What about 1-B?" asks Fuyushiro. "Are they simply bystanders at the wrong time, at the wrong place?"

He tilts his head to the side, both confirming and denying. "Yes and no. That's where I come in as All For One's proxy. After all, there's another Origin-type in the midst. At first, he assumed that the deranged cult leader made a reappearance after so long, but imagine his shock when it's a completely new Origin-type belonging to the class next door.

"He said, 'Another nuisance to take notice of. Haruto, all I desire is a fitting path for Tomura to inherit the throne. Two Origin-types is a challenge even for me. To have my protege toiling against them is unfavorable.'"

Haruto waltzes over to the painting, dabbing a finger at the frame gilded with golden leaves. Not a speck of dust is left on his fingertip. "Thus, that leads me to my two objectives. One: ensure the good health of your beloved daughter as per your deal with All For One. And two: ensure the death of Sanji Inochi. The League of Villains have these orders too. They questioned them, but I promptly silenced any issues. Don't worry, many of those lunatics are more than happy to receive a request to kill."

The gravity of those words weigh heavily on Fuyushiro. His eyes widen, horrified at the news, then narrowing in utter disgust. At Haruto, at himself. He doesn't particularly favor Sanji; he pities him for the responsibility the Commission forced the boy to carry, yet to hear that All For One effectively called for a Kill Order is a guaranteed death sentence.

Even if Sanji survived, a new order would be created, incentivizing his death for a large reward for any Villains out there.

It's tragic. To Fuyushiro, Sanji is one of the few who can leverage the odds against villainy. Izuku Midoriya, on the side of Heroes, will ensure a fighting chance, yet Sanji's presence will give Japan better odds with reduced losses. His death will surely damage U.A. and the entire scope of heroism for years.

Midoriya is only spared because of his possession of One For All. It seems All For One is a sentimental man to an extent, either wanting to kill Midoriya himself, or letting his successor paint his hands with that boy's blood.

Sanji Inochi, simply put, is an extraneous variable. Left unchecked, it could spell the end of Tomura Shigaraki due to its inherently unpredictable nature. That is the reason behind his murder.

"Why do you look so disgusted, sir?" asks Haruto. "You asked for All For One's help all those years ago! You built your megacorporation with his help, remember? He gave you a Quirk perfect for simulating the future—well, as perfect as you can endlessly tinker with it! When I was hunted by those annoying Heroes, especially Nagant, you took me in with All For One's orders! You're just as much of a soldier as I am, but I'm acting for his will.

"You are entirely complicit. You can do nothing, and that's all you are capable of."

"Be quiet…" Fuyushiro mutters, anger boiling through his teeth.

Haruto grabs Fuyushiro by the hair, wanting him to hear every last word he says: "No, I'm here to give you your orders. One: You are not to inform anyone about what I said; otherwise, consider your deal and your daughter's life forfeit. Two: Kyudai Garaki is engineering his next masterpieces. Whenever he needs your resources, no matter what, no matter the cost, obey; otherwise, consider your deal and your daughter's life forfeit."

All For One is a calculating man. Fuyushiro didn't need to know the details about the future attack, yet he allowed Haruto to disclose them. It's a psychological attack. By informing Fuyushiro, then purposefully barred him from taking action, letting him to imagine his daughter's life after Sanji's death, everything is a hammer to shatter his psyche.

Once broken, he becomes fitting to mold as a puppet.

Fuyushiro isn't broken yet; however, he'll feel the pain in the coming days. Haruto lets go of his hair, taking his silence as an act of submission. Before he leaves though, Fuyushiro manages to squeak, "...What about the other students?"

Haruto stops and smiles. "If they die, they die. Shigaraki wants to cripple society's support for heroism. Ironically, with the Meta Liberation Army's presence, you'll see protests in a couple of weeks. Riots, if we're lucky. They could live, but I don't think they could live through everyday protests outside their iron gate."

Chuckling, he opens the door to reveal the wife. He bows in respect. "You look lovely tonight, miss."

"Th-Thank you…" she timidly replies, letting Haruto leave. Looking inside the office, Fuyushiro stands there, overwhelmed with emotions, yet showing nothing but anguish in his stance. "Fuyu—"

"—Leave. Shut the door."

Wordlessly, she resigns, only able to pitifully sigh.

Fuyushiro's alone in his office, celebrating the Eiyukawa Fireworks Festival with his newfound knowledge.

"Useless…" he irks. "Pathetically useless…"

---

Author's Notes:

woah.

I don't know about you, but I've waited a long time for this moment. I could've had a shorter wait if I was more productive, but oh well. I'm no longer restricted to a deadline and that's probably why I'm slow with this stuff. Two years and I haven't learned my lesson, thanks Gushy. Anyway, this was a shorter chapter compared to the previous ones (20k words, so it's shorter *in my book*). I actually had to cut out multiple scenes so I don't make it absurdly long. One of them was a Togaru Kamakiri scene that's supposed to serve as him finally admitting his crush on Pony, but I instead integrated it with Setsuna's scene. There was originally a 1-D scene too; however, it didn't make it in due to length. So unfortunately, you have to make due with Suzuki only. I also tried my best to showcase every 1-B character, having at least one or two pieces of dialogue. Some of them (Shoda, Bondo, Shishida, to name off of the top of my head) got the short end of the stick due to their, uh, unimportant roles in the story. Reiko Yanagi, by far, got the shortest stick. Sorry Reikoko.

Fun fact: the only reason why her group chat username is named "Reikoko" is due to Kinoko. What happened was essentially this:

Kinoko: "Reiko! Why's your username so boring? Reiko-underscore-Yanagi? Could you be more shroom-headed?!"

Reiko: "Kinoko, I apologize. On an unrelated note: You do confuse me on whenever you use mushroom-inspired terminology, using them interchangeably as insults and compliments; I cannot appraise if you mean well or wound me."

Kinoko: "Uh, wound you! It sounds mean, but I hafta this time! Your username makes me wanna snore, just like in Present Mic's class! Pick something different!"

Reiko: "Would 'Emily' suffice?"

Kinoko: "Manga's username is that. Be original! Be unique! If it helps, use some inspiration!"

Reiko: "Inspiration... Ah, what of 'Reikoko'? I was inspired by the commonality of our given names ending with -ko."

Kinoko: "Reikoko is so cute! Were ya really inspired by me?"

Reiko: "Well, of our given names—"

Kinoko: "—Oh, I love you, Reiko! This means so much to me! Gimme a hug!"

Reiko: *hugged, also for some reason, Kinoko is crying*

Reiko, muttering: "To think a username would bring her to tears..."

Anyway, besides from that snippet I decided to spontaneously write, you'll get some closure on some loose threads in the next chapter (i.e. Sasaki's scene with Bam). I included Manga in this chapter because I needed someone from the "beginning crew" and Manga was the picked only because Suzuki has an excuse to show up + the lead-in to 1-B being in the same place. A spotlight shines over Shojo and Yosetsu too. As for the introduced character, Chae Hamin (Hunter), you'll see more of him later. Initially, I wanted him to be more friendly before I realized that's boring. Thus, he tries to act cool but internally, he's an awkward mess where his Quirk is the only thing going for him! That's South Korea's No.1 Hero for you!

Onto the elephant in the room, the main ship. Yeah, they did the dirty. They tied the knot. They had coffee. They had all the euphemisms you can use. The beginning scene with Itsuka served to, well, mainly tell you what happened after they met with Chae Hamin. Sanji didn't have *too* interesting perspective to tell since he was solely talking to Chae about his life, so I decided to use Itsuka because I had more options starting out. However, with Sanji's scene, that's when everything happens. The "big confession", which isn't a confession at all. It's rather an acknowledgement of each other's feelings because they both very well know at this point. And about the fireworks itself, before you say, "I thought Sanji wanted to see the fireworks more than anything else!" No, although this *was* his first festival, it would have been meaningless without his friends + Itsuka. The line where he says, "I'd rather be stargazing into you..." serves to demonstrate that: as beautiful fireworks are, they mean nothing without you.

In the end, he wasn't disappointed. Well, that's because Itsuka dragged him into an alleyway to have an excuse to kiss him without anyone watching. Then Sanji reciprocated and now they're making out. Yeah, for as touch-starved, love-starved, generally affection-starved Sanji, he's more than ready to be a teenage boy. With the bedroom scene, I had Itsuka take the lead with this one. As much of a teenage boy Sanji is, he's not so impulsive, acting on his desires immediately. The communication you see is important because Sanji wants to 100% ensure that his partner is: 1. Okay with it; 2. Doesn't feel pressured; 3. Has boundaries respected. Good communication is key. Anyawy, ironically enough, on the other end, Itsuka was the one who had to lead things off despite the fact that Sanji began the making out session.

But they had a good time. Off-screen, but I assure you they did. In terms of smut, of whether or not I will actually write sexual content or not... There'll always be sex jokes, sexual advances, maybe even some risque flirting, but no sexual content. Every sex scene will be implied. I'm not gonna write any smut, this isn't the fic for that.

Funnily enough, originally this wasn't going to happen until the end of the story. In the original plan, Sanji and Itsuka was supposed to be together right at the end. Then, I realized, "That's kinda far, let's push it forward." The new plan was during the Cultural Festival. However, due to, uh, plot-related events, I decided that was not the best time so I moved it forward: here. This serves as the perfect event for Sanji's character, and I'm quite satisfied with how it turned out.

Now, onto the Forest Training Camp arc. Haruto? That random side character? Oh yeah, he's a Villain. It's not random by the way; I actually wanted Haruto to have more appearances before the reveal, but it just didn't work out. Fuyushiro Tokage was always planned to be associated with All For One in a way. In fact, in the original draft for the Catharsis Arc, this association was supposed to be revealed at the end of that arc, but it didn't fit.

So it's here.

Anyway, that's all I got. I'll leave you with this important message: Practice safe sex.