A hero killer…? The news coverage of the most recent murder was almost panic-inducing. He had tried to not think about Akari so much; he was trying to avoid her. Now it was unavoidable. Thoughts of his pro hero soulmate filled his head and his heart began to race.

She was a hero. She had her own things to do, her own life to live, and she had finally released him from her apartment. However, leaving her side was the last thing that he wanted. If he was less afraid of upsetting her, he might have insisted on staying, but he hated to impose on her.

Hero killer. Jin sat on the edge of the bed in his motel room, staring at the television screen with wide eyes and gritted teeth. But I'm in love with a hero! She's in danger again! I have to help her! Nah, she can take care of herself! No! Threading his fingers into his hair, he held his head and scowled.

He had seen the outlines from the bodies. Heroes, slain by this unknown murderer. Brutal, horrible deaths. The thought of Akari dying in such a way, alone in an alley somewhere, suffering through so much pain, sent his heart beating into overdrive.

Jin inhaled shakily and felt a prickling sensation at the corners of his eyes. Thinking about her dying brought him such despair that his eyes were tearing up. It felt like there were claws digging into his heart and he pressed a hand against his chest. No! No, no, no! I have to do something! I can't let her die!

The man stood and looked around his room, searching for his mask. It was sitting on the mini fridge near the door. Snatching it up, he checked the time. Evening. Past dinner time, but not too late. It was unlikely that Akari was out patrolling, but Jin was not going to risk losing her. With love-fueled determination, he set off.

As he made his way down to the street, all he could think about was Akari. The hero's smile, the way she laughed, how kindly she always treated him, how it had felt to live so closely with her during his days in her apartment, how perfectly she fit against him when she slept beside him or hugged him. It was all fuel for the fire. He was not willing to let anyone or anything take Akahana Akari from the world.

He left the motel with the intention of patrolling; almost like a hero. I'm Akari's hero, he reminded himself. The thought brought him comfort. It filled him with warmth. This was something he could do for her. He could make the world safer for her.

His patrol was cut short when his gray-blue eyes fell upon a restaurant. A sushi place with a sign above it reading "Akahana Sushi". Akahana? Like her name. Is this some kind of sign? It's got to be a coincidence. Jin felt hunger grumble in his stomach and he felt in his pocket. He had some money. Probably enough for a decent meal. Reading the name of the restaurant again, he decided to give it a try.

A young man, probably around twenty or so, greeted him and told him to sit wherever he liked. There were few customers so Jin seated himself at the counter. His eyes were drawn to a rather peculiar picture on the wall. It seemed to be an enlarged photo of a high school student. A male student with blonde hair and sunglasses, smiling. The words "Lifetime Ban" were written above his head.

Jin had to wonder what someone had to do to receive a lifetime ban from a sushi restaurant and shrugged it off. The boy had probably pulled an eat and run scam or something. He ordered water and something simple off of the menu.

When he was left alone, he opened his wallet and drew out his prized possession. Akari's debut hero card from a series of trading cards. It had cost a bit, but he thought it was worth it. Though it was strange to see her that way. The costume was a bit different and her hair was braided, but he still recognized her smile. The name "Heartstrings" was printed beneath her photo and listed her quirk and capture weapon.

"Whoa! You're a Heartstrings fan? That's awesome!"

Jin tensed and looked over his shoulder to find the young man. A pair of sharp, cerulean eyes stared back at him and the familiar shade sent a shock through him. "Yeah…I'm a fan."

"Hey! This guy's one of Aka-nee's fans! Can you set him up?" The young man leaned against the counter, calling to the chef. He turned to Jin and pushed up his glasses, beaming. "Heartstrings is my big sister. We always treat her fans right," he explained.

Sister? Jin felt himself beginning to sweat as he looked toward the approaching chef. This man had coal dark hair, but cerulean eyes like the server and like Jin's soulmate. This is her family's shop?!

Shift P.O.V

"Nn?" Akari saw her phone's screen light up and quirked an eyebrow. Picking it up from the bedside table, she felt her heart skip a beat. Takumi? I haven't heard from him in a while. What exactly…?

Opening the message, she found that it had a photo attached. The message itself read: Aka-nee, check it out! We've got a Heartstrings fan in the house! I don't think I've seen Dad this excited since before you left!

Heartstrings fan? A sinking feeling began in her stomach as she thought of the fan fiction stories she had seen on that website. Since seeing it, she had gone on the website a few times. She had read some Eraser Head stories, a few Present Mic stories, but never read fan fictions involving herself. Especially after seeing a few that also tagged Endeavor.

The photo downloaded and Akari had to bite her lip to keep herself from making a sound of surprise. This was a photo of a very uncomfortable-looking Jin with her father seated beside him and showing off a collection of newspaper clippings. What the hell?! Seriously though? Seriously?

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she typed a reply to ask if Jin was still there. She decided not to let her brother know that she knew Jin. It would only end up irritating her father. Akari glanced to the doorway, frowning. Aizawa was busy that night with some lesson plans. She had planned to just try to go to sleep, but now it seemed that she would need to go out.

I can't let my dad bother Jin. Damn it! This is so embarrassing! I haven't seen my family in forever and now I'm having to see them again under this kind of circumstance! Receiving Takumi's confirmation that he was still there, Akari grabbed a jacket and set off to rescue Jin from her family.

She was wary as she navigated her way through the streets. Despite being in civilian clothes, she was still a hero and she knew that the hero killer was taking out her colleagues. In addition to this, she was very aware of the fact that someone had begun to stalk her. It was not Jin; he had been in her apartment that day someone tried to follow her home. No, this was someone else.

Akari knew that it was probably be a villain, but at the back of her mind she feared it might be an Endeavor fanatic. They had been decently volatile during the whole incident years ago and any time she saw someone wearing Endeavor merchandise, she shuddered a little.

As she approached the sushi shop, she felt her pulse beginning to race again. There was a sick, twisting sensation in her stomach that seemed to grow with each step closer to the entrance. Thankfully, someone intercepted her before she could enter. The door flew open and she was greeted by the sight of her younger brother.

The young man stared at her with wide eyes and hurried in for a hug. "Aka-nee! Wow! You look like an actual adult!"

"Nn? What's that supposed to mean?" She smirked and hugged back, feeling her worries start to fade. "Where's Dad?"

"Hey, don't worry, okay? I've been giving him some beer so he's in a pretty good mood right now!" he assured her. Takumi nodded toward the shop. "Your fan's still here. Dad keeps making him more food. Oh! Did Yamada-san tell you that he stopped by a while ago?"

"Yeah. He mentioned that. Is he still-?" Akari followed her brother inside and spotted the framed photo of Yamada with "Lifetime Ban" written above his head. She frowned, raising an eyebrow and pushing her hands into her pockets.

"Yeah; he's still banned for life. Dad kicked him out as soon as he stepped inside." Takumi frowned and rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah. I wish Mom was here. She would've wanted to see you. She went on a hot spring tour with some friends and she won't be back until Sunday."

Akari's gaze shifted from the photo of Yamada to where her father was offering Jin what appeared to be his fifth plate of something. In front of him were a number of beer bottles that she suspected belonged to both him and her father. As she approached the counter, she saw him bow his head and her father's eyes narrowed. Seeing his flushed complexion, Akari could tell her father was more or less drunk.

"I'm still welcome here, right?" she challenged him.

"Sit down. I'll get you a plate," he grumbled.

Sliding into the seat beside Jin, she turned to look at her friend. He glanced over and flushed faintly before looking down. The woman leaned over, a hand resting on his shoulder. "Do you need rescuing?" she joked.

"No…he's nice." There was a somewhat strained quality to his voice as he spoke. "I didn't mean to come here. I mean…I didn't realize it was your family's place," he tried to explain.

Akari ran her fingers through her hair and half-shrugged. "It's fine. Even if you did…I mean…I haven't seen my family in years. So you basically caused me to reunite with them." Feeling him tense up, she shook her head. "No, it's a good thing, Jin. This needed to happen."

Her father brought over a plate and a tray of beers, but paused when he saw her hand on Jin's shoulder. "Wait a second…" The man's mouth drew into a broad smile as he set down the food and drinks. A hand patted Jin's other shoulder from across the counter and he laughed cheerfully. "Well damn! I had no idea! I get it now though! You're a good man, huh?"

What's he going on about? The hero gave her father a curious look. The last time she had seen him this happy was when he thought she planned to attend a public high school and work at the restaurant after graduation.

"You picked a good one this time, Akari! Decent guys go to meet their girlfriend's family before they pop the big question! I approve!"

"Th-that's not-!"

"You're Aka-nee's boyfriend? Why didn't you say anything?"

Jin awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, looking away. "Um…wait…"