Disclaimer: this chapter is a montage chapter, and some parts of it are a bit goofier, bordering on crack at certain points, than most of my previous ones. So there's that. It's mostly serious nonsense anyhow.

In order to tell apart the segments, I've separated them into 'days'. In total, there are seven 'days' in this chapter.

A mild groan was the first thing to escape Yosetsu's lips as he heard his phone ringing several times over, and though he was adamant about ignoring it at first, after the seventh ring, he reached over to pluck it off the top of his study table.

Awase was tired, too tired to be bothered with reading who was calling as he simply held his phone up and over his head and answered the call, and seconds later, his grip on his mobile device slackened, causing it to fall flat onto his face, though in his current drowsy state of mind, he didn't give a shit as he sighed.

"Who the fuck is this?" slurred Yosetsu as his phone remained atop his face. His tired brain was still stuck on algebraic formulas and Pre-Quirk era equations as he found himself still recovering from the end of his mid-term exams, and as a side effect, he didn't seem to give a crap about etiquette as he heard some snickers coming from the other end of the phone.

"C'mon Awa, that's not nice!" scolded Ride Mass, of all people as Yosetsu's tired mind realized that he was receiving a call from the Chryse Orphanage. That was enough to surprise him just a bit, just not enough to make him remove his phone from his face as he grunted.

"Mass-Chan, do you know what the fucking time is right now?" grumbled Yosetsu tiredly as he laid there, wrapped up in his blanket like a mummy. On the other end of the line, Ride went silent for a bit as the sound of someone shuffling off to check the clock could be heard in the background, and shortly thereafter, he vaguely heard Yamagi saying something before Ride piped up once more.

"Four AM, Awa!" announced Ride confidently, prompting Awase to form a comical tick mark on his forehead at the thought of being woken up at this hour.

"Four fucking AM. Why the fuck did you call me at four fucking AM?" growled Yosetsu, with the early morning clearly affecting his usual subdued nature as he kept his phone stuck to his face, and though he couldn't see it, Ride was visibly shrinking down a little as he tried for a response, though when it became clear that he wasn't going to give him one, someone else took the phone from him and answered.

"Apologies, Awase-San. Ride was just excited about this. He wanted to invite you over to the orphanage, and we told him to call you later in the morning," said the voice, clearly Takaki, who sounded incredibly apologetic as he spoke. Yosetsu felt some of his anger dissipate at Uno's gentle tone, just not enough to make him stop swearing like a sailor as he listened to him continue. "We thought that you'd ignore the call, honestly, but it didn't turn out that way, I suppose…"

"Kh… whatever… sure, fine. I'll come over later, alright?" groaned Yosetsu as he finally removed the phone from his face and held it up to his ear, and as he did so, he heard the sound of someone, most certainly Ride, celebrating in the background. "Does Twelve in the afternoon sound alright to you guys?"

"Certainly! See you then!" assured Takaki, with him obviously smiling on the other end of the line as he spoke, and to that, Awase scoffed.

"Just don't call me at four in the fucking morning next time, alright?" ordered Awase, with him making use of his authority as someone that was older than all three of the kids he was talking to as he spoke. Ride and Takaki responded positively while Yamagi, if he was even there, offered no response at all, and after a quick goodbye, he hung up and tossed his phone back onto his study table.

That was certainly interesting, Awase thought as he slowly drifted back to sleep. To be invited to the orphanage yet again, at four in the morning, no less. How strange was that. He knew that Mikazuki did say that he was always welcomed there, but even so, to be invited over yet again still felt oddly nice to Yosetsu…

But little did he know… this would end up being his routine for the next few days!

Day 1

Groaning a little as he sat atop the couch of the orphanage, Yosetsu pinched the bridge of his nose as he attempted to shake off the sleepiness spell that still had a hold on him.

One couldn't blame him for his fatigue, however, as his mid-term exams had just ended. The guy had studied day in and day out in preparation for the exams, and though he had not felt the consequences of overworking himself to such a degree back then, in no small part thanks to coffee and the motivation to do better after graduation, he was most certainly feeling it now, what with his eyes still threatening to slam shut, regardless of his personal input, and how his shoulders were slacked a lot more than usual.

After he had woken up, feeling as though he had not slept whatsoever all the while, Yosetsu had panicked at first, with him realizing that it was a Thursday, though much to his relief, he recalled how he had today and tomorrow off thanks to marking days. It was an incredibly relief to the boy, who had slept in for an extra two hours before actually waking up, and once he was up, he got himself cleaned and, upon realizing that he had nothing better to do, he headed off to visit the orphanage.

The orphans had greeted him with as much vigor as Awase recalled them giving back when he first visited. It was almost enough to make him feel awake, almost, and when he was escorted in, Yosetsu was quick to claim a spot on the couch and sit on it with very little fanfare.

Dante, Chad, Takaki and Ride (after giving a hasty apology for calling at four in the morning) were there to accompany him, with Orga stating that Mikazuki was still asleep after what he claimed to be an 'incredibly early morning run'. Awase could understand that, even if he was shocked to know that Augus had enough energy to wake up early in the morning to go on a jog after the meat grinder that was their mid-terms.

At first, Yosetsu was content with chatting with the four orphans, with him snickering at Dante's little tale of how they met Ride in the first place, something that the ginger proclaimed to be completely false. Before long, however, Awase's fatigue eventually caught up to him as he felt himself faltering a little, and before long, his vision became rather blurry, and he felt himself nodding off…

… and not long after, Awase awoke to the sensation of someone poking his cheek. Groaning a little to himself as this happened, Yosetsu felt his eyes cracking open as he regained consciousness, though he was quite literally jolted awake when he felt a sudden surge of pain passing through his body via his cheek, prompting him to gasp out in shock as he sat back up, ramrod straight.

"Gah!" proclaimed Yosetsu and, coincidentally enough, two young boys that were once crouched in front of his resting figure. The two aforementioned boys gasped in shock as they jolted backwards, with them hiding behind the coffee table all the while, and at that, Yosetsu brought a hand up to his eyes and rubbed them slightly before he turned back to the kids, who were peeking out at him from behind the coffee table, wary but curious all at once.

One of the two kids had a Mutation Quirk, that much was obvious to Awase. His skin was rough and grey at the joints, and his hair was predominantly grey that faded into a mossy green at the tips, giving him a rocky appearance as he stared over at him with curious black eyes, and as for the other, he seemed rather normal, with brown eyes and hair that was mostly black with a large green streak doing down the middle, giving him quite a distinct hairstyle.

"Uh… hey there?" muttered Yosetsu in an awkward greeting as he brought his hand up to his cheek, only to wince when he felt a faint trickle of blood beneath his fingers. It wasn't much, but it was enough to be noticeable as he stared down at his index finger. Wiping the blood away with his thumb, Awase was quick to turn back towards the kids, who seemed rather wary of him, though before things could escalate…

"Oi oi, Vito, Pedro! What did Orga tell you guys about disturbing the sleeping kid?"

Yelping a little at the sudden, unfamiliar voice (at least to Yosetsu), both children present, Pedro and Vito, it would seem, jumped up and stood at attention as they watched a tired looking young man approach them. His attire was the usual Chryse jacket, pants and a sleeveless brown shirt, and Awase would've been lying if he claimed to not feel at least a little intimidated by his presence, especially when he turned to fix his tired green eyes at him, eyes that were ringed in black as he shook his head, in turn messing up his light green hair, and sighed.

"S-Seven Stark-San! I-I'm sorry, we didn't mean to wake him up!" apologised the boy with the Rock Mutation Quirk, Pedro, it would seem, as he tensed up, apparently awaiting a punishment of some kind as he spoke, though the green haired guy, Seven Stark-San, as Pedro had called him, simply scoffed as he shook his head, dismissing their worries all the while.

"Doesn't matter. What's done is done, now go find the Old Man. He's looking for you punks," ordered Seven Stark as he motioned for the kids to get a move on, and they complied, rushing off without a second thought. As soon as they were out of sight, the green haired man moved to sit atop the couch, not too far from where Yosetsu was, and got himself comfortable, with him spreading his arms out and around the backrest whilst also crossing one leg over the other. Awase himself blinked a little at this as he rubbed one of his eyes, and upon noticing his staring, Seven Stark scoffed a little to himself. "So, you're Awase, huh?"

"... yeah, I am. And who are you, exactly? I don't think I've seen you here before," inquired Yosetsu, with him still a little too tired to really care about manners as he lowered his hand, though Seven Stark didn't seem to mind, as he grinned and nodded in apparent approval.

"Heh, straight to the point, huh? I like that," complimented Seven Stark gruffly with a grin as he glanced over at Yosetsu, sizing him up briefly before he pushed himself off the backrest and held a hand out towards Awase, offering him a handshake… only to pull his hand away when the headband-wearing boy attempted to shake it, much to his chagrin. "Seven Stark. Eugene Seven Stark. Or I guess Seven Stark Eugene, as the Japanese put it. Just skip with the pleasantries and call me Eugene for all I care, and as for your other question, I only make myself known whenever I want to."

"Alright then, Eugene-San," replied Yosetsu with a shrug, with the aforementioned man nodding in apparent approval as he turned away from him with a neutral expression on his face, one that seemed rather content with Awase calling him Eugene rather than Seven Stark. Thereafter, silence reigned as the older of the two quietly observed the boy that somehow got past Mikazuki Augus' defenses, and all the while, the younger found himself swaying a little as he attempted to keep himself awake.

"You got issues sleeping, kid?" inquired Eugene, sounding rather lighthearted, if not a tiny bit worried, as he glanced over at Yosetsu, who huffed a little as he shrugged.

"Mid-terms. I stayed up pretty late to study, and I fucked up my sleep schedule. I was kinda planning on sleeping the whole day, but I can't exactly turn down an invitation, now can't I?" answered Awase, short and simple as he shrugged to Eugene, who appeared taken aback by his words as he raised a brow.

"Jeez kid, you could've just declined. Ride would've understood," assured Eugene worriedly as he watched Yosetsu shrug indifferently. Seven Stark didn't like that, he didn't like how self destructive this kid was… though at the same time, he reminded him a lot of a certain someone that lived behind these walls along with him…

With a groan, Eugene stood up and moved towards the kitchen, though not before he patted Awase on the head before leaving. Yosetsu was a little too tired to process the headpat as he teetered off to the side, only for Seven Stark to catch him before he dropped. After being repositioned, Yosetsu didn't process much more than the sound of water being boiled and Eugene whistling to himself. Likewise, he could vaguely hear the sound of tea being made as he tried to keep himself awake, though before long, he was swiftly jolted awake when the scent of tea assaulted his nostrils.

"Hey, wake up, kid. Just stay awake long enough to get this past your throat," insisted Eugene, with his tone of voice sounding a little softer than usual as he held the cup of tea up to Yosetsu's lips. Awase sniffed it a little out of instinct before he glanced up at Seven Stark questioningly, to which he scoffed. "It's Chamomile, kid. Not poisoned, helps with sleep."

"You have problems sleeping?" inquired Yosetsu as he took an awkward sip of the tea, and in response to that, Eugene rolled his eyes in bemusement.

"Quirk related bullshit. Drains a lot of stamina to use, but it's handy enough for me to use it a lot. Turned me into an insomniac, though," lamented Eugene gruffly as he shook his head, though Awase found himself smiling a little as he lowered the cup from his lips briefly.

"That's pretty cool, I guess," commented Yosetsu, with him smiling tiredly as he spoke. Eugene seemed to perk up at the word cool, however, as he grinned widely and brushed his nose, a gesture that almost made Awase snicker if he wasn't so tired.

"F'course it's cool! I'm the coolest guy in this damn house, after all!" protested Eugene with a flex as he showed off the muscles he had… which Yosetsu could not see as it was all hidden beneath his jacket. Even so, Awase still snickered at his antics before he went on to drain what was left of the tea, and as soon as he managed it, he began swaying a little from side to side.

"Yeah… cool… damn, this shit's pretty strong…" admitted Yosetsu as his vision blurred a little, and at that, he slumped onto his side and fell into a deep sleep, though before he passed out, he faintly saw the cup that he was once holding onto floating up in the air before his vision went dark…

… and hours later, he woke up atop his bed, with Yosetsu blinking in confusion at first as he wondered how he had gotten here in the first place. Looking around awkwardly, he found himself wondering what the Hell was going on, though before long, he took note of a handwritten note on his study table, prompting him to get up and read it.

Sup. Eugene here. You kinda slept for a lot longer than we expected, so I got Mika to drag you back home. Visit again soon, you hear? The new kids want to talk to you more without worrying about you falling asleep for half the day.

PS: if your window's broken, just talk to the Old Man. He'll hook you up with a new one within the hour.

Blinking a little at that last statement, Yosetsu turned towards his room window and paled a little when he saw that, yes, the window was indeed broken, letting in the cool night breeze that made Awase wish that he was wearing longer sleeves. The shards were cleaned up at least, though it didn't fix the fact that his window was broken.

'Maybe I should give Augus-Kun a spare house key or something,' thought Yosetsu as he rushed off and reached into his cabinet, with him pulling out a wooden board from it. Pressing it against his broken window, Awase was quick to use his Quirk on it, in turn welding it flat onto his window for now, before he stepped back to marvel at his handiwork.

And as soon as the initial surprise had worn off, he found himself blinking a little in surprise.

'Jeez, do I really trust him to the point where I'm seriously considering giving him a key to my house?'

Day 2

They knew that Eugene had invited him over in his apology letter the previous day, but they didn't expect him to be over so soon.

As in, the next day type of soon. But even so, the orphans didn't complain. Yamagi was the one to answer the door this time, and after a brief few seconds of staring, he nodded in greeting towards the headband-wearing boy and allowed him to enter. Once he was in, however, Awase couldn't help but feel as though someone was watching him, and on instinct, he looked around the orphanage for a brief few seconds.

When he saw that no one was staring at him, aside from Yamagi, anyways, who looked to be holding back a smile, Awase allowed the issue to drop for now as he turned around to thank Gilmerton for letting him in. the blonde waved off his thanks rather quickly as he adjusted the eyepatch covering his left eye, and as he did so, Yosetsu turned towards the couch, fully intent on sitting atop it all the while…

… and as soon as he turned towards it, he found himself coming face to face with an upside down, floating, semi-transparent young man hovering mere inches away from him. At first, the two of them simply maintained eye contact with one another as the 'ghost' grinned at him expectantly, and over by the back, Yamagi had to look away and cover up a snicker when he read Yosetsu's mind.

"Sup," greeted the 'ghost', who remained upside down as he spoke, and upon hearing this, Yosetsu yelled out in shock before he fell backwards, though before he could fall flat onto his back, he felt his back coming into contact with what felt like rocks that kept him from falling onto his rear. Awkwardly, he stared behind himself and saw that there was indeed a sizable rock jutting out of the ground behind him, and standing behind the rock was… Pedro? That was his name, right?

"Embi, you weren't supposed to scare him!" scolded Pedro as he walked past Awase, who had pushed himself off the rock he was once leaning on and was now standing up straight and observing these kids awkwardly. The ghostly boy, Embi, as Pedro had introduced him as, pouted a little at his friend's beratement, though he didn't say anything about it for now as he abruptly became opaque once more and fell to the ground, with him landing on all fours before he bounced back up to his feet.

Now that he was standing on solid ground, Yosetsu could see that Embi, and by proxy Pedro, were a lot shorter than him, a little shorter than Yamagi even. Pedro looked just as Awase remembered, with his overall rock-esc appearance, though Embi, on the other hand, had brown hair hidden beneath a beanie alongside a pair of blank, pinkish eyes that looked almost… dead, in a way. His attire was the usual jacket and padded pants, though beneath the jacket he was wearing a loose white shirt. His demeanor was mostly laid back, though considering how he looked to be around nine or ten years old, Yosetsu reckoned that it was to be expected.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't resist!" apologised Embi sheepishly as he waved his arms around defensively, with him snickering a little as he held a hand behind his head sheepishly. Before long, however, a small amount of guilt ended up settling in Embi's stomach as he glanced up at Yosetsu meekly, and before long, he sighed in defeat and held his hand out towards him. "Ok fine, I'm sorry, Awase-San."

"Oh, uh. It's alright, I guess. No harm done," assured Yosetsu, with him being careful with his language around these kids as he spoke calmly and concisely. Yamagi rolled his eyes at that thought while Embi stuck his tongue out at Pedro, who mimicked Gilerton's exasperated eye roll, before he placed both hands atop his hips.

"Alright then, in that case, let me introduce myself properly! I'm Embi!" introduced… well… Embi as he grinned and offered Yosetsu a two fingered salute. Awase nodded in response to his introduction as he found that name to be easy to remember.

"And I'm Pedro," added the other kid with a small smile as he waved at Awase, who nodded. He knew what his name in particular was, though he didn't wish to be rude and say that out loud.

"Oh and those guys behind you are Trow and Hirume," added Embi cheekily as Yosetsu blinked a little at that unexpected introduction, though as soon as he did so, he was quick to jump forwards a bit when he heard something quite literally rip the rock that he was once leaning against straight off the ground. With wide eyes, the headband-wearing boy gasped as he whirled around to see a new pair of faces, both equally as young as Pedro and Embi, with one of them staring directly at him while the other remained focused on the rock.

The kid that was staring at him was rather plain looking, with a rather neat hairstyle and subdued red eyes, and his skin was a little dark. As for the other, he was wearing a cap backwards and appeared to be the oldest of the bunch, though despite his still youthful appearance, Yosetsu couldn't stop himself from feeling somewhat intimidated by him when he realized that his arm had taken the shape of an excavator claw, or at least half of one, anyways, and it was currently holding up the almost two metre tall rock in its grasp.

"Why can't you stop ruining the moment, Embi?" snapped the dark skinned boy in irritation as he crossed his arms in bemusement, to which Embi snickered. He didn't seem particularly guilty over his actions as he shrugged indifferently, and seconds later, Pedro sighed.

"He's soulless, give him a break," defended Pedro half-heartedly as Awase blinked a little at that analogy, with him wondering if it was just a jab at Embi or if it was meant to be taken literally. Despite this, however, he didn't focus too much on it for now as he heard the dark skinned boy sigh in annoyance, though seconds later, he turned his attention towards him and looked at him from head to toe, sizing him up briefly before smiling a tad.

"Hm, whatever. You're Awase-San, right?" inquired the dark skinned boy after a few moments of silence, and when Yosetsu nodded, he grinned and crossed his arms. "Guessed as much, Embi already introduced me, but I may as well make it formal. I'm Hirume."

"And I'm Trow," added the other boy with the backwards cap, with him setting down the rock he had excavated from the ground and holding his arm up. Yosetsu watched on with morbid fascination as the bones in the boy's deformed excavator arm rearranged themselves beneath his skin, snapping themselves back into place as it took the shape of a regular arm once more, and once it was done, the kids present, sans Yamagi, found enough amusement in Awase's pale face to laugh a little. "Yeah, that's the average reaction people get when they see my Quirk in action."

Upon hearing that, Yosetsu found himself reddening with embarrassment as he held his hands up to assure Trow that he didn't find anything wrong with his Quirk, though before he could do so, Yamagi scoffed and gently patted his back, a gesture that cut him off before his words even left his lips.

"You're not running away and screaming at him just yet, Awase, so he doesn't mind," assured Yamagi as he began to walk up the stairs to the second floor, leaving Yosetsu behind to contend with these powder kegs called children. As soon as he was gone, the kids present all turned towards Awase with varying expressions that made him sweatdrop a little, though before he could voice out his concerns at being left behind with these kids, Embi ended up dragging him off to the couch and sitting him down haphazardly.

"You know, we've heard a lot about you recently!" commented Embi enthusiastically as he activated his Quirk and hovered up in the air, with him smiling all the while. As he did so, Trow and Hirume moved to sit beside Yosetsu while Pedro was content with standing up and pacing around absentmindedly. "Mostly good things, of course."

"Well, thanks I guess. People don't tend to gossip about me all that much. Or at all, really," commented Yosetsu awkwardly as he stared up at Embi, who snickered at him whilst Trow grinned a little.

"You're our first actual guest in God knows how long, Awase-San, and you're one of the few people that treats us like… well… actual people! Of course we'd be talking a lot about you," commented Trow, with him smiling solemnly at the aforementioned boy as he spoke. Yosetsu himself raised a brow at Trow's comment. What did he mean by him being one of the few that treated these kids normally? Were they shunned by others, perhaps…?

"... why wouldn't I?" inquired Yosetsu as he glanced down at Trow with a questioning gaze, with him rubbing his chin all the while. "We're all humans, aren't we? And as humans, we should be treating one another with just as much respect as we'd want to be treated with… right?"

A short silence followed Awase's declaration of mutual respect, with the younger kids around him going silent as they stared between one another, wondering what to make of what they just heard. Even Pedro had stopped pacing around upon hearing this, with him now staring at Yosetsu with a strange glint in his eye that made him feel a little uncomfortable. Before long, however, Embi smiled a little and canceled out his Quirk, in turn causing him to fall onto Yosetsu's lap with a mild plop, much to his chagrin. The guy didn't seem to be guilty at all, however, as he spoke up.

"I see why Mikazuki-San likes you, Awase-San," commented Embi nonchalantly as Hirume pushed his foot away from his face, with him groaning all the while. "Shino-San said that you were indifferent to Quirks and how they defined a person, but to actually hear you say it? It's definitely a breath of fresh air that my cold, dead heart really longed for!"

"While that soulless asshole is usually wrong about things, I have to agree with him for once," added Hirume as he attempted to push Embi's foot away from his face, only for him to activate his Quirk, causing his hand to phase through it, much to his irritation. "We heard from Shino-San that you don't really care about Quirks, that you care more about the person wielding it, but to actually hear you say that… well, it feels rather good, honestly."

"That's… worrying," commented Yosetsu with a frown as he glanced over at Hirume, who blinked at the sudden attention as Awase placed a hand atop Embi's head, prompting him to whine a little all the while. "I can't be the only one that you guys know that thinks this way, right?"

"Awase-San," piped up Pedro, with him speaking up clearly to make himself heard for once, as he approached the aforementioned boy. Yosetsu noticed how the other kids were growing a little uncomfortable at his words, everyone except for Pedro, anyways, as the kid remained calm as he took in a deep breath before continuing. "If everyone we've ever met shared your view on Quirks… the Chryse Orphanage wouldn't even exist in the first place."

"Huh…?" muttered Awase, sounding more confused than he usually was as he blinked a little in confusion, and at that, Trow released a bit of tension between the small group with a light snicker, catching Yosetsu's attention all the while.

"Awase-San, do you know why this orphanage was even opened in the first place?" inquired Trow curiously, and though it wasn't much of a surprise to see Yosetsu shake his head curiously, Trow did still find it a little disappointing to know that he didn't look into it. Regardless, the headband-wearing boy did seem curious as to what the younger boy was getting at, and upon noticing this, Trow continued. "It was built to house kids and young adults that had… Quirks that were viewed by the general public as… Villainous, so to speak. Or just unsavoury to look at, I guess."

And at that, whatever sense of happiness that once lingered in Yosetsu's chest was quick to fade away temporarily as he felt the bile rise up his throat. The thought of people discriminating against others for their Quirks being dangerous was sickening enough to him, but to know that people… that children were being orphaned because of something that was out of their control? It made him sick to his stomach…

Evidently enough, Yosetsu had been clasping his hands together tightly, so tightly in fact that his knuckles were starting to become white from the strain. His grip on himself eventually loosened, however, when he felt a hand resting atop his pair, prompting him to relax just a little as he glanced down to see Embi smiling up at him. That smile seemed incredibly fake, but at the moment, Awase didn't care. He needed some form of positive reinforcement to keep the bile from rising in his throat.

"V-Villainous and unsavoury Quirks… huh?" muttered Yosetsu with a grimace as he swiftly changed the subject. The kids all perked up at this as they glanced over at him, wondering why he would bring this up, with some of them wondering if he would now shun them after they had revealed the reason behind the orphanage's existence, though much to their surprise, Awase was quick to offer them reassuring smiles before he continued. "May I know what your Quirks are, please?"

"Wh-" began Pedro, with him being the most cautious of the group, as he stepped forward defensively, though he was quickly cut off by Embi, who was eager to share his ability with Yosetsu. Activating his Quirk, Embi floated up into the air and crossed his legs, effectively sitting on thin air all the while.

"I thought you'd never ask! My Quirk is…"

Embi

Quirk: Husk

A Transformation based Quirk that grants Embi the ability to essentially become a ghost. He can levitate, pass through solid objects and possess animate and inanimate objects (albeit rather weakly). However, his Quirk Factor seems to suppress his ability to feel any real emotion towards others outside of mild amusement, leaving him as a husk of a human being.

"... it's pretty cool if you can overlook the asshole behavior I've got going on, unlike Hirume over there!"

As he concluded, Embi stuck his tongue out at Hirume, who rolled his eyes at his accusation as Yosetsu chuckled a little, with him finding the Husk user to be rather endearing, if a little tragic. Trow and Pedro seemed to acknowledge this as well, as their faces fell a little when the boy spoke of his inability to feel anything, though before long, the former perked up and decided to change the topic to his Quirk.

Trow

Quirk: Excavator Forearms

A Transformation Quirk, Excavator Forearms grants Trow the ability to shift the bones in his forearms into the general shape of half of an excavator's claw. Due to his Quirk, the bones in his forearms have the durability of steel, though rearranging his limbs into their Excavator forms is reportedly incredibly painful or just a nuisance, depending on the weather.

"It's a little disgusting to look at, honestly, but it's practical, if not a little painful on the skin."

As he said that, Trow made a show of transforming one of his forearms into its Excavator form, and admittedly, Yosetsu had to hold back a wince when he saw how his skin stretched in order to accommodate a form that it was clearly never meant to hold. Seconds later, he morphed the limb back into its usual shape, and Awase paled a little when he saw the stretch marks that came with overuse of his Quirk, prompting the boy to smile a little at his worry.

"You don't have to worry about my skin breaking. It comes close during winter seasons, but I'm flexible enough to bypass that," assured Trow gently as Yosetsu let out a gentle sigh of relief, and at that, he turned his attention towards Hirume… only for him to blink a little when he noticed a light coming from where he was sitting at, prompting him to turn and see…

"Oh, is that your Quirk, Hirume-Chan?"

"Well, yeah. It is."

Hirume

Quirk: Bioluminescence blood

An Emitter Type Quirk, Hirume's blood will glow in the dark at his command. When in a state of panic or stress, his Quirk will activate automatically in response to the rush of blood, though when in a calm state of mind, Hirume can manually activate it with enough focus.

"It helps with reading, but it sucks when it comes to hiding."

"Sounds pretty useful, honestly," admitted Yosetsu earnestly as he grinned at Hirume, who blushed a tiny bit as he accepted his praise, and all the while, Embi was snickering as he floated loops around Awase's body, much to his amusement, while Trow rolled his eyes in mock annoyance at his friend's antics. Soulless as he was, Embi was still a decent human being… on occasion, anyways.

"It really is. Just wish my parents thought that," agreed Hirume, with him whispering the latter part out as he sighed to himself. Awase just barely caught onto what he had said as he raised a brow, curious to know more about the boy's predicament, though he had enough sense in him to acknowledge how this was more than likely an incredibly sensitive topic for him, and as such, he let it slide for now as he turned towards Pedro, who looked a little uncomfortable as he knew that it was his turn to speak of his Quirk, and though he was reluctant, he eventually relented.

Pedro

Quirk: Aftershock

A confusingly named Mutation Quirk, Pedro's Quirk allows him to control rocks to a certain degree. His control over his ability is volatile, and thus far, he can create tiny tremors in any rocky surface and summon stalactites at a moment's notice. His Quirk grants him harder skin, though his joints have a more rocky texture to them.

"It's not much, but apparently whenever I snore in my sleep, the orphanage shakes a little."

"He isn't joking, by the way. When we first found him, he nearly dropped the building on us by snoring. Horrific stuff," added Embi, with him faking fear as he held a hand up to his nonexistent heart. Pedro blushed and looked away at that comment, telling Yosetsu that it was legit, and all the while, Trow bonked Embi over the head.

"Embi! We talked about revealing such sensitive information!" protested Trow as he waved a finger at the aforementioned ghost boy, who pouted as he activated his Quirk and floated out of his reach.

"But we trust Awase-San, don't we?" reasoned Embi with a playful pout as he stared down at his friend, who rolled his eyes at Trow's irritated stare. He couldn't refute that point, though at the same time, it wasn't nice to just reveal such info to anyone, especially something that was so embarrassing.

And, much to their horror, Yosetsu ended up snickering a little at that truth, prompting them, except for Embi anyways, to turn towards him apprehensively. They had expected him to laugh out loud at Pedro's expense, as most others would, but much to their surprise, his laugh was incredibly subdued, so much so that it felt more like a sign of subdued amusement rather than malice.

"Heh, reminds me of my own Quirk, actually. When I first got it, I just Welded things together willy nilly," commented Yosetsu, surprising the kids present. They didn't expect him to liken something as drastic as Pedro nearly toppling a building by snoring to him being a general nuisance, though the smile that was present on his face as he spoke rid them of their worries, prompting them to smile a little as the Aftershock user looked away sheepishly. "You must've given everyone a fuckin' heart attack, huh?"

"He really did," whispered Hirume, with him recalling how the entire orphanage assumed that they were under attack before they traced the source to Pedro. Yosetsu pretended not to hear that as he watched the aforementioned boy scratch the back of his head sheepishly, and before long, Trow spoke up.

"Besides the point, Awase-San. As you can see, our Quirks are… not exactly the nicest to look at, and some, like Embi's, no offence of course," began Trow, with him pausing briefly to apologise to his friend, who, despite not being able to actually feel offended, waved him off anyways. "That's why the orphanage exists, after all. To keep us away from the general public. They're afraid of us, and-"

"Then they're some fuckin' dumbasses, then," groaned Yosetsu angrily as he crossed his arms in irritation, with him grimacing a little as he spoke. His words seemed to strike a cord with these kids, as they perked up at that, and though he wasn't one for speeches, Awase reckoned that he could make an exception at times as he elaborated. These children were hurting in a way that Yosetsu could never understand fully, and while he wasn't a Hero, he would be damned if he didn't at least try to ease their pain. "Look, kids, your Quirks don't define you, not one bit. I'm sure that if you guys were given the chance, you'd all make good Heroes, and it's not just because of your amazing Quirks, but also because of your hearts. You're all good kids, and you deserve a lot more than what life forced onto you guys."

The silence that ensued was incredibly off putting to Yosetsu, with his abruptly loud voice leaving behind an almost ear piercing quiet as he calmed himself down. His outburst had surprised even himself, as he tended to be a rather neutral person, though he reckoned that even he had limits on just how patient he really was, and it seemed as though hearing about Quirk Descrimination on such a petty level was his limit.

Glancing between the children present, Awase found it rather off-putting to see that they stared at him with unreadable expressions. Hell, even Embi was staring at him with an emotionless expression that, while fitting for his Quirk, didn't fit his usually energetic persona. He wondered if he had gone too far with his tirade as he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, though before long, Trow slowly but surely grinned at him before speaking up.

"Do you… really mean that, Awase-San? Are our Quirks really amazing despite…" muttered Trow as he transformed his right arm into its Excavator form, sounding rather nervous, if not a little excited as he, alongside his fellow orphans, stared up at Yosetsu with a hopeful look in his eyes, a look that the headband-wearing boy was unfamiliar with as, for the duration of their initial conversations, they had been looking at him with a mostly neutral look in their eyes. The sudden shift in demeanor was so abrupt that it caught him severely off guard, slowing down his response just enough to allow Hirume to add onto Trow's question.

"Do you really think that, even with our Quirks, we're more than just… future would-be-Villains? Worthless Human Debris? Useless nobodies… that we can actually be… normal? Like you?" added Hirume, with his red eyes sparkling in anticipation as he waited for his answer.

"And do you really think that we're amazing?!" demanded Embi, with his soulless nature working wonders for his boldness as he hovered right in front of Yosetsu's face. Awase flinched a little at his sudden closeness, though he eventually looked past the Husk user when he noticed Pedro shuffling about a little awkwardly.

"Are you speaking the truth when you say that… we can be good people… even though our Quirks are… how they are?" finished Pedro, with his eyes wide with anticipation as he took a step towards Yosetsu, with him phasing through Embi's body all the while.

And, by all means, Yosetsu had to admit to feeling a little trapped right now as the eyes of four young boys were locked directly onto him. It made him feel rather uncomfortable as they impatiently waited for an answer, prompting Awase to shudder as he wondered what he should respond with…

… a wonder that lasted for less than a second as he hardened his features and nodded firmly.

"Yes. Yes to all of your questions," confirmed Yosetsu firmly, leaving no room for any arguments as he looked between the individual children. His expression faltered intensely when he noticed how their eyes became rather glassy at this, though he didn't let it stop him from continuing, with him staring down at Trow first. "Your Quirks are all amazing! Sure, some are a little hard to look at, and perhaps even detrimental in some cases… but they'll fit right into the Pro scene without much issue!"

Upon hearing this, Trow felt his eyes glazing over as he converted his right arm back into its regular shape, with him holding it over his heart, overjoyed at getting some form of positive reinforcement from someone that wasn't from the orphanage as he smiled shakily.

"Your Quirks don't define any of you, though. You define yourselves," continued Yosetsu, with him now glancing down at Hirume as he spoke. "No one in this world is useless. The only time anyone is useless is when they give up, and I know the people in this orphanage enough to know that they will never give up, and I don't expect any of you kids to be proving me wrong anytime soon."

Hirume felt his heart swell up at that confidence boost, with him smiling widely as he resisted the urge to just hug Awase right there and then. No one had told him that prior to him arriving at the orphanage, and whenever one of his fellow orphans did, it did feel good, yes… but to hear someone from outside the building assure him that his life wasn't worthless… it felt unreal…

"And Pedro, I think I've said this a lot, but your Quirk doesn't define you. You choose who you want to be, not your Quirk, you got that?" added Awase, with him offering Pedro a friendly thumbs up as he spoke. "I know it's hard, having a Mutation Quirk… but things won't be hard forever. One day, things will get better. Count on it."

And for as small as it was, Pedro ended up smiling a little at Yosetsu's assurance. The guy was pretty good at reassuring people, it would seem. No wonder Mikazuki had taken a liking to him…

"Oh and Embi, you guys really are amazing, you especially," concluded Awase, with him smiling at the ghost boy in front of him as he winked for extra measure, and for the briefest of seconds, it seemed as though the semi-transparent child floating before him felt a mild pang of emotion course through him as he widened his eyes in shock, and at that, he solidified himself and engulfed Yosetsu in a tight hug, one that nearly gave him a sprain in his neck as he gasped in shock.

"I like you," announced Embi, sounding more genuine that Awase has heard him so far as he hugged him close, a sight that shocked even his fellow orphans as they watched on in disbelief. As for Yosetsu, however, he found himself smiling gently as he patted Embi's back, with him gently assuring him that the feeling was mutual all the while.

And as they embraced, with three other kids watching them all the while, a single blonde and his brunette crush watched on from the staircase with smiles etched onto their faces.

"He really is a Hero, isn't he?"

"Not in a conventional sense, not yet at least. But yes, he really is…"

Day 3

"Hey, Awase-San. Do you want to help me make a baby?"

Upon hearing that question from Ride Mass, Yosetsu Awase, the usually composed young boy that he was, promptly spat out a mouthful of water onto Shino, much to his dismay as he was in the middle of winning a poker battle between himself, Eugene, Orga and Chad, before he turned towards the aforementioned ginger with a bewildered look in his eyes.

While those that were playing poker with Norba simply laughed at his expense, the other orphans present, namely Mikazuki, Atra, Embi, Trow and Yamagi, all found no small amount of amusement in how Awase reacted to such a simple request. Or at least it was simple to them, anyways, and their nonchalance at Mass' request baffled Yosetsu as he stared at them in utter shock, especially Embi, Trow and Yamagi, who simply snickered at his expense.

By all means, their snickering should've irritated Yosetsu… but currently, it only served to unnerve him even more as he jumped up from his spot on the couch and waved his hands around antsily.

"Ride! Ride Mass! What on Earth are you saying?!" proclaimed Yosetsu as he swung his arms around frantically, with him at one point nearly striking Mikazuki on the nose thanks to how the guy had been sitting right next to him as they watched the older guys play poker. Atra pulled her friend away from Yosetsu as he frantically chopped the air out of instinct, something that he didn't comment on, whilst Embi materialized from his spot in the air and fell to the ground, letting out a laugh that didn't seem genuine while Trow and Yamagi snickered and facepalmed, respectively.

"I'm talking about making Babies, of course!" assured Ride, smiling genuinely and oh so innocently as he spoke. Awase's cheeks flared up at the implications as he looked to Mikazuki for help, only for the boy to tilt his head a little in confusion, and when he glanced over at Trow and Yamagi, neither boy seemed willing to elaborate on the issue. The older guys playing poker, namely Shino, Orga and Eugene, seemed too amused by the transpiring events to really lend him a hand, though thankfully enough, Chad took pity on Yosetsu and did him a solid by explaining the situation.

"He's talking about building a machine or two, Awase-Kun," explained Chad gently as he placed his cards down atop the table. Before the older gents could even yell at him, he continued. "Royal Flush. Pay up, gentlemen."

"Oh fuck you!" protested Eugene as he took out five Thousand Yen bills and threw them into Chad's face. Orga snickered and handed over a Two Thousand Yen Bill while Shino whined before he gave Chadan one of his custom made Ryusei Go plushies.

Whilst Chad celebrated his victory, however, Yosetsu found himself experiencing an existential crisis as he realized that he may have overreacted a little to Ride's declaration of baby making. Though they hadn't spoken too much, especially when compared to most of the other orphans present, Awase had learnt via the grapevine that Ride, Takaki, Yamagi, Trow, Hirume and Dante were rather gifted when it came to engineering, so much so that he genuinely believed that they could be a rather good Hero Support team if they wanted to.

He should've guessed that he was referring to his inventions when he talked about babies… but then again, this was the first time he's heard Ride use that term… since he's heard anyone use that term actually, so the overreaction wasn't too excessive, he supposed…

"Ok… ok… thank you, Chadan-San," thanked Yosetsu as he recomposed himself, with him pressing the tips of his fingers against one another as he inhaled and exhaled deeply, trying to find some zen in order to calm himself all the while, before he nodded and glanced up at Ride, who appeared incredibly confused, though he remained patient as he watched Awase nod firmly and force out the next few words. "Alright, I'll… make… b-babies with you, Mass-Chan."

If anyone heard him say that, Yosetsu reckoned that he'd be given multiple life sentences, regardless of his minor status. As things were now, however, all he got was an excited Ride pulling him off to Yukinojo's workshop without much fanfare, and all the while, Trow seemed keen on following, only for Yamagi to stop him.

"Don't. He's got diabolical things planned, and if you follow, you'll regret it."

Trow didn't get what Yamagi was getting at at first, but when Yosetsu finally returned to the orphanage several hours later, covered head to toe in black soot and looking to be ready for the grave, he found himself sweat dropping, thankful that he had taken Gilmerton's advice to not intrude on Ride and Yosetsu's 'baby making session'.

Day 4

Over the weekends, Yosetsu had not visited the orphanage, more so because he wished to spend some time with his parents for a change. It was nice, to say the least, though as soon as he got back to Kameshiro on Monday, he felt his breath hitching in his throat.

He was about to get his mid-term exam papers back, and the thought of that terrified him, as he dreaded the thought of failing it. Of course, his worst fears came to pass, as the worst he got was a big fat C- on his English paper, which wasn't too bad. A sigh of relief ended up escaping his lips when he saw it, with him slumping down into his chair all the while.

After lessons were over, Yosetsu eventually found himself standing beside Mikazuki, with the two of them heading towards their respective lockers, shoulder to shoulder. It was a normal thing by now, for the two of them to walk together to their classes or lockers, and though it did raise some eyebrows for some, they didn't really care as, whilst neither would admit it unless pressured, they did enjoy each other's company.

As they walked on, however, Awase took note of how Augus seemed to be a little more distant than usual. His footsteps were a lot slower than he was used to, and his gaze seemed duller than it usually was, a sign that he wasn't feeling too peachy, prompting Yosetsu to nudge his acquaintance gently, catching his attention all the while.

"Is something wrong, Augus-Kun?" inquired Yosetsu curiously, only for the aforementioned boy to shake his head dismissively. No words were said as they continued onwards, and though it was usually normal for him to say nothing, Awase couldn't help but feel… unsettled by Mikazuki's bout of silence. But even so, he had enough respect for his acquaintance's privacy, so instead of pressing the issue, he simply nodded and scratched the back of his neck. "Well, if you ever want to vent, just know that I'm here for you."

Yosetsu's words seemed to strike a cord in Mikazuki, as he blinked and raised a brow up at him, and seconds later, his gaze was fixed firmly onto the taller boy as he narrowed his eyes quite a bit, as if trying to discern something, anything, about him. The blue eyed boy's sudden intense focus on him seemed to unsettle Awase quite a bit as he flinched backwards a tad, though before long, Augus' gaze softened a little as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Awa… can you tutor me?"

And upon hearing that, Yosetsu promptly short-circuited as he stepped back in shock.

"W-Wha?"

"Awase-San! What does this mean?"

"Awase-San. I don't know why you're tutoring me. I can simply read the answers from your mind."

"Uwa! Why are there so many numbers?!"

"Tsk… this terrible! I'd rather babysit Embi for the day than read this!"

"Why are there letters in math? Did they change it or something?"

"Look, Awase-San! Look! I think I got my name correctly written down now!"

Alright so in hindsight, Yosetsu probably should've said no…

At first, Yosetsu's 'job' was to tutor Mikazuki only, something that he did with very little issue. After all, for as hard as it was, tutoring just one guy wasn't the most difficult thing in the world.

And then… the rest of the orphanage caught onto this, and with very little remorse, they began to request him to tutor them as well. Awase vehemently refused at first, stating that he couldn't teach so many kids all at once, though after being subjected to the terrifyingly effective puppydog eyes from the younger kids in the orphanage (Takaki had no idea how effective his was in particular), he relented.

Once again, that was probably a terrible idea as well. Yosetsu knew for a fact that the orphans of Chryse were good people at heart. Sure, they were rowdy as fuck, but they were good people… good people that Awase wanted to strangle from time to time, but good people nonetheless.

But to teach them things like algebra or, god forbid, English? He'd be dead before they got one word in. Shino in particular was still holding his English notes upside down and couldn't tell, and Embi, Trow, Ride and some kid named Vito seemed more interested in building the Eiffel Tower out of pencils rather than listen to him! Awase really wanted to scream at just what he had gotten himself into… but for the life of him… he could not.

He knew that it was a chore, but the orphans seemed to be having so much fun just… goofing around whilst also learning some stuff in between. They seemed so… happy, so to speak, and even Atra had joined in at this point, with her finding this to be educational as she took to spelling her own name. Alongside her, Mikazuki and Takaki were the only others that were taking these sessions completely seriously, and though he did appreciate their efforts, it was kinda rendered mute by the indifference of the other kids.

"Hey, Awase-San. A word?"

Blinking a little at Yamagi's abrupt request, Yosetsu glanced up from the cup he was once drinking from and eyed him awkwardly. He was taking a quick break from his 'duties' as a teacher for the time being to get a drink, and no one really objected, as they could goof around more without him tiredly requesting for their attention. Awase himself was, admittedly, relieved at the reprieve, though he was quick to wipe that thought away when he remembered-

"Don't worry. I don't take any offence to your thoughts on the issue, Awase-San. You're not wrong to want a break. I'd probably go mad by now if I were in your shoes, mind reading Quirk or not," assured Yamagi with a shrug. Yosetsu found himself snickering a tiny bit at that admission, with him seeming happy that Gilmerton was agreeing with him on this as he took another sip of his cup, though the blonde wasn't done walking just yet, it would seem, as he continued. "I would like to thank you, Awase-San."

"Huh? If it's for the tutoring, then save it," assured Yosetsu, with him waving a hand dismissively at Gilmerton as he spoke. Yamagi didn't even look confused as he allowed Awase to continue despite knowing what he was already about to say. "I kinda walked into this, anyways. Can't back out of it just because it's a little difficult."

"What a Heroic thing to say, Awase-San," drawled Yamagi flatly as he moved to lean against the counter alongside the aforementioned boy, who appeared taken aback by what he was just told. Upon noticing his surprise, Gilmerton took it upon himself to continue speaking. "Heroes, real Heroes, take it upon themselves to do the right thing, regardless of repercussions. Now, I wouldn't go so far and say that you're doing the right thing by teaching us future Villains stuff like math and English but-"

A quick pause was had when Yamagi noticed how Yosetsu's grip on his cup was tightening in response to his words, with him subconsciously activating his Quirk, causing his skin to meld with the cup all the while. Swiftly, before Awase could protest against Gilmerton's words, the blonde held a hand up to stay him, with him adding on before long.

"But… I, alongside everyone else here, really appreciate how you're willing to look past that," continued Yamagi, with his words sounding less bitter and more… genuine, so to speak, as he glanced over at Yosetsu, and at that, Awase blinked when he saw Gilmerton… smile. It was small and faint, but even so, it was there, and it made him blush at just how… cute it looked as he looked away abruptly, just in time too, as Yamagi blushed a little when he read that thought, though he got over it swiftly before continuing. "No one has bothered to teach us anything. Nadi-San tried, but he's never gotten so far. But you… you were willing to not only help one of us, but when the rest of us stepped in and asked something unreasonable from you, you didn't back down. You actually… helped us. Without asking for compensation, either… and for that, we are thankful."

As he concluded, Yamagi turned towards Awase and offered him a deep bow of appreciation, and seconds later, he straightened himself once more. Admittedly, Gilmerton had to keep himself from grinning when he saw Yosetsu's gobsmacked expression, with him covering half his face with his hand as he attempted to hide his intense blush from the blonde, though before long, and before Yamagi had the chance to read his mind, Awase calmed himself down and responded accordingly.

"I… I wouldn't say that it's a Heroic thing to do, Gilmerton-Kun," muttered Yosetsu as he lowered his hand from the lower half of his mouth, to which Yamagi blinked. Surprise wasn't a common emotion for him to feel thanks to his Quirk, and as such, when he felt it wash over him thanks to the older boy's words, Awase, not noticing this continued speaking. "It's more the right thing to do. Everyone deserves help. Heroes, Villains… kids and civilians. They all do. Right now, I can't do much to help the people that need it most…"

Trailing off at that, Yosetsu's gaze noticeably fell a little as he seemed to recall something. Yamagi was about to poke into his mind for an answer or two, though he was a little surprised to feel some resistance. No doubt a strongly guarded memory on Awase's part, strong enough to negate his Quirk to the point where Gilmerton was quick to give up on the endeavour of reading it.

"... so, if anything, helping you guys with your education is the least I can do to feel at least a little useful," concluded Yosetsu, with him smiling a little as he offered Yamagi a thumbs up. "You're all good kids, amazing, even. There's no real doubt in my mind that, if you weren't fucked over by society as a whole, you all would've been able to achieve great things. Hell, most of you would've probably been Heroes if you were given the chance."

"Do you really believe that?" muttered Gilmerton as he stared up at Yosetsu incredulously, and to that, Awase grinned as he stared at the cup that was atomically welded to his hand, prompting him to unweld it in short order.

"Yeah, Gilmerton-Kun. I really fucking do."

And with that said, Yamagi felt his heart beat just that much faster as he looked down at his feet and resisted the urge to smile. It felt… amazing… to hear that from someone that wasn't part of the orphanage, though thankfully enough, before his stone cold facade could break any more than it already has, Ride, alongside Embi and Vito, yelled out for both him and Yosetsu to come check out the Eiffel Tower they had created out of the many pens that they had lying around.

"Will they ever stop doing that?" asked Yosetsu, with him feeling admittedly impressed at the sight of the pen-made Eiffel Tower sitting atop the table in the living room. He took his phone out and snapped a picture real quick as Yamagi shrugged.

"Probably not," answered Gilmerton before he pulled out a piece of paper from seemingly nowhere and held it up to Yosetsu, who peered at it awkwardly. "Also, I'd like to know this equation, please."

"Well, giving you the answer would mean fuck-all, so… wait a fucking minute-"

"Thank you, Awase-San."

"OH YOU MIND READING LITTLE FUCK!"

Day 5

"HELLO MY LITTLE LISTENERS! THANK YOU FOR TUNING INTO THE PUT YOUR HANDS UP RADIO SHOW!"

"Don't you think you're being too loud?"

"NONSENSE! ANYWAYS, IGNORE THAT PARTY POOPER AND GET READY FOR EPISODE 1825812 OF THE PUT YOUR HANDS UP RADIO SHOW! TODAY'S EPISODE SHALL BE OUR FOUR-HUNDREDTH COOKING EPISODE! "

Grumbling a little at the loud words of the Voice Hero, Present Mic, coming in via the makeshift radio that was made by Ride, Yamagi and Takaki, the people present, namely Mikazuki, Atra, Yosetsu, Chad and Dante, all stood by the kitchen area of the orphanage with patchwork aprons on their bodies.

"I didn't know that Present Mic did cooking recipes on his radio show," admitted Yosetsu awkwardly, with him blinking a little as Atra forced him to wear a baker's hat in order to keep his hair in check. He accepted it without much issue, and the patchwork hat fit pretty well with his apron, which had a heart sewn onto it near the stomach region.

"Well, you and me both, kid. He does it very infrequently, so it's more of a special episode sorta deal," commented Dante, with him shrugging indifferently as the Voice Hero spoke up.

"ALRIGHT! TODAY WE SHALL BE MAKING… CAKE! BUT NOT JUST ANY CAKE, MY DEAR LISTENERS! WE WILL BE MAKING… CHEESECAKE!"

Upon hearing this, Mikazuki and Chad opened the door to their barely held together fridge and reached for a massive mound of cheese that was just sitting in there, waiting for it's time to be eaten. Yosetsu himself nearly choked on his own saliva when he saw how much cheese was in there for no apparent reason. There was at least fifty pounds of it!

"SO THE INGREDIENTS GO AS FOLLOW(!);

"TWO POUNDS OF FULL FAT CREAM CHEESE!"

Much more than two pounds of cheese slammed down onto the kitchen table, causing it to creak beneath its weight, as Mikazuki and Chad brought out the largest hunk of cheese Yosetsu had ever seen. It was so big that it seemed beyond impossible to have been able to fit in there in the first place!

"What the fu-"

"Shh!"

"SUGAR! JUST ONE CUP WILL DO, HOWEVER!"

Upon hearing this, Dante, much to Yosetsu's dismay, pulled out an entire block of sugar and slammed it down onto the table. It was worryingly large, and apparently, Mongro knew this, as, instead of using the entire block of sugar, he instead ripped a handful of it out and dropped it into the mixing bowl. That wasn't exactly one cup, so to speak… but they would probably not get diabetes from it… hopefully…

"SOUR CREAM! ONE CUP AS WELL!"

Chad moved to get this one from the crooked top shelves of the kitchen, with him using his Quirk to reach up there. Opening it, Chadan was sad to say that they had less than a cup, though Atra assured him that it was fine as she poured what was left of it into the mixing bowl whilst Mikazuki, who was apparently getting worried that the cheese might break the table, held the block of cheese up and over his head… with one hand.

"NOW, YOUR CHEESECAKE NEEDS SOME FLAVOURING AS WELL, SO A TEASPOON OF VANILLA EXTRACT AND TWO TEASPOONS OF LEMON JUICE WILL WORK WONDERS!"

The immediate response to this was for Yosetsu and Dante to go get the aforementioned items, with the former grabbing onto a glass bottle of vanilla extract that was broken in half, much to his dismay, while the latter grabbed more lemons than one would recommend having in any cake. Atra, apparently not catching on the teaspoon issue, threw in all the lemons and poured in much more than one teaspoon of vanilla extract, causing Awase to pale a little while Mongro grinned in excitement.

"AND FINALLY, EGGS! JUST THREE WILL-"

And upon hearing the word eggs, Mikazuki was quick to offer Atra an entire tray of them… and she promptly went on to use all of them. The older guys didn't seem to mind this as they watched her smile brightly at Augus, who remained neutral whilst ripping out chunks of cheese for her to add into the mix, though Yosetsu found himself somehow paling even further at what they were making.

The next step, as highlighted by Present Mic, who was talking over some barely heard snoring in the background, was to mix the bowl up. Mikazuki had volunteered for the job, and in the end, Yosetsu required an umbrella to keep the batter away from himself. He couldn't say that Augus didn't mix it up real good, however, as the batter was properly smooth by the time he was done with it.

Finally came the oven procedure… and upon sliding it into the oven, the entire orphanage, or at least those that were present in the living room and kitchen, hid behind whatever they could find out of fear of the oven exploding… for good reasons of course. Damn thing looked ready to explode at any given second, and besides, Awase reckoned that, considering how they had made the cheesecake in the first place, it may as well just explode anyways… though much to his relief, instead of going up in flames, the oven simply went ding after a long and agonizing wait, allowing Atra to march up and pull the cake out. They let it cool for a good hour before they had a good look at it, and thereafter, even Awase was surprised to see how good it looked.

"I think Awase-San should have the first taste," suggested Yamagi out of nowhere as he glanced up at the aforementioned boy, who had a panicked look in his eyes. Vice versa, Gilmerton almost grinned as he nonverbally told Awase that he knew what he was thinking this whole time, and upon seeing what he was getting at, Embi and Shino agreed to this willingly, and when cornered by these gremlins and the adorable stare of Atra, he couldn't say no…

… and as such, he resigned himself to his fate of dying via several different heart attacks caused by an overly sweet and cheesy cheesecake.

Sure, the cake did taste nice… though when neither Mikazuki nor Yosetsu came to class for the rest of the school week, neither would admit to the fact that it was because of a fucking cheesecake.

At least Atra seemed happy that they enjoyed it.

Day 6

"Hey, Awase-San, who's your favorite Hero?"

Blinking a little at that question from Takaki, Yosetsu was quick to turn away from his phone and avert his gaze towards the youngest children of the orphanage that were gathered in front of his television. He was visiting them after recovering from his cheesecake-induced sickness, something that Mikazuki had yet to recover from, though he was still feeling a little sluggish, which prompted him to call off the tutoring session for today.

With the cancelation of the tutoring session, the younger kids were able to just watch television for the day while the older ones mingled around in the backyard. Yosetsu himself was fine with just doing his thing on the couch, only for him to stare up from the device when Takaki abruptly called out to him.

"Favorite Hero, huh? Well, I don't really have a particular favorite, honestly," admitted Yosetsu as he scratched the back of his neck. "Crust is pretty cool, so are Thirteen and Ingenium. Centipeder's a Hero that I've met in the past, and he was pretty chill, and the Wild Wild Pussycats are Heroes that I can certainly respect."

"Huh, they're mostly Rescue Heroes," noted Trow thoughtfully as he grinned, to which Awase blushed a little at that thought.

"Well, yeah. I have a thing for Rescue Heroes, honestly. They have a niche to fill, but it's an important niche nonetheless. Sure, they don't get as much credit as they probably deserve, but even so… they deserve just as much love as those from the Top Ten," commented Yosetsu offhandedly as he shrugged, to which Hirume grinned.

"You and me both, dude. The Plastic Hero, Mr Plastic, isa guy that I'd like to get an autograph from someday," agreed Hirume as he flashed a thumbs up at Yosetsu, who blinked a little at the unexpected naming of a rather obscure Pro Hero. Not that he was going to complain, anyways. The guy deserved as much recognition as any other Hero for his accomplishments.

"Personally, I'd like to meet Power Loader face to face," commented Trow, with him receiving a fistbump from Takaki, who shared the same favorite Pro Hero as him, before he glanced back at Awase. "The guy's a master inventor! Did you hear that he was part of the Ahab Project? Something about creating a generator capable of perpetually generating power?"

"Vaguely. It was in the news or something a few years ago," replied Yosetsu, with him faintly recalling hearing about that event over a handful of years ago. Something about a handful of Support based Heroes coming together to do just that. He let the issue drop for now, however, as he heard Ride perk up.

"Well, none of them are as cool as Edgeshot! He'd beat all of the other Hero's asses!" proclaimed Ride proudly as he grinned at his compatriots, who all gave him deadpanned looks as he blushed a little. "What?!"

Their staring continued as they silently judged him for liking that edgy, if admittedly awesome, Pro Hero before Yosetsu spoke up.

"Gilmerton-Kun, who's your favorite Pro?" inquired Yosetsu, to which Yamagi blushed a little. He didn't know how to respond to this as it was, admittedly, a little embarrassing for him to say out loud, though before he could deflect the inquiry, Embi, being the little shit he was, spoke up for him.

"Yamagi is an old fashioned guy! All the Heroes he liked are probably dead from old age by now!" announced Embi, to which Yamagi grimaced and attempted to shove him out of his face, only for the Husk to activate his Quirk and sink into the ground whilst cackling out loud.

"Embi!" protested Yamagi, with him wishing to lobotomize the husk of a boy as he grimaced. It wasn't as if he'd feel it at this point, anyways. His thoughts were quickly rerouted back to the conversation at hand, however, when he remembered Yosetsu's presence in the room, prompting him to blush a tiny bit as he looked away. "Look, if you're gonna laugh, just-"

"Hey, nothing's wrong with liking Heroes from a previous generation, Gilmerton-Kun," assured Yosetsu with a smile as he shrugged a little, with him seeing nothing wrong with Yamagi's tastes in Heroes that were mostly forgotten. "They're the ones that more than likely taught the current ones, after all. Without them, I doubt we'd even have an All Might or Endeavour."

"You… have a point there. Perhaps I'll share with you some other time, Awase-San," commented Yamagi, with him almost smiling at the fact that he was able to finally get some validation for his interest in forgotten Heroes. Perhaps he could converse with Yosetsu about some very much forgotten Pro Heroes such as Lariat, Gran Torino and Nimbus one day, though for now, he kept those hopes to himself as he nodded in appreciation.

"Of course he does! Awase-San always has a point!" protested Ride enthusiastically, prompting the aforementioned boy to blush a tiny bit as he scratched his cheek, wondering how he should even respond to that overstatement all the while, though before he could say anything to deflect that complement, a massive hand dropped down atop his head, flattening his hair all the while, before its owner spoke up.

"Does he now?" inquired a gruff voice, one that Yosetsu vaguely recalled hearing over the phone, as he kept his hand atop his head. Rather awkwardly, Awase glanced up at its owner and paled a tiny bit when he was met with a hulking behemoth of a man, one with tanned skin and spiky hair. His attire was a light blue sleeveless shirt that clung tightly against his absurdly muscular form and the extra large padded pants he had on, and honestly speaking, this guy looked strong enough to snap Yosetsu like a twig if he ever wanted to.

Whilst Yosetsu was (somewhat rightfully) terrified of this man, the other kids present all glanced over at him with wide smiles and starry dispositions. By then, the guy had removed his hand from atop Awase's head as he moved to sit on the couch beside him, causing Awase to bounce upwards a little due to the difference in weight… and as he sat down, the headband-wearing boy finally took note of the extra set of arms that were jutting out of the man's upper back.

As stated, the newly arrived man had two extra arms emerging from his back, sandwiching his spine between their biceps. Said arms were incredibly muscular, perhaps on par with his actual set of arms, and were hovering up in the air a little as they remained dormant… or at least they used to remain dormant, as, upon sitting down, the limb closest to Yosetsu raised itself up and patted him atop the head, prompting him to flinch a little as the limb's owner scoffed.

"I didn't expect to see you here, Akihiro-San," greeted Takaki with a mild bow of his head as he smiled, to which Yosetsu blinked at that. The newcomer, Akihiro, simply grunted in acknowledgement to Uno's greeting as he leaned back on the couch, with his extra limbs draped behind the backrest all the while.

"The training room was getting boring, and I kept hearing nothing but good things about this Awase kid," admitted Akihiro offhandedly as he crossed his arms and glanced over at Yosetsu. Grey eyes were bored into by black as the incredibly muscular young man eyed Awase curiously, and before long, the younger of the two relented and broke eye contact. He had to admit, whilst he wasn't one to discriminate against others for any reason, Akihiro did cut an incredibly intimidating figure, so much so that Awase's lesser instincts ended up kicking in. Akihiro himself seemed to notice Yosetsu's discomfort around him, however, as he grunted to himself. "You ok kid?"

"Uh-"

"If you were wondering, Akihiro-san, he's not intimidated by your Quirk, he's just intimidated by your muscles," assured Yamagi gingerly as he waved his senior off, with him winking at Yosetsu in assurance thereafter, prompting him to smile a little in response. The buff guy seemed mildly taken aback by this as he glanced down at Awase with a questioning look in his eye, to which he responded rather poorly to.

"H-Hey, look, it's not my fault that you look like someone that could break me in half with just your fucking fingers! You've got enough muscles packed in there to give All Might a run for his money!" blurted out Yosetsu in protest, and at that, Akihiro raised a brow in amusement as he glanced over at Gilmerton for confirmation over his words. When Yamagi nodded, Akihiro's brows raised themselves further up on his face as he turned to regard Yosetsu once more, though before long, he allowed an amused chuckle to escape his lips as one of his extra arms lifted up and patted the younger boy over the head once more.

"Well, at least you speak the truth, kid. I've heard about you recently. The guys around here seem to like you, and if Mikazuki trusts you enough to talk to, then I suppose you're someone worth keeping around," commented Akihiro as he extended one of his hands towards him. Yosetsu, though hesitant at first, accepted the handshake, and he was genuinely surprised at how gentle it was before Akihiro continued to speak. "Atland. Atland Akihiro, but I suppose it's Atland-San to you, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess so," commented Yosetsu with a sheepish grin, to which Akihiro smirked.

"Now then, what're your thoughts on Gang Orca and Hound Dog, kid?"

And upon hearing that, Awase perked up as he inadvertently began a three hour discussion in regards to just how cool the Killer Whale and Hunting Dog Heroes really were, and when Mikazuki returned to the orphanage after returning from wherever he was at prior, he found himself huffing to himself as he waved to a leaving Yosetsu.

"Eraserhead's still the cooler Hero, Akihiro," argued Mikazuki noncommittally, prompting the aforementioned man to scoff.

"Hound Dog and Gang Orca would take him down anyday."

"Bet."

Day seven

It felt strange to Yosetsu, how he has not seen Mikazuki present at the orphanage too frequently.

Sure, Mikazuki wasn't the only resident of the orphanage, but even so, after being his friend… his acquaintance for so long, and after spending as much time in school with him as he already has, Awase couldn't help but find this to be incredibly off putting. Whenever he asked about Mikazuki's absence from the orphanage, the residents would just say that he was busy with errands, with them never specifying what these errands were.

The same applied to earlier today, when Yosetsu was present to tutor the kids there once more… with the sole exception of Mikazuki, who was missing once more. Running an errand, according to Eugene, and he wouldn't be back until nightfall, something that was worrying to the headband-wearing boy, though out of respect for his acquaintance's privacy, he didn't bring the issue up.

By the time he had left the orphanage, Awase was dog tired, and upon reaching his home and taking a quick shower, he didn't even bother with cooking up a meal for himself. He just got some instant ramen whipped up and sat atop the living room couch. The television was promptly turned on as Yosetsu slurped noncommittally on his ramen and watched on, with him flipping through multiple channels noncommittally all the while. Cartoons and dramas weren't his cup of tea, and by all means, he would've much preferred to watch something on YouTube… but his phone was out of power, and he was out of options that didn't involve the TV.

After taking a moment to watch a scene where a scarred blonde fought a young man, both armed with dual blades, Yosetsu tuned into the news channel and slurped on his ramen without much issue. He wasn't one to read or watch this channel in particular, but even so, he wasn't completely against it… and by all means, he did find the issue they were reporting on to be intriguing.

'ABANDONED BUILDING IN CENTRAL KAMETSUKA ATTACKED BY MYSTERIOUS VIGILANTE. THIRTEEN CHILD TRAFFICKERS KILLED, OVER A DOZEN CHILDREN SAVED.'

The headline on it's own was intriguing enough as it is, and in a region that was as quiet as Seiro, which had very little in the way of Villain attacks, it was most certainly news-worthy. Slowing down with his ramen eating, Awase listened in on the newscaster as he reported on how the authorities were alerted to the whole issue after they heard the sound of gunshots, and by the time the local police had arrived, all they found were thirteen dead bodies and the horrified children that were gathered up in the place.

Nothing could've been confirmed about the Vigilante, as they didn't leave much behind on the scene, though that probably wouldn't last long as the officers present were probably unable to perform a forensics check in such a short amount of time. With that information they'd probably be able to catch their suspect red handed… unless the police force's technology hadn't been carried over after the Era of Quirks. Awase wouldn't know, honestly, as all he knew about the police force was via YouTube videos…

A detective, one Naomasa Tsukauchi, stepped up to reluctantly speak to the press whilst a hobo walked off into the distance, and he didn't have much to say to the vultures, which was justifiable as he seemed dog tired. Just a simple assurance to the public that this issue would be resolved in a timely manner, though if the irritated look in his gaze was anything to go by, he was probably just saying that to appease the public. Yosetsu himself did feel a little bad for the detective, though then again, it was kinda his fault for choosing this occupation in the first place…

As the news report reached its conclusion, with the caster switching to a different topic, Yosetsu perked his ears up when he heard his doorbell go off. Strange… his parents never came home this early, and his home was a little too far from relatives for them to justify coming to visit, especially at the oh-so-early hour of… seven in the evening… so who the Hell was even at the door…?

Curiously, Yosetsu placed his ramen down and approached the door cautiously, with him biting his lower lip anxiously as he got closer towards it. Grasping onto the doorknob, Awase twisted it and peeked out of the small crack he had made for himself…

New chapter in such a short amount of time? Who would've thought!

As said above in the intro, this chapter is very much a mixture of crack and serious bits, with several characters introduced as well. Most of them are obscure IBO characters, and others are ones we all know and love! I hope you enjoyed their depictions so far!

Things are really heating up, and soon, we'll have a reveal! Who's at Yosetsu's door? You'll have to wait and find out! Until then, stay safe and be good!

Review reply!

Spyro fanboy: well I'm glad you're excited! Who knows if Yosetsu will be able to help out on that little tidit regarding his Quirk. And regarding proofreading, I appreciate it, but I have someone assisting me already. Renn isn't always available but he's still a good help. Regarding PM assistance, I'm open to any suggestions for future chapters, though I do have quite a lot planned so I can't guarantee anything making it in.

I was going to delay this chapter till next week, but I'm feeling nice. See you guys next chapter, which is actually gonna take a while since I haven't even started it yet.