Chapter III

The café wasn't too far from the playground. It was pretty small, which was one of the things she liked about it. Inko didn't come here often but, of the infrequent times she went, there was always a new framed painting or photo on the wall that the owner was trying to sell. Izuku loved coming here, only because a certain elderly barista would give him a small free slice of cake with his meal if he asked politely. When he couldn't find the barista this time around, his shoulders sank along with his smile. Inko told him she would pay for a cake anyway and his spirit was restored.

"You can have whatever you want," she told Toshinori. "It's the least I can do."

"Don't feel like you owe me so much, okay?" he said. "It was the least I could do. Besides, I can't finish an entire plate anyway."

He ordered a half-sized meal meant for children. Inko suspected that he was getting a cheap meal so that she wouldn't have to pay as much, but she noticed he said "can't" instead of "won't". She decided not to pry just yet. Izuku covered the meal sizing difference with a sandwich bigger than the one Toshinori ordered. When they went to a table with their food, Izuku claimed a window seat next to his mother. Toshinori hesitated, looking back at the door before sitting across from them.

"Thanks for the meal," he said.

Izuku clapped his hands together. "Thanks for the food!"

A few minutes later, Toshinori had only eaten half of his already small meal. Inko could bite back her question, but Izuku had a child's skill of speaking their parent's mind for them. He was already done with his sandwich and about to reach for his cake when he noticed Toshinori's plate.

"How come you're not eating, Mr. Yagi?" the boy asked.

"Izuku—"

"It's alright, Miss Midoriya." Toshinori put a hand over his lower rib. "My stomach's practically gone, so there's not much room for food."

Inko opened her mouth to ask something, but her son beat her to it.

"How'd you lose it?"

"I got into a fight. Ended up with a busted respiratory system, a permanently injured gut, and a nasty scar."

"Can I see it?"

"Not here, young man."

"Is that why you're…" Inko started the question but she wasn't sure if she should finish it.

"Why I look so thin? Pretty much. Getting this messed up has me on a scattered eating schedule and a strict diet. My body's been breaking down ever since."

"I'm so sorry…"

"Don't be. I'm still alive, and probably for reasons beyond my understanding."

"I think it was so you could save me," Izuku concluded.

"Is that right, young Midoriya?"

"Yeah. I mean, I wouldn't be here if you weren't."

Toshinori chuckled, "Maybe so."

Inko tried to imagine the kind of pain he was going through, how irrevocably damaged he must be. Yet, even with terrible physical problems he didn't let it stop him. And it wasn't the capable and strong policemen or a licensed hero that saved her son; it was him. That raised another question:

"Why did you rush in like that?" she asked. He looked confused, so she went on. "You're seriously hurt. You could have died in there."

"Do you have a quirk?" Izuku interrupted. "Does it protect you from stuff? Is that how you saved me?"

"Nah, I'm quirkless."

The kid's face lit up, and he cheered, "You're just like me! I don't have a quirk either! But when I grow up, I want to be like All Might."

"A quirkless hero who's as good as All Might, huh?"

"Yep!"

"That's called a police officer. Or firefighter."

"But I want to be a hero."

"If you think having a costume and a quirk means you're a hero, then you don't know what a hero is." For a moment, Izuku looked like he was about to cry, so Toshinori had to add: "To be a hero, you put others above yourself. You don't do it because you want to. You do it because you know it's the right thing."

"Is that why you saved me?"

"That's exactly why I saved you."

"Does that mean you're a hero?"

"What do you think?"

"Well… heroes save people."

"Then I think you have your answer."

Inko noticed the gentle smile on Toshinori's face, which kindled the glow that existed on Izuku's. Simply seeing the connection between the two of them, to see her son's hopes of becoming a hero validated by another quirkless person, softened and warmed her heart.

Izuku finished his cake, thanked his mom for buying it, and rushed off to the restroom, leaving the adults sitting in calm silence. Toshinori took one more sip of his drink before he interrupted the reverie that Inko was trapped in.

"You've raised him well," he said. She blinked, snapping herself from her thoughts and into the world. "He's polite. And a big dreamer."

"Oh. Yes, he is. Thank you." She looked down at her unfinished plate.

"Where's the other Midoriya?"

"I'm sorry?"

"It takes two people to have a kid. Is his father out working?"

"He's not around."

Toshirnori glanced down at her bare left hand. "I see. Is it difficult, raising him alone?"

"Not really. I'm almost thankful that he's quirkless, or it would be so much more difficult." Realizing what she had just said, she blushed, ashamed. "I'm so sorry, that was such a terrible thing to say."

"No, you're—"

"He just told you about how he wanted to be a hero and I just… That was selfish of me."

"You're human, Miss Midoriya. We're all a little bit selfish."

She switched back to the question to avoid feeling any more guilt. "It's not hard raising him. The hard part is watching him have these aspirations that I know he can't live up to but I just don't have the heart to tell him that."

"And I certainly didn't help, did I?" He smiled.

She looked at him, opened her mouth to say something, but stopped before she could dig deeper into the hole she made for herself.

"No, that's not it," she finally said. "He needs that confidence. For so long I felt like I would be lying if I told him he could still be the hero he wants to be. I couldn't tell him anything, whether to cheer him on or… or…"

"Or shatter those big dreams with realism."

"Exactly."

"You're doing fine. You're a mom. Being unsure comes with the territory."

She exhaled, mixing it with a relieved laugh.

"But that's not news to you, is it, Miss Midoriya?"

"No, it isn't."

Inko did not see or even hear her son walk up next to her. His sudden appearance next to her and the announcement that he was ready to go had surprised her for a brief moment. Toshinori collected the plates and Inko didn't protest. Izuku, already viewing this stranger as his newest role model, offered to take the plates to the trash bin himself. The offer turned into a subtle demand as he had snatched the plates from Toshinori's hands and went to dispose of them. Inko thanked him, which prompted Toshinori to echo the sentiment, and Izuku's chest seemed to have puffed a bit more.

"Can we see you again, Mr. Yagi?" the boy asked.

"You can call me Toshinori."

"Nah, not yet."

"Well…" He looked at Inko. "That would be up to your mom."

She didn't waste any effort considering it. She pulled her phone out of her purse and he took his from his pant pocket.

"This is something I'm sure about," she said.

They exchanged numbers, and he said, "Don't be scared to call me for anything."

They said their goodbyes on the busy sidewalk. Izuku screamed, "Bye, Mr. Yagi!" and Toshinori answered, "See you later, Midoriyas."

Izuku tugged on his mom's shirt, asking to see the number. She said he should have asked for it himself if he wanted Mr. Yagi's phone number. Not a second after she advised it did he sprint between passersby to catch up with the tall man, and she chased after him to keep him within her sights.