Disclaimer: The intellectual property rights to Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 belong to Atlus and its respective creative directors, as does the My Hero Academia series, with Kohei Horikoshi.

Author's Notes: It's just the nicest feeling ever to know that a story with fairly obscure fandoms has a decent following. Still… no promises on regular updates.

0.0

Arisato Minato stared at the woman through half-lidded eyes. Then, he raised a hand to gesture at the landmark in front of them. "That's the entrance." He turned slightly. "This is our main building."

Yu, in full Mount Lady regalia, looked on expectantly, but just as quickly deflated. "That's it?!" she huffed. "You just pointed at two things! Things I've already seen!" Brushing him aside, she stood at the entrance to the main building, looking around. "Now… where's that famous cafeteria I heard so much about? I heard Lunch Rush's yakisoba bread is to die for. You don't think they ran out, do you?"

He shrugged.

"No harm in trying then. Lead the w―"

"Now, I reckon y'all are getting a little too ahead of yourselves," Snipe, his homeroom teacher, said.

Snipe wore a striking outfit, not too dissimilar to that of a cowboy, albeit a futuristic interpretation of one. His full-face mask may have made him seem cold and unapproachable, but the man was anything but. Hidden partly by his large red cloak, Snipe rested his hands on his belt buckle. It parted just enough to catch a glimpse of the revolvers holstered at his waist.

Snipe walked towards Yu, the familiar jangle of his spurs accompanying his footsteps. He tipped his brim towards Yu, saying, "Mountie, always a pleasure."

Deadpan, Yu mimed pulling a gun from her hip and pointed it at his homeroom teacher. "Pew-pew-pew-pew."

Minato grimaced.

"Those are lasers. I don't use lasers."

"Schick-schick! Boom!"

"That's a shotgun. Now, you're just making fun of me," Snipe said. "Been a while, considering. Our last team-up together was… two months back? The Nakano raid?"

"Right in one, senpai," Yu said, bowing. "Glad to see you're doing well."

"Well worked that one. I remember you made quite the entrance." Snipe cleared his throat. "As good as it is to reminisce, how about we get business out of the way 'fore you two go wrangle up some grub? Come, there's a meeting room inside the main hall."

"Darn tootin'," Yu chirped.

They duly followed. Along the way, his homeroom teacher was kind enough to point out an interesting fact or two about UA's extensive history. It didn't delve into one of his lectures, but it sounded well-rehearsed, like something he saved for visitors.

"So… What's my guy like in school?" Yu asked.

"Partner here?" Snipe asked, looking down at Minato. "Reserved. He's only just transferred this semester, so it's understandable. It's clear he's a good student. Very mature. Does well across all his electives, save for mine. For the life of me, I can never understand why he has so much trouble with World History." He slapped Minato on the back, chuckling. "Don't mind it too much, Arisato. You embellished a few details, but you did quite well in your last assignment."

"Huh… I didn't peg you as the studious type, Minato. Figured you'd zone out and coast through everything."

Apparently, whatever reaction he gave Yu wasn't the one she was looking for as the woman stuck her tongue out at him. They finally stopped before a nondescript door, matched only by the bland décor within.

"Colour me surprised then that you're here for him," Snipe said, gesturing to the sofa at the far end of the room. He closed the door behind him as they entered, and took the seat facing them. "Now, explain to me why you want to take Arisato here as your intern."

"Have you seen him fight?"

"UA doesn't offer combat electives for General Education students in their third year. Their final year is when they enter their specialised field. In Arisato's case, he's taken up language as his major. He's performed well enough that he's a shoo-in for a placement at the University of Tokyo."

"So you haven't seen him fight?"

"No, I have not," Snipe said, his tone clipped. "I am aware that he trains at a dojo outside of school." He turned to Minato. "We do have club activities here on campus, Arisato. It should be similar to what you're doing outside. Have you ever considered joining? It would help you know your schoolmates better."

"It clashes with my work schedule."

"I see… Was that how the two of you met? At this dojo of yours?"

"Yup, yup," Yu said. "Pretty much that. So… Do I just sign a form or whatever? How does this work? I'm antsy to get the ball rolling, senpai!" It was remarkable how quickly she glossed over the lie―her words buttered with a quick flutter of her eyelashes and an eager smile.

Snipe was nonplussed, saying to Minato, "Do you really understand the implications of this, partner? You'll likely give up a place at a prestigious university. Isn't that why you decided to transfer to UA for your final year? To familiarise yourself with the city before you start your term at Tokyo 'U'?"

Minato nodded.

"Listen, for UA to allow you to undertake a role as a sidekick, or more appropriately, an intern in a Pro Hero's agency, you'll have to get your accreditation―accreditation you'll only get in the Heroics programme. It means you'll have to transfer again. You're at a severe disadvantage. For the past two years, your peers have undertaken steps to progress from their provisional hero license, and are preparing for the final one at the end of the year. You've missed about a dozen combat electives since then, not to mention countless internships, training camps and school-sponsored events."

"I didn't know that there would be another transfer," Minato said.

"Don't mind it." Yu waved her hand flippantly. "You're not setting a precedent here. There are, and will always be, others like you. Not every kid has their life figured out before they start high school. I'm sure there's a crash course for late bloomers."

"This is serious, Mountie. That world out there waiting for you, it's not going to be pulling its punches. There's a reason why UA has such a good track record at producing Pro Heroes. We don't believe in sending our students out into the world unprepared like lambs to be slaughtered. Take my criticism bluntly, partner. I don't believe you're prepared for this."

"Jeez, that's a little harsh, senpai."

"Well, if you'd have taken more thought into advising him, he wouldn't be so lost." Snipe shook his head. "You've filled his head with delusions of grandeur. You should have known better than that, rookie."

"Yeah?" Yu leaned back and folded her arms over her chest. "Well, so what if I'm a rookie? I saw something every Pro Hero in UA missed. I saw Minato for what he is―a hero."

Her statement was met with an uncomfortable silence. Each second ticked by as if the palpable will of the two adults in the room were warring in plain sight. It finally gave way when Snipe sighed.

"I'll ask you again: is this what you want, Arisato?"

"I… don't know."

Unconsciously, his eyes sought for hers. The quiet look of betrayal in her eyes stung, but Yu didn't flinch; her gaze remained steady with his.

"Lately," he continued. "It feels like I'm just going through the motions. I can't find that purpose―the one that's supposed to drive me forward. I'm not sure whether I'll find it with her, but… I need to find out."

Apparently, that was the right thing to say because Yu finally looked away, smiling to herself. That, and she was happily tapping her feet.

"That's the most I've ever heard you speak," she muttered.

Even with his mask on, Minato could sense that Snipe was pensive. "You have the backing of a Pro Hero… You've managed to convince yourself that you wish to transfer… The only thing that still troubles me is the situation with your Quirk."

Yu sat up in her seat. "Wait, back up a sec. What's this about a Quirk thingy?"

"You don't know?"

Snipe looked to Minato, who could only shrug in turn. To be fair, he did try to explain yesterday, but the woman would have none of it.

"Minato doesn't know what his Quirk is. According to his doctors, it happens in extremely rare cases, especially for Quirks that don't trigger a physical response. He does possess the genome from what I hear. It's just that they do not know what his Quirk is… yet."

"Huh, no way… I totally had you pegged as a precog-Quirk. Ugh, this sucks so bad." Yu palmed her face in her hands. "What about your parents, Minato? Couldn't they just get tested so you could figure out what your Quirk is?"

"I've been a ward of the state since I was born."

Well, that was more of a half-truth. A convenient one nonetheless. He had help concocting a background from a contact prior to him joining UA. That enabled him to have an actual presence in this world, with all the valid documentation and paper trails to go along with it. Still, he felt bad about lying so blatantly.

"Gosh, I'm so sorry, Minato! I just―Grrrghhh! Foot in mouth, Yu!"

It was disconcerting how she alternated between apologetic and angry. The subsequent hug was nice though. Although, he could go without the genial pats on the back of his head.

"Yes," Snipe said. "That isn't an option."

"So what does this mean? He can't transfer without knowing what his Quirk is?"

"It's never been an outright prerequisite that you need to have a fully-functioning Quirk to enter the Heroics programme. However, it is important that you are proficient in combat to the level of our satisfaction. Officially, we don't know where you stand in that regard, Arisato."

"Great," Yu said. "Let's just do it here―right now. No time like the present."

"Pardon?"

"It's the fastest way to end this meeting." She made it sound like it was the most logical conclusion. "If you have a single shred of doubt at the end of it, I'll concede and withdraw my application. Hell, I'll even give up my agency."

"That's a little extreme."

"No, you need to understand how much I value him," Yu said, her expression firm. "I'm all in, senpai. Minato should be game. How 'bout you?"

Snipe hummed under his breath. "I ain't a gambling man, Mountie." He made a show of reaching for his belt and pulled out both of his revolvers. "On the other hand, I am curious about what got you so riled up about him." With two quick flips of the hammer, he settled his weapons back into its holsters with practised ease.

"Partner, I just set both of my guns to 'stun'. Your task is simple. Stop me from shooting Mountie over there. I don't care what you do―to me, to this room―just stop me. Part of being a Pro Hero is being able to think on your feet and overcome the odds. Prove to me that you have what it takes."

"Neat," Yu said. "I've never been a hostage before."

"Well, not to say that I didn't warn you two. But you should know that I was a pretty serious contender back in―"

Unmindful of Snipe, Minato closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

He hadn't called for a persona.

However, one had simply appeared.

In that all-encompassing darkness in which he was the centre, a predator was pawing towards him, ever silent and ever deadly. There was a quiet growl as the beast stalked, slow and deliberate, out of the inky pool of darkness. Its fur, coated in the purest sheen of white, contrasted sharply with the surroundings.

However, its presence made Minato pause and smile.

Byakko.

Its existence was… a forlorn one.

For aeons, it had watched. For aeons, it had waited. In its adherence to duty, its existence had waned in the conscious mind of its people; its legend whispered as nothing more than a fantasy. Still, it would wait, from now until eternity, for the one being that would stand above all―a paragon with absolute virtue.

The White Tiger presented itself before Minato and bowed its head in deference.

Minato did the same.

That was until a soft nudge to his knee brought him back.

"―don't mean to toot my own horn, but I've been a Pro Hero for longer than you've been born, partner."

He found that Yu had scooched closer―close enough that their knees were touching. She was sitting at an angle, legs crossed and facing him. However, her eyes, half-lidded as they were, were trained on Snipe. She was swishing her feet, innocently drawing attention to a collapsible baton she had hidden on the inside of her thigh-high boots.

The placement was a bit risqué.

All he had now were: a baton, a flower vase to his right and―

"I set a few national records in my heyday. One of which was shooting two targets at naught five-hundredth of a second. That ain't fair, so I'm giving you a small handicap. It doesn't mean that I'm going to take you lightly."

―a stained glass coffee table in front of him.

It wasn't the best odds.

"But what you've got to know is that there is no―"

"Just shoot me already. Gawd~~"

Minato shared a look with Snipe.

Then, all hell broke loose.

0.0

Nezu paced before the large monitor.

The light bathed his small frame, casting an elongated shadow in the darkened room. His eyes weren't focused on the monitor. Instead, he began miming the actions on the video, seeing how it played out with his shadow. The teachers that were gathered in UA's Situation Room chose to ignore him.

Peculiar…

"Very peculiar, indeed," Nezu said aloud. "The ferocity in which he used that baton… His movements… They're animalistic. Could you slow it down right there please, Yamada? Yes, thank you. Do you see the way he changes the grip on the baton? The way he swings it, it's almost as if they're claws."

On the video before him, played out frame by frame, was UA's latest transfer student and oddity.

Arisato Minato.

"I don't need a reminder, boss," his subordinate, Snipe, said. "I was there."

"You did ask him not to hold back."

Snipe sighed, saying to Nezu, "Famous last words, I reckon. Pretty much regretted it the moment he threw that vase at my head." He walked forward. "Present Mic, could you play back the video once more? There's something I want you all to see." He waved his hands at the screen. "You can skip the parts here. I hate hearing my voice in videos."

"Man, I ain't some kinda playback monkey!"

Yamada Hizashi turned in his seat and huffed at Snipe. The Voice Hero: Present Mic was as eccentric as his eponym suggested; how the man could stay in character, regardless of the situation, spoke volumes of his dedication to his craft:

Annoying Aizawa to hell and back…

"Then, stop sitting in the control chair," Aizawa rebuked, his voice muffled by the bandages wrapped around… well, his whole body. "Are you a DJ or a broken record? We keep having this conversation because you never listen."

Nezu shook his head.

Despite repeated insistence, mainly coming from Nezu himself, Aizawa had refused to take a leave of absence to recuperate from the injuries he had sustained during the USJ incident. Aizawa had cited the need to 'continue the momentum' and 'I don't want my students to get lazy. I know they're gonna get lazy'.

"Yowww, man! Don't blame me, you damn mummy! My legs get tired easily 'cuz I got flat feet!"

"Yes, well… Where was I?" Snipe asked. "Ah, here! When Arisato closed his eyes, something about his demeanour changed. It wasn't until Mountie tried to signal to the baton that she had strapped to her leg that I knew something was amiss."

Kayama Nemuri pointed at the screen with a forefinger. "I don't see anything," she said. One of his most trusted faculty members was a woman with sharp features, outdone only by her sharp wit. The '18+ Only' heroine squinted at the screen. "They both look bored because you went off on a tangent talking about all those national records you broke."

Snipe shook his head. "You had to be there. The moment he opened his eyes, his gaze was almost… predatory. It's like he became something else entirely in that fight."

Next to Nezu, the imposing figure of Kan Sekijiro rumbled quietly as he scratched his chin; Nezu noted the light stubble that was beginning to form. "And the point you're trying to make is?" the homeroom teacher of Class 1-B asked.

"I think…" Snipe sighed. "I think Arisato has been hiding his Quirk. He knows what it is, despite what it says on the records. To what end―the why―I can't say. But you need to understand that he's a good kid. I cannot stress that enough. It hasn't been easy because he's such a difficult person to read; it's hard enough for me to engage him, much less his peers."

To prove Snipe's point, another clip was played.

This time, Nezu watched as it showed Arisato Minato, an earpiece stuck in both ears, exiting a door that led to the rooftop of the main building. He then proceeded to a nearby bench, and laid down, staring up at the sky. The video sped up, showing Minato re-enter the main building exactly forty-five minutes later.

There were several clips of this spliced together, all captured with a different time-stamp over the past two months.

It wasn't until the last few weeks that there was a change. A girl, whose spiky ponytail was large enough to obscure the CCTV's view, would reach there before he arrived. Arisato Minato would then turn up with a bento box in tow.

"I wasn't expecting that," Snipe said.

"It seems to me that all he needed was a fair young maiden to break down those walls." Nezu turned to Snipe, chuckling. "It turns out that you weren't his type all along."

"Aww… Young love is so cute and awkward. I'd give anything to be eighteen again," Kayama said. "By the way, Aizawa… Isn't that one of yours?"

Aizawa nodded. "Yaoyorozu Momo. As strange as it sounds, I believe I may have had a hand in this."

"Yowww~~ My bro is a natural matchmaker!"

Aizawa continued, unmindful of Yamada's comment, "It was a few weeks before I was bundled into a living mummy…" He stared pointedly at Recovery Girl, his eyes red-rimmed and bloodshot.

The elderly woman gave a small 'humph' and turned away.

"Yaoyorozu came to me asking if I knew a tutor who could help with her weapons training. It just so happens I have an old contact who owns a dojo. So, I gave her his address. I didn't know this kid was already training there. I've been told quite frankly that Arisato is the second coming of Miyamoto Musashi. Take that information however you will."

"We're getting sidetracked," Ishiyama Ken said.

Ishiyama was a prime example why one shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Of course, had Nezu said it aloud, he was quite sure he'd be massacred where it stood for such a lousy pun. It had been a coup to steal Ishiyama away from the University of Tokyo to head his modern literature department. While the man was never quite as active as a Pro Hero, Cementoss was still well-regarded giving his publicised outings during 'Search & Rescue' efforts.

"The crux of the matter is: Why would he see the need not to disclose his Quirk? This is all incredibly suspect, especially given the League of Villains' incursion not too long ago."

"Actually," Toshinori said. "I may know the reason why."

Without the use of his Quirk, the Symbol of Peace really did look like a shell of his former self. Looking emaciated and sickly, the man walked over to the control station and leaned over Yamada to type something on the console.

They heard a lot of mouse clicks.

"Uh, h-how do I get into my inbox from here?" Nezu heard him ask Yamada. "They sent an encrypted file to my outlook."

"Man, that's all saved on your local PC. You gotta use the webmail if you wanna fish it out," Yamada explained. "No, All Might… Just come on, man. Budge over, and lemme do it for you." Toshinori had begun whispering to Yamada in very hushed tones. "Yeah, and your password? You're serious?! A baby could crack that in under a second flat. Change it!"

Kayama whistled nonchalantly. "Bummer… Our 'No. 1' Pro Hero can't figure his way out of a computer."

There was a bit more fumbling between Toshinori and Yamada before the latter managed to find and play the encrypted video. Once more, it showed Arisato Minato in the foreground. The setting had changed, however. Now, it was tracking the boy as he walked through the streets of Tokyo at night. The time stamp was dated two nights prior.

"It's unsettling how much of our lives can be tracked by technology," Ectoplasm said.

"I called in a favour," Toshinori continued, clearing his throat. "As I was saying, I had a run-in with Mount Lady in her civilian guise. Something she said clued me in when I heard she had handed in a request for Arisato-shonen."

The angle of the CCTV wasn't the best, but they could see Arisato Minato peeking around the corner of a building―into an alley. Nezu could sense his hesitation, but it was inevitable. Minato then pulled his hood over his head and withdrew a weapon from his bag. Barely a few minutes had passed before a hooded figure came running out, like the devil was on his heels.

"So, in short, this kid's a vigilante?" Aizawa asked. "Are the police actively looking for him, All Might?"

"No."

"At your behest?"

Toshinori remained quiet.

"So…" Nezu said. "How do we judge his actions? Is Arisato Minato a criminal for breaking the law? Or is he simply a passer-by forced to act, when he could not ignore the wrongs before him?"

"He's a good kid," Snipe said. "My gut says that and I can't ignore it. Mountie probably saw it then. She called him a hero, and it crushed me that I couldn't see that. I don't miss twice, boss."

"We can't harbour a vigilante, in UA no less," Ishiyama said. "If the general public were ever to get wind of it―"

"Then, we teach him how and what it means to be a Pro Hero," Snipe said. "That's the only way. It's better to have a trained hero, one with UA's backing, than risk losing him to vigilantism… or worse. I can't have that on my conscience."

Nezu sighed.

"Does anyone else have anything to add?" he asked. "No? Any objections then?"

Ishiyama and Kan raised their hands.

"I believe I've already stated my case," Ishiyama said. "We cannot overlook his reckless past because of 'what ifs' that may or may not come to pass. Moral conundrums aside, the laws are in place for a reason and mustn't be ignored where there is a clear violation."

"Noted… I'll take that into consideration. And yourself, Kan?"

Kan rubbed his chin, saying, "How exactly are we supposed to cram three years worth of education in under a year for him? It's not like we're going to throw him back to being a first-year. Even if we made the appeal for a special GE-exemption, that's only been done for second years―a third year would be out of the question. That's not even factoring in his provisional hero license."

"It's nothing that can't be arranged," Nezu said. "I'll put in a good word with the Public Safety Commission―see if they can hold one in private. As for his course lessons, well… practical experience is the best teaching tool. We'll accept his transfer on the condition that Mount Lady agrees to supervise his training while he waits for his provisional examination. However, the bulk of his education remains with us. I would ask that those of you here provide your expertise as well. At their age, they're at a crucial stage of their development―both physically and mentally. This is when they form the beliefs that will carry them through their adult life."

Nezu turned to Kayama, who shuddered. "My dear?"

"T-That look… Those deep puppy dog eyes! You dare flash those things at me?! After you raided all the cheese-flavoured umaibo we had stashed in our office?!"

"Ahem, I did no such thing," Nezu said, hiding a cough behind his tiny paw. "But I do need a favour. It would put my heart at considerable ease if I were to put him under your care. Why, he won't find better role models in the entirety of UA than those of his peers in Class 3-A."

"You're just dumping him there because I got those three idiots, right?"

Nezu ignored her, smiling wistfully. "Such fine outstanding young role models… Nothing could possibly go―"

0.0

"―wrong, Minato! That's just so not right!"

Arisato Minato stared at Yu blankly.

She brushed him aside, deft fingers erasing the threadbare level of trust between them. She stood there, in front of the touch-screen vending machine, looking pleased with herself. Behind him, he could hear the few patrons, who intended to dine at this particular Matsuya outlet, grumbling.

"I'm having second thoughts about joining."

He turned to walk away, but Yu pulled him back.

"Hnnng… Okay, fine! You'll get your extra large portion!" Yu conceded, huffing. She was unnecessarily rough with the machine as she amended their order. "This is a celebratory lunch, so I can shift some money around. But extra large meals are only for special occasions! On normal days, we're sticking to regular!"

To placate their anger, Minato began apologising to the other patrons, stepping out of the way so that the salaryman behind them could use the machine.

"Sorry," Yu said to the patron, as she casually leaned against the side of the machine. "Just a small tiff with my sidekick… He's my new sidekick." Her smile bordered on manic. "I have a sidekick now."

"I-I'm really happy for you, M-Mount Lady."

Minato couldn't bear to see others suffer, so he dragged the heroine to a table. It had been two days since the fateful meeting with Snipe; two days where normalcy had returned. Sadly, that ended when Snipe pulled him aside after homeroom this morning. His transfer had been approved. He would officially join Class 3-A after the UA Sports Festival tomorrow.

Lo and behold, Yu was waiting for him outside school grounds, giddy and buzzing like a bee. She had brought him here, a Matsuya branch conveniently located near his school, to celebrate.

It wasn't long before their food arrived.

"Eiii~~" Yu scratched her temple with a finger. "Before we start eating, I, uh, got you something." She reached under the table and pulled out a smartphone from her…

He actually didn't know where she hid that phone on that skintight suit of hers.

"It's your work phone. It's kinda weird that you don't have one yourself, but I got tired of not being able to message you. Now, I don't have to wait outside your school all the time like some kind of creepy stalker." She leaned over the table, whispering, "I don't think Eraserhead likes me all that much."

This was a surprisingly sincere gesture. He was touched.

"Thank you," he said.

"Oh my God… I've known you for almost a week, and this is the first time I ever got you to smile," Yu said. "Anyway, check out your snazzy phone. It's the best I could spring for considering my budget. I already put my contact details in there. It's the only one, so it's hard to miss. Oh, you know what, wait… I'll drop you a LINE."

She pulled out her phone from her… convenient hiding spot and started texting. A text bubble popped up on the screen.

My Hot Boss: Hi~ Hi~

My Hot Boss: As a rule, I want you to reply me within thirty seconds upon getting my texts

My Hot Boss: Failure to do so will…

My Hot Boss: Well, you'll find out. It won't be pretty, sweetie

"Hey, you have to answer―"

Minato put the phone down on the table, screen facing down, then proceeded with his lunch.

"Rude!" Yu huffed, digging her chopsticks into her meal angrily. "You know you should smile more often, Minato. Girls at your school might actually talk to you instead of thinking you're some emo satanist."

"Noted."

"Anyway, speaking of school, I got assigned as a protection detail for the UA Sports Festival. It's gonna be super boring, so I need you to shadow me―learn the ropes, entertain me―that kinda thing."

Minato shook his head, unwilling to speak with his mouth full.

"Eh?" she whined. "Why?"

"Charity thing for class. I'm a cook, apparently."

"Sweet! I didn't know you could cook. It goes without saying that I'm gonna get some freebies, right?"

"It's for charity," he told her, deadpan.

"Don't give me that look!" Yu huffed, indignant. "I'm not a heartless monster, Minato! I just wanna mooch off you."

He sighed, then nodded his assent.

"You're the best!" She expressed her excitement with her feet, which unfortunately clattered against his shin. He tried not to wince. "Having a sidekick is the best! Now, tomorrow might not actually be so bad."

"I thought I was just an intern?"

"Semantics. You're mine forever." Yu waved him away. "I've got a few things lined up to get you up to scratch as a bonafide Pro Hero. Your school gave me a pretty long list of guidelines of how I should structure your 'on-the-job' training too. So, you don't have to worry about being thrown off the deep end."

"That's good."

"You don't look all that excited, Minato."

"Thrilled," he said absently, not looking up from his food. "I'm concentrating on my meal."

Her face soured. "Would it kill you to lighten up a bit? This is a celebratory lunch―our first lunch as partners!"

With a sigh, Minato relented. He wiped his mouth with a serviette and raised his complimentary glass of green tea. "To the first of many."

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, his partner met his cup with hers, the porcelain clinking softly as it did. Her smile widened, so much so that he could imagine the perfect set of teeth sparkling.

"Hear, hear!"

Yu drank from her cup.

"On your dime."

And choked on her tea.

0.0

It was hot, unbearably so. The meagre gust of wind provided by the small portable fan to his left did little to alleviate the heat. Regardless, Arisato Minato toiled through.

Scrape…

Gaunt sunken eyes, red and puffy.

Flip…

A very pronounced forehead that jutted out.

Sprinkle…

A clammy hand reaching out to him―dangerously close to the grill…

'Thwack!'

Minato rapped the unnaturally skinny man's knuckles with his chopsticks. With it, his robotic inner rhythm had been disrupted. The man, sickly and emaciated, seemed familiar; Minato could have sworn that he had seen that particular shade of blond hair somewhere, but he couldn't place it on who.

Oh, well…

"Hoshino-san," he called out lazily.

With nary a look back, Minato returned to his work. Over the past few hours, he had refined his technique down to a 'T'. In his old life, he had spent a surprising amount of time hanging out in front of the takoyaki shop at Iwatodai Station. Somehow, this translated to a decent know-how in takoyaki preparation.

Still, borrowing their idea for 'Weird Takoyaki' proved to be a sleeper hit at the UA Sports Festival. However, his class representative, Hoshino Tamaki, had given it her own unique twist.

Speak of the devil…

"Sorry, Arisato-chi," Tamaki said. "There was a line at the little girls' room."

His class representative was a fair-skinned girl with black hair. Out of all the students in his class, he shared a close friendship with her, partly because Snipe had partnered them together when he first came to UA. Tamaki wore a traditional flowery yukata for the occasion, and in an effort to match her theme, he had been forced to adorn a happi coat, complete with a matching headband.

He nodded to the man kneeling in front of their stall.

"Ara, ara? Are you alright, sir?"

"W-What," the man croaked, clutching at his throat, "What did you make me eat?!"

"Sir, we've already put a disclaimer on our 'Takoyaki Roulette'. You have a random chance of getting one of our ingenious flavour balls. You can't blame my cook because you were unlucky enough to eat something extreme."

The only reply the man could muster was a gurgling sound.

"Hmmm… Which one did you eat, sir? The wasabi vinaigrette grenade or the piri piri chilli bomb?" Tamaki put a finger to her chin, scrunching her lips together. "Then again, it could very well be the apple cider vinegar landmine, or―"

"H-Hot!"

"Must be the piri piri chilli bomb then. Well, we do sell refreshments." Tamaki squeezed her way around him to get at the small cooler under the counter. She held out a small plastic bottle. "Here! A cool, refreshing yoghurt drink to ease the mind, body and soul. A perfect panacea for our piri piri chilli bomb special! Five hundred yen, please."

"That's daylight robbery!"

Tamaki gave the man a look. "It's not like we're profiting off anything. Most of our proceeds go towards the Polar Bear Conservation Fund. You can't put a price on the survival of a vulnerable species, can you? But… if you really think that way, the Kendo club is running a novelty drink stall around the corner."

The man looked torn.

"I heard the queue is pretty long," Tamaki continued nonchalantly. "And they're using that money to buy new equipment for their club. I guess that's nice… Not the same as saving polar bears though."

"I'll take it," he muttered.

The man left, head bowed and spirit broken. Tamaki was the polar opposite―no pun intended. She was humming to herself as she served the next batch of customers. "Hmm-hn! Takoyaki Roulette thanks you for your patronage, ma'am," Tamaki said, handing a woman her serving. "And if polar bears could talk, I'd bet they'd say thank you too!"

Minato couldn't have been distracted for more than a few seconds, but when the tell-tale click of a camera went off, his eyes snapped up to the culprit. The crowd seemed to part around her, both in awe and bewilderment.

"You look totes adorbs."

Yu inched closer to the counter and took another photo; this time a wide-angled selfie of the two of them.

Minato gave the camera the most lifeless stare imaginable.

"Delete that."

Yu scoffed. "Ye-uh. Not a chance." She wasn't even looking at him, instead she was smiling at her phone, texting. "Papa's been bugging me for a picture of you. I told him to wait until you got your outfit n' everything, but this works well enough."

"Hnnng!" Tamaki gushed, hopping on her feet; it was no mean feat considering the traditional geta she was wearing. "Mount Lady! I totally didn't believe Arisato-chi when he said he was going to work for you. But it's true! It's totally true!"

"So…" Yu's expression wasn't one that you would call friendly. "You're the pretty little thing Minato promised his time to today?"

"Y-Yes! My name is Hoshino Tamaki, ma'am."

"You know he was supposed to come patrol the school with me, but… I'm glad he's enjoying what's left of his high school life." Yu sighed wistfully. "Trying to make memories like this is important, especially when you're young."

Tamaki gasped. "You passed up Mount Lady for me?"

"Hn, I did it for the polar bears."

Minato tossed a few coins into their donation box. Then, with practised ease, he whipped up a half-dozen takoyaki into the packaged container, adding a generous amount of seasoning―skipping the dried seaweed entirely―and their mystery sauce for good measure.

He held it out to Yu.

Her eyes practically lit up. "You remembered I hated dried seaweed?! You're the best sidekick ever, Minato!" Yu dug into her ill-gotten meal with gusto, chewing with full cheeks. "This is really good!" she said around a mouthful. "Really, really good! I taste bits of salmon in this."

Tamaki nodded. "Our concept is roulette but with takoyaki. The flavours you get are totally random. Hence, the name," she said, sheepish. "Actually, please have this complimentary bottle of yoghurt. You might need it."

Yu bit into another ball. "Yum~~ This one has a mild wasabi aftertaste. Oi Minato, I want more servings."

"Go away."

This earned him a whack on the arm courtesy of Tamaki. "How could you say that so callously to a Pro Hero?"

"Yeah," Yu said. "Do you know how hard I worked to get away from Woodsy? He was just so darn persistent, but I sweet talked my way into getting a patrol route here with Death Arms." She plopped the takoyaki down on the counter and took a swig of her similarly ill-gotten drink. "When are you gonna be on break, Minato? I want you to show me around the festival grounds."

Minato peeked at his watch.

"We have that delivery order to get to," he said, turning to Tamaki. "I won't take long."

Tamaki snapped a sharp salute as she took over the reins of the grill. "You can rest easy, partner! I'll hold down the fort here!"

It wasn't hard to tell that his class representative was from Osaka, putting her accent aside. Plus, it was clear this wasn't her first rodeo. She was an experienced hand―multi-tasking the preparation, cooking and even tending to the customers. To be fair, he had only been there to support her, and not the other way around.

"Bye, Mount Lady!" Tamaki said, waving. "It's so cool to meet you again!"

Yu blinked. "We've met before?"

"Yup! A couple of months ago, when you were taking down that Twin Strike villain at Shibuya? I was there―got a selfie and an autographed picture from you. You were awesome! Japan could use more kickass women like you!"

"Tamaki, was it?"

Tamaki nodded nervously.

"That was the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me―this week at least." Expectant violet eyes turned to him, silently demanding that Minato put a word in.

"I'm leaving," he said.

Yu sighed, helping herself to another bite of her snack. "Swing and a miss," she said, munching. "Oi! Don't just go like that! Wait for me!" Yu turned and gave a quick wave to Tamaki. "Bye, sweetie! Hope we'll bump into each other again soon!"

"Go! Go! Mount Lady! Go! Go!"

Yu caught up with him fairly quickly, despite the bustling crowd and the fact that he was actively brisk walking in an effort to lose her. "Awfully cheery girl that. You two got a thing going on that I don't know about?"

"No."

"You know, one word answers can get pretty annoying pretty quick, Minato. You can tell me anything. I'm your mentor―emotionally, spiritually, career-wise. It's okay if you have a little crush on her. I won't tell."

"She has a boyfriend."

"Ahhh, forbidden love―the steamiest kind!"

Minato gave her a flat look.

"Spleesh, fine… 'was just trying to tease you. Lighten up a little." Yu glanced down at the two plastic carriers in his hand. "It's a bit strange to do a delivery within school grounds, especially during a festival. Where are we going anyway?"

"The stadium."

"Why?"

"Food delivery."

"For?"

Minato sighed. Turnabout's fair play, after all. Still, the woman had a way of eating into his patience. The irony that she was still munching on the takoyaki that he had cooked for her didn't go unnoticed.

"Yu… Point ta―"

"Onee-chan," she cut in abruptly.

That actually made him stop in his tracks. "I'm not calling you that."

"Nuh-uh," she said, waggling her forefinger in his face. "I told you before. When I'm in costume, you have to call me 'Onee-chan'. My hero name works too, I guess. My identity isn't known to the general public, so you can't go around saying my name like that. In fact, there's this whole spiel about the 'Unmasked versus Masked' debate that I could get into. But… I'm eating, and I'm lazy, and it's usually more fun to complain about that when I'm drinking."

Minato took her ramblings in stride, by which he filtered all that fluff to one side. "One's for Snipe-sensei," he explained. "The other is for… an underclassman. She made it to the finals, but lost her first match. I was hoping this would cheer her up."

Yu made a face. "She?"

Somewhat unsure, Minato just nodded.

"I've only known you for a while, Minato, but it's kinda strange that all the friends you have in school are girls. You're sending out the wrong vibes if you ever want to get a girlfriend. Unless, this junior of yours… Is she cute?"

Exasperated, Minato shook his head.

Yu smiled teasingly, leaning in close. "Ahhh~~ Is that a blush I see creeping on your face? Does our silent protagonist have a thing for his cute junior?"

He chopped her lightly on her head.

"You're annoying."

He left it at that. It didn't take long for them to reach the stadium, but trying to find a way to the competitor's inner area proved to be a hassle. The odd request for directions from his schoolmates did help somewhat, but it was luck that brought the duo standing before his homeroom teacher.

"Howdy, partner," Snipe said, tipping his hat. "Glad to see that my order came through. Sorry I had to trouble you to bring it here. Can't escape my rotation right now." Snipe took the offered carrier, handing Minato a thousand yen note in return. "Keep the change. Heard the two of you are drumming up some good business. Those polar bears will be mighty thankful."

Minato bowed, adding quietly, "Thank you for your patronage, sensei."

"Mountie, I'm not even surprised you're here with him." Snipe tapped at his ears, saying, "You ain't answering the comms, and Death Arms is quite vocal about you running off to parts unknown. You mind saving me the trouble?"

"So bossy... I put it on mute for just a sec." Yu frowned, mimicking his homeroom teacher. "Hi~ Hi~ This is Mount Lady reporting in," she said, adding an unhealthy amount of false cheer in her voice. "I took a detour into the stadium to investigate the little ladies' room. It won't take five minutes."

She looked very pleased with herself.

"All goo― Yeeowch! "

Snipe winced. "Yeah, that boy sure can holler. I guess I can give you your first piece of advice, Minato: Always keep your wits about you. Well, that and… don't slack off when you're on rotation."

Yu held her hands up. "Chill, senpai. I'm just here to help my intern with his little fetch quest. That's all. I'll head back once I lay eyes on this cute junior of his."

Snipe looked down at the spare carrier in his hand. Minato couldn't see on account of his mask, but he had a sneaking suspicion that his homeroom teacher was hiding a smirk.

" Oh? Is that for someone?"

He gestured at the corridor behind Snipe.

"Sorry, partner. Area behind me is for competitor's only. Protocols… I couldn't even let their parents in if they begged. I suppose if you want, I could call this person out for you. We're just about done wrapping up the competition for the first-years, so the finalists should all be in their rooms."

Minato shook his head.

He had brought the takoyaki for Momo on a whim; partly to show his support after her defeat, and because he had not seen his sparring (and occasional lunch) partner for the last few days. Knowing her, she wouldn't have taken her loss well―even if she had done well given the circumstances. He couldn't be sure if his presence would be entirely welcomed. However, his offerings certainly would.

Minato gave the carrier to Snipe.

"Yaoyorozu Momo."

"You got it, partner."

"Eh? But I came all the way here to―" Yu stopped, frowning as she pressed the comms device in her ear. "Repeat that." There was a short pause as something was relayed. "Got it. I'm heading back to our quadrant―that's the main festival grounds."

The sudden shift in her demeanour was not subtle; the tenseness that set in her shoulders, the way her jawline hardened―the minutiae of it all was new to him. This was a side of Yu he had never seen before. He was reminded of the fact that the woman was actually a Pro Hero and not someone dressing up for the hell of it.

Something wasn't right.

Distracted as he was, a sharp prick stung the back of his neck. Minato slapped at it and winced as he looked down at his hand.

It was a bee.

Minato heard movement, the thunderous rumble of footfalls, echo in the walls of the stadium; it sounded as if there was a stampede. Snipe was going around, shouting directions at those milling about the area, but none of what the man said reached him―everything sounded muffled to his ears. The only thing that rang clear was his own breaths labouring; it felt like his chest was being squeezed by a vice.

His head snapped up at the sounds of explosions.

Unconsciously, he found himself walking beside Yu as she turned to leave, still rubbing at the itch. Yu had pushed him back however, sparing nothing but an apologetic glance and a shake of her head. It was what she mouthed to him that rooted him to the spot:

'I'm sorry…'

And then she left.

In that instant, a memory came back to him.

Those attractive locks of blonde hair morphed into a short white bob. Her eyes, large and violet, bled into the most vivid tint of amber. The ghostly shades of the two women blurred before his eyes, like a camera that couldn't focus.

One put her forefinger over her lips, shushing him.

His vision swam.

A hand gripped his shoulder. Minato was only distantly aware that Snipe was talking to him, urging him to do something. He didn't know what his homeroom teacher wanted, but it was futile; all he could hear now was the sound of his own heartbeat hammering in his ears. Snipe then rushed off to parts unknown with him none the wiser.

He was breathing aloud.

Hard.

Minato sank to his knees, like a marionette with its strings cut, staring at everything and nothing around him. The room was spinning, spiralling out of control. Even as he squeezed his eyes shut, the disorienting vertigo remained. All of it did little to ease the burning sensation that had consumed his being.

He clutched at his chest.

Can't…

Breathe…

That was until… it all stopped.

Minor Arcana: Cups (X)…

Side Note(s): If you want to help beta this story, please let me know. I write in weird spurts, so downtime is often quite long. Happy holidays, everyone!