Hi Y'all! Thank you SOOOO much for your patience, I'm on the mend from my surgery. So sorry it took longer than initially planned, I had a very difficult personal loss recently and I'm not going to lie, I've been pretty depressed about it. As I'm finally dealing with it better I was able to write the next update. Here's chapter 25! I'm so glad y'all are enjoying the story! Please continue to send your lovely reviews! It really lifts up my spirits in a difficult time. Now it's time for Minami to see a different side of her dad, as well as her dad's business!
Minami nearly pressed her small nose against the pristine glass of the company car, gazing out in amazement at the tall sky scrapers and the hustle and bustle of Tokyo.
The car rolled to a stop at a red light, and a huge group of businessmen and women quickly crossed, eager to be on their way to their jobs.
Turning to look back out her passenger window, Minami's eyes widened at a group of girls dressed in the kawaii harajuku style walking down the sidewalk, their colorful and frilly outfits instantly standing out amongst the rest of the crowd.
The car began to roll forward and Minami eagerly turned to Yagi who was sitting beside her in the backseat, shaking his arm and pointing at the group of older girls.
"Papa! Look at how bright their outfits are!"
Yagi looked up from his business tablet and smiled at her excitement,
"I see my girl, they look very pretty,"
"Yagi-san, would you like me to drop you off near the tower before I go and park the car?" the driver questioned, his eyes pivoting to the rear view mirror to glance at Yagi for a moment before returning to the road.
"Yes Takahashi-san, that would be perfect," Yagi replied politely as his eyes shifted from the driver to his rambunctious daughter who was currently bouncing in her seat, humming to herself as her large eyes took in the surrounding city. He smiled softly at her excitement.
"Minami my girl, are you ready to start the day?" Toshi asked Minami, relishing her dancing eyes that regarded him.
"Yes, YES! I can't wait to see everything!" the girl was practically vibrating as she shook her father's arm with her response, grinning ear to ear.
Toshinori chuckled "My goodness! Do you have ants in your pants? I haven't seen you this excited in a while!"
Minami giggled when her father reached forward to pinch her flushed cheek; the seasoned hero couldn't help but return the grin at seeing her so happy, just glad to see her smiling once more. Feeling the car roll to a stop, Minami looked up when their driver spoke.
"Here's the final destination, please take care now!" the driver raised his hand with a small smile while father and daughter left the car to step out onto the sidewalk.
Stepping more fully onto the cement to avoid the busy street, Minami paused to stare up at the imposing tower, her jaw dropping at its size, noticing it had a faux planet at its top with two outerbands orbiting it on an angle. Yagi chuckled at her face.
"Whoa….it's huge…" she murmured as she craned her neck to see the very top, but failing to do so at her angle.
"It is my girl! But the real magic lays inside the tower, now let's get going!" Toshinori replied with an upbeat attitude, leading Minami down the street, approaching the agency.
The golden hero began mentally listing off everything that needed to be done that day at the agency, along with setting a schedule for Minami when his train of thought was interrupted by Minami snickering at something. Yagi stopped to see what she was pointing at.
"Papa! Why does that vending machine have…panties in it?" Minami made a confused face as she laughed again, not sure if she was actually seeing female undergarments in the machine. "It's super weird!"
Yagi's eyes followed Minami's pointing finger and sure enough, the vending machine with women's underwear lay up against the side of Might Tower. A faint blush came across Toshnori's face.
I swore I issued a request to the city to remove that damn thing. Last thing that Might Tower needs is a perverted vending machine next to it. Looks like this will have to be added to today's list of things to do as well….Yagi thought to himself irritated that the damnable machine was still there, mocking him like a blemish on the beaming beacon of peace that was Might Tower.
Looking at Minami again, Toshi could see the wheels still turning in her head as she stared at the vending machine, fascinated as to why it would even exist. Taking her face gently, her cheeks squeezed in his hand as he turned her head away from what he considered was an offensive sight, getting her attention once more.
"Come along now my girl, heroes don't dwell on such…unpleasant things. A hero's focus is always on what they can do to better the society we live in,"
Taking her hand to encourage her movement, Toshi tugged Minami along and her interest quickly developed into nerves as she and Yagi entered the tower; suddenly many eyes were on her and her father.
"Hello Yagi-San!"
"Good morning Yagi-San!"
"Yagi-San! Hi!"
A chorus of hellos echoed in the large entry. Minami hesitantly stopped behind Toshi, not expecting such a large welcome.
Boy, dad sure is popular! Even when he's not in his hero form! Minami thought to herself at she peeked at all the new faces from behind her father's thin frame.
Yagi smiled and greeted the familiar faces before him. Glancing behind, he noted his daughter nervously staring, not trusting the new people before her.
Poor girl, her past still afflicts her even now after all her progress…I must work harder to build up her confidence if she is to be a top tier hero one day… Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, Toshinori pulled the girl forward, not allowing her to hide behind him any longer in the presence of his agency staff.
"Please let me introduce you to my ray of sunshine, Minami-chan! She is my daughter and is currently a UA student!" Yagi grinned like the proud father he was at his announcement. The sighs and oohs and aahs made Minami blush as she waved at the group of people nervously.
"Umm…Hello, it's nice to meet you all!" Minami bowed low, her long, loose blonde hair brushing forward, not sure what else to say at that moment.
"A student of UA! We've heard so much about you from your father!" a middle aged woman stepped forward to speak to Minami. She had on the same uniform as all the other female receptionist staff; a small beret that had an All Might button on it, along with an attractive silk scarf tied on her feminine neck with a skirt suit. Minami assumed she must be the leader of the welcoming staff.
"What a lovely hero suit you have! The blue pattern looks absolutely lovely with your complexion and eyes!" The woman smiled genuinely at Minami, relaxing her somewhat as she felt the tension leave her body. Minami decided right then she liked the motherly-like woman.
"Thank you mam!" Minami grinned at the compliment, bowing one more. The group of women around them chuckled at her youthful enthusiasm, with Yagi standing by enjoying the interaction between some of his staff and daughter.
"Oi! Who's this fine lady in the blue suit! A new sidekick? She looks mighty foxy!" Minami cringed as an obnoxious man approached them, not liking the way his eyes raked her up and down.
Yagi growled softly and pulled his daughter closer to his side once more, never really liking the man approaching them, but keeping him employed at the agency purely because of his impeccable work, as well as no harassment complaints had been lodged against him at that time. He mentally tallied another reason to dislike the middle aged man; for the way he was staring at his daughter like she was a snack, it rallied his protective instincts almost immediately.
Stopping to stand along side the staff, he reached out to take Minami's pale hand and kiss the back of it, his eyebrows waggling at her as he did so. Yagi could feel his hackles rising at the action, getting ready to sink his teeth into the man, but his headstrong daughter beat him to the punch.
Minami pulled her hand immediately out of his grasp. "Ew! I don't know you!" Minami made an icky face as she took a step back from him. Several women snickered behind their hands, enjoying the look of disbelief that crossed the man's face at Minami's rejection.
That's my girl! Yagi quietly grinned to himself at his daughter's reaction of the man, glad she was more than willing to reject his advances and give him a piece of her mind. He stepped forward to put the man in his place and finish the job.
"As I had just explained before you arrived, this is my daughter Minami, she is studying to be a hero at UA," Yagi spoke icily as he stared daggers into the man.
Minami grinned at her father as she recognized the tone to be the professional way of saying "fuck off,"
A horrified look went across the face of the middle aged man as he realized he had been hitting on the daughter of his superior, who was also a minor, and all in his superior's presence.
Minami enjoyed watching the bow very lowly to Yagi as he babbled multiple apologies.
You pig, you should be really apologizing to me too, Minami thought to herself, though she had a feeling the age issue wouldn't have normally stopped a man like him.
Yagi waved him off, telling him they would speak further later. The man wasted no time scuttling away, eager to end the interaction himself.
Waving goodbye to the other employees then, Toshinori guided Minami alongside him towards the elevators, looking at the clock and seeing they were dangerously close to falling behind schedule.
Once arriving in the elevator together Toshinori released a large sigh after the steel doors closed. Yagi turned and set his hands on Minami's shoulders, crouching before her. His concerned eyes looked into Minami's, worried that the incident had scared her off from heroics and meeting new people.
"I'm very sorry for that my dear. As you can see, despite our advanced society, sexism still exists," Yagi spoke softly, his thumbs rubbing the tops of her shoulders as he thought what else he wanted to convey to her as she regarded him just as closely, waiting for whatever pearl of wisdom he was supposed to give her to help her comprehend future situations he was sure would occur when she was older, and when he likely wouldn't be around. Yagi's heart clenched at the thought,
How do you prepare a daughter to be a hero and how to deal with harassment; all the while maintaining a professional air about one's self ? Toshi ground his teeth at the thought.
Yagi knew the inequalities that still existed in the world of heroics. So many times he had personally witnessed it, a bright eyed young heroine would appear on the scene, determined to make a difference. However, most were shocked to meet the male counterparts that still believed women had no place being a hero. They even experienced it in interviews, a TV host asking a heroine not about her recent career accomplishments, but mainly focusing on what line of makeup she uses or what she does to keep a slim figure.
Slowly, over time, Toshi watched the fire in their eyes burn out as they began to believe that they couldn't make a difference, and soon they were a shell of their former selves, choosing either to retire early, or to keep up the charade of happiness and personal satisfaction.
Now he knew that some of the heroines were happy, perhaps due to being thick skinned, and some even just rolled with the punches and made it part of their image, like Midnight and Uwabami. Sure, things were better than it had been even 15 years ago, but the misogyny was there, sucking the energy and motivation out of many female heroes. Its presence worried him and how it would affect his daughter, as well as the rest of his girls of class 1-A that he had already grown attached to. But Yagi was determined to do everything he could to prepare them for such a world and how to make it better for future generations of women.
Then, it came to Yagi, what he could say that wouldn't over complicate the situation, while saving plenty of time later when he could sit down with Minami properly and explain to her how important it was to respect herself and set physical boundaries until she was ready for any physical relationships, as well as what to look for in a potential mate one day.
It did say in the parenting book I read that I am the role model of what she will look for in a spouse one day, I have to live up to it…Squeezing her shoulders, Toshinori looked into her eyes and smiled gently,
"My girl, always remember your worth. You never have to feel pressure to accept anyone's advances or inappropriate comments, and can reject them while being professional. You must always love and respect yourself. Remember, when you feel confident in your own value, other's opinions or actions cannot bring you down,"
Minami's uncertain expression on her face morphed into a dazzing smile, feeling herself inflate with confidence at her father's words.
Patting her shoulders once more, Yagi stood straight and gave her a large grin of his own,
"Now, this may get a bit hectic as we'll be at the top floor where there's a lot of press activity, but just follow my lead and no need to be nervous little Minami, because I am here to show you what it means to run a large agency!" Yagi flashed her a thumbs up before the elevator doors opened, revealing the chaos of the top floor. Minami's eyes widened at the scene before hastily following her father.
Minami released a large sigh as the steel doors of All Might's private space behind her clanged shut, her father hadn't been kidding, the press was absolutely nuts, and her encounter with them today just confirmed that once more. She leaned against the doors as she caught her breath and gave her poor heart a chance to calm down. Her cheeks were sore from forcing herself to smile so much, and she noticed her lower back was a bit stiff from bowing to more people than she could count.
I don't know how dad can do this constantly, always being stretched so thin, and so many people demanding things of you, Minami thought to herself, always knowing her father was busy, but getting a taste of that first hand made her develop a new found respect for him.
"Minami my girl, come here!"
Her ears perked up at the sound of her father calling her from down the hallway. Making her way forward, a door attracted her attention. She stopped to peek inside the room. Turning on the light, she was surprised to see a much more muted office space, nothing like the All Might office space that had been on the corner of the top floor.
In that office, she had been nearly blinded by colors of red, white and blue, along with seeing a huge American flag on the wall behind his desk. She also remembered seeing multiple pictures of All Might with celebrities and world leaders, and fancy framed news stories lining the walls with headlines along the lines of "All Might Saves the World Again," or "All Might, Our Savior."
This room was starkly plain in comparison, with an old desk and chair. She noticed a very tall pile of files sitting on the desk, almost ready to teeter over. The walls were bare; the room was simple.
She realized just how plain this side of the wall seemed, especially when also remembering the huge bronze statue of All Might that was just on the other side of the wall, where tourists had been ohhing and ahhing over it, taking pictures in front of it with their friends. She always knew her father was important, but seeing the bronze statue of him made him appear as if he were a God. The thought was odd to her, and she didn't know how she felt about that.
Minami jumped slightly when she felt a large hand on her shoulder, that startled her out of her thoughts. Whipping her head around she came face to face with Yagi, a grin on his face.
"Ahhh I see what held you up, ever curious now aren't you?"
Minami grinned back, rubbing the back of her head,
"Yeah! Sorry dad, I heard you call me, but I saw this room and couldn't help to look and see what it was. It's so different from your office just out there…" Minami gestured to her left, where they could still hear the dull roar of sound just on the other side.
Yagi laughed heartily, patting her on the back as he leaned forward to shut off the light in his office and close the door, leading her instead down the narrow hallway and towards the area where Minami could see natural light pouring through.
"Yes, well, no one is allowed to come in here except All Might, so no reason to really decorate it as much as the office that's open to the public," He smiled once more as they turned the corner to what was possibly the most beautiful flat Minami had ever seen, though her appreciation was momentarily distracted.
Realization crossed Minami's face at her father's explanation,
So that's why so many people were staring at me so strangely when I came back here with dad! No one else is allowed to come back here except him? Minami thought to herself shocked.
Gripping onto his large hand before Toshi could walk towards the kitchen area, she grabbed it and squeezed.
"Wait! This isn't going to cause problems for you will it? The public seeing you in your weakened form bring me back here to a space where only All Might is allowed?" Minami sputtered the question, and the flustered look on her face made Yagi chuckle.
"No my dear, it's no problem at all. I should have clarified myself better. You see, only All Might and "Yagi", Toshinori paused a brief moment to use his fingers as quotations when he said his last name,"Are allowed back here. Now them seeing me bring you back here is definitely new, and I'm sure there's plenty of gossip flying around on the other side of this wall at this very moment, but it won't really be seen as anything unusual, since you're Yagi's daughter and All Might's student," He finished his explanation, and Minami let out the breath she had been holding, glad to know her presence wouldn't cause any issues.
Taking a moment now, she allowed herself to soak in the beauty of the private penthouse, and she gasped.
The penthouse was an open concept, with a generously sized living room that opened up to a high end kitchen. No kitchen table was seen, instead a breakfast bar with plush looking stools were available to be sat on. Looking closer at the furniture that detailed the room, she could see they were all very high end.
Walking around a bit, she gasped at what had to be a 100 inch flat screen TV that was mounted on the wall in the living area, as well as the obviously original paintings that decorated the mahogany walls.
"This place is amazing!" Minami's voice echoed into the high peaked ceilings, and Toshi laughed at her amazement.
"But, I thought you didn't like fancy things Papa?" Minami questioned Yagi, generally curious as to why this residence was so fancy while their apartment was so homely in comparison.
Walking into the kitchen area, Yagi pulled on the handle of the fancy fridge and reached inside to grab a piece of fruit. Rolling an orange to Minami down the granite countertop, he intended her to have it as a snack. Minami jumped up onto one of the stools and snatched the fruit, eagerly awaiting her father's explanation.
"I see nothing gets past you, does it," he winked at her as he smiled before continuing, as he walked towards the other side of the living space where instead of mahogany walls there were several very large windows that went from floor to ceiling, showing off the impressive view of the city of Tokyo. Toshinori stopped in front of the windows to gaze at the view, facing away from Minami as he held his hands behind his back.
"I don't really crave fancy things, but I can appreciate them. The majority of the furniture and decorum were donations made to me by some people I saved, mostly in this case business owners of furniture and appliance stores, as well as an art gallery, and well, I didn't have the heart to send the items back."
Minami laughed at his sheepish look as he peered back to look at her. Then another question came to her.
"How come we don't live here instead of at our apartment in Musutafu?
Yagi's shoulders rolled with his next response.
"Well my girl, for much of my career I lived here, but once I knew I had to find an heir for OFA, and Principal Nedzu offered me a teaching position at UA, I decided to move closer to UA so I could seriously consider it," Toshi responded carefully, tactfully leaving out a few details, mainly about how Nedzu had actually offered him his choice of UA students as his successor, and it was never really his intention to make Izuku his heir.
"Then I met Izuku, and decided that he would be the next user of OFA. And when you came along, it only solidified my choice of staying at the apartment more permanently so the public wouldn't find out about our familial ties, as well as the general lack of privacy here. I wanted you to have as normal of a life as possible,"
Rolling the orange around on the countertop instead of eating it, she nodded at his response, it making perfect sense. She looked around and felt like despite the beautiful interior, the penthouse felt cold and vast, and frankly just didn't feel like home. Before she knew it, another question rolled off her tongue.
"Weren't you lonely here?"
All might's smile faltered then, and Minami could see his eyes shift as he thought about what he should say. A pang of guilt hit Minami then at his hesitance.
I hope I didn't make him mad…
Toshinori sighed before turning back towards the windows once more, staring out at the sky scrapers.
"Of course little one, it was at times very lonely..." Yagi responded quietly and a bit more somberly, "But, as the Symbol of Peace, there was no time for personal relationships, or close friends. No time to make memories, my only focus was saving as many people as I could and on making the world a better place."
Minami was silent momentarily as she thought how terrible and exhausting an existence like that must have been before she and Izuku came along, realizing that being All Might was not as glamorous as it appeared to the public.
No friends? No life outside of work? He must have had some friends… Minami pondered, and then a thought came to her.
"What about Sir Nighteye? Wasn't he your friend?"
Toshi stiffened at that and turned, "Who told you about him?" He asked a bit more aggressively than he meant to.
Shrinking back a bit at his abrupt tone, Minami felt bashful, as if she knew something she wasn't supposed to,
"Izu told me about him, that he used to be your sidekick…I'm sorry was I not supposed to know?"
Of course, leave it to young Midoriya to educate my daughter of all the details of my career, Yagi sighed to himself, before softening his tone with his next response,
"Of course it's fine you know of him sweetheart. Many, many people know of him. We used to be very good friends, until my fight occurred which gave me my injury," He gripped his side as he spoke and turned back around to walk towards Minami. A smile graced his thin face as he changed topics before Minami could ask any more questions.
"Come, I want to show you something," Before Minami could blink, Yagi had shifted into All Might and bounded towards her, snatching her up and leaping to the side and up towards a steel door on the ceiling which had opened at some point. Minami squealed at the unexpected movement, dropping the orange onto the floor as she was slung over her father's shoulder.
As fast as it had began, it was over, and she found herself being set down gently on her feet, feeling a breeze blow through her loose hair. Cautiously opening one eye, than the other, she looked out in awe at the view, seeing many miles into the distance of Tokyo until she could see no farther. Minami realized that she was on the roof of Might Tower then, and felt a bit of fear at being up so high in the air. Looking up at All Might, he smiled down at her, the sun shining through his golden hair, love evident in his face as he began to speak.
"One day, this will all be yours and Izuku's to take care of, my girl," he patted her head affectionately.
Minami looked at him shocked, "But, Izuku is supposed to be the future Symbol of Peace, not me…Why…Why would I help take over this agency?"
All Might regarded her a bit confused that she would think that she wasn't entitled to his agency. Tightening his grip on her shoulder he spoke,
"Of course this would be yours to share with young Midoriya. You have just as much of a right to it even if you don't have OFA my girl," patting her upper back he continued, "You will be a wonderful hero in your own right and I know the both of you will do great things together." Minami blinked away the tears, feeling honored that she would be endowed such a prize; her father's entire life's work.
Nodding fiercely, Minami felt her throat tighten with emotion, "I promise I'll do my best Papa! I know this agency means more to you than anything, I'll take good care of it when the time comes."
All Might turned to look at her, his face a bit more serious looking than what she anticipated. Kneeling before her, he pulled her into a hug before Minami could even register it until she felt his hulking arms around her frame.
"Please make no mistake little Minami, you and Izuku mean more to me than anything,"
Minami smiled and returned the hug fiercely.
*the following day*
"Minami my girl, I'm back!" All Might announced as he dropped through the ceiling door into the penthouse interior, his heavy frame shaking the furniture slightly around him as he landed on his feet, back from making a brief public appearance at a children's hospital.
However, he was met with silence, with the exception of the TV in the background. Walking forward, he could see her school books and note books still spread out on the coffee table in front of the huge television.
"Minami? Little one, where are you?" All Might felt a tremor of fear shoot through him, fearing the worst as his paternal instincts reared.
Then he faintly heard her voice telling him she was in the work out area, and he felt a bit of his fear subside.
She's in the home gym, but why? All Might's brows furrowed as he stalked straight to the back where his personal gym was, keeping his hero form for fear of encountering something that would need to be taken care of in a more physical fashion.
Opening the door, he saw Minami sitting on the floor icing her knee. He noticed she was back in her hero costume, and there was a light sheen of sweat on her as if she had just been working out. She grinned up at him with a dazzling smile, seemingly happy.
"Minami my girl! What on Earth…What were you doing back here?" All Might kneeled down, trying to get a better look at her knee, when a voice appeared behind him that made All Might jump up and screech in surprise at the recognition of it.
"Gran Torino! My word, how did you get back here?!" All Might coughed harshly and with a poof a steam he turned into Yagi, his bright uniform hanging off his much thinner frame.
Gran Torino rolled his eyes at Yagi's jitteriness, "Boy, what makes you think I don't know about your little hide-a-way here. I stopped by your apartment and saw you and the little sprout weren't there, and figured out pretty quickly that you both must have been here, so I was able to decode your little trap door there to let myself in and give this one here some proper hero training," using his thumb, he referenced Minami sitting there with the ice bag on her knee.
Yagi's brows furrowed at his response,
"Disregarding the issue of you breaking and entering my home, what exactly do you mean proper hero training? She's already being taken care of by UA's finest as well as myself. Look at her! You call beating her to a pulp training?!" Toshinori retorted as he crouched down and got a better look at Minami once more, noting her tired state and multiple scratches and bruises. He fretted over her like a mother hen; Minami endured the extra attention.
Gran Torino scoffed at Toshi's behavior. "Boy this is what I'm talking about! You think you and those other heroes going soft on her is going to do her a favor? You think villains will go easy on her and treat her like a baby? She'll be a pro in 3 years time. It's time to wean her and for her to be treated like a young adult, and that means getting roughed up a bit, doesn't it kid?" Gran Torino punched her lightly in the shoulder, and Minami grinned at him, eager to impress him, even if the punch hurt slightly.
"Yes sir!" Minami responded upbeat as she rubbed her shoulder.
Yagi frowned at Gran Torino,
"Well, she is my baby! And it's my duty to protect her as well as prepare her for the real world of heroing," Yagi reassured himself more than Minami really by stroking the top of her head before leaning down to plant a kiss to her forehead.
Minami could feel a heat flush to her cheeks, embarrassment flooding her that another person was witnessing her father's affection for her. Gran Torino rolled his eyes once more and crossed his arms.
"Dadddddd…I'm 15, I'm not a baby!" Minami whined at him under his large hand, in which case he only ruffled her hair harder, chuckling at her whine.
"See!" Torino pointed at her as if to emphasize his point, "Listen to the little sprout, she's no baby anymore. You need to toughen her up boy! Those criminals will take one look at her doll like features and tear her apart if we don't do something to make her stronger!"
"What's this "we" thing you're talking about here? I never recruited your help in training her," Yagi snapped, his eyes narrowing.
"Hey!" Minami scrunched up her face at being called wimpy by Gran Torino, eager to get her two cents in between the two adults.
"Shut up kid, I'm trying to help you." Gran Torino slapped Minami lightly behind her head before placing his hands on his waist in an authoritative manner,
"Owww" Minami quietly whined as she rubbed her head,
Yagi balked at Gran Torino's action. Sweating, he instinctively rubbed the back of his head, remembering many times when Gran Torino had done that to him until he grew too tall. He thanked his lucky stars that Gran Torino had no chance of reaching the back of his head now.
Gran Torino sighed and shook his head as he stretched his arms over his head and cracked his back.
"I'm getting too old for this shit, But I had to step in to get things rolling in the right direction," he reopened his eyes after his large stretch, eying the father and daughter duo in front of him, marveling to himself privately at their similarities.
"I've been working her hard here for the past several hours, so that's enough for today at least, but remember boy, our love for her won't do her any favors in the real world,"
"What? Several hours?!" Yagi responded and looked at Minami for confirmation if this was true.
So while I was gone running errands as Yagi and for the brief stint at the hospital? I shouldn't have left her alone for so long, Toshi thought to himself guiltily.
Gran Torino turned back and looked at Minami, ignoring Toshinori's response.
"You remember what I told you girl, about what we practiced. You keep up the good work and I'll be back to check on you in a few months time, you hear?" giving her a stern look, he softened slightly into a look of approval at Minami's absolute commitment in her response,
"Yes sir I promise!" she bowed as she stood slowly, wincing at her soreness. Yagi nearly stumbled over himself to grab her bicep, helping her to a standing position.
"Good, now, I'll be back!," using his quirk, his super speed propelled him out the opening in the penthouse ceiling, and as quickly as Gran Torino arrived, he was gone.
Releasing a sigh of relief, Yagi turned his attention to Minami who looked up at him with large doe eyes,
"I'm sorry Papa, I'm not in trouble am I?"
Chuckling softly, Yagi ruffled her hair once more,
"Of course you're not sweetheart. I just worry at how hard Gran Torino can be on those he trains, from personal experience you see,"
"I promise I'm ok dad! Just a little sore and tired," Minami grinned up at her father, determined to show him she was ok,
I don't want him to worry, I just want to be the best hero I can be… Minami thought to herself, but her thoughts were cut off.
"Well, I have a surprise for you this evening," Yagi grinned as Minami's face lit up like the sun at his news.
"What?! A surprise?! Tell me! tell me!" Minami bounced like a little kangaroo around Toshi as she gripped his arm eager for her surprise, disregarding her soreness.
"Patience my girl! Patience!" Yagi grinned at his teasing her with anticipation, and instead shooed her off towards the direction of the bathroom.
"Go take a bath and get yourself cleaned up for the evening. I'll wash your uniform. You'll see soon enough where we're going tonight!" Yagi grinned as Minami eagerly scampered off.
*later that evening*
Minami and All Might landed in front of a graceful looking okiya in the hanamachi of Shimbashi, Tokyo. Looking around her, she saw all the buildings appeared older, as if she had traveled back in time to another era.
Resting for the remainder of the day, her father had reassured her he could definitely keep his hero form for at least an hour, and could likely push it to an hour and 15 minutes if necessary, which he confirmed would be enough time for her surprise. Reassured by him, she decided to leave him to it regarding worrying about his time limit.
A flash of bright kimono silk caught her eye, and Minami saw a pair of ethereal women dressed in flowing kimonos with hair ornaments and wooden shoes, walking away into the darkness of one of the alleys, off to work for the evening at another okiya. Minami realized then where they were going and she instantly felt excited.
"Are we going to see Geisha?!" Minami bounced in glee at the thought, feeling like the world of geisha was almost make-believe.
All Might laughed at her enthusiasm, placing his fists on his hips.
"That's right my girl!" Minami smiled back as she ran her fingers through her long blonde hair, then using her hands to smooth her hero suit over her hips.
I can't believe I'll be meeting a geisha tonight?! I only put on some mascara and a bit of lipgloss, that along with my hero suit, is it fancy enough to meet a geisha?
Seeming to read Minami's mind, All Might smiled down at her and patted her head,
"You look beautiful my girl, no need to fret over your presentation. Just relax and enjoy yourself."
Minami thought of the vintage movie Memoirs of a Geisha, and remembered their great beauty, but struggled to remember what exactly Geisha were. They always looked like mythical beings to her, but now that she was actually going to meet one it was necessary to know what they actually did.
"…What exactly are Geisha Papa?" Minami asked timidly, afraid of looking stupid for not understanding something that was a part of her culture.
"Well my dear, Geisha are very talented women who can sing and dance and are educated in all sorts of topics of discussion. They are very good at entertaining their guests. They are not courtesans or wives, like much of the West mistakes them to be,"
"Courtesans?" Minami looked up at All Might in confusion as her brows furrowed, not understanding the term entirely.
"Prostitutes my girl… they are not prostitutes like those outside of Japanese culture may mistakenly believe…" All Might spoke quietly to ensure no one could overhear them as they approached the okiya.
"Oh!" Minami's face lit up in understanding of what the word courtesan meant, flushing a bit.
All Might began his mini lesson,
"Geisha are actually a lovely Japanese tradition, and in fact it is very difficult to meet many Geisha due to the tradition of Ichigen-san Okotowari, where an established client must introduce a new client in order for that new client to be entertained by a geisha or apprentice geisha."
Minami's eyebrows raised in surprise at that information,
"Really?"
"Really," All Might smiled down at her before continuing,
"In fact, that established client puts their reputation on the line to allow that new client to meet the geisha, so make sure to behave yourself tonight my girl," All Might wagged his finger playfully at Minami, knowing full well she wouldn't behave poorly. Minami giggled at her father's antics.
"Tonight, we'll be meeting Harusuke and her two associates. She is a very famous geisha from Kyoto, she branched off on her own several years ago to take over the hanamachi in Tokyo,"
"Harusuke," The name flowed like water from Minami's mouth as she pronounced it to herself, it sounded so graceful and sweet. She wondered if the Geisha would be as elegant as her name.
Walking inside the okiya, they were greeted by an older woman in a plain kimono. She bowed lowly to them, thanking them for their presence and took their shoes. Minami looked down at her red painted toes from her pedicure she received that morning before slipping on the slippers that were handed to her.
Following her father inside the dimly lit okiya, she walked into the tea room and saw three ethereal women standing there, smiling shyly. Minami gasped at their beauty, their painted white faces with red lips nearly glowed in the evening light, their only light source being candles throughout the room. Their hair ornaments flickered in the candle light, and their beautifully printed robes flowed from them like water.
The woman dead center seemed much more confident, and stepped forward, bowing lowly, her two counterparts following her lead. Minami assumed this must be Harusuke.
"All Might-San, it is such a pleasure to see you again," her voice was smooth and Minami stood in the doorway just staring at the three women, still entranced, until she felt like she had been hit by a truck from behind, flying forward to land on her belly.
"Omph!"
Minami felt embarrassment and shock shoot through her as she lay on the floor. She heard the geisha gasp as her father quickly lifted her back to a standing position, brushing her off. Turning, she saw a giant of a man who was nearly as big as her father, and had piercing blue eyes that seemed somewhat familiar. His face and torso almost looked to be on fire from what was clearly his quirk.
A pit formed in Minami's belly at his intimidating presence as he stared down at her unsmiling, and in fact looked quite irritated. Feeling frightened, she stood slightly behind All Might, not knowing what to expect.
Who the fuck is this? Minami thought to herself, nearing wetting herself at the terrifying man standing in front of her, Is he a villain? If so, why isn't dad more worried?!
Her questions were answered then,
"Ah, Endeavor, what a surprise it is to see you! I wasn't expecting you, it has been a while." All Might greeted enthusiastically. Minami could hear the brief surprise in his voice, but he covered it so well that she doubted anyone else could sense it.
The man grimaced, "Save it All Might, just because we're heroes doesn't mean we need to be best friends. Seems we must share the attention of Harusuke as there was a scheduling issue."
Minami made a choking noise,
This guy is a hero?! And we have to spend the evening with him?! Maybe Dad will decline and we wont have to?
All Might's smile grew, if that were possible.
"Well of course! We don't mind, now do we Young Yagi?"
Shit…. Minami thought to herself, disappointed at her father accepting the other hero, but quickly refocused herself to answer All Might.
Minami only nodded her head, not wanting to disagree with her father.
Endeavor's cold blue eyes shifted back to regard Minami,
"You shouldn't have been in the way girl, you need to learn to make room for heroes when they enter a room,"
Minami stared at him her mouth agape, shocked at his rudeness, anger boiling just beneath the surface.
"How about we all have a seat?" All Might quickly responded before anything else could be said, and placed his hand on Minami's shoulder, guiding her across the room to one side of the table that had been prepared for them.
Sitting down on the tatami floor pillow with Minami, All Might spoke once Endeavor had seated himself across the small tea table.
"Young Yagi here is a student of class 1-A at UA, and is in fact friends with your son, Young Todoroki."
Minami saw Endeavor's harsh eyes shift over to her, his eyes burning into her then as he scrutinized her.
Minami felt like all the air had been sucked out of her lungs at her father's statement; she attempted to act natural as a lovely maiko took a seat next to her, smiling sweetly at Minami as she poured her a cup of tea.
This crazy guy is Shoto's dad?! Minami quickly sipped the tea given to her, lest something stupid come out of her mouth.
"Oh really? She doesn't look like much. I don't want any of your students distracting my son from his destiny to be the greatest hero, so take note All Might," Endeavor spoke scorchingly of her,
All Might cleared his voice, patting Minami's shoulders,
"I assure you Endeavor, she's an excellent student and hero! Why, I wouldn't be surprised if both your son and she were protecting the city in the same ranks one day!" All Might put on a happy face once more, and Endeavor snorted at that as he greedily drank sake from the cup that was placed before him.
All Might turned his attention back to Minami, smiling kindly at her,
"Next to you Minami is Yoha-san, a maiko who is still a student herself,"
Minami turned to regard the maiko on her left once more who bowed to her formally at her introduction by All Might. Noting the physical difference between her and the other two geisha who were seated by Endeavor and All Might, Minami was surprised to see how bright Yoha's kimono and hair combs were in comparison to the two geisha that accompanied her.
The beautiful Harusuke seated herself next to All Might, pouring him some sake. She turned to speak to Minami from the right of All Might.
"Yes, Yoha is the best maiko in her class. Who knows, maybe you both will become the next legends in your retrospective fields of study and will enjoy each other's company for years to come," She smiled at Minami.
Minami bowed and smiled, appreciating the beautiful woman's attention and approval,
"Yes, I would be so honored if that were the case," Minami responded politely.
However, the serene moment was quickly interrupted,
Endeavor pulled back the entire cup of sake like a shot and slammed the fragile glass back onto the top of the table, nearly shattering the poor thing. Minami jumped slightly at the aggressive action as the table shook, and could feel All Might patting the top of her leg that was under the table, silently reassuring her that everything was ok.
"Playing favorites All Might? Why haven't you invited your other "wonderful" students of class 1-A on such a nice outing like this," Endeavor's sarcasm and accusatory tone were blunt.
Though, All Might deflected the rude question masterfully and laughed charismatically,
"Young Yagi here is the daughter of my assistant, he had to work late and he asked if I could take his daughter out for the evening so she didn't have to be cooped up inside."
Endeavor quieted himself as he stared at All Might and Minami, the gears in his clever brain turning as he digested the information he was told. Minami tried to not make eye contact with the hostile man, worried it would antagonize him, and instead focused for the time being on sipping her tea.
"So, decided not to go out saving lives tonight and settled for being a babysitter? Finally getting tired of being so revered?" Endeavor tried to antagonize All Might once more,
Minami balked slightly at his rude question, and cautiously side-glanced to her father, waiting for his response.
But to her surprise again, All Might seemed completely unbothered and only laughed good naturedly, "Your sense of humor never fails to amuse me Endeavor-san. I am only taking a small break this evening, it is good to try to have balance in your life, isn't it?" All Might smiled politely as he carefully sipped a tiny bit of sake as a courtesy to the beautiful geisha on his right.
Endeavor ground his teeth a bit and crossed his arms, seemingly irritated that he wasn't able to get under the number one hero's skin. The second geisha next to him seemed a bit flustered then, and quickly poured him more sake, trying to placate him with the alcohol, struggling to maintain her perfect composure due to her intimidation of the aggressive man.
How did Shoto come from someone like him? Minami wondered to herself as she watched the nasty man across from her sneer and grimace, not a hint of any kindness or sincerity to be found within him.
"Please, All Might, allow me to pour you some more sake," Harusuke spoke calmly, seemingly unaffected by the thick tension of the room. She turned her attention to Minami then,
"Would you like to try some dear?"
Minami felt surprise seize her, she hadn't thought it was even an option for her to drink sake.
"Oh no, she's not of age yet," All Might answered quickly before Minami could respond. Minami pouted a bit at being denied something she was genuinely curious about.
However, Harusuke pushed,
"But what a good cultural experience it would be for such a young girl to try a sip of sake with a geisha, and how many could say they had done that at her age, All Might-san?"
Feeling the peer pressure now, All Might looked a bit uncomfortable, but eventually relented as he sighed and waved his hand, signaling his uncertain approval "Just one sip, and no more,"
Minami grumbled at being allowed only one sip as Harusuke poured her a small glass.
Why can't I have more? Yeah it's alcohol, but what's the big deal? Well, if I'm only getting one sip, it's going to be a big one, Minami groused to herself,
Taking the cup, she bowed her thanks to the geisha before gulping deeply. Her eyes shot open at the burn of the sake as she swallowed it,
Oh, that's why, Minami belated realized as the intense burn settled in her throat and exploded into her nasal cavities, settling just behind her eyes.
The adults, save Endeavor, chuckled around her as she coughed harshly at the after burn and taste, her eyes watering.
"You want anymore my dear?" Harusuke smiled coyly at her, pushing forth the sake bottle a bit more,
"No! No thank you," Minami sputtered and coughed, leaning away from the bottle, and the adults laughed once more, except Endeavor, who seemed to sneer at her rejection of the alcohol. All Might patted her heartily on her back to help clear her airway.
Endeavor crossed his arms, "What kind of hero can't handle their liquor?"
All Might looked at Endeavor a bit incredulously, "She may be a hero, but she's still an apprentice of her trade, and a child at that Endeavor. Don't you remember your first time you tried liquor?" All Might laid his hand on Minami's shoulder, politely defending her,
Endeavor crossed his arms and snorted,
"I never had issues with handling my liquor,"
All Might decided to drop the topic then, not wanting to encourage Endeavor's bad temper.
"So girl, what's your quirk?" Minami jumped when she realized Endeavor was talking to her, seeming to have loosened up ever so slightly from his multiple glasses of sake.
"My quirk is called life force, I can manipulate my own energy," she answered quietly, but forcing herself to look him in the eye as she spoke.
The large fire hero grumbled at that, "What a waste of a quirk on such a small girl, I imagine you can't manipulate much,"
"On the contrary Endeavor, I have seen her-" All Might was interrupted by Minami responding to Endeavor's question instead, this time much more forcefully,
"You must not have a very clear understanding of how quirks can work then, Endeavor-san, if you're judging the strength of mine by just how I appear. Haven't you ever heard of the phrase, "big things come in small packages?". But perhaps, this is strictly an American saying," Minami deadpanned the man across the table from her, surprising herself internally at where her courage had come from, but all she could feel at that moment was anger, feeling tired of having to deal with the man's terrible attitude on what was supposed to be a nice evening with her father.
Who the hell does he think he is? First he disrespects dad, then he's trying to take a bite out of me? Minami seethed, feeling a bit of satisfaction at the look of disbelief that came across Endeavor's face at her reaction, clearly not expecting it.
"Young Yagi!" All Might scolded her, "Apologize to Endeavor for your response," All Might gently laid his hand on the back of Minami's neck and upper back, already pushing her slightly in a bowing position, making it known without speaking that it was not an option to apologize. Minami immediately felt guilty, not wanting to hurt her father's reputation in front of the geisha, and relented to her father pushing her forward, her forehead nearly touching the table at her deep bow.
"My apologies Endeavor-san, it seems my temper got the best of me," Minami muttered, still feeling miffed.
She could hear the ornery man snort, and felt the slightly pressure leave the back of her neck. Taking that as her cue to sit straight, she eyed the man once more, and for the first time that night she saw a smile appear on Endeavor's face, though it was callous in its nature.
"I doubt that you're truly sorry, but as to really understanding your quirk, we will see about that girl, now won't we?" He smirked self righteously as he took another deep pull of sake.
Minami sipped her tea as she regarded him, saying nothing else to him, and felt a shiver go down her spine at the way his eyes burned into her.
Alright! That was Chapter 25! it was a biggie! so I hope y'all enjoyed it! Please leave some wonderful reviews just for me! It makes me so happy to hear how you're all enjoying the story! Next up, the UA Sports Festival! PLUS ULTRA!
