The edgier parts of town somehow fit Jirou's clothing style.

No one really brought it up, but Jirou's clothes are significantly different than her friends'. For whatever reason she feels like she stands out more now that she's here.

At the spot the graffitist was last active. Thanks, Internet.

And what a sight it is.

An entire factory has been coated in shades of rose and lilac. Cobalt and jade. A wonderful painting of cherry blossoms in the springtime. One look upon it and Jirou is mesmerized, it's not everyday you see something like this. It's actually bizarre.

She takes a picture for memory and saves it to favorites.

Compared to her first encounter, the art skill level practically went from kindergarten to college graduate. It baffles her so much Jirou wonders if what she scrubbed off earlier was actually created by a kid. Maybe they really did lose control of their quirk.

She neither questions herself or the graffiti, sending a quick image to her friends to show them what she's found. A couple immediate replies consist of questions on where she is.

Jirou merely ignores them and turns her eyes back to the structure. There's shading and everything. Thinly drawn lines. It almost looks realistic. Definitely not a power-plant in disguise.

She meekly considers taking a full trip around it. Can you even call this graffiti?

Then.

But then—

…?

—something catches her eye.

It nearly frightens her, considering she is in a more isolated part of the city. No one usually comes around here, maybe to mess around, or smoke or drink illegally, maybe even to look at porn mags, but that's about it.

Then.

And then.

A voice calls out to her—

"Howdy."

The voice had also come from the thing she spotted. There, standing parallel on the wall, like some specialized suction-cup shoes were connected to the feet, was a girl disobeying the natural laws of gravity.

"Ya seem too invested in mah work, ain'tcha? Ya ain't gonna snitch?"

What accent is that?

"A body like ya don't seem too friendly with other folk."

"Um…" is all Jirou can mutter out. She can't believe her eyes for the most part, yet another part of her is saying, 'what the hell?'

Mountain climbing be damned.

Get this girl to find out what's at the top.

Jirou zeroes in on the black and yellow striped mask and blonde ponytail of the girl. Her pants are sullied, covered in paint of different values.

"Girlie, I reckon ya don't be too sham…" she trails off, zoning in on Jirou, as if inspecting her. "Too… ya… ain'tcha that broad who went and disheveled all mah hard work some day or other?"

Shudders wriggle their way up Jirou's spine. Oh, she'd been spotted destroying someone's art… she'd vandalized prop—wait a minute! It's this girl who's going around vandalizing! Jirou nearly turned herself in!

"Yes, I'm the one who… cleaned your art off. It's illegal to do that, you know. Some of our agencies have been looking for you…"

" 'Our'? Oh, mighty fine, ain't that?"'she says with a poised look. "So there be a whole damn witch hunt after me? I dunno, girlie, that's kinda rude to say out the blue, ya know. After ya took some pics? Shameful."

What.

"I don't have the slightest clue what you're talking about…"

"Agh," the girl grunts. Brows pinched, she starts naturally walking down the factory wall, leaving no marks on the paint whatsoever. She jumps down to the ground level with Jirou. Then she outright snatches Jirou's phone out of her hand.

"H-hey, give that back!"

"Aw, shut it, ya broad. Get a load'a this." Jirou's phone is directed back at her. The screen displays the picture Jirou had taken moments earlier, the phone being tossed back to her.

"That's the picture I took…"

"Uh-huh," she frowns behind her mask, yet until she yanks it down, revealing a row of sharp, shiny teeth, reminiscent of Kirishima. "And just what do ya plan to do 'wittit? 'Is mah work, to begin with."

Oh. So that's what this is about. Is she thick? She must really consider herself a professional street artist to say something like that to the face of a future Hero. Annoyed, Jirou steps back and tucks her phone away.

"Listen, I don't know what you're thinking, but this isn't… art. This is graffiti. Did you at least get permission to make this?"

"Of course ah didn't! No way in hell am ah gonna pay some meathead some of mah precious moola to make some paintin'! Ain't that against the law?"

"No. You're against the law. You shouldn't be painting—"

"Second, girlie… I'm gettin' mighty tired of ya not sayin' it right. This here ain't paint. It's glue. From mah Quirk."

Another thing Jirou can add to the list of things she doesn't care about.

"Okay, cool, but don't change the subject. It's beautiful, but this can't be here. I'm… going to have to ask you to take it down. Clean it all off."

This sort of feeling is new to her. Telling a criminal to fix their mistake makes her feel sort of authoritative, and it sends her confidence through the roof. Jirou decides she likes this feeling.

Although the criminal doesn't hide her dissatisfaction. She gets up in Jirou's face, sneering, "And what if ah don't? Whatcha gonna do 'bout it, huh?"

Jirou deadpans, "I'm part of UA's Hero course. You either clean this all off and retire from your shenanigans, or I go back and say I've caught a perfect view of your face. The authorities would be after you in no time."

Oh, yes, sweet confidence.

The girl is visibly shaken and scowls into Jirou's face. She peers among herself for a moment before lifting her hand, revealing a row of neatly painted nails. Each finger has a separate color of the rainbow.

"That, or…"

A creepy grin slides across the girl's face before a torrent of red and yellow glue shoots from her fingernails, pasting Jirou against a wall. Grunting, Jirou struggles, yet to her surprise, the glue sticks her to the structure like a sticker.

"Shucks, girlie… if ya had said that earlier, ah woulda gone an' escaped. Can't necessarily let ya go, now…"

"Get this off me!" Jirou shouts. "Ew!"

Sharp, malicious teeth shine at the rocking-girl. Yet her assaulter stares, pondering something. Jirou continues to struggle, the glue feeling absolutely repulsive on her skin. Is this how she was able to stand on the wall?

"An' to think ah woulda been gettin' some recognition. Damn it, girlie, look what ya made me do. Ah didn't even wanna do that."

"A Hero will come by sooner or later!"

"Tch… ya be right. Damn it…" she sighs, groaning as she lifts her mask back over her mouth. "Tell ya what… what's ya name?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"Work with me, ah'm trynna help ya here."

…

A villain who has regrets, huh?

"What are you going to do if I tell you?" Jirou glares.

But she shrugs, "Dunno. Thought we could have a moment, but you don't look it. That's fine, ya don't gotta tell me. Here's the deal," she clears her throat, "ah'm just fresh outta high school, and seein' some young broad destroy mah work be givin' me itches at night."

What.

"But trappin' ya like this ain't sittin' right with me, either. So here's what ah'm gonna do. Ah'm gonna release ya, and clean this off, in exchange that ya don't point fingers to the Heroes. Ah'm just trynna pursue mah dream."

"By being a criminal?"

"To some extent. Failed all mah college applications, so what else am ah gonna do? Ah know it ain't right, but it makes me happy. Ya wouldn't go and ruin someone's happiness, would ya?"

"If your happiness doesn't make others happy, then yes, gladly."

The girl growls. "Ya a stubborn one… my offer stands, though. Shake on it?"

…

The Work Study graffiti incident made Jirou beyond upset, and seeing the one responsible right now is really making her blood boil. This glue isn't helping.

"If I agree, will you stop vandalizing property?"

But she shrugs, "Who knows. Ah just go with the flow."

What a bitch…

Jirou narrows her eyes. "Tell me your name, then I'll agree."

…

…

In one fluid motion, the girl swivels her wrist, causing all the glue pasted on Jirou to spread like a river and up onto the wall behind her. It forms a lovely sunset. Bewildered, Jirou steps back, yet sees her clothes have not been cleaned of glue.

She opens her mouth to confront this girl again, yet until she sees the graffitist had somehow escaped up onto the factory roof.

"Mah name's Rakugaki."

Rakugaki turns, and disappears.