It's a chilly December evening as snow gently blankets the city. I'm walking with Keigo and the agency gang after closing out the office early. The streets are bustling with festive activity.
"Any plans for Christmas Eve tonight?" Hiroshi asks the group.
"I've got a date with my girlfriend," Minoru replies.
"Oh, what ya got goin on?" Yamato asks.
"I'm meeting her for dinner tonight. I'm gonna pop the question…" Minoru shyly rubs his neck.
"Whoa! About damn time!" Yamato exclaims. "How long have you been together now?"
"About a few years. We met when we were 20 at our favorite bar. That's where I'm taking her after dinner." Minoru glances at his watch. "Speaking of which, I gotta head to her now."
"Good luck!" Yamato firmly pats Minoru on the back.
"You got this!" Hiroshi encourages.
"Let us know how it goes," Keigo says. "I'll gift an amount toward the honeymoon on behalf of the agency."
"Aw you don't have to do that," Minoru says. "And that's if she says yes…"
"When you're part of Hawks' Agency, you're like family, remember?" Keigo insists. "And there's no doubt she'll say yes!"
"Thanks, Hawks," Minoru gives Keigo an appreciative smile.
"No problem!" Keigo gives him a thumbs up.
"Alright! See ya guys!" Minoru waves as he heads off down another street.
We all wave at Minoru as he heads off while we continue walking. I stay some feet behind the group as I admire the festive decorations throughout the buildings.
"What about you two?" Keigo asks Yamato and Hiroshi. "Any plans for tonight?"
"Figured we'd go out to the bar for some drinks," Yamato suggests. "You wanna join?"
Keigo glances back at me, but I'm staring into a store window where a large Christmas tree is on display as my eyes sparkle up at it.
"Nah, it's a night for couples," Hiroshi says. "Let Hawks and Nova have some time alone."
"What are you talkin about?" Keigo fakes a smile.
"Come on, the whole city sees you two as an item," Yamato teases.
"You're inseparable," Hiroshi adds.
"Is that really what people think?" Keigo asks.
"At least for sure here in Fukuoka," Hiroshi replies.
"Hm…" Keigo glances down in thought.
"Come on, let's go hit up a bar," Yamato tells Hiroshi as he elbows his arm. "Let's leave these two alone for the night," he winks at Keigo.
Keigo suddenly shutters as his body tenses up, his wings narrow behind him. The group stops at a corner, and Hiroshi and Yamato head off down another street as I stop next to Keigo.
"Have fun, you two!" Yamato waves with a grin.
"Don't get too carried away!" Hiroshi also grins.
Keigo has a sweat drop at their teasing.
"Bye!" I give them an oblivious smile and wave.
I turn to Keigo and see a slight blush at his cheeks.
"Hm?" I tilt my head up at him. "You okay?"
"Yeah, just a bit cold…" Keigo glances away.
I move forward and reach for Keigo's gray scarf, adjusting it around his neck to ensure he's warm.
"Better?" I look up at him.
"Yeah…" Keigo gives me a soft smile. "Your nose is pink."
"Hm?" I raise my brows.
Keigo adjusts my maroon scarf too and raises the hood of my gray jacket over my head. He raises the scarf to reach just over my nose.
"All bundled up?" Keigo asks.
I give him a happy nod.
"Good," Keigo smiles. "You hungry?"
"Mm hm," I nod.
"Let's head to Yoritomi's."
I nod and we begin to head down the street. As we're walking side by side, I notice a man and woman sitting inside a restaurant through the front window. They're gazing at each other happily as they dine away at their dinner.
"It's Hawks and Nova!" a young man exclaims. "I wonder if they'll give me an autograph."
"Leave them alone," a young woman pulls the man away. "They're out together for the night."
"Have a good night, you two!" the young man says as the woman drags him away.
I stop and give them a blank stare as I wave back, unsure why the man is being dragged away.
"Come on," Keigo takes a gentle hold of my hand.
I turn back to Keigo as he leads us away down the street. I'm walking on his left as he holds my right hand. Young ladies nearby gasp at seeing us, smiles across their faces as they chatter amongst themselves.
"Hawks and Nova!" someone whispers.
"They must be on a date!" a lady whispers.
"They look so cute!" another voice says.
"Should I take a picture?"
"No, that's rude!"
I glance around the people as they watch us. Keigo strides as he holds my hand, hiding his face behind his scarf. Feeling odd at everyone staring at us, I walk closer to Keigo, clinging to his left arm.
"Why are people staring at us?" I whisper to Keigo as I hide behind my scarf.
"They're just curious…" Keigo replies. "Don't worry. The Umai building is just around the corner."
We turn the street corner and approach the entrance of the Umai building. Keigo leads us inside and the front door staff eagerly greet us.
"Hawks! Nova!" a doorman greets us. "Welcome!"
"We'll be heading up to Yoritomi's," Keigo replies.
"Right this way!" the doorman gestures with his arm.
We follow the doorman to a private set of elevators. He pushes the button to go up and the elevator doors open.
"Enjoy your night!" the doorman smiles with a bow.
"Thanks!" Keigo waves.
Keigo leads us inside the elevator and the doors close. He pushes the button for the fifteenth floor.
"Feeling better?" Keigo looks down at me.
I give him a nod.
"We'll have some privacy once we're dining at Yoritomi's," Keigo reassures.
The elevator doors open and Keigo leads us out to the private entrance of the restaurant. The Japanese-style decor has a warm ambience with dim lighting throughout.
"Hawks! Nova!" a waiter greets us. "Welcome back!"
"A private dining room for two, please," Keigo requests.
"Right this way," the waiter gestures for us to follow.
The waiter leads us down the hall of closed off dining rooms. We arrive at a room and the waiter slides the shoji door open, gesturing with his arm to allow us in. Inside the dimly lit room, there's a chabudai table with four cushioned seats that have back rests. There's a large glass window that takes up the whole wall, giving a night view of the snow-blanketed city below.
"Please settle in," the waiter says. "A waitress will take your order shortly."
"Thanks!" Keigo says.
The waiter nods and slides the shoji door closed after leaving. Keigo helps me take my jacket off and places it with our scarves on the nearby shelves. His feathers disperse for a moment so that he can take his black leather jacket off and puts it on the shelf as well. He's wearing a gray short sleeve shirt underneath with a pair of brown jeans.
"It's been a while since we were last here," Keigo says. "Figured tonight would be a good night to come by."
I take a seat on one of the cushions of the chabudai table with Keigo sitting across from me. A waitress knocks and slides the door open.
"Ready to order?" she approaches with a notepad and pen.
"Anything you want in particular?" Keigo asks me.
"I don't mind," I reply.
"We'll have a few trays of yakitori," Keigo tells the waitress. "And a few trays of kushiage."
"Would you like a specific kind?"
"Mostly chicken but a variety of meat is nice. Along with a couple of trays of dango."
"And for drinks?"
"We'll have some tea."
"Alright. Your food and drinks will arrive shortly," the waitress bows.
The waitress leaves, sliding the shoji door after her.
"We'll be turning 19 within the next four days," Keigo says.
"Oh yeah," I put a finger to my chin.
"I know we're usually so busy running the agency and working under the Commission…We don't get to celebrate on the day between our birthdays like we promised… Guess we'll celebrate early tonight."
"I don't mind. Keeping the city safe is enough."
Keigo gives me a small smile.
"So how's it feel being at my agency for a year so far?" Keigo asks.
"It's been a year already?" I'm surprised.
"Time flies when you're havin a good time."
"I guess so…" I look down for a moment in thought. "Well, I'm glad to be making more friends at the agency. My contact list is slowly growing."
"You're receiving texts and calls from not just me now, huh?"
"Mm hm," I nod.
"The agency group chat has some funny conversations. The memes are hilarious."
"Although I don't understand some things, I do enjoy being a part of the chat."
"Tell me…Are there any other guys texting or calling you?" Keigo scratches his ear.
"Hm? Other than you and the guys at the agency…not really," I take my phone out and look at my contact list. "Oh! There are two other guys I sometimes text."
"Really? Who?" Keigo perks up.
"Natsuo and Enji."
"Oh, the Todoroki's," Keigo sighs in relief.
"Although I don't often text Enji… I don't wanna bother him since he's so busy."
"I'm sure he appreciates your texts every now and then. It's pretty cool that you can text the Number 2 hero."
"Ya think so?"
"Yeah! Not everyone has the Flame Hero's number, ya know!"
"Why'd you ask if any other guys text or call me?"
"Huh?" Keigo's brows rise. "Well, uh…I just wanna make sure you're not being bothered…" he rubs the back of his neck.
"Why would they bother me?"
"You've gotten pretty popular throughout Kyushu…and you've got a lot of admirers by now."
"Admirers? Like who?"
"Some city people, even some pro heroes…so I've heard."
"Is it for my hero work?"
"It's not just for your hero work…"
Just then, there's a knock at the door. It slides open and the waitress enters carrying a tray with the tea pot and cups. Two waiters follow with four trays of our food, placing everything on the dining table.
"Please enjoy your dinner," the waitress says as she bows with the waiters.
"Thanks!" Keigo replies.
The waitress and the waiters take their leave, sliding the door closed. The trays of food steam a bit and look delicious.
"Dig in!" Keigo serves us tea.
I take a stick of kushiage while Keigo takes a couple of yakitori in his hand. He practically bites off half of the meat from one stick alone.
"You must be hungry," I giggle.
"What can I say?" Keigo smiles. "I love chicken! I just have no self-control when it comes to the things I want."
After saying that, Keigo gazes up at me for a moment. I simply give him a small smile as I continue to eat.
"Say…" Keigo swallows his food. "How are things going with the Todoroki family?"
"Good, I suppose," I reply. "My weekly visits to the abode remind me of when I was a child…and spending some time with Fuyumi is fun."
"I'm glad you're having some girl time other than just hanging out with guys at the agency."
"It's really fun. Fuyumi takes me shopping. She helped me pick out this outfit," I peer down at my silk silver blouse and white high-waist jeans. "I don't have much of a sense of style, but she's helping me figure it out. Oh! And she also picked out these earrings," I push my hair behind my ears to show the gold dangling earrings.
"That makes me really happy," Keigo smiles. "It's cute to see you so excited like this."
"That's what Fuyumi said! And some random guy at the mall…" I hold my finger up to my chin in thought. "Not sure what he meant by that… Maybe he liked my outfit, too."
"I'm sure," Keigo chuckles.
Keigo stuffs his mouth with more yakitori. I glance at the watch on his right wrist.
"You got a wrist watch," I grab his wrist.
"Oh yeah," Keigo remembers. "It's the newest model for the brand I model for. I just signed a contract with them. I only wear stuff like this when I'm off hero duty."
"It's a nice watch…" I'm in awe of the brown leather strap and the silver case.
"I can get you one if you'd like. They have some models for women, too. I'll get you a matching one of mine."
"Really?"
"Sure."
I give Keigo a small smile. Still holding his wrist, I glance at his arms and shoulders. His arms are more vascular and the outlines of his muscles are visible through his short sleeve gray shirt.
"You've gotten more muscular," I observe.
"Y-Ya think so?" Keigo is surprised with a slight blush.
"Your arms and shoulders are bigger."
"I have been working out more since the start of the agency…" Keigo shyly looks away. "I didn't think you'd notice…" he rubs his neck.
"You're always wearing a jacket, so I just noticed now."
"That's true…"
"I should work out more too," I glance at my right arm with a blank face. "To help save more people," I flex my bicep.
"Nah, you're perfect."
I let go of Keigo's wrist and return to eating, munching on a piece of fried chicken.
"So anything new goin on with Endeavor?" Keigo asks before stuffing a piece of chicken into his mouth.
"From what I hear, his agency continues to thrive," I reply.
"As expected from the number two hero."
"He did save you from your father."
"He saved you, too."
"Although I've always wondered why he took me in all those years ago."
"He's never told you, has he?" Keigo tilts his head.
"No…the President doesn't tell me much either. I was an orphan after all."
"Endeavor musta seen potential in you. He's a great hero."
"He's a great hero…but at home, he's much different…" I gaze down.
"How so?" Keigo is curious.
I glance up at Keigo, not wanting to ruin his idea of his favorite hero. There's a different side to Enji that I've seen growing up with how he treated his family.
"He just has…difficulty expressing his emotions…" I reply. "Your admiration for Enji started after he arrested your father," I shift the focus.
"I clearly remember the day my father was caught…" Keigo gazes out the window. "In that moment, fantasy became reality. Heroes were suddenly real to me… And ever since then, I've made it my goal to be a shining light in the world, instilling hope in people - just like Endeavor."
I observe Keigo's glistening eyes as he has a smile to himself.
"He's determined to surpass All Might and take the number one spot," Keigo says. "With All Might always saving the day, heroes have gotten pretty comfortable relying on him…But Endeavor has always strived to surpass him. I admire him for that."
I gaze down in thought, wondering about Enji's goal to surpass All Might.
"Hm?" Keigo notices my face. "Why the sudden long face?"
"I don't wanna say much else," I reply. "But sometimes…I can't help but wonder if things could've been different," I lower my gaze.
"Just because things could've been different…Do you think they would've been better?"
"Hm?" I gaze up at him.
"Touya seemed to obsess over you…Despite being able to attend school, you were his only friend… Would he have been the same if everything else went well?"
I'm surprised at this question but think for a moment.
"I'm not too sure, to be honest…" I reply. "Touya was stubborn like Enji…and refused to make any other friends…"
"He wasn't in a healthy state, emotionally and psychologically," Keigo says.
"Can you imagine being the son of the great number two hero and not being able to become one? How would you feel?"
Keigo stays quiet.
"It wasn't Touya's fault…" I say. "He grew up neglected…and it damaged him."
"We grew up neglected…" Keigo responds. "And we didn't turn out so bad."
I gaze down at my food in thought.
"With your help…" I say. "I was able to get back up on my feet again. You truly are a shining light in my life, Keigo," I give him a small smile.
Keigo raises his brows at hearing this, a shy smile on his face.
"And you're a literal shining light in mine," Keigo says.
"I do glow because of my quirk," I nod.
"Nova: the star hero. That is your trademark, after all."
"And you're known to be the wing hero."
"Yup! And together, we'll be the shining light in the world to help make it a better place!"
I stare at Keigo's warm smile before giving him my own with a nod.