Hi, sorry for a slow update (again haha). I was intending to put this fic on hold cause Shinsou wasn't going to have his arc anytime soon. I was brokenhearted and lost quite a bit of motivation, but oh well... ;)

P.S. Tsukauchi Naomasa is All Might's best friend, just in case you didn't know.

Happy reading!


Chapter 8: A Favor

Every time Kazuna didn't have anything important to do after school, she'd visit her apartment's fitness center. When other kids felt restless about something, they'd normally shut themselves in their room or go out somewhere to forget about their problems. When it was her, she preferred to tightly wear a pair of hand wraps and gloves, and struck the punching bag in front of her while picturing it as the sole reason on why she was feeling a certain way.

Today was pretty exhausting.

The thing she hated the most after reading someone's memory was pretending to not know anything. Today, she had to act as if she knew nothing about the couples who just broke up and threw off the dynamic of their class, a teacher who was disliked by almost everyone for all the right reasons, a group of people who was being kind to this pitiful girl that had no idea she was being called names in the toilet last week, and so many more. It was a good thing that Fusako didn't have any close friends with sad stories that would make people cry, but she was still a student from another class with secrets that weren't supposed to be revealed to anyone outside of their circle.

Kazuna tried to be positive. At least she didn't meet Fusako when she was out in the cafeteria or hallways. At least through Fusako's eyes, she could list the kind and bad guys from 1-F, so one day when she had to interact with them, she'd be smart enough to choose someone to trust. At least Hitoshi—the only person besides them who knew about this—never brought this topic up. She thought he'd mention it once, but his lips were sealed. He didn't even suggest her to try telling Yuzuru or their teachers. Although not completely, his consideration lightened her heart.

She stopped exercising before five, removed her hand wraps and gloves, and cooled her body down by stretching her arms and legs on the mat. Most tenants who lived here were full-time employees, so the fitness center was often empty until around six or seven after they got back from work. As of now, there were only three other people who'd been running on the treadmill and they'd all been minding their own business. As someone who'd rather be in peace without people asking about kickboxing and messing with her regime, she couldn't wish for a better situation.

She was done in less than ten minutes and went to the bench where she put her tiny black bag. She took out her water bottle and phone, but before she had the chance to open the lid, she was stunned by several missed calls from Jun on her screen. She wrote her phone number on the student form for emergency cases, but she never thought that her homeroom teacher would actually look for her like she was a criminal. If her parents were dying, she'd heard this from her family members, so this must be something else. She became anxious and it got even worse when she noticed that Jun had also left her a message.

Please call me back when you're available. Don't tell this to anyone.

Her heartbeat rapidly went up as she pressed on Jun's number. The dial tone added a sense of eeriness and it felt longer than it should've been. She exhaled a long breath when Jun picked up, but she wondered about the background noise. He could still be at school, but it sounded like he was in the middle of a movie premiere. She heard people asking a bunch of questions, camera flashes, and some guy yelling at them to stop. It reminded her of when the reporters broke into Yuuei two days ago.

"Hello," Jun said.

"Good evening, Sensei… What's wrong?"

"Where are you? Are you busy?" His voice got clearer. Supposedly, he was walking away from the crowd.

"At my apartment. I'm not busy."

"Then can we meet?"

Kazuna fell quiet. A teacher wouldn't look for their student if they did nothing wrong, moreover when it was outside of the school period. She began ruminating about the mistakes she could've accidentally done. Did Fusako tell Jun about what happened at the park? Highly unlikely since according to Hitoshi, she'd made a promise to not talk about it in return of them not being near each other.

"Hey, don't worry. There's nothing wrong. I just need to talk to you," Jun explained, correctly guessing the dread Kazuna had. "Is it possible if we meet at the Nikko Hotel near the school? And can you cover yourself nicely? Wear a hat and jacket. Make sure nobody sees you. Can you do that?"

Nikko Hotel. That was where she stayed when she had her Yuuei's entrance exam. She almost wanted to ask why he chose this place, but she knew that Jun would answer with "I'll explain when we meet". With another set of requirements to shield her identity, this matter obviously couldn't be discussed over the phone. The best thing she could do was comply with his request. She didn't need to fear anything since nobody would hurt her there.

"I can do that, but I need to shower first…" she said. "I'll be there in fifteen minutes. Is that good?"

"It's perfect. I'll be waiting at the bakery. Call me if you can't find me, but you will."

"All right."


The last time Kazuna was in Nikko Hotel, she was one of the many people staying to have their shot in entering Yuuei. This time around, she saw more staff chilling than guests coming in. The first reason must be that the holiday season had ended weeks ago. The next reason must be because this four-star hotel was quite expensive that most people wouldn't stay here unless if they had no other choice. Luckily, she had the money to stay in whichever hotel she wanted, so she chose the closest one.

"I still can't believe Yuuei got attacked by villains!"

She was climbing up the stairs next to the entryway when a woman who shouted at her phone passed by her. She stopped for a moment to look over her shoulder, trying to absorb the last bits of information from the beautiful stranger. Yuuei really got attacked by villains. It was just on the TV. She grabbed her phone from her jacket, but found no new messages from anyone. She only had a few names on her contact list and if the news was true, then none of them had heard about it.

The hotel's bakery was quite big and could be seen from any side of the second floor that was mainly filled with restaurants, bars, and anything F&B-related. Through the glass walls, she saw Jun sitting in one corner with a man in a black suit that she had never seen before. As she entered the place, she began thinking if the Yuuei attack—if it was real—had something to do with this. It'd be crazy if they thought she was involved in this, but considering how she had to be incognito and meet them where not even the servers could eavesdrop, this could be it.

"Sensei."

Jun titled his head and smiled. "There you are."

"Yes, hello." She politely bowed down. She examined the guy in front of her teacher for a second. His eyes were big and black, matching the color of his outfit. He seemed nice and approachable. Might be in his late-thirties, but she wouldn't be weirded out if he was still in his late-twenties.

"Please sit." Jun pointed at the empty chair beside him and she sat there, fixing her hat afterwards. She could feel sweat forming on her hands as she was hoping that this wouldn't be as bad as she'd thought so far.

"My name is Tsukauchi Naomasa. I'm a detective, but please don't be afraid," the man kindly introduced himself. "Let's get right to it, shall we? Have you heard about what happened at Yuuei today?"

"Ah…" She clasped her hands that were resting on her lap. "Yes, I overheard it when I entered the hotel… Someone mentioned it…"

"Approximately, two hours ago some villains broke through the USJ—the training facility where 1-A was practicing—and injured some of the students and teachers."

Her first reaction was to shroud her face with misery. She didn't personally know the kids from 1-A, but just like her, they were mere students. As a moral person with a heart, she didn't want anyone to get hurt, especially when it was caused by someone else. She always mourned whenever she read news about murders or the likes of it, so of course she'd feel a greater pain if the same thing were to happen to those who stayed under the same roof as her.

"We captured some of the villains," Naomasa continued. "You're here because I want you to lend your power to us. Can you help us with the investigation?"

Her breath was caught in her throat as her eyes broaden, making them seem like they could pop out of their sockets. She was right that she was here for something related to the attack and Jun was the one behind all of this. Before, it sounded like a wishful thinking. Why would a professional need a fifteen-year-old with zero experience to finish their job? It was more like a dream a little kid had after watching a crime movie.

She glanced at Jun and his expression stayed the same—he didn't meet her gaze and chose to silently watch the table with two cups of half-drunk coffee in it. He must be the one behind all of this, but she understood that right now wasn't the perfect time to ask for a backstory.

"You want me to read the villains' memories?" She looked back at Naomasa. "Is that allowed? Won't it require permission?"

"It's clever that you asked. We should keep this between us because this is a special case. There's only one villain that you need to read and it's because we can't make him speak nor can we gather information from him through the regular methods." He pulled out two pieces of photographs from the inside of his suit and put them on the table. "I know this isn't an easy task, so I won't force you to come with me. Don't do it if you aren't sure. I can accept your decision."

She tightened the grip of her hands as she inspected both pictures—one of a front view and the other a side view. She wasn't particularly terrified as she'd seen some unusual looking people on the streets due to their quirks, but this one villain reminded her of a mutant from an old survival horror video game she used to play as a kid.

He was very muscular, tall, and most definitely two to three times the size of All Might. His brain was exposed and his eyeballs were stuck on it. No ordinary villain was capable enough to breach into Yuuei's security and wound a class with the teachers who were also professional heroes. This scary-looking villain must've had a long history of inexcusable crimes. He must've done something worse to his previous victims for who knew how long.

She couldn't care less about feeling the warmth of an alive brain, but she was anxious about the possibilities of the gruesome memories she could see. It wouldn't be good for her mentally, as she was still a little blue. She wasn't in her best condition yet.

"Are you worried about what you might see? What's the worst thing you've read so far?" Naomasa asked, proving that he was a detective for a reason.

"I will do it," she decided before answering, "Usually I read someone's memories by accident. There hasn't been anything as bad as a villain hurting teenagers like what happened to 1-A. If it's for something righteous, I'll do it."

"All right, I'll come with you," Jun finally spoke as he stood up from the couch. "However, when you can't take it anymore, you must immediately tell me."

She convinced her teacher that she wasn't kidding around by sending him a sharp look. "I promise I will."


It took approximately twenty minutes for Jun to drive Kazuna to the biggest prison in the city, following Naomasa who led the way. Once getting through the security guards and parking their cars, they went to the main building, as known as the only way to access the other parts of the prison. Naomasa spoke to the three male officers behind the desk to explain the reason why he came back with more people, to which they asked Jun to show his driver's license as an ID. Once they got an okay, Naomasa brought them to a lounge room nearby with no one inside.

"Wear this," Naomasa said after grabbing a disposable black mask from a box on the long side table.

"Thank you…" Kazuna took and wore the mask without demanding for a further explanation. Only a few authorities had the permission to see her face, therefore she couldn't simply appear in front of the inmates or janitors without covering her face.

"And Sensei." Naomasa directed his eyes at Jun. "I'm sorry, but you should wait here."

Jun seemed perturbed by the order, but he quickly nodded. "I understand. I'll leave her in your care."

"I'll be all right," Kazuna stated, her breath foaming inside the mask. Jun smiled at her and just like that, he sat on one of the sofas, while she and Naomasa left the room and went through the back door.

This was her first time being in a prison, but the architecture was unlike what she'd learned from pictures and videos. She always thought that most prisons were built under a single roof to maximize the defense, but this one was fully outdoor. The evening sky and street lamps that hadn't been switched on made it quite dim, but she could still read some writings on the plates; a canteen, minimarket, workshops, and storage. The deeper she got, the more menacing it became as she began seeing an armory, some alphabetical blocks of holding cells and regular cells, and finally, she reached a building called "Max".

It was nothing but an eerie hall with some pale blue doors on both sides of it. She should've been glad that she wasn't alone here and that there was sound made by some officers guarding the area, but she felt uneasy instead. She knew for sure that prisoners nowadays were kept behind a room made from glass windows—during the old times, it was steel bars—so who were the people quietly living inside these cells? If this place was named "Max" in the regards of the maximum level of crime they'd committed, then a fifteen-year-old wasn't supposed to play around here.

She walked past the door at the end of the path and went three levels down via the clanking stairs, where they were held by an officer before they could proceed. The two of them appeared to know each other as he didn't ask why he was here—instead, he opened the door to call his friends and two more came. They discussed about the kid he brought and how her power would help them advance with the investigation. It was everything that she already knew, but unless Naomasa told her otherwise, she wouldn't let her voice be heard.

"Come follow me," one of the officers greeted her with a smile. She smiled back at him—albeit softer—and followed him into the hall, together with Naomasa and the other officer.

The interior was the same as the first floor—and most likely the others—but there were almost twice as many officers. Considering the fact that the stairs ended on this floor, this level must've been the most dangerous one. They stopped at the front of the door number "406" and without even asking whether the newcomer of the group was ready of what lied on the other side, they opened the door with the card brought by the first officer.

She was well-aware that seeing him in a picture would be less nerve-wrecking than in real life, but she didn't expect for a shiver to scrape down her spine like this. He was as huge as she'd predicted, but his eyes weren't closed and the color of his brain was more vibrant. He was breathing and functioning. If something wrong occured, he could be awaking and destroying this building alongside with everything in it. If it weren't the officers taking the first action of coming closer to the villain and Naomasa pushing her, she wouldn't even step on the threshold.

"He can't move. You can say that he's half dead," Naomasa said, standing next to the villain. "His name is Noumu."

"You named him?" Kazuna asked.

"Haha, no. I didn't." He lifted his head to get a clearer look of Noumu's face. "The kids in Yuuei heard that one of the villains called him that way. Ironically, he does have a brain. Maybe he has no memories. Maybe he has but it's blocked. This is why we need you."

She swallowed hard, awkwardly fiddling with her fingers. "Okay… Should I start now?"

"Please take your time."

She slipped her gloves off and clenched them in her left hand, moving closer to Noumu. She raised her other hand and without another contemplation, put it on his brain. She thought she'd get a few things within the first second, but there was nothing. At the very least, she anticipated to see what he did to 1-A through his perspective, not void. It was like she was trying to read the memories of the dead—not like she ever tried—or an object. Naomasa was right with his first assumption. Noumu's brain was active, but it had zero recording of what he'd done.

"What did you see?" Naomasa asked, right after she dragged her hand away.

"Nothing." She gave him a disappointed look. "I'm sorry."

"No, don't be sorry! We already guessed that he has no memories. Thank you for confirming it."

She tugged the corner of her mouth. "You're welcome."


Outside, the color of the sky hadn't drastically changed. Kazuna waited near the entryway for Naomasa to come out since he needed to talk to some officers. She watched people doing their jobs, some were wearing a ranked uniform and the rest were regular employees who either cooked or cleaned the place. In a few minutes from now, the lights should be on. She actually enjoyed the scenery of a dark alley illuminated by yellow lamps, but since this wasn't a park with flowers and fireflies in summer, she couldn't feel the same way.

"Well, that was fast. I should've told you to go without me."

She looked over her shoulder and found Naomasa stepping out of the building. "No, I didn't have to wait for too long…"

"I lied." He smiled. "I told you to wait because I want to talk to you right now. Privately."

"Eh?"

"Will you be honest with me?"

She went silent for a moment before opening her mouth, "All right?"

"Answer my questions." He brought his legs further to the west, away from the door behind them and nearing the area that was a little secluded from the other buildings. "How many people's memories have you read?"

"Not many…"

"That's not an answer."

"It's, uh, less than ten."

He suddenly halted and turned around, knitting his brows. "How old are you?"

"I'll turn sixteen in August…"

"You'll be sixteen, you've only read less than ten people, and all of them are by accident?"

"Yes… I can't—I don't think anyone would be willing to have their memories read by me…"

"Then I assume you don't really know everything about quirk."

"Correct…"

"How are you going to improve?"

"I'm trying to find a way. I'll find one, eventually…" her volume became lower.

"Like?" He put a hand on his hip. "I don't understand. Please explain what you have in mind."

"I've been thinking about going to a playground and read children's memories… I know I should read adults because they have more problems and I need to strengthen my mentality, but I… I always believe if there's a way, then there's a will…"

"What if I offer you something?" He took a white name card holder from his vest and pulled a piece, handing it to her. "Become my apprentice. From Monday to Friday, somewhere between after you finish school until five. We can negotiate the day, but not the time. We can start tomorrow."

She was shocked to the point that she couldn't even reply. She held the small card and read the letters, hands slightly trembling. His full name and "Detective" printed under it. His email address with a private domain. His office and phone number. Last but not least, the emblem, official website, and address of Musutafu's police department.

This was really happening.

She remembered people who discouraged her from being a professional hero because her quirk would be useful as an investigator instead. She understood their point, but her dream wasn't theirs. She thought she'd be insulted when she faced with the real situation of relying on something she swore she'd never touch, but right now, she felt very understanding instead. Was it because of the way Naomasa nicely approached her? Or was it also because she was hungry to strengthen her ability and to find more about herself?

"You were born special. If I were you, I wouldn't think twice," Naomasa added. "Some tiny villains waste my time so much during an interrogation for not immediately admitting their crimes. I won't let you near the psychopaths until you're older, so don't worry. You do need to write a report about what you read, but that won't be a problem, will it?"

"O-oh, right… Yes, thank you for the offer…" She tucked the card inside of her pants' back pocket. "I might need a few days to think about it…"

"I know, that's why I gave you my name card. My working schedule is a bit messed up, but ring me up anytime. If I can't pick up, I'll call you back," he said. "Don't forget to keep this as a secret from anyone, including your family."

She nodded several times before they both headed back to main building. It'd be hard keeping a straight face after such an unforgettable day, but she had to try her best.


The ride back was quieter. Much to Kazuna's surprise, Jun didn't inquire of what happened inside the prison. It felt as if he understood it himself that even if he took a part in the plan of using her, he still had no rights to know beyond that. The only thing he said was that she'd be dropped a few lots before the apartment, since it wouldn't be good if her acquaintances saw her leaving a male adult's car—and worse if his identity as a teacher was known. Because of this, the trip felt like an hour instead of a fifth of it.

"I think it's okay if I pull over here…" He decreased his speed and stopped the car in front of a small bookstore. "All right. Stay far from the road—"

"Sensei, do you trust Tsukauchi-san?" For the first time since knowing each other, she interrupted him.

"Tsukauchi? Of course I do. Why else would I let him be in touch with you?" he asked back. "Many people—including me—think that he's the best detective out there. He's honest and we can count on him."

"Oh, is that so…?" she said. "Okay. Thank you for bringing me home, Sensei. Take care on your way back."

"You too. Have a nice evening."

"Likewise." She smiled and left the car, walking towards her apartment without checking on Jun for one last time. When she spotted a garbage can outside of the bookstore, she removed her mask and threw it inside. Jun might not agree with this decision, but the street wasn't cramped and she didn't have any distinctive features that would differ her from the other Japanese girls. It also didn't feel convenient to have something blocking her from breathing.

The fresh air made her a little better, but all she wanted now was to shower and sleep for at least eight hours. She hadn't felt this tired in a long time and she wasn't quite sure if simply resting would be enough to treat her fatigue. She wished she hadn't worked out, but there was no point in complaining about the past. Maybe instead, she should be upset about her inability to read the future.

As she stared at the pathway below, Naomasa's words crept back into her mind. He didn't say for how long he'd have the patience to wait for an answer, but if she were in his shoes, she'd love to hear it before midnight. Twenty-four hours should be the limit, more than that then she'd be regarded as ill-mannered. Since she wasn't allowed to talk about it to anyone, she didn't need to ask for permission. Would it be a yes or no? It was all up to her.

When she got into the elevator and pushed on the floor number eight, she audibly gasped. Her eyes were glued to the number before it. Hitoshi. For a minute there, she'd forgotten about him. Hastily, she reached for her phone and found only a message from him about half an hour ago, asking if she was sleeping. She should've been at his place right after she was done working out—she usually only cleaned herself slightly and took a shower afterwards, since she had to cook and would sweat again. Right now, it was already half past six.

The only thing she did in her room was change her clothes without folding them up because she had no time for that. She dashed back to the elevator while fixing her hair to make it look like she didn't just wear a cap for almost an hour and went to one floor below. She knocked on his door and as soon as she heard a clicking sound, she put on a smile. He looked tired himself, but if he was sleeping, then it wouldn't take this fast for him to open the door.

"Hi, I'm sorry I overslept," she said, going accordingly to what he already assumed. From the entryway, she could hear the sound of TV and she knew that he was watching the news about Yuuei. She just woke up, so she had to act as if she had no clue of what was going on outside.

"I figured," he responded. "Come in."

Like it was her own house, she took her shoes off and went to the living room. She saw the cats cuddling on the floor near the kitchen, but she chose to pay full attention to what was broadcasted on the national channel. They were interviewing the commissioner of this prefectural police headquarters. He explained that most of the villains were captured, but a few of them managed to retreat. Naomasa hadn't told her a great detail about this case, but she thought that it must be the other way around; most of the villains ran away and only a few got captured. Noumu was one of them.

"What is this? Yuuei got attacked by villains?" she asked, just to prove that she was as clueless as everybody else.

"Yes, class 1-A when they were practicing." Hitoshi sat in his favorite place, which was on the middle of the long sofa, directly in line with the TV.

"That's bad… Were there any casualties?"

"The teachers got beaten up pretty bad, but the students are okay. Maybe some minor injuries. I just turned on the TV five minutes ago."

"Oh, I see…"

"Villains nowadays are worse than the old times."

"Yes, I suppose that's true… I hope they're healing fast…" She walked closer and sat next to him. "Have you eaten?"

He glanced at her once before averting his eyes. "No."

She showed him a face that was very similar to a heartbroken girl—unhappy and disappointed at herself. "I'm sorry… are you waiting for me? Next time if I'm not here, you should go eat without me."

"I told you to stop apologizing." He suddenly stood up, back facing her and looking kind of sheepish. "I've gotten used to have dinner with you."

Although he was mumbling, he could still be heard by her. And something tickled her chest as she watched him go to the kitchen. She became a little shy being here with him, but once again as she left the sofa and thought about what to cook, Naomasa came to her mind. From Monday to Friday, somewhere between after you finish school until five. We can negotiate the day, but not the time. She stopped Hitoshi from going any further by pulling his sleeve.

"A-anyway, I've been thinking about something," she muttered, gazing back up so the two of them could see each other's face. "Starting from tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, every Monday until Friday, I can't go home with you."

He frowned, confusion and displeasure mixed into one. "Why?"

"Our apartment doesn't have a standing punching bag, so starting from today, I'm going to work out at the school…" For the second time, she told a perfect white lie.

"Does it matter?"

She bobbed her head up and down a lot more than needed. "Of course. I like it better that way because it's sturdier. It resembles real people. There's also a swimming pool…"

"Should I pick you up?" he asked.

"Mhm, you can. I'll text you when I'm done."

"Okay," he said before returning to his way back to the kitchen.

As she walked behind him, she felt very remorseful for lying. She believed he'd keep every secret told by her, but she wanted to wait until it was the right time. As long as they could still spend every afternoon together, what she did shouldn't be a problem.