In the mirror is a four-year-old girl. Your name? Kazuha Chiba.

Placing Mr. Fluffles on the counter, you quickly wash your hands and face in the sink before jumping to the floor from your stepping stool.

Feeling refreshed, you head to the staircase, descend into the foyer, and make a right toward the dining room.

A building that would otherwise feel like a mansion to a family of three or four feels ever so crowded when there are nearly fifty kids and only three adults.

And yet, the most defining trait of this room is its division.

Which table to sit at is unofficially broken up entirely by age bracket, and where is further separated by the kids who have developed their quirks and those that haven't.

That is, with a few exceptions.

"Kazuha!"

At the far end, or rather, the quirk end, you see one of your best friends and bunkmate, Horie Koume, waving for you to join her.

And the first rule of being an orphan: you don't turn down a chance to sit with the quirky kids, especially when you've yet to develop a quirk of your own.

Horie beams at you as you take the open seat and bowl of oatmeal she's been saving for you. "Good morning!"

"Hi," you tiredly say with a yawn.

"How are you tired? It's six in the morning."

"Switch bunks, and you'll find out," you tease.

Horie hesitates. "Umm… I'm good. I'd probably just hit my head on the top bunk."

More like you want to avoid the creepy crawlies on the ground… not that I blame you.

As you take a bite of your frankly rather bland breakfast, Horie gasps.

"Oh, I almost forgot!"

For a moment, you're hoping someone might've remembered your birthday.

Horie quickly develops a case of the sniffles. "I'm really sorry about not getting you any milk."

Ah.

"It's okay, Horie," console. "Oatmeal without milk isn't… totally gross."

"You mean it?" Horie says through her tears.

"Yep!"

One second, Horie is crying, and the next, she's smiling. "Yay! Thanks, Kazuha!"

Known by most in the orphanage as a whiner or sissy, Horie's ability to flip her emotions on a dime was half the reason that she was a social outcast before developing her quirk.

Still, you've known her basically your whole life, and as annoying and confusing as it can be to navigate social interactions with Horie Koume, especially at your age, she's still your friend, and your happy to call her that… most of the time, at least.

I still can't believe Horie, of all people, forgot my birthday. I didn't forget hers. This sucks.

A few minutes later, another of your friends join you. He's a round boy with a big pair of folk glasses. This is Benimaru Michi.

"Hey, Ben!" Horie greets. "What took you so long?"

"The line for breakfast was massive. I don't know how Wakimoto-senpai can handle all of us." Ben raises an eyebrow at you. "Kaz-chan? How'd you get food before me? You're like… always dead last."

"Oh, that's easy," Horie puffs out her chest, proud. "I got Kazuha a bowl to save her some time!"

"And you couldn't have done that for me, too?" Ben says, exasperated.

"Nope! I only have two hands! Duh."

Benimaru pouts. "But why Kaz-chan instead of me?"

"'Cause," Horie chirps.

"Fine," Ben relents. "I guess it doesn't matter now. No use crying over spilled milk, right?"

Horie begins to tear up again. "I didn't spill the milk, okay? I forgot about it! Don't make fun of me!"

"I-I didn't mean it! And what are you even talking about."

You can't help but giggle at the antics of your friends.

I'm so happy to have Ben and Horie in my life. I can't imagine things without them.

As you look up from your quickly depleting bowl of oatmeal, you see a stream of water aimed right at the back of Benimaru's head. "Ben!"

Before he can get drenched, a blue sphere encases his body, the water landing on it instead, sliding down the ball's surface.

That's Benimaru's quirk: force field. In an instant, Benimaru can summon a barrier that can surround and protect him from outside interference. The barrier is highly taxing on Benimaru's body; he's told you he finds holding it up for more than six seconds at a time incredibly exhausting, and he can only do it so many times a day. But it's super tough. You remember when Benimaru got pushed down the staircase and was completely unscathed.

Turning around, Benimaru comes face to face with Sadow Okura, your arch-nemesis.

"Hey, Bubble Boy," Sadow mocks Benimaru. "Seems like the twerps are all together."

As Benimaru gulps, the shield disappears, and the few remaining splashes of water drip onto Benimaru's head and clothes.

"You're only a few months older than us!" Horie counters, her knees shaking as she stands up for her friend. "Now, leave Ben alone."

"Or what? You'll drown me in tears?" Sadow laughs. "I mean, sometimes I wonder if crying up a river is your real quirk, Cry-Baby."

"Call me a crybaby again," Horie sobs, "And I won't patch up your wounds the next time you get hurt!"

"Wow. No thanks. I mean, what type of idiot thinks a healing quirk would work on stuffed animals like Mr. Fluffles? You're even dumber than Kaz-u-ha-diot (because you're an idiot)."

The quirk that Sadow refers to is Horie's, also known as Lay on Hands. According to the quirk examiners, Horie's quirk resembles the famous Recovery Girl's. The primary difference is that Lay on Hands relies on Horie's energy reserves and stamina rather than the person for who it is being used, but otherwise suffers almost identical drawbacks.

Hearing Mr. Fluffles name, you grip the remains of your teddy bear tighter.

Luckily, Aika is here to save the day. "Is something the matter here?"

Sadow scoffs. "No, not at all. Just saying hello to my bunkmate."

He quickly makes his leave.

"Are you three alright?" Aika questions, clearly concerned.

"Yeah," you speak up. "Thank you."

"Anytime. Just remember you gotta get ready for pre-school."

Aika continues her rounds of the dining room, leaving you alone.

"I hate that guy," Horie complains. "He just thinks he's better than us 'cause he's good at sports."

"And it's only due to his quirk, too," Benimaru agrees. "I can't believe I got stuck with him."

Sadow's quirk is known as Action Surge. It allows Sadow to control his adrenaline and go beyond his usual limitations, increasing his physical abilities, stamina, and pain tolerance to peak human levels… and potentially beyond them.

"He tried using my shield as the baseball during little league practice once," Benimaru fearfully remembers. "He's scary."

"Just forget about him," you recommend. "If you don't show fear, he won't bother us."

"But you're just as scared of him as we are," Benimaru counters.

"Am not!"

"Am too!"

"Am not!"

"Am too!"

"Am not!"

"Am not!"

"Am too!"

Benimaru gasps as he realizes you tricked him.

"Got ya!" you brag in victory.

"Nooo!"

Horie blinks, her eyes puffy and red. "So, is Kazuha scared of Sadow or not? I'm confused."

More tears.

"I don't like being confused."


Pre-school is pre-school.

It's long.

It's boring.

And it's not fun…. except for recess, which you spend with Horie and Benimaru.

Nobody wished me a happy birthday, either.

I hate today.

As the final bell rings, dismissing you for the day, you reunite with your two closest friends by the sandbox, waiting for Akia to pick you up. You, Benimaru, and Horie are the only three preschoolers in the orphanage, most of the kids being older, considering the decrease in severe crimes since All-Might debuted.

"Can you help me with my homework," Horie begs. "I still don't know why one plus one doesn't equal eleven. You just add them, and you get two ones!"

"That's the point," you deadpan. "You have two numbers."

"Oh! It's that easy?!" Horie's eyes sparkle in excitement. "Thanks, Kazuha! You're the bestest friend ever!"

"I-I can help you, too," Benimaru comes in. "Like with… reading?"

"But I'm good at reading." Horie laughs haughtily. "In fact, I taught you to read, remember?"

"And I taught you," you interrupt, utterly destroying Horie's self-confidence. She begins to sniffle.

"What?!" you complain. "It's the truth!"

"I know," Horie cheekily smiles. "I just wanted to trick you."

You stick out your tongue, causing Benimaru and Horie to laugh.

At that moment, Akia arrives… with a balloon.

"Happy birthday, Kazuha!" Horie and Benimaru scream into your ears, catching you off guard.

"You mean… you all didn't forget?"

"Nope," Horie confirms. "Why did you think that?"

It's your turn to tear up. "Because nobody said anything."

"We thought you'd enjoy the surprise," Benimaru clarifies. "We're really sorry."

You wipe your eyes, smiling brightly. "Don't be. I'm too happy right now to care about it."

Akia pets you on the head, ruffling your hair a bit. "Why don't I take the three of you out for ice cream? My treat?"

The idea of getting ice cream makes your mouth drool a little.

"I'll take that as a yes," Akia smiles. "Come on."


Arriving at the ice cream parlor, ordering a double scoop of vanilla and chocolate ice cream, Akia places a small candle on top and lights it with her quirk.

A few moments later, your two best friends and caretaker are singing happy birthday, which warms your heart. It's not the big extravagant parties other kids might get, but you never expected that. You are pleased to spend time with the only people you care about.

And call you dumb, but the most exciting thing isn't the ice cream, but the candle.

Seeing Akio using her quirk reminds you of the wish you've been thinking about for the entire week. The only thing a kid like you has wished for on their birthday for the last century is a quirk.

Regardless of whether you want to get adopted by another, you can't deny that having a quirk, especially a powerful or versatile quirk, can get you a lot of places in the world you've been born into. You can't help but think about the people whose quirks you've grown up with.

Sadow, Ben, and Horie's quirks are all really different and awesome in their own ways.

Sadow's quirk makes him super strong. And sure, he uses that power to bully those he perceives as weak, but… Sadow's quirk makes him not only a great fighter but great at athletics. Sure, traditional sports are dying out, but he's so cocky because he's set for life with that kind of quirk. And I can't help but say it would be really cool to have a quirk like that, to get back up on my feet repeatedly and fight like All-Might.

It's probably why Wakimoto-senpai forced Sadow to bunk with Ben. With a quirk like Ben's, he'll never have to worry about actually being threatened by Sadow's strengths. He can protect himself from the outside world with an absolute shield. And while he clearly doesn't like Sadow and is a bit fearful, Ben is tough-skinned. It's remarkable in its own way. He's able to protect himself and be his own hero.

And then there's Horie's quirk. She's just like Recovery Girl! And it's so cool. She's helped me, Sadow, and the other kids with minor wounds so often that she's a hero in her own right! Maybe she's not strong like Sadow or able to protect herself like Ben, but in the end, she can do things and help her own way.

But I couldn't wish to have all their quirks, could I? That would be silly… right? I should just wish for one of them… at least this year.


Decision Point: What Is Your Birthday Wish?

A - "I wish I could fight people like Sadow."

B - "I wish I could protect myself like Ben."

C - "I wish I could help people like Horie."