Over the Top

by papireaz

When I died, I expected a few manga volumes. Maybe to learn what the One Piece is. Instead, I found myself in a world that I recognised, a story I had read and what's worse was that it was a story I had no interest in wanting to involve myself in! Then and again, the offer to become a Hero is far too tempting...

48. Issue 46

Welcome back.

Pizza with prosciutto and olives is still the best pizza.

I have created a discord server. And the code is p6HcDQpxuk !

Join it to be kept up to date with the story!

---

"How many months has it been since the botched raid?"

"Nine months, Minazuki. Nine months since the city of Musutafu, a core pillar of Japan, faced its darkest day. Sixty confirmed deaths from just a single villain alone, over one hundred deaths if we are counting the damaged buildings and the raid itself."

"Precisely, Sayako! Nine months since our glorious country faced a crisis like no other! But fret not listeners, within these nine months so much has changed! We've elected a new Prime Minister, Hachi Yamaguchi, one who has tried her damned hardest to change things around for the better!"

"You can't forget about U.A. and the tremendous help they've been to our country, Minazuki. Every week it seems like now there is a new article written on the next generation of heroes, classes 2A and 2B! How can we not talk about Deku? Or Shoto? Or even Earphone Jack? How many people did they save in Osaka last week?"

"Suffice to say that even after nine months, the world has moved on. While our hearts are with the victims, we should learn to move forward, continuously. Without looking back on the dark times and looking forward to the bright future of this country. But of course, we can't forget the one who sacrificed their own life for this future."

"Minazuki, you are talking about him, aren't you?"

"Yes, that's right! I know many listeners right now may be confused! But I think we cannot forget about the hero who helped to bring that dark day to an end. I know I was sitting in Tokyo, praying to God to make sure that the streets of Musutafu would be safe again when we saw him. Draped in blue clouds, looking demonic but looking heroic. I'm of course talking about the 'Blue Devil' here, also known as Aozora."

"Ah! That's a name I hadn't heard in a long time. Aozora… What a loss of talent. How young was he? It's shameful that U.A. allowed a young student of theirs to die that way, taking down a villain that was frankly far too powerful for them to handle on their own. A sham I say! A blight on an illustrious school! Imagine what the family of Aozora must be going through?!"

"Sayako, I must remind you that this is just a simple radio station. While it's incredibly concerning that U.A. allowed a promising student to die the way he did and that his private information is still disclosed after his death meaning we cannot accurately memorialise him, we can see his classmates and friends bounce back with extra vigour. Perhaps they are honouring his death?"

"That's a fair point. It's honourable to see the future heroes of this country take a comrade's death and use it as fuel to become better heroes. And ultimately, I think that's something we can all take away from Aozora's sacrifice. We should not let ourselves sit back as evil infests our country, to stand up and do the right thing! Even if we aren't heroes, we can always do that!"

"I agree. A powerful message for sure, one that I think we can all try to spread in our daily lives. Anyways, after the break, we'll be having a special guest here! Rikiya Yotsubashi will be talking about a brand new AI technology he wants to add to our military, should our parliament allow him to!"

"That's right folks! An exclusive interview with the CEO of Detnerat! We'll see you in fifteen minutes!"

---

"You know everyone wants to sparkle, like the stars up in the sky at night, in this wondrous place called my life," With her headphones on, Yui Kazuma swivelled around her chair as her music played full blast, trying her hardest to keep up with the lyrics of the brand new song. "It's filled with dreams and I can only wonder why. I've been wishing for this the entire time, waiting for the chance to make everything right. So why do you refuse? Why can't you choose? Cause you left us in the dust, I'm not your sunflower, and I know that's too much."

Yui couldn't help but smile as she was still in her PJs.

School could wait-,

"YUI!" A loud voice interrupted her music, Earphone Jack's brand new single that she had just released.

The Cold Empty Sky.

"Yui, you're going to be late!" Another voice yelled, this time a little quieter. She kicked off from the ground as she stared at her phone screen, her face rapidly paling as she looked at the time.

Yui was late.

It wasn't that Yui had never been late before, she had. Yui chuckled as she thought back to all the times in Hokkaido when she had gotten detention for being late, although so had the entire class in her defence.

'Crap! Where did Auntie put the toothpaste?!' Yui thought to herself as she rummaged through the cupboards in the bathroom and eventually found a new tube of toothpaste. By the time she had finished washing her face, brushing her teeth and applying some makeup, it was already quarter-to-nine.

And after Yui had rushed to put on her school uniform, it was five past nine.

"Yui! Are you ready?"

"Just give me a minute, uncle!" Yui yelled, forcefully pulling up her left sock, grabbing her schoolbag and rushing to the kitchen as fast as possible. "I'm here, I'm here! Listen, I might be just a little late from school today so don't worry!"

Yui's uncle laughed.

"Don't worry about it," He told her, patting her back reassuringly. "Your aunt and I were expecting something like this. Perhaps we shouldn't have had your birthday party on a Sunday."

"Don't blame yourselves! It's just I forgot to put an alarm on in the morning! Anyways, where is Auntie? Wasn't she the one yelling at me to get up?" Yui asked, grabbing a piece of toast and adding some jam to it. Her uncle pointed to the sofa of their living room where Yui's aunt sat there, watching the TV.

"That's right folks! A whopping five billion Yen has been taken from the Bank of Japan earlier this morning, and everyone is scrambling to figure out what's happened! So far there hasn't been any official statement other than the fact that there is a currently ongoing investigation! Stay tuned for more news!"

"Auntie!" Yui called out, running to the door and slipping her shoes on. "I'm going now! Don't spend all day watching the news, you promised to head over to the shop and make sure the inn back in Hokkaido gets the new bedsheets! Love you loads, see you soon!"

Without even waiting for a reply, Yui opened the door and ran outside, hoping to catch her bus. Instead, Yui was greeted by a now familiar sound of traffic and angry pedestrians. The sound of a city full of lively people, even this early in the morning. Three months ago, she hadn't been used to this.

Hokkaido was busy, but never this busy.

Especially in her small town near the coast.

Businessmen who all looked the same walked in what seemed like the same lane, making them seem more like soldiers rather than different people. Schoolkids of all ages made jokes and cheered as they made their way to the train station nearby, not to mention the occasional adult who went to seven-eleven to pick up some food and drinks. Even a few familiar faces from the school Yui went to.

Jonji Acadamy was one of Musutafu's best high schools.

It didn't have the prestige of U.A., nor was it a specialised school that attracted the most creative of students. But it was a high school that was known for its academic prowess that allowed it to maintain its top position in not only the city but the country as a whole. And while Yui was only a first year, she was excited to learn in Musutafu.

She opened her phone and stared at the lock screen for a few seconds.

A lean, but unmistakable male figure draped in blue clouds.

The quality of the photo wasn't very good, it was a little blurry, but Yui smiled as she looked at the figure. Aozora. Many people had their favourite heroes, All Might or Miruko, but for Yui, there was only one hero that she liked. Only one hero she had ever looked up to, one that she could safely say was her favourite.

A hero who had given up their life for this city, the city she moved to.

Aozora wore a mask, and perhaps it was the mystery that drew her in, or maybe it was the fact that ultimately; Aozora was young. He had only been a year older than her when he died, and now, she was older than him.

Nearly a year had passed since the tragic death of Aozora, yet the world moved forward anyway.

Yui waited at the bus stop, catching her breath as she tapped nervously against her phone. She had photography first, and while it was an easy subject for her, she had a rather strict teacher. Yui sighed impatiently, watching as her bus was delayed once again. While Jonji Acadamy wasn't far from her house, taking the bus was a far simpler option than walking.

'Looks like I don't really have a choice,' Yui thought to herself as she started to walk towards her school. It would take her around twenty minutes, and that would mean she would arrive at school only forty minutes late.

The path to Yui's school wasn't too bad, just a long street through a residential area. But, there was a shortcut down a little alleyway. It would cut her journey by a few minutes, but then and again, it was an alleyway…

'I don't want to be even later than I already am.' Yui thought to herself, unbuttoning her shirt as she walked through the narrow alleyway. The sweltering July heat was certainly an experience in Japan, especially in the cities. Thankfully Yui was wearing her summer uniform, so it wasn't as bad as it could be, but it was still uncomfortable to walk around.

Yui would definitely be taking the bus back home.

"-Oi, kid! Cough up some money already!" At the end of the alleyway, Yui watched as two older teenagers pushed a boy around. He looked around eleven or twelve, and it made Yui stop in her tracks.

She could just walk by and run to school.

She was already late after all.

But she glanced at her lock screen, at Aozora.

"Hey! What are you two doing?!" Yui yelled loudly. It was the right thing to do, especially as the boy turned around to face Yui, his face a mixture of tears, snot and bruises. But as Yui got closer, she saw that the older teenagers wore the same dark green uniform as her.

"Huh? Saito, who's this whore?" The blonde-haired girl sneered at Yui, tilting her head to the left as she held a red-coloured e-cig in her left hand, taking a long drag from it. She wore a lot of makeup and had a fake tan. Saito, the tall teenager with a shaved head turned to look at Yui and smirked.

"Dunno. But she goes to the same school as us. Oi, you got some money for us as well?!" Saito asked Yui.

"As if I'd give money to you two," Yui replied hotly, standing in front of the small boy and the two teens. "Just leave the kid alone. Why'd you even want to take some money off a kid anyway?"

"Cuz' Yuko caught the brat spying on her," Saito explained, shoving Yui to the side as he kicked the kid in the face. "Now I don't know about you girl, but I ain't gonna allow a little perv to make my girlfriend uncomfortable."

"T-that's a lie!" The boy cried out. "I never even looked at her!"

"Then why'd you point your phone at me?!" Yuko huffed out. "You were obviously trying to take a picture of my uniform." Yui inspected her uniform, which consisted of a miniskirt, thigh-high socks and her shirt unbuttoned to the point that Yui was able to see her black bra.

"I-I-I was playing Dinomon GO!" The boy replied.

"Whatever," Saito shrugged his shoulders, grabbing the boy and lifting him up as he clocked his right fist back. "How about I break your jaw? Maybe this will teach you to never point your phone at my girlfriend again."

Yui stood up and waved her arms in front of him.

"Hey, I said stop! He's just a kid!" Yui yelled at them. "Can't you see he's crying?! Look, even if he did do that, don't you think you've gone far enough? He's bleeding from his nose! Just leave him alone!"

Yuko clicked her teeth in anger, throwing her e-cig at Yui's head.

"Shut up already, you dumb whore!" Yuko yelled angrily. "Why the hell didn't you go to school, huh? You could have just walked by? Why the hell did you have to play Hero? Saito just beat the stupid bitch up already."

"Huh? But she's a girl."

Yuko stomped her foot against the ground furiously.

"So what?! I'm your girlfriend, just do as I say already!"

Saito shrugged his shoulders, turning to face Yui as he clocked his right fist back. Yui gulped, shielding the kid. It was only a punch. But Yui had never been punched before, and thus she wondered if it would hurt.

'Oh well,' Yui closed her eyes, tensing her face for the inevitable punch. 'This is what he would do. What he wanted us to do. What he died for.'

But the punch never came.

"-Oof!"

Yui opened her eyes to see Saito sprawled all over the floor, some blood trailing down his nose and onto the floor. Yui was surprised, especially when Yuko yelled in shock as she kneeled down to try and wipe the blood from her boyfriend's nose. The kid behind her looked up at the boy standing in front of her.

A crumpled-up familiar dark green blazer, one that obviously hadn't been ironed out. Either due to a lack of time or because the boy simply didn't care. He stood a little taller than Yui, who herself stood at five foot six, and his shirt was untucked with his tie lazily done. Thankfully his trousers were done up and were helped by a belt, although his expensive hi-top shoes had their laces completely tangled in a mess that would take ages to solve.

Perhaps it was his untamed dark brown hair and eyes that drew Yui to him first, or his stubble that was beginning to form a small beard, even if it wasn't very good. Perhaps it was the unlit cigarette in his mouth or the fact that he held a wooden sword in his right hand that was now stained red with Saito's blood.

Or perhaps it was the fact that he had no schoolbag, only a singular pen tucked away in the breast pocket of his blazer.

"Tch. Picking on a kid and first year, nice going Saito," The boy mocked, slinging his bokken on his back as he yawned, shaking his head slightly as he scratched the back of his head. "And you too, Yuko. I mean I always knew you were a bit of a bitch, but I didn't think you'd sell your services to this dumbass. Did you know Saito's so good at giving footjobs, the baseball team's given him the nickname 'footjob king'?"

Saito flushed red at that part, standing up as he raised his fists ready to fight.

"I told you to stop telling that lie already!" Saito yelled furiously, rushing the boy with the cigarette in his mouth ready to hit him. Only Yui saw the opposite happen, the boy used his wooden sword to swipe Saito's legs from underneath him, before whacking him on the head as if it were the easiest thing in the world. The boy then sat on Saito's body, sighing as he grumbled under his breath.

"Damn. I forgot my lighter."

Yuko shrieked at him.

"Get off Saito!" Yuko yelled, punching the boy in the arm. But he didn't even flinch, merely looking amused at her.

"S'that it? C'mon, if I told the girls that I know how weak you punch they'll be properly disappointed. Anyway, can you fuck off now?" The boy stood up, kicking Saito in the chest for good measure. "Oh and pass me all your money."

Saito obeyed the boy rather quickly, throwing his wallet on the floor.

Yui watched as the boy hummed to himself, grabbing a fistful of notes and passing them over to the kid as he threw the wallet back to Saito.

"There. Go buy yourself some sweets or a porno mag," The boy said, ruffling the kid's hair. "Oh and Yuko. Vaping is shit. Smoke a real cigarette. Anyway, do you by any chance have a lighter?" Yuko cautiously nodded, throwing a pink lighter to the boy who sighed in response. "Pink? Oh well."

Yui watched as he lit up his cigarette and pocketed the lighter.

"H-hey! That's mine!" Yuko yelled defiantly, but a single stare from the boy shut her up.

"Alright, now scram the two of you. If I see you trynna' steal some money from a kid, or even punch a girl again, I'll do a lot worse than this," Yuko nodded while Saito glared at the boy's threat who simply took a long drag from his cigarette instead. "Go on. Why are you still here?"

"You're such a demon, Yama-,"

"Shut up already and keep walkin'," The boy interjected, taking a drag from his cigarette as he impatiently tapped his wooden sword against the ground. "Don't even turn around until you've cleared the street, I don't wanna' see your ugly mug as I walk to school. Just keep walkin' and maybe I won't smash yer' face in, understand?"

Eventually, Yui watched as Saito and Yuko followed the boy's instructions.

Even the small kid ran away, clutching the money in his hands as if it were his lifeline.

"You alright?" The boy asked her.

"Oh-, Uhm, yeah, sorry for spacing out," Yui apologised, before bowing at the boy. "And thank you for helping out back there. That was very kind and heroic of you!" The boy rolled his eyes at her.

"Whatever. You sure you're okay?"

"Positive. Thanks once again."

"Okay then," The boy scratched his head, throwing his cigarette on the floor before stepping on it. "I'm gonna go now. See ya' later I guess."

"Wait!" Yui yelled, reaching forward to grab the boy by his arm. His dark brown eyes stared into her own black eyes. "You didn't give me your name. I'm Yui. Yui Kazuma. A pleasure to meet you. I'm a first-year student!"

"Oh, right," The boy grinned, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "Nice meeting ya', Yui. I'm a second-year student by the way. I always forget to give out my name, I guess even after seventeen years I ain't used to it. Sorry 'bout that."

"You still didn't give me your name," Yui pointed out, giggling at him.

"Yamazaki. Sora Yamazaki."

---

Chapter

Forty

Six

'Remembrance I'

---

Sora Yamazaki…

Even during the lesson, as Yui twirled her pen around her finger, she couldn't help but think about the strange boy who had helped her earlier that morning. It was a shame that her second class of the day was history, her most disliked subject by a far margin.

"So class, if you turn to page forty-six of the textbook, you'll be able to see the political reforms King Charles the Second performed under his rule despite signing…" Yui shook her head as her teacher droned on, glancing at the clock as she tapped her long fingers against her desk impatiently.

Her blazer was wrapped around her waist, it was too hot to wear it in class, leaving only her shirt and tie remaining. Even still, Yui couldn't help but sigh as she caught a few boys and even girls briefly glancing at her developing chest. Some were looks of lust and others were pure jealousy, and it made Yui want to crawl into a hole and ignore it.

Thankfully, as soon as the bell rang, Yui scooped up her books and ran out of the classroom as fast as possible. But unlike the rest of her classmates who met with their friends, the only thing waiting for her outside the classroom were the empty halls as she made her way to her next class.

Unlike the girls in her class who gossiped about how boring class was to their friends who had just had science or the boys who met with their friends and discussed the latest game release, Yui had no one waiting for her. While many students walked to their next lesson chatting excitedly with others, Yui only had her books as a company.

And that suited her just fine.

'Let's see… next class is literature?' Yui thought to herself as she read her timetable. 'Hm. I don't think I have my poetry notebook with me, so I'll have to go to my locker and get it,' Unlike her old school back in Hokkaido, which wasn't very large, Jonji Acadamy had over one thousand students despite being a high school. Perhaps it was its location in the centre of the city, or maybe because of its fierce reputation, but every student that walked the halls had their own locker.

It was large enough to hold all the books a student ever needed as well as enough space to decorate their lockers with whatever they desired. Despite having been at the school for close to three months, Yui still couldn't help but be in awe at how big the campus for the school was. Seven main buildings were all connected to each other with entire blocks dedicated to just lockers.

Then and again, a school that was funded by Yaoyorozu Consolidated was bound to be large, not to mention feature state-of-the-art technology. As Yui approached her locker, she brushed a strand of her black hair out of her face as she stared at the camera that was mounted onto her locker.

"Authorised."

Within seconds her locker was flung open, and Yui could only smile in response at how technology had advanced. She had heard stories that only happened a few decades ago, of people's lockers having passcodes that the student set but could be guessed easily. As Yui traded her history textbook for her poetry notebook, she glanced at the time and clicked her tongue in annoyance.

She was already late earlier today, she couldn't afford to be late again.

Shutting her locker, Yui swung her backpack over her shoulders as she made her way to the lift. It was made of glass, which scared many students with a fear of heights, but for Yui it was refreshing. Going to the fifth floor allowed her to gain a view of the city of Musutafu, one that simply took her breath away.

Jonji Academy was at the centre of the city after all.

Yui had never understood the term 'skyscraper' until she had moved to Musutafu. Glass buildings that seemingly pierced even the sky itself surrounded her, and with each passing second it felt like Yui was flying upwards to reach the sky just like them. With each floor passed Yui could see workers in their offices tapping away on their keyboards, she could briefly see meetings and people entering and leaving the building to her left and to her right.

Was this how Hawks felt when he flew around the skies?

It felt exhilarating just peering down below where students that were as tall, or perhaps even taller than Yui herself, felt like small ants. And while Yui couldn't see U.A., she could see other famous buildings. She could see construction sights that were still helping to rebuild the city after that incident all those months ago, and standing at the centre of the city was an opulent tower.

The Millenium Spire.

A building that curved itself upwards, the hub of all business within Musutafu and a landmark that attracted tourists from not only across Japan but all around the world. Yui might not have been born here, but even after living in the city for just a few short months she couldn't help but love the place. Yui couldn't help but have her breath taken away for a few short seconds as she looked across the skyline and watched the city.

The living and breathing city.

Luckily, Yui wasn't late as she opened the door to her literature class. In fact, she was just on time. But her classmates were already there before her, chatting away as they ignored her presence, and those who did notice her only sneered her way.

"Look who's late?"

"Of course the country bumpkin's late. I bet she got lost cause' of the city."

Yui ignored those comments as she politely said good morning to her teacher and sat down at her seat, the second row from the front and the furthest seat to the left right next to the window. Sunlight beamed on her desk, and Yui could only smile as she sat down and saw the magnificent view her window gave her of the whole campus. From the training grounds where the second years currently had their Physical Education classes, to the science block where she could squint her eyes and see what experiments were occurring today.

"-azuma! Kazuma!"

Yui jumped out of her seat, standing up as straight as she could as she faced her teacher. She ignored the snickers around her as her teacher sighed, either at her for not paying attention or at her classmates who were blatantly on their phones.

"Yes, teacher?"

"You remember the homework I set last week, did you not?" Her teacher asked her, ignoring the groans of the students in the class. Yui nodded meekly, glancing from the corner of her eyes to see everyone else's reaction. "Brilliant, since you are the only student in the class to not just pass your mock exams, but ace them, why don't you tell the class what a good poem sounds like?"

"I-, sir, that's not-," Yui's excuses fell on deaf ears, especially when she could hear her classmates whisper around her.

"Oh look at her. She's such a teacher's pet."

"No wonder she has no friends. Ms-Little-Know-It-All."

"She should just go back to Hokkaido or wherever she came from."

…

"Alright sir," Yui eventually said, grabbing her poetry notebook and walking to the front as she faced her class. Even if this was a poem she made just last period, Yui didn't mind sharing it out loud. "When would you like me to start reading it out?"

"Whenever you are ready." Her teacher told her, leaning back on his chair as he flashed a grin at her.

Yui breathed in and out, staring at the poem that was held in her hands.

Her poem.

A poem about him.

Aozora

"I wonder, can I keep up with it?

The world where hope doesn't exist

The world where children cry

If we fear what doesn't exist

Then what is the world?

That's right.

Nothing can change my world

Hope."

Yui read out her poem, refusing to meet anyone's eyes as her eyes were glued to the piece of paper attached to her notebook. She could feel a feint blush appearing on her cheeks as her teacher clapped loudly.

"Bravo! Everyone, that's how you write a poem!" Her teacher praised her, patting her back as he ignored the collective groan of the class. "Kazuma here is a prime example of how you should act in this class. If you were all more like her instead of tapping away at your phones, perhaps so many of you wouldn't be failing a core class."

"May I sit down now, teacher?"

"Yes, yes. Of course," Her teacher waved her off, pointing back to the whiteboard with the PowerPoint slides on them. "As I was saying, the key to writing a good poem is a core theme that's repeated throughout. In Kazuma's case, her poem was about hope in the world something I'm sure you all should have picked up on. Anyways, back to Edgar Allan Poe's poem on war-,"

As soon as Yui sat back down at her desk, she released a sigh of relief that she had been holding in.

She disliked public speaking.

Especially in lessons where the teachers purposefully picked on her. They weren't oblivious to how many students treated her, as if she were an outsider, and it felt like the teachers were a part of the problem she faced. Despite that, not everyone treated her so unkindly. A few students whispered to her 'thanks' for giving an example and how they'd be lost without her.

Despite that, Yui couldn't help but stare at her poem.

Hope.

Yui remembered just a few short months ago as she watched the news live, helicopters swirling around Musutafu as new information was coming in about the raid. About how a villain had somehow escaped and was rampaging through the city, how a few heroes had tried to stand up to the villain but how all hope was seemingly lost.

Until he showed up.

Seemingly out of nowhere, with enough power to take the villain to a nearby beach where he dispatched him - even at the cost of his own life. Hope. That was what Aozora represented to Yui, hope for a better future. If a boy her age could make the ultimate sacrifice and could charge at it head-on, then Yui could also move on with her life.

That's why she moved to Musutafu.

Why even with a world without Aozora, Yui was still hopeful.

It was because of heroes like Aozora who believed in hope and fought for it that Yui felt safe. That Yui could live her life in a carefree way. In turn, that was why Yui wrote the poem, she couldn't offer Aozora anything more than her utmost respect and promise to ensure that his life's message of hope would never be lost on her.

Aozora's true identity was still kept private.

Whenever members of 2A were interviewed about Aozora, they simply ignored or brushed aside the questions.

News coverage on Aozora had died down completely. After all, how could they discuss a dead hero for more than a few weeks? The world moved on, and so did everyone else. Yui could see it unfolding before her very eyes, how only after a few months since his death, Aozora was slowly being forgotten by the public. How his message of hope was being forgotten, how-,

"-azuma! Kazuma!" Yui blinked as she stared at her teacher, who sighed at her. "Class ended five minutes ago. I swear, you get lost in your head way too often. It's lunchtime, go eat some food or something."

"Y-yes sir!"

Yui stood up, bowing to her teacher, as she grabbed her books and made a beeline to the door before sighing to herself as she stood all alone in the empty corridor. 'What was I expecting?' Yui thought to herself, shaking her head as she made her way to the cafeteria, glancing at the number of students sitting with their friends as they discussed various topics. To say that she didn't miss her old school back in Hokkaido was a lie, but to say that coming to Musutafu was something she regretted would also be a lie.

Stepping into the queue, Yui patiently waited to get to the front.

'Hm. What should I get today? A yakisoba bun, or a meatball sub?' Yui questioned herself as she caught a glimpse of the menu for today's lunch. Stuffing her poetry notebook in her bag, she pulled out her smartphone to scroll through social media for a few minutes.

Workers strike on payment conditions!

Another protest in Tokyo about heroes! Is it time to privatise the industry or even ban heroes?!

Nejire saves the day!

An interview with Class 2A's Deku, and how we can all be more like him!

PM Yamaguchi addresses the missing five billion Yen!

The 'Saviour of Musutafu' Death Arms stops another robbery!

Eventually, Yui made her way to the front of the line and hummed to herself, choosing to purchase the meatball sub and a carton of orange juice for two thousand Yen. It was on the more expensive side of school lunch, but she had the money to afford it. It was one of the perks of moving to Musutafu… away from Hokkaido.

Her home.

Where her parents still waited for her.

"Yahallo~!" Yui turned around to face a short girl with silver hair and red eyes who waved at her cheerfully. "You're Yui Kazuma, right?" The girl asked, tilting her head to the left as if she were studying Yui.

"Uhm, y-yes! How may I help you?"

"I'm Aimi. Second year. I saw you meet with Sora earlier this morning and I had to find you at lunchtime!" Aimi said, grabbing Yui by her hand and dragging her to an empty table. "I can't believe you spoke to him!"

"U-uhm, do you mean Yamazaki-senpai by any chance?"

Aimi giggled at that.

"Senpai, huh?"

"Y-yes! Don't worry, Aimi-senpai, I only mean it in terms of respect. Yamazaki-senpai did sorta save my bacon after all," Yui replied, smiling at the memory of the boy swinging around his wooden sword. "Anyways, why are you surprised at him?"

"You really don't know, do you?" Aimi asked.

"Know what?"

"Sora Yamazaki's history of course!" Aimi yelled excitedly. "He's sorta famous in our school, but I suppose a little first-year like you wouldn't know why! He joined earlier this year in January, right before we moved on to our second year here. Apparently, he was kicked out of U.A., that's what the rumours said."

'Kicked out of U.A.?' Yui felt her brows furrow as she thought about the boy once more. "What did he do to get kicked out of U.A.?" Yui found herself asking, tearing the wrapping off her meatball sub as she began to eat it.

"That's the kicker, no one knows," Aimi replied. "Of course, there are a bunch of rumours. Some say he beat up a teacher. Others say his smoking habit got him kicked out. Then there are the really odd ones, apparently, he works a job and was kicked out of U.A. because you aren't allowed to work if you attend high school, that or he's a secret vigilante."

Yui chuckled at that.

"A vigilante?"

"Oh yeah, you weren't here when he first joined," Aimi smirked at her. "According to some people who went to the same middle school as him, he got a haircut and has mellowed out quite a bit. He used to be a big troublemaker when he was younger apparently, even earned him the nickname of 'devil' but he's been a pretty chill guy here. The real kicker is that he speaks to no one. I don't think he has a single friend here, and it's not like he doesn't like anyone here - It's like he just doesn't want friends or something and avoids contact with others."

"Really?" Yui asked yet again. "He seemed like a nice guy when I spoke to him earlier this morning."

"You'd think that, but that's the first time I've ever heard him speak to anyone. He barely attends lessons, I think the school's given him permission to bunk though. He gets pretty good grades so maybe he's just a super studious guy? Oh, I've also seen him go into a dojo for sword skills once, so I guess he trains as well. But why? Anyways, guys a mystery. I just wanted to see if you had any other information on him," Aimi explained. "People would pay for it after all. And I need some money."

Yui hummed in response.

"He was rather forgetful in giving me his name."

"Is that it?" Yui nodded. "Damn. Oh well. Anyways, as you can see he's not in the cafeteria. God knows where he goes, but a few people say he spends his time on the school roof. But no one goes to verify them, after all, who wants to disturb the guy that can kick your arse seven ways to China? Anyway, I'm gonna go now since you gave me all the info I wanted. See you later, Yui!"

"B-bye, Aimi-senpai!" Yui waved, bowing her head slightly.

'The school roof… maybe I should check to see if he'll be there?'

Lunch wasn't going to end for another half hour, and Yui's next lesson was double science. There wasn't much she could do anyway, apart from going to the library and spending time on her phone. Plus, Yui had never been to the school roof before, so it would still be a new experience for her. Gathering up all her courage, Yui stuffed what was remaining of her lunch in her blazer pocket as she made her way to the lifts and entered the closest one to her, pressing the button to go to the top floor.

While Jonji Academy was technically only 'seven buildings', most were only one or two stories tall. However, the main building was nine stories tall, which made all the more sense considering floors one through six were classrooms, with the final few being rooms for students that lived on campus, teachers' offices and other meeting rooms. Despite that, Yui cleared her throat as she fiddled around with her skirt, patiently waiting until she arrived at the school roof.

"Doors opening," The lift called out.

Yui waited with bated breath as the doors opened only to reveal an unmistakable skyline. Yui was higher in the sky than she had ever been, and she couldn't shake the grin off her face as she stepped forward and greeted the July air and sunlight that awaited her, unlike before the view of the city was free.

Musutafu had never looked so peaceful.

Beautiful.

It was no wonder that Yui loved sights like these, especially with her Quirk. Snapshot. Her eyes worked like a photograph where she could 'capture' a moment in time and always remember it with pinpoint memory. Yui would remember the tall building, the beaming sunlight, the air pressing against her skin and the sheer joy of being able to look at all of Musutafu, free from everything.

And laying down on the floor, his arms folded behind his head was a familiar boy with an unlit cigarette in his mouth. He seemed peaceful, if a bit sad as he faced the sky above him. But it was obvious that he was deep in thought, especially as he barely even blinked, and Yui wondered if he even knew how tight he was gripping his wooden sword.

It was as if it was a part of him, like an extra appendage, rather than an item.

Sora Yamazaki was staring at the clouds, and Yui could only wonder why.

"H-hello, Yamazaki-senpai!" Yui called out, bowing as she introduced herself. "I'm from earlier this morning, Yu-,"

"Yua, right?"

"Yui. Yui Kazuma," She corrected, watching as the boy choked on air and faced her.

"Oh, shit," Sora scrambled to get up from the floor, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "Sorry. I'm bad with names. Anyways, do you want to sit here or something? I can go downstairs if you want."

"No!" Yui yelled, before wincing at how loudly she had said it. "I mean, it's fine. I came here to try and speak to you anyway."

"Me?" Sora asked, confused. "Why'd ya' wanna speak with me?"

"I just wanted to thank you one more time for earlier today," Yui said, bowing her head once again. "You defended someone like me from getting punched in the face, and a little boy from being bullied. Not many people would do that."

"...fair enough," Sora replied. "But there isn't a need to thank me, honestly. I ain't a hero. I didn't do it out of the good in my own heart, and it's not like I was searching for trouble. I just saw a bad situation and couldn't turn away."

Yui smiled at him, sitting down opposite him.

"And isn't that what a hero does?"

Sora didn't reply, he instead chose to light his cigarette and took a long drag from it. Yui lightly coughed, but Sora didn't even seem to notice as he was stuck in deep thought, that was until he chuckled.

"I guess so," He replied, exhaling some smoke.

"So, uh, I heard you used to go to U.A.," Yui scrambled to keep the conversation going. "Is that true?"

"Yeah," Sora answered. "I was there until a few months ago."

"Uh, I know this is a weird question, but did you ever know Aozora personally?"

It was only a single word, but that word alone seemed to trigger a reaction in Sora. His hand balled in a fist, and he flicked his cigarette on the floor. But what was most telling were his eyes, how they opened in shock before narrowing. Ultimately, it lasted for only a few brief seconds, making Yui even question what she saw happened to begin with.

"Know him? I guess you could say that," Sora eventually replied. "But why are you asking about him?"

"Oh, it's just he's my hero," Yui whispered, smiling at the sky. "And he's inspired me in more ways than one. Just, I never really knew who he was. Well, no one does."

"For good reason," Sora said. "He was… well, he was a bastard."

"Huh?"

"Yeah, that's right," Sora sighed, pulling out another cigarette and lit it using the pink lighter he had gotten earlier that day. "Honestly, I couldn't think of a more deserving person to have died. You should change your favourite hero, literally, anyone else would be better."

"W-what do you mean?" Yui asked in confusion.

"I mean what I said," Sora smirked at her. "Aozora's not a hero. He was a selfish bastard who died thinking he was a hero, but you should have seen him in school. Oh man, he strutted around with his friends as if he owned the damn place. It was annoying too."

"B-but that's-,"

"Don't get me wrong," Sora interjected. "2A and 2B are great. It was just Aozora who was a disease. A curse. Without him, they've all flourished. All Aozora's ever caused is pain and hurt, I'd know that better than everyone. You could say I… fought him. Anyways, why the hell do you want to know about a dead hero student? Maybe you should be like the rest of the world and forget about someone like him already."

Sora's tone of voice was venomous, but Yui didn't know if it was directed at her, Aozora or himself.

Despite that, Yui shook her head violently.

"Even if the world will forget about him, I won't!" Yui proclaimed. She saw Sora's eyes widen ever so slightly, yet that quickly turned into a frown that fit his face rather perfectly. In fact, Yui felt like he frowned more often than not. Despite that, Yui watched as he shrugged his shoulders in response.

"And why not?" He eventually asked.

"I don't come from Musutafu. I'm actually from Hokkaido, a really small town near the coast of Hokkaido to be precise," Yui explained, a soft smile enveloping her face. "We don't get much news, it's a boring town. The most interesting thing that'll happen is that a ginger cat will roam the streets at night. My entire family loves watching the news since anything is more interesting than our town. But, one day while I turned on the news, that's when I saw him."

"Aozora?"

Yui nodded.

"I'm sure he must have known that he was sacrificing his life, yet he marched on ahead without looking back, fighting a villain. Saving the city. That's why he's my hero. That simple fact of accepting his destiny, but never faltering once, it gave me hope," Yui told him. "Hope that maybe I can live a different life. Even if the world will forget about Aozora, I won't. I came to Musutafu for a reason. I want to make sure that his story is written forever. His brave sacrifice, and the hope that he's inspired. That sense of responsibility that he carried with him until the end."

Not even her Aunt and Uncle knew that bit of information.

They just thought she wanted to study here, in the big city filled with dreams.

Yui studied Sora's face, she watched as his face didn't give away his feelings for what seemed like an hour, not before his mouth slowly quirked upwards, as a snort escaped him. But that snort turned into a small chuckle, not before growing into laughter. Yui could only watch as the boy wiped away tears of laughter before he finally addressed her.

"T-that's priceless," Sora said, still chuckling to himself as he took a long drag from his cigarette. "Funniest thing I've heard all year. Cheers for that."

"I'm being serious!" Yui protested, frowning at the boy.

"And I'm telling ya', give up," Sora shook his head as he stood up and walked over to the railings, leaning his back against them as he turned to stare back at the sky. "...you wouldn't understand. And to be honest, I can't really blame you. Aozora's death wasn't one of hope, the bastard gave it all away cause' he just didn't wanna' lose. Calling him a hero is like calling a villain a good person after slaughterin' a family of four. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth."

"How do you know that Aozora's death wasn't one of hope?" Yui asked, getting to her feet she pressed further. "Forgive me, but perhaps you only knew Aozora as a student and not a hero? You weren't there that day, you have no idea what must have been going through his head. So why even try and dissuade me?"

Sora didn't reply, he just kept on staring at the clouds.

"Why won't you-,"

"You're right. I'm not Aozora," Sora cut in. "I'm just a guy that left U.A. I have no right to talk about someone who sacrificed everything for a carefree tomorrow filled with hope, I'm just a loser. I ain't gonna believe in responsibility or anything like that, just live a carefree life and you'll be fine, that's what I've been doing. It's been working out great for me, and I'm the one still alive."

"That's not true," Yui replied, shaking her head at him. "But that's beside the point. I came here to thank you. Earlier this morning you were heroic. That counts for something. Anyways, why don't we move on to a happier topic, Yamazaki-senpai?"

"Sora. Just call me Sora."

"Then please call me Yui in return."

Sora nodded, pulling out an open bag of sweets from his pocket and offering one to Yui. She thanked him for the offer, taking a sour cherry sweet and eating it. Yui watched as something flickered behind Sora's eyes, perhaps it was happiness at not being alone, or maybe it was nostalgia?

"Sora, who's your favourite hero?"

"Hm. Probably Earphone Jack or Chargebolt," He replied, and simply muttering those two names, Yui could see a change in attitude. He became more relaxed, not to mention he was smiling instead of frowning. And his eyes - they had a warmth in them that Yui had never seen in anyone before. "They're pretty great. To be honest, I sorta don't care for heroes, but those two - and really everyone in Class 2A and 2B are my favourites."

"Fair enough," Yui whispered, leaning against the railing beside him as she peered down below. "I love Earphone Jack myself. Especially her music! I really hope she wins an award this year for her new album. But I guess it's hard to believe that there are people our age who somehow are heroes. Fighting day in and day out. I guess it makes normal people like us feel minuscule in response…"

Yui watched as Sora's eyes narrowed, and for a brief second his gaze was fixed upon the very wooden sword that he still held with his right hand.

"Normal, huh?"

Yui didn't know if he was talking to himself or her.

"Why do you carry a wooden sword around anyway?" Yui asked curiously.

"Training. Before and after school, I go to a nearby dojo for me to train in kenjutsu. You know, old sword fighting. Like samurai," Sora answered with a grin. "It helps that my teacher's a slave driver. I swear, she basically wants me to quit school so she can train me herself every day and try to get me into doing it professionally."

Yui giggled at the image of Sora scowling as a woman hit him on the head with a wooden sword, yelling 'Learn!' each time she hit him. Yui looked at the time and chewed the inside of her tongue, she still hadn't finished her lunch and she had only a few minutes left.

Ultimately, she was disappointed that their conversation couldn't continue for much longer.

"I see. Well, it was a pleasure speaking to you, Sora, but I haven't finished my lunch. Do you mind if we exchange numbers?" Yui asked, watching as Sora shrugged his shoulders as he reached into his inner pockets and…

Pulled out an old phone.

It was a small silver flip phone with an 'M' printed over the cover. What was even more curious was the small antenna the phone had or the fact that as she opened up the phone, she was met with buttons and a tiny top screen.

"Why do you…" Yui trailed off as she inspected the device even more. "How do I even find your number?"

"I thought you were going to input your number?" Sora asked. "If not, I can give you mine. I have it memorised," Sora gave Yui his number, and after a test call, where the old flip phone rang loudly with a chime from an old anime Yui was sure she had watched as a kid, she bid farewell to the strange boy.

After all, how many boys her age used a flip phone?

None.

So what was the reason?

Yui Kazuma could only giggle in response.

What an interesting person.

---

"I'm home!" Yui called out, throwing her backpack on the floor as she walked to the living room, and plopping herself down on the couch. Her uncle was in the kitchen, and Yui could see the grocery bags on the kitchen counter meaning he had done the food shopping for the week. Her aunt on the other hand sat in front of the TV, her eyes glued to the screen as she watched the news.

"Yamaguchi's response to the missing 5 billion Yen was encouraging! The fact is that the money will be found, and knowing that some of the best heroes and detectives in the country are being put on the case eases my worries. According to recent information, 'Saviour of Musutafu' Death Arms, a Top 5 hero, has been assigned to the case! Isn't that great to hear?"

"Well, it is pleasant to hear. Still, the 'Saviour of Musutafu?' I understand the city was in a crisis earlier this year, but just because Death Arms helped it recover doesn't mean he's a saviour. Either way, we hope Death Arm can solve this case promptly! This is Kiryu Tachibana signing off your evening news!"

Yui's face scrunched up in confusion.

'Huh. Isn't that the news from earlier this morning?'

"Welcome back, Yui," Her aunt replied, smiling at her. "How was your day at school?"

"You know, same old same old," Yui replied, taking off her blazer and unbuttoning her shirt slightly. "Oh, but I did meet an interesting guy."

"You did?"

Yui nodded.

"Mmh. He's a second-year, but he's super strange. I mean he carries a wooden sword around with him, and he smokes, but he's not a delinquent? Not to mention he has a flip phone," Yui smiled as she thought about him. Sora Yamazaki. "I mean what kind of city boy does that? Maybe I'm not used to the city as much as I thought I was, I thought everyone here was supposed to have the best and newest things. Oh well, maybe I was wrong."

Yui watched as her aunt smirked at her husband, before shaking her head as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Yui, do you know what a crush is?"

She couldn't help but bury her face in her hands, feeling her face flush red as she groaned loudly.

"Of course, I know what a crush is!" Yui replied. "But I don't have a crush on him! It's more like he's a mystery, something feels odd about him. I mean he's what, seventeen? But he's alone. By choice. Auntie, he's a U.A. dropout. Who drops out of U.A. willingly? Not to mention he just seemed so…"

Sad.

If there was a singular word Yui Kazuma could use to describe Sora, it was sad. From his uniform, which he obviously didn't iron, to his brown hair that nearly went down to his shoulders - the fact that he was a chain smoker. But more important than those, or rather what stuck out to Yui the most, was his eyes. It was as if he was forcing himself to speak to others, forcing himself to go to school.

They weren't the eyes of a seventeen-year-old boy.

"Well, we will hear more about the boy soon enough," Her uncle joked, putting on his coat as he headed to the door. "The gas still isn't working properly, you'd think they'd have it fixed after two days but no. The city council can't even manage that. Useless politicians. Anyways, looks like we're going to have to get takeout tonight."

"Takeout?" Yui whined at that. "Can't we go to a restaurant for once? I'm tired of you ordering from the same ramen takeout place, Uncle Kaz. Please." Her uncle chuckled, shrugging his shoulders in response.

"Fine, fine. But that's only because you're the only niece I have got it?" Yui grinned at him, turning to her aunt who rolled their eyes at their exchange.

"Alright, we'll go in fifteen minutes. Let me just get ready." Her aunt said, getting off the couch and walking to her bedroom. Yui watched as her uncle walked to the freezer and brought out two ice lollies, throwing one at Yui who managed to catch it just in time before it smashed against the floor.

Yui thanked him, eagerly tearing the wrapper away before she bit into it.

"How's the city life treating you?" Her uncle asked her. "Don't get me wrong, I love our island of Hokkaido. I love being near Sapporo, and I do love our small town of Akaigawa, but that doesn't mean I don't understand why you ran away."

Yui's breath hitched as she nodded slowly, choosing not to reply to her uncle.

"I love my brother and his wife dearly, but that doesn't mean I'm blind to how they've treated you," Her uncle continued, shaking his head. "The family inn is exactly that, a family business. But your father… Listen, I was lucky that I was born a few years after him. It's a shame he's trying to force you to own the inn when you grow up, because that's exactly what happened to him and my own mother, but-,"

"It's fine, Uncle Kaz," Yui cut in with a smile. She was used to this. "I've made my peace with it a long time ago. But isn't that why I moved to the city? To live with you and Auntie Mai? I'm taking control of my own future, living with hope and all that. Just like Aozora."

Her uncle frowned at that.

"Yui, you ran away from your home. That's hardly taking control of your future, that's putting yourself in danger and hurting your parents," He replied. "You'll always have a room here, even in your fifties, but you're sixteen. You don't necessarily know what you want, or what you're going to do. It's fine to feel lost, but don't hurt yourself or your family in the process. Because family's the one thing in this world that matters. Whether it's your blood family, or family built through strong bonds."

Yui nodded slowly at that.

"So, what would you have me do, Uncle Kaz?" She asked him. "Being back home… it feels like I'm trapped there. Hopeless as I march head-on to my hopeless destiny of being trapped there forever. Of trapping any potential children I may have there. I want to explore the world, I want to write books, and I want to spread a message of hope. How can I do that in Akaigawa, a small town in the middle of nowhere?"

"I don't know," Her uncle answered, shrugging his shoulders. "Maybe there isn't a clear-cut answer waiting for you. Maybe you have to search for it, endure what you think you shouldn't. But running away from your problems like you currently are, choosing to ignore your responsibilities - Not to the family inn, to your parents. One's that love you so much that they call me every day to check up on you because you ignore their calls and messages."

Yui flinched as he said that, unable to reach his eyes nor look at her phone.

"I-, It's just…" Yui couldn't reply to that.

Her uncle sighed, taking off his silver spectacles as he walked towards her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling Yui closer to him.

"I only have one niece. And so does Mai. Yui, you mean a lot to all of us. We all want you to succeed, to be greater than us. I know why you ran away, why you came to us, and even though I don't know why you've stayed - You are welcome to stay here for as long as you like. Even if you ignore your parents for a while longer, that's fine. You're only sixteen, you are still growing. You'll make mistakes and that's okay. Whatever you decide on doing, we will all support you."

"Even if it means never going back to Akaigawa?" Yui asked.

"Even that," Her uncle nodded at her. "But don't run away from your responsibility. If you truly think that it's your destiny to run our family inn, then break it. Change it. Yui, you'll never be alone. We all want the best for you, we all know that you can achieve it all. You're the best of all of us, Yui. You're on your way to greatness, so don't fail here."

Yui snorted at that.

Despite that, she thanked her uncle as she hugged him tightly. Despite that, she had no intentions of ever going back to Akaigawa, of speaking to her parents or ever running her family inn. Aozora's life, and his death, had taught her an important lesson. Yui was going to live her life the way she wanted until she died! Even if she was carefree, that was fine by her!

And that was final.

---

"So, here I was with a fish in my hand as your aunt watched me fascinated by how I managed to catch a big one with just my hands when I asked her out on a date. I said I'd cook the fish to perfection, and she challenged me to do so for her," Yui giggled as her uncle boisterously told the story, his right arm clutching a beer bottle while his left hand drew circles around his wife's hand. "And look at us now."

"Over forty, living in a city and in debt?" Mai joked.

"There are certainly worse ways to live life," Her uncle grinned at his wife. "And you're the one who got us into debt. If I recall, moving to a big city was your dream, not mine." Yui watched as her aunt rolled her eyes at him.

"I also seem to recall you shouting how you'd start a business in the city only to declare bankruptcy not only two years into running it," She joked. "Still, you are right about that. I wouldn't trade this for the world. Anyway, enough about that, when do you think our food will arrive? I'm quite famished."

Yui giggled at her aunt.

"Auntie, no one says famished anymore. Just say you're hungry."

"Yeah Mai," Her uncle added, "Stop using old people's language and get with the times already, you batty old lady."

Yui laughed at the exchange between the married couple, something that would never get tired. Her uncle had driven them to a nearby diner, and although it looked a little run down, he had told her that he knew the owner. Apparently, they used to live near them, but after he had a stroke he and his grandson moved to live on top of their diner.

While the diner wasn't empty, it wasn't exactly full either.

Despite that, Yui patiently awaited for their starters to arrive. They had ordered bread, some olives and karaage as their appetizers, not to mention their drinks which had already arrived. The owner was an old man, and despite having suffered from a stroke, he seemed happy to still work as he chatted with each customer excitedly.

Outside of the owner, a female waiter who was busy and the chef, she couldn't tell if anyone else was working.

When was-,

Stepping out of the kitchen, holding two plates, Yui felt her breath hitch at her throat as she inspected the boy who looked like he had just woken up. Medium-length brown hair that was still largely untamed, not to mention the same amount of stubble that gave him a rather odd vibe for a waiter.

The forced smile on his face as he walked to their table was also interesting, especially as he placed the starters across the table. But it was the unlit cigarette that was hiding behind his left ear, the scruffy uniform and his eyes that made Yui stare at him in fascination. She recognised him immediately, even if it was outside of the school setting.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" Sora Yamazaki asked as politely as he could, a forced smile plastered on his face as his eyes were closed. Yui could only stare in shock as her aunt and uncle thanked him for the service.

"S-Sora-senpai?" Yui asked, and she watched as the boy turned to her, his eyes opening in recognition.

"Oh shit," Sora said, taking a step back in surprise. "I didn't expect to see you here, Yukie. And it's just Sora."

"And I already told you, my name is Yui," She replied, smiling at the boy. "I didn't know you worked here."

Before Sora could open his mouth to reply, her uncle cleared his throat as he studied the boy, glaring at him harshly.

"So this is the boy that's gone and defiled my niece?" He asked sternly.

"To be honest, I just met her today," Sora replied, shaking his head as he fiddled with his apron. "Anyways, I'm not on the 'market' so to speak. So don't worry about me 'defiling' your niece."

Yui could only roll her eyes as her uncle began laughing boisterously.

"Haha! I like the balls on this kid," He yelled loudly. "Hey Shigeo, where did you find a waiter like him?" Yui watched as the waiter of the restaurant, a short old man with a white moustache and a full head of hair walked up to the table with a grin on his face, grabbing Sora in a playful headlock.

"The hell are you doing to my customers, you demented waiter?!" The old man yelled although Yui could clearly tell that he was amused by his tone of voice. Sora only scowled, clicking his tongue in annoyance as he shoved the old man lightly.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Stop with your scheming, you shitty old geezer. I don't need anyone meddling in my life," Sora replied, before turning back to the table where Yui sat and sighed. Grabbing the unlit cigarette hidden behind his ear, he twirled it around his fingers before bowing down slightly and began introducing himself. "Hello. My name is Sora Yamazaki and I'll be your waiter for tonight."

"Kazuhiro Kazuma, a pleasure to meet you," Her uncle replied, before pointing to his wife. "And this is my lovely wife, Mai Kazuma. And of course, you know our niece, Yui. So, you're the second-year student she was raving about earlier?"

"Uncle Kaz!" Yui yelled loudly, spluttering as she hid her face behind her hands.

"Raving about me?" Sora asked, genuinely confused as he scratched the back of his head. "Er, I don't think I've done much to be raved about. I just met her today."

"What about saving her from a few bullies?" Yui's aunt asked, clearly amused by the situation. "Or the fact that you're a city boy? Or the fact that you carry a wooden sword? Or the fact that you have a flip phone? They were all topics Yui seemed interested in theorising, naturally making you an interesting person."

Shigeo, the diner owner, could only laugh in response as he clapped Sora's back.

"It seems they got you there, Sora-chan," Shigeo joked. "Might as well come clean to them, ey?"

"Tsk," Sora huffed out in annoyance. "I assure you, I'm not an interesting person at all. I'm really a boring person. Anyways, I'm gonna go out back, alright owner? I have to check the stock for our drinks and take my fifteen-minute break. Don't come looking for me," Sora promptly walked away rudely, but Yui could see that instead of angering the owner, it made him sad.

She watched as Uncle Kaz cleared his throat, a solemn look passing on his face as he reached over to give the owner a pat on the back. Shigeo thanked him before turning to look at Yui, a small smile reaching his lips as his eyes lit up.

"Say, Missy," Shigeo began, clasping his hands together. "You wouldn't mind checking up on him, will you? If I go and talk to him, he'll just shut me out. And maybe you'll learn more answers about him. I'll even throw a free dessert for you!"

Yui looked torn as she glanced at her aunt and uncle.

Her aunt merely nodded at her while her uncle was chuckling loudly.

"Alright," Yui replied, getting up from her seat. "I'll take a free tiramisu."

Following Sora's path, Yui walked out back and was greeted with the strong smell of tobacco. It wasn't like she wasn't used to the smell, yet despite that Yui couldn't help but violently cough. Sitting on a plastic chair, staring at the cloudless sky was none other than Sora. A cigarette was being held with his right hand while his left held an open beer bottle.

Desperados.

It sounded Italian.

And yet, she dared not approach him. No, Yui joined him in watching the night sky, empty and alone. It wasn't like the countryside, where she was from, it was impossible to set up a blanket outside and watch the stars here in the sprawling city. Outside of the feint chatter that could be heard inside the restaurant, Yui could only watch as Sora scoffed, flicking his cigarette in the ashtray before swigging his beer down.

Yui could see the way his face twisted, even in the darkness.

He hated the taste of alcohol, or rather just that specific beer. Despite that, he was used to the taste which disheartened Yui as she took a step closer to try and stop him, but what stopped her was his voice.

"Man… I fucked up."

She didn't know if he was speaking to her or himself. But Yui could only watch as he shook his head and placed the beer bottle on the table in front of him, leaning back to view the sky once more. Yet that was when his eyes gave everything away.

If Yui had never met him, perhaps she would have thought differently. Maybe that's how good of an actor Sora Yamazaki was, perhaps he had even fooled himself into believing otherwise - But Yui could clearly see from his eyes alone just how sorrowful he was. It was something no seventeen-year-old boy should have in their eyes.

"You gonna' stand there or what?"

"Eh?" Yui jumped up in surprise as Sora chuckled at her, drawing another plastic chair close by as he tapped on it.

"You can sit if you want," Sora said, playing around with his lighter. "I'll stop smoking so I won't irritate your lungs. Let me guess, Gramps sent you here?"

Yui nodded.

"So, that's your grandpa?" She asked, sitting down beside him.

"Nah," Sora replied, smiling at the sky. "I don't know if my grandparents are alive. I know for a fact they are dead on my dad's side, but for my biological mother's… it's a guess. Shigeo's the grandpa of an old friend of mine, I just call him Gramps because it made sense at the time."

"Oh. is your friend here then?" Yui asked.

"...Yeah. You could say that," Sora pocketed his lighter, turning to face her. "So, what did he want you to do? If it's to check up on me, you can tell that old bastard that I'm perfectly fine and he needs to watch out for his own life first. I ain't a glass canon just cause-," Sora clicked his tongue in anger, taking another sip from his beer. "I'm good. And go tell that shitty old man that Desperados is shit, if he wants more customers he should order a bunch of Moretti bottles like I told him."

"What's the difference?"

"This," Sora pointed at the bottle he was drinking, "Is absolute shite. Tequila with beer doesn't go together. A salted Corona with lime is a lot better than this. Especially when you're at the beach with-," Sora trailed off again, and Yui giggled at the expression on his face. "Why are you laughing at me?"

"Because you look like you want to tell a story, but you can't."

"Yeah, well maybe I can't," Sora replied, leaning back on his chair. "Anyways, it doesn't matter. The past is better left buried. No point in facing it, so I might as well just run away from it for as long as I can."

"Cheers to that," Yui said as she grabbed his bottle and stared at it for a few seconds. "Mind if I take a sip?"

"Go ahead. I took it from the back anyways."

Yui grinned as she took a sip of the beer…

Only to spit it out right after.

"Haha," Sora laughed as he took the beer bottle away from her. "Told ya' it was disgusting. Imagine serving that to a customer, if I were served that I think I'd try my luck at a lawsuit. Tch. Stupid place."

"Then why work here?" Yui asked.

"To settle a debt," Sora answered honestly. "Been working here since January, but the old man and I go way back. I used to work here actually a few years back, a little part-time gig. As I said, he's the grandpa of an old friend of mine, and I owe my friend big time. Not money mind you, something that goes beyond money."

Before Yui could reply, a wrapped-up towel was thrown at Sora's face.

"Oi, stop flirting with the missy over there and take her out on a date already," Shigeo, the owner, joked. "If you want, I'll even cut your shift short for it."

"What the hell was that for, you decrepit old shit?!" Sora yelled angrily, grabbing the towel and throwing it right back at the elderly man. "And I already told you, I ain't gonna date her! I just met her, and anyways I'm off the damn market-,"

"So you have a girlfriend?" Yui cut in.

Sora opened his mouth, but Shigeo beat him to the punch.

"Him? Psh, get real Missy," The old man laughed at her. "The only girlfriend he has is his right hand at night. Anyway, have you decided on what university you want to attend? Don't you start considering that at your age or something?"

Sora shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know what I want to study, let alone what university to go to," Sora answered. "Anyways, what's it to you? Focus on your damn restaurant and your health. Stop worrying about me, I'll be fine."

"Will you?" Shigeo asked as he drew closer. "Because a seventeen-year-old smoking a packet of cigarettes and drinking alcohol every day doesn't seem like he's fine to me. I'm sure Missy can agree with me, right?"

"Y-yeah," Yui nodded at that. "It's a bit weird. Smoking is fine I guess, but a pack a day is a little overboard, don't you think? What about your lungs?"

"My lungs will be fine. Got a Quirk that keeps em' healthy after all," Sora replied, even if Shigeo snorted at that, he decided not to respond. "Anyways, I don't know what I want to do in the future, so here I am working."

"You don't even need the money." Shigeo pointed out.

"That's not the point," Sora replied, standing up as he stretched his legs. "You know full well more than anyone else that's not why I work here."

"You don't work here."

Yui blinked in surprise.

"Huh? But he's your waiter, no?" Yui asked in confusion.

"He's technically a volunteer," Sora growled at that. "I actually do owe you money, Sora. Although that's due to the fact that you haven't taken the wages that you are owed."

Sora pushed past him, stopping at the door as he sighed loudly.

"Just mind your own business."

Yui watched as Sora then stomped away, looking torn as she wondered if she should go after him. Despite that, she stayed sitting down and watched as the old man smiled sadly at where Sora was sitting.

"You know," Shigeo sat down next to her, placing his phone on the table as he showed her his lock screen. It was of a small boy that looked similar to Shigeo. "That boy could do great things. He did great things. Then he had to go and leave U.A. and screw his future up, that damned fool…"

"If you think he can do great things, why not fire him?" Yui asked.

"Because even if I did that, the idiot would come here and try to work anyways," Shigeo answered. "I'm sure he told you that I was the grandfather of his old friend, didn't he?" Yui nodded.

"He mentioned it once or twice."

"This is my grandson. One of the few pictures I have of Denji. You see I suffered a stroke about over a year ago now, and my grandson and Sora started drifting away back then. Now I don't know what happened during that funny business all those months ago, but all I know is that the Shie Hassaikai killed my grandson and left Sora feeling guilty for something that wasn't his fault."

"So the debt he owes you…"

Shigeo nodded.

"Maybe he won't appreciate me telling you this, but this is the first time I've seen that boy talk to someone his own age in months. He spends a lot of time working here, trying to make up for something that wasn't his fault. The boy even paid off my hospital bills, yet he still tries to help me out."

"That makes him a kind person," Yui pointed out.

"It does," Shigeo agreed with her. "But he doesn't see it that way. And that tripe about his Quirk? Don't believe it, I've known that boy for a while. He lost his Quirk. Or maybe he just stopped using it. Either way, if Denji could see him now I'm sure he'd be angry that his friend became such a disappointment. He even gave up on his dream…"

"His dream?"

Shigeo looked conflicted, but eventually, he shrugged his shoulders as he explained it to Yui.

"We all pushed him to go to U.A. His family, friends and even me and a few others like his teachers at school. Maybe we're to blame for Sora turning out the way he did, but the boy will never admit that. I've known him since he was a fourteen-year-old brat asking me if he could watch Liverpool play on my TV - When he used to have a spark in his eyes. I may have lost my grandson, but Sora lost something worse I think…"

"And what's that?"

"His innocence."

Yui could see from the windows as Sora trudged around the restaurant, taking everyone's orders and delivering plates of food and drinks to customers, how forced it was. Before she thought it might have been him limping from an injury, or maybe perhaps he was tired, but now she could see it for what it really was.

"I see," Yui said, standing up and walking to the door. "So that's why you asked me to check up on him." Sora's guilt from whatever happened between him and the old man's grandson was suffocating him. It didn't take much for her to see Sora for what he really was, someone who was going through the motions of life rather than living it. Perhaps that was why at school Sora was alone, why his classmates knew so little of him.

Sora didn't want to get attached again.

"Uhm, Mr…"

"You can call me Shigeo, Missy."

"Shigeo, what was Sora studying at U.A. before he left? Maybe I can talk to his old classmates and try and figure out how I can help him?" Yui asked.

"He… general course. Although I doubt you'll find anyone willing to help him," Shigeo replied. "He parted on his own terms. That doesn't mean they were on pleasant terms, Missy. As a matter of fact, it was probably the worst possible outcome I've ever seen. Anyways, shall we head inside? I'm sure your food is ready."

---

The night was young, even if it was over for Yui.

"Thank you, please come again!" She heard the owner shout before shutting the restaurant's doors for that night. It was around ten at night, yet Yui couldn't help but watch him. Somehow, Sora Yamazaki was a walking contradiction. A seventeen-year-old that could drive an actual car, one that was a sports car no less.

Yet no one called him after his shift had ended, it seemed like no one in the world even knew he existed.

She clutched her phone to her chest.

'Should I message him? Call him. What would I even say…' Yui questioned herself. Would even meddling in his life do anything? Yui barely knew anything about him. But what would Aozora do? What would her hero do? Her mind was made up as she turned to face her aunt and uncle.

"I'm staying up for a little bit," Yui yelled, running over to Sora's car. "I'll keep you updated!" Yui didn't wait to hear her aunt and uncle's response, knowing that it would likely be one that would make her sigh. Sora drove a sleek silver sports car with a spoiler, but that didn't stop Yui from banging on the windows of his car right before he started the engine.

"Open up!" Yui yelled, pressing her face against the window.

She watched as Sora swore loudly, jumping back in his seat before scowling at her. It took him a few seconds before he unlocked the car doors, and Yui thanked him as she sat beside him.

"What are you doing? It's a Monday night. We have school tomorrow."

"So what," Yui said. "I want to speak to you."

"And can't that wait until tomorrow?" Sora replied irritated. Yui watched as he started the car, easing his foot off the clutch slightly to the biting point before taking off. There was no music in his car, in fact, the radio was off. Yui frowned at that but didn't say anything as she fastened her seatbelt.

"Nope! Oh, and you're driving me home after this."

"Huh?" Sora yelled in surprise, checking his mirrors as he turned left. "We are living in an economic crisis! Think about the freakin' gas prices! There is no way in hell I'm driving you home!"

"So you'll let a sixteen-year-old girl walk all alone at night?"

"Not my fault you got in my car," Sora grumbled. "Fine, fine, I'll drive you home. But we are making a stop at my house first. At least let me eat some food damnit!" Yui giggled at his antics, especially when a car cut in front of him. "You motherfucker! I was going to fucking give you space you piece of shit! Fucking go kill yourself, you stupid bitch! Whore! FUCK!"

"Has anyone ever told you that you swear too much?"

"Oh you have no idea," Sora laughed, signalling to the right, "My old friends used to have a swear jar and I-, Never mind that."

…

"I spoke to Shigeo about you. About your old friends-,"

"That's enough," Sora cut in, "We're here."

Sora parked his car outside an apartment complex. It looked expensive, especially since there were designated parking spaces for those living there. Sora yawned as he shut his car off, before locking it and leading Yui to the building. He swiped a keycard down, allowing the doors to be opened, and Sora whistled his way up to the second floor.

The apartment door was number ninety-eight for some, which seemed odd to Yui, but she thanked him anyway as he opened the door and allowed her in.

The lights were completely off.

Sora was the first person to be here, which made Yui think that he lived alone. But as the lights were turned on, she could see the various shoes on the shoe rack and coats on the hanger that didn't fit him or were his style. Not to mention the pictures decorated around the walls, one of a blue-haired boy and an orange-haired girl. It was the boy who drew her attention, one with the same scowl as the boy in front of her…

"Did you dye your hair?!"

"No," Sora immediately replied. "My hair just used to be blue. Anyways looks like my parents ain't back yet, so you can sit on the couch if you want," Sora walked over to the fridge, humping to himself as he took a box filled with cold pasta and put it in the microwave for five minutes.

"Do your parents often come home late?"

"Sorta. Dad's been promoted to the head doctor of his hospital, so he has to work a lot later nowadays, but he also gets to work at home more often. My Mum's a primary school teacher, so usually, she goes out late with her work colleagues for drinks after a long day. But today's Mum and Dad's anniversary, so I think they made a reservation right about now at an expensive place, so it's just me."

"And what about…" Yui trailed off as she pointed at the orange-haired girl in the pictures.

"Oh. Miwa goes to a private school. She lives at their dorms, so she doesn't come back here all that much. I pretty much have the whole place to myself which is cool. I cook for myself and my parents, clean the whole place when I ain't out and just have a good time. Even connected my set up to the big TV here," Sora pointed at the new console hooked up to the massive TV in the living room, easily over fifty inches. "It's pretty good."

"Lonely too," Yui added. "Why don't you invite your friends over?"

"They're busy," Sora answered, plopping himself next to her on the couch as he rested his feet on the small table in front of them. "And even if they weren't, I don't wanna see their faces. I doubt they'd want to see mine either."

"Why's that? Shigeo told me-,"

"Forget what that old fart told ya'," Sora replied, closing his eyes as he sunk into the couch. "He doesn't know shit. Just bits and pieces from what she told him."

"Who's she? Your sister?"

Sora snorted at that.

"Nah. My ex-girlfriend. I broke up with her when I left U.A. a few months ago, pretty sure she hates my guts which is good," Sora chuckled to himself. "Anyways, I ain't sad or anythin'. Nor am I lonely. I used to think I was drowning a while back, but I'm happier now than I was back then. Leavin' U.A. was the greatest decision of my life."

"Then why push everyone away?" Yui asked him. "Why ignore people in your class-,"

"Don't come at me without all the facts," Sora cut in, smiling at her softly. "I get it. I do. And it's not like I'm avoiding them, I'm just that busy. Not to mention they all hound me with questions about 2A and 2B because surely I must know them. Especially that annoying Aimi bitch. The point is they annoy me for no reason. Not to mention I use my breaks to catch up on sleep."

"Catch up on sleep?" Yui asked, confused.

"Yeah. My shift might have ended, but I'm a busy guy," Sora said, getting up from the couch as he walked to the microwave and took his pasta out, grabbing a fork before digging into his meal. Yui could see that there were even some chicken pieces in it.

"Usually my Uncle finishes work around this time, so I see him until like three. By the time I come back, it's four, and school starts in a few hours so I might as well start revising and take naps at school. Then before school starts, I have training at the dojo for two hours. Then after school, I come back here to take a nap until six, where I go to Gramps' place and start working for four hours."

"That sounds…"

"Rough?" Sora laughed at himself, reaching out to add some salt and pepper to his meal. "Yeah, it's not good I'll tell ya' that much. But it's only temporary. I'm sure when I find the university I want to attend, and what course I'll do, I'll spend more time revising than I already do to pass those difficult entry exams. It's a bit hectic, but that's what I get for not having a goal in life."

"What about U.A.?"

"What about it?" Sora asked her. "I left in December. Haven't looked back since. Listen, I'm only going to say this once. I left U.A. out of my own choice. I wasn't happy there, I made a few mistakes that I couldn't take back. But I left to ultimately be happy, to live my own life free from what nearly ruined it in the first place. A carefree tomorrow, and in my eyes, I've achieved that."

"Fair enough," Yui shrugged her shoulders in response. There wasn't anything she could say to that. "But do you think you're better off alone? The old man told me you don't even speak to anyone in your old class… that they wouldn't even reach out… doesn't that hurt?"

Something unrecognisable flickered in his eyes, an emotion that Yui couldn't quite decipher. His eyebrows scrunched up as his posture changed, it was almost as if he was guarding himself yet now he looked vulnerable. His hands were visibly shaking, his pasta nearly falling out of his container all before it stopped - It was as if nothing had happened. Sora went back to smiling, grinning even as he laughed out loud.

"Hurt? Not really. Those guys… I don't think we were ever really friends. I was always doing dumb shit for them, and in the end, I was the one who got hurt. It's better that I left them when I did because at least now I get to live my life carefree," Sora replied. "And so do they. In a sense, it's better this way for both me and them. It doesn't hurt for me-,"

"But what about them? Doesn't it hurt them?"

Sora's smile faltered.

"I… that's not my problem," Sora eventually said, placing his food on the kitchen counter. "We aren't friends anymore. I haven't spoken to them in months, nor do I want to. They're at U.A., living their best lives and I'm on my own path. That's what happens when you grow up, people you used to think would be in your life forever aren't, and suddenly you're left to walk alone. It's not my responsibility anymore."

"It sounds lonely."

"Maybe, but I'm not alone," Sora replied. "Not really. I have good memories that I'll cherish forever, feelings that soar even in the wind. I still have my family, my Uncle, and tons of other people in my life. Just not my… well, just not old friends. There is nothing wrong with that."

"It seems like you're running away," Yui pointed out.

"Nah. I ain't. What about you though? Ain't you running away?" Sora asked, smirking at her. "I mean you come from a small town near Sapporo, right? While you were stuck inside with Gramps, I spoke to your aunt and uncle. If you're hellbent on living in the city, why not make an effort and make friends? Seems like you don't even wanna be here, but you don't wanna go back home either."

"I-," Yui paused, thinking about what he was saying. "Maybe you're right. Maybe we're both just running away-,"

"We aren't running away," Sora cut in. "We're living out our lives. You want to write a book about Aozora, and I want a carefree life. Ultimately, I can't do that at U.A., and you can't do that while living in your small town. It's selfish to live only for other people I've learned, and it was a painful lesson. Going back to U.A. for me is going back to my old friends, going back to living only for them - A one-way trip to my grave-,"

Yui watched as Sora started coughing violently, with blood splattering on the white kitchen counter.

"M'fine," Sora said, clearing his throat as he wiped away his blood. "I had a chest infection recently. Still feel a little bad from it."

"You sure it's not from your death sticks?"

"Heh," Sora chuckled at that. "I'm tellin' ya, I'm fine. Those 'death sticks' can't do any permanent damage to my lungs, if there is any damage it means that it was already there. I'll be fine."

"Alright then," Yui replied, looking around the apartment. "So, where is your room?"

"Furthest down the hallway to the left. I'll show you." Sora led her through his apartment, and Yui could see even more family pictures hung up on the wall. Pictures of Sora graduating from his elementary and middle school, what was presumably his first day at U.A. and even pictures with people around his age. Most likely his old friends, yet there was a girl in the old photos that Yui recognised from somewhere…

Ear lobes that looked like headphone jacks?

…

"Here's my room," Sora opened his door to reveal a tidy room. Although it wasn't because Sora had tidied it, no Yui could see a thin layer of dust coating the vast majority of the room. It was because there were many packed boxes in the room, almost as if Sora was moving out soon. "Don't mind the boxes. They are just… yeah."

"You planning on moving out?"

"Hopefully. I don't want to burden my parents any more than I already have, and my sister… yeah it's better if I move out by the time I graduate," Sora grinned at her, sitting down on his chair. Yui sat opposite him, he only had a single bed in his room. "I'm hoping to find a place by the end of next year."

"School year?"

"Yeah, by the time I finish high school and start working full-time, or go to university, I want to have a place where I can live alone full time. I have the money for it, just need to be of age to rent it out," Sora explained. "Oh, and it's not illegal money or anything. I had a job while I was still in U.A. where I had a pretty wealthy client. Pretty sure she tipped me to make me stop pissing off her guests, but oh well, I still got paid a lot of money which I still have to this day."

Yui nodded at him in understanding.

"Wow. The more you speak the more I'm amazed," Yui told him, standing up to inspect the room. "Still, I would have thought your room would be a little more decorated. Won't you visit your family, even after you move out?"

"It's complicated," Sora answered, leaning back on his chair. "My family didn't want me to leave U.A. On the one hand, they don't blame me for leaving. After what happened, I'm sure they're glad I'm out of danger. But I don't know, I guess they feel guilty for pushing me into U.A. They feel like they're responsible for how things turned out, and maybe that's why they aren't here. Maybe they want to avoid that guilt. Or maybe they can't stand the fucking sight of me."

Sora opened his window, grabbing a cigarette from his packet as well as the lighter that sat on top of his desk as he started to smoke yet again. Yui could faintly hear the horns of cars, even if it was nighttime.

"I get that. Sorta. As my aunt and uncle told you, I ran away from home a few months ago," Yui opened up, shyly scratching her left arm as she refused to meet his gaze. "My parents call my phone often, I get tons of messages from them, but I can't face them. I can't even talk to them. I just feel like the words I want to say will get stuck in my throat, and I'll be forced into living a life I don't want to."

"What do you mean?" Sora asked in confusion.

"Ah, so my aunt and uncle didn't tell you why I ran away?" Sora shook his head, taking another drag from his cigarette. "My family runs an old inn. I have no siblings, so my Dad wants me to be its next owner. It's not like my Mum cares either, she'd rather I become the owner as well. Both my Dad and Mum grew up in that small town, they didn't leave it until they were adults but they had to come back in the end, the inn needed a new owner. Being the next owner means resigning my life to living in that town and never accomplishing anything."

Sora nodded at that.

"Fair enough. I guess Aozora 'defying' his fate and dying on his own terms is what really inspired you. The hope to do the same in your life," Yui nodded at that, glad that Sora understood her. "I still think it's stupid. Aozora isn't someone you should look up to. But I won't deny the fact that he defied his fate that day. He went from a hero who couldn't save anyone to a hero who lost himself. He's just a big loser."

"Y-you!" Yui stood up from the bed and walked over to him angrily. "He's dead! He died, and you're calling him a loser?! Just because you went to school with him doesn't mean you know him! You can't make fun of a dead man! What about everyone in 2A and 2B who were friends with him? What would they think? What about your friends in U.A.?"

Yui could only watch as Sora leaned against his window, something flickering in his eyes as he threw his cigarette out of the window and stood up, pressing her against the wall.

"Do you think I care? I knew him better than you did. Hell, I knew him better than all the people you just mentioned as well. You can argue all you like, and you can look up to him all you want, but the truth is that I know more about Aozora than anyone else. I'm not calling him a bastard because I think he is one, it's because I know he's one," Sora whispered to her, "And it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. Admiration is the furthest thing from understanding, 2A didn't get that and it cost them their friend. I didn't understand and it cost me my-,"

Sora sighed, clicking his tongue angrily as he turned around and sat on his seat. For a while, his gaze seemed to be fixated on a small frame that was turned against his wall, buried at the back of his desk.

Yui could only wonder what picture was in the frame as Sora's door was flung open.

"Sora! Who's shoes are at the door?" A middle-aged woman with light brown hair and blue eyes walked into the room. "Last time Kyoka was over-," The woman turned to stare at Yui in surprise.

"Uhm, hi. They are my shoes," Yui bowed her head. "I'm Yui Kazuma, thanks for having me!"

…

Thwack.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?!"

"Why didn't you tell me we were having guests?!" The woman yelled angrily. "I would have given you money to order food! How can I send such a nice girl back home hungry? Do you know how ashamed that would make me?"

"She's already eaten, you daft woman!" Sora yelled back, rubbing his head. "She was at the restaurant and followed me back. She already ate food, so she doesn't need to eat."

"That's not up to you to decide! Idiot, I thought I raised you better than that?!" Sora grumbled as the woman turned to Yui, smiling at her warmly. "Hi, I'm this blockhead's mother, but you can just call me Hinata. Do you want to come and sit in the living room? I'll make you some tea while Sora cleans his filthy room, and then he'll drive you home. Is that alright?"

Yui nodded, walking out of Sora's room as she heard him sigh heavily.

"Uh, Hinata-san, tea isn't-,"

"Hinata-san? Oh, well aren't you a little cutie," Hinata giggled, closing Sora's door as she led her to the living room. "Anyways, don't worry about tea. If anything that's an excuse to make Sora clean his room later since he hates the smell of tea. I really just wanted to talk to you."

"Talk to me?"

"Yes," Hinata nodded, sitting down next to her on the couch. "It's been a while since my son's brought over a friend. Since around July last year actually, so around a year ago. Since then he's either lived in U.A., or he came back here all alone. Then he left U.A., and while we never got the full details, when Kyoka came around we sort of got an understanding of what happened."

"Kyoka?"

"Ah, Kyoka is Sora's ex-girlfriend," Hinata explained. Yui could see the sadness in her eyes as she said that. "I've known that girl for years. You know, we always knew they'd get together in the end. They were far too close and far too comfortable for one - But it was the way their eyes lit up when they were around each other. They bickered like an old married couple, but they held so much love for each other."

"What happened?" Yui found herself asking.

"When Sora left U.A., he told us he wouldn't go back. At first, we thought it might have to do with… well there is no point getting into that story, but around November last year Sora got in an accident. I'm sure you've heard from Shigeo that his grandson lost his life in that accident, and Sora's blamed himself ever since. I think he's so buried in that guilt that he believes even we, his family, blame him for something that isn't his fault…"

"He said that you avoid him," Yui pointed out.

Hinata deflated at that, shaking her head.

"If anything it's the opposite. Sora avoids us. Either he's out training, stuck at school, working or spending time with Shota at night - Shota's his Uncle if you didn't know. Anyways, after he left U.A. and said he wasn't going back we thought his friends would have visited, but they didn't. Now when Kyoka knocks on our door, of course, I'd let her in. My son's girlfriend and a young girl I'd known for many years. But when she stormed to Sora's door and began banging on it, that's when I knew something was up."

"Did he cheat on her?" Yui asked.

"No. Although what he did was worse," Hinata replied, her hands shaking as she explained the story. "I've only seen my son be a loving and caring person to Kyoka. When he was younger he had a few behavioural issues, it was something that he eventually ironed out. Sora's always been a kind boy, perhaps too kind. But when he opened his door he had a look on his face that I had never seen before. Disgust. The two of them said many awful things to each other, I had to actively physically restrict not only Kyoka but my daughter, Miwa, from trying to beat him up."

"Huh?" Yui's mouth dropped as she stared at Hinata in shock. "What did he say? What did he even do?"

"When Sora left U.A., he had to leave his friends behind as well. But instead of leaving normally, he thought it would be better if-,"

"That's enough."

Leaning against the wall with an unlit cigarette in his mouth, Sora stared at the two of them.

"I'll explain my story in my own time with my own words. In the meantime, you need to go to bed, Mum. Miwa is coming back tomorrow and I know you'll want to leave work early to prepare a big dinner for her. Don't worry about the cleaning, I'll get the whole apartment done tonight. Uncle Shota said he can't meet with me tonight," Sora said, grabbing the keys to his car. "I'll drive you home now, Yui."

"Alright," Yui said, getting up from the couch as she bowed her head to Hinata. "Thank you for having me here."

"I hope I'll be seeing you around here more often," Hinata smiled at her. "What do you think, Sora? She's pretty, maybe she'll be the sun to brighten up your doom and gloom. And what did I say about smoking?"

"Not to do it inside the house?" Sora grumbled.

"Not to do it at all."

"Yeah, well, I'm seventeen," Sora replied. "You can't stop me from doing them, not to mention Dad doesn't care. If anything him buying me packets helps me smoke more."

"...he buys you packets?"

Sora froze at that.

"Uh, come on Yui, I think there's traffic!"

---

The car drive was quiet.

Yui tapped her nails against the window as cars drove past them. Sora's window was half open as he was driving with one hand while smoking using his other, and the radio was still closed. Yui felt frustrated, but ultimately she couldn't do anything about it. The more she learned about Sora, the more puzzled she was.

Sora Yamazaki was a mystery.

He had so many contradictions and so much history and ultimately she could only be fascinated by him. It didn't help that according to him, he knew Aozora better than anyone else. If Yui really wanted to accomplish her dream, if she really did want to write a book about Aozora, she'd have to use Sora as a primary source of information…

But looking at the boy, who was frowning and growing more impatient with the car in front of them, Yui could only giggle.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Then why giggle?"

"Has anyone ever told you that you frown too much?"

Sora snorted.

"Yeah, way too many fuckin' times. Like that'll stop me."

"See? That's why I'm laughing," Yui replied. "Anyways, we can take the closest right and it'll be a shortcut." Sora nodded and did exactly that, and after a few minutes, he parked right outside her apartment complex.

"Alright, here we are. Good night-,"

"Wait!" Yui cut in, staring directly at him. "I-, Okay, maybe I might have overstepped my boundaries tonight. But you're the closest thing I have to learning more about Aozora! 2A is never going to accept an interview with me, but you said you knew him! Listen, I may not know what happened to you or what you've done in your past - And frankly, I don't care! I need your help!"

"I'm telling ya', you're better off just giving up," Sora said in response. "Listen, you can never take back the truth. Once you learn something you can't just forget it, I know because I've tried. It doesn't work that way, sadly."

"It doesn't matter! I… Aozora gave me hope. I moved to the city because of him. In the same way, your leaving U.A. has freed your life, well so has Aozora's death to mine! I owe him a debt, the same way you say you owe your friend a debt, and I won't ever forget the price that Aozora paid for everyone's lives! You might think he's not a hero, but I do. And I'll make sure that everyone else remembers him as one too."

Sora shook his head, clicking his tongue in anger as he tapped his fingers against the steering wheel of the car impatiently.

"And what if… what if the stories I tell you about Aozora, what if the truth about him will make you think differently about your hero?" Sora eventually asked her. "I can't promise that after you hear about him you'll still want to write about him in a positive light. Hell, I don't think anyone in 2A would even listen to your request to write about him."

"Then so be it, Aozora was only human after all," Yui responded. "I'm sure that in the end, his death wasn't more so of an act of good. Perhaps you were right. Most heroes don't sacrifice themselves, they have far too much to lose to do so. But, that doesn't mean that they aren't heroes. I may have not known Aozora as closely as you did, and I may have not fully understood his actions - But I'm not writing about that. I'm writing about how his death made me feel, how his death made everyone else feel. The hope he's given me. That's why he's my hero."

Sora nodded at her, slowly exhaling, as he eventually started laughing.

"Fine, fine. I'll help you," Sora told her. "After hearing something like that, I'd be a fool to turn you down. You'd only go after more dangerous sources after all, and it would be my fault if you died 'cause of it."

"Wait, really?"

Sora nodded.

Yui couldn't contain her excitement as she leaned over and hugged him tightly. She felt him tense up but paid no attention as she thanked him profoundly. In response, all Sora could do was pat her back awkwardly.

"Listen, about my past…" Sora trailed off, leaning back in his seat as he thought of what to say. "My Mum doesn't know everything about what happened. And she probably never will. Yeah, my ex-girlfriend came to visit me after I left U.A. demanding an explanation - And yes, our argument afterwards did lead to our break up. My Mum was right, I didn't leave U.A. as any normal person would."

"...What did you do?"

"I just made sure that they didn't want to be friends with me after I left," Sora answered vaguely. "In the end, I just wanted to protect them. From me and my selfishness. Back then I did everything for them, but they couldn't help me back. Maybe I didn't allow it, or maybe I'd coddled them too much. The point is I was the one who ended up with scars, a dead friend and an understanding of my life. About how stupid I had been in aiming for my goal."

"There is no such thing as a stupid goal," Yui told him. "I'm sure your goal wasn't stupid."

"Oh, it was. At the end of it, I was just being selfish, I wanted to have cake and have the frosting on top," Sora replied, chuckling as he played with his lighter. "Those who kill must be prepared to be killed. There are burdens that were placed on me, facts I refused to accept - Boundaries I didn't want to cross because I was afraid. Afraid I'd turn into a monster, but to achieve the goal I had to do exactly that."

"What was your goal?"

"It's simple. Just make a carefree tomorrow," Sora answered bitterly. "Thought I'd be able to share it with my family and friends, but I couldn't do it. I failed in that. So the next best thing is a carefree tomorrow for them without me in it. Maybe that's why Kyoka was so angry with me, I think she knew that I'd achieved my dream. She just didn't want 'us' to end, but I went and forced the decision on her. It's why she and my sister tried to beat me up."

"That's…" Yui couldn't find the right words to describe what Sora had just explained to her. "You say you're happier now, right?" Sora nodded at her, even smiling which lifted up her spirits.

"Yeah. I am. Anyway, you might as well go home now. Pretty sure your aunt and uncle are going to give you an earful or something." Yui nodded, thanking him as she got out of the car. That was it. Perhaps that was all Sora Yamazaki had to offer, but Yui knew that she was just scratching the surface with him. Yet even as he prepared to drive away, Yui couldn't help but stare at his eyes.

The way they softened, almost watery but not quite.

It was a rather obvious emotion.

Pain.

As Sora turned on his engine, indicating that he was going to turn right, Yui couldn't help herself as she jumped in front of his car.

"WAIT!" Yui yelled loudly. "I-, you're going to help me, so I'm going to help you back! I don't know what you've done, why your old friends don't want to speak to you or why your friend died, but that doesn't matter to me! I refuse to see you waste your life away by just existing! Even if it'll take one hundred years, I swear to you that I'll help you! I'm not going to let you shirk of your responsibilities like this!"

Yui was familiar with that look in his eyes, it was one she saw often reflected in her own eyes.

Sora could only gape at her before honking his horn.

Yui stepped aside and watched him drive away with a satisfied smile on her face. She wasn't going to give up. Maybe her family inn was a place that restricted her but in this big city? Yui was free.

A freedom that Aozora had fought for.

A freedom that allowed for a carefree tomorrow.

---

We are back!

Is this a weird chapter?

Yeah. You could argue that this chapter is the prologue to Part 2 of the story, a far more sombre act of this story than Part 1. This chapter has set up a lot of themes I want to explore, places I want Sora to go - And lessons I want him to learn.

It's by no means perfect, nor will it satisfy every reader that I kept waiting.

Yet, this is the only way I think I can tell the story.

These next few chapters are a lot more character-focused on Sora. I know Yui's existence throws a curveball into things, and you may be wondering what the point of her character even is.

She functions as a normal person.

Yui doesn't know things that you the audience knows, she isn't aware of Sora and the truth. She's a normal civilian, someone heroes are supposed to protect. She's the everyday fan, an innocent person with her own issues that a hero helped her with.

A hero standing up to injustice.

It's not hard to see where the story is going from here, although I do hope to surprise a few of you as you read this first arc back. Remembrance. I personally love it when superhero media take a while to build things back up after a brutal loss.

Daredevil Season 3, Spider-Man 2 and even The Dark Knight Rises.

It's heroic for a reason.

And that's what I really want to focus on within Part 2, the actual heroics. The hope. Part 1's ending answered what I think a hero is with Izuku's conclusion, one being that who endures through the worst of times. But I now want to answer why we need heroes, why we need to endure - And Sora isn't someone who's enduring.

As stated multiple times throughout the chapter, he's running away from his responsibility. And that's a key theme of Spider-Man, my favourite superhero ever. Well, my favourite character ever.

I didn't expect or want Sora to go through an arc of learning about responsibility and enduring pain, but it just happened. The characters write themselves, it's not me trying to force them to do so.

Again, this arc is simple.

It's a reintroduction to the world of Over the Top, to Sora and his journey to becoming a hero. To becoming an adult. I'm not going to sugarcoat it; this arc may bore you.

It's quite short, and the ending isn't a major plot twist.

But it's heartwarming I think, and I'd like to believe it highlights Sora's best aspects. His unwillingness to give up, to always get back up and fight - Even if right now it doesn't seem like it if right now he's ditched that responsibility.

Anyway, see you all soon for chapter 2 of Part 2! Or just chapter 47 overall.