Musutafu, Japan - November 2196
It was a nice, peaceful Saturday not too short of 14:00 (2 PM) to be exact. Having moved to her new apartment just two weeks ago, Tokage Setsuna stretched overhead as she was enjoying a nice movie on her cheap sofa. Her feet were kicked up on a cushioned stool cross-legged as she seemed particularly lazy.
She was currently watching a newly released movie called "Jurassic World", a continuation of the first "Jurassic Park"movie released in 2193. Ah, good times. She had fond memories of going to see that movie in high school.
She was watching from a flash drive connected to the main server to her TV set. Though technology hadn't evolved too drastically, it was safe to say DVDs were no longer a thing. As far as old-age technology goes, having a flash drive with hundreds of stored movies was the next big thing…and that was only from 30 years ago.
Of course, that was then. Tokage could have used holo-projections, but she didn't have the budget for something like that. Dinosaur-themed wear and items were neatly placed around her small apartment as she passed a lazy glance. She then noticed what time it was.
Knowing that she had stuff to do, the greenette stood up and adjusted her navy-blue jeans, which hugged her slender thighs considerably. She also sported a lime green t-shirt, which fitted her sexy frame quite well. She grabbed the small remote and turned the screen off, making sure to save at the exact spot the movie was paused at beforehand.
"Well, I've had my fill of being lazy for the day." Tokage chimed, rolling her neck side-to-side. "Guess I better go see what I need."
It was only recently that Tokage had gotten a new apartment, to accommodate herself for her new life as a UA student. Granted, she had only gotten the Recommendation Course notice a month ago, but she was so positive in herself that she urged her folks to let her move there already. Of course, having confidence and familiar necessities helped Tokage get her into the school to become a heroine, there was still the matter of her independence.
It was still something that she had yet to get used to, and if she got in through recommendations, she'd be given a full scholarship. That would definitely help her with her expenses, as well as costs for food.
After checking the fridge of what she needed, she set out, provided that she cleaned herself up some. She closed the door and used the key to lock it up. She turned and admired the nice view from the stairwell that went five stories up. Though she was on the fourth floor, it was still a nice view, nonetheless.
She made way towards the market area, where she entered a grocery store called Ukio Food Store. Once inside, she looked around at the various people that were there for the weekend specials. 'Looks like I made it before rush hour. Phew!' She looked at her list again, and as she walked in, grabbed an article that had a list of the store's weekly deals. Almost immediately, her focus darted onto the beef that looked like it would be good for a pot roast.
'That looks nice. Dice that up and I can make a nice stew that'll hold me over! Though, what's the good deal on those fish?' When she saw the large salmon that had a 25% off, she smirked. 'Well, that ain't bad either…okay then!'
Her shopping spree began. Though Tokage went for an ideal amount of meat and seafood, she made sure to only go for the ones that were marked down. Those ones were mainly because they had two days left at most before they may spoil or change color. She had enough common sense at her age to know to be responsible; it was how she was able to shape up in her high school career and get the recommendations needed. Something like this was just part of managing her duties.
Salmon and stew meat, as well as cereal, condiments, seasonings, and broth required. She had all the items in a medium-sized basket that held a lot. The reinforced handles sufficed with many people who had strong grips for Quirks.
Tokage was walking down the frozen food section and took a right into it. She looked for the frozen peas and opened the refrigerated door. A wave of cool mist hit her, immediately making her chilly.
'Brrr…I never get used to that.' The greenette tried to shrug it off and reached for the closest bag. When she did, however, her hand bumped into another person's.
"Huh? Sorry, my bad." The boy apologized.
She turned towards him, partially startled by the guy's quick reaction. From what she had noticed of him, the boy had to have been a high schooler, possibly 16 or 17. He was still very young, but he had light skin with crystal blue eyes that were borderline mesmerizing. He was roughly 165 centimeters (five-foot-five), wearing a thin gray and brown jacket that was zipped up halfway over a bright green shirt. He wore black baggy lounge pants, with black and red shoes. His dark brown hair was very short, with the bangs spiked up.
Tokage pulled back, looking at him with a raised brow. "Huh? Oh, don't sweat it." She nonchalantly waved off. She put a hand to her hip. "You want it?"
The kid looked back at the frozen peas; borderline deadpanned. "Well, I'll tell you this. I would take frozen peas over any other cooked vegetable any day of the week." He mused aloud.
Tokage smirked, slightly amused. "Heh, guess I'll take that as a yes." She stepped forwards to allow passage. "Here-!"
"Watch it!" The kid's eyes widened when he suddenly saw the older woman step closer towards the middle of the aisle, right into a spill that wasn't marked. Tokage gasped as she lost momentum, but the kid used his body as an anchor and grabbed Tokage by her arm before she could completely fall over. He gradually helped her up, making sure that she hadn't landed and hit her head. Thankfully that wasn't the case.
"Are you okay…?" The kid asked, his heart rate partially increased.
Tokage blinked, taken back by how she didn't see that coming. "Y-yeah…thanks a bunch."
"Okay, easy does it," Slowly, the kid helped Setsuna back to her feet. As soon as she was stable, he was mindful enough to close the refrigerated door and turned towards Setsuna. "Alright, can you stay right here for a sec? I'll go get somebody for this."
"What?" Tokage pulled away, partially embarrassed. "There's no need to trouble yourself over me. Really, it's not a big deal."
"But you almost fell over and hit your head, right?" he pointed out blankly. "I don't know about you, but I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight if I had let THAT one slide…pun intended."
Tokage didn't have much room to argue. Instead, she just stood in place, allowing the kid to go head to customer service at the front of the store. As he walked away, she was left to process what was happening.
'Geez, when did kids start acting for adults? Must be this area's locals.'
A short while later, the kid came back, this time with a custodian with a wet floor sign. He also got a manager and promptly apologized to Tokage for the inconvenience. As an apology, she was given a discount off her full purchase for the trouble. Of course she accepted; it was too good to pass up!
As soon as she got out of the store, she had plastic bags filled with groceries for the next few days. "Ah, that wasn't bad at all!" She heard the doors slide open behind her, with the kid walking out with his arms lined with his own groceries. "Hey there, thanks a lot back there."
The kid meekly grinned. "It's all good."
"Say, you around here somewhere?"
"Uh…y-yeah? Why?"
"I see. Guess we might see more of each other then." Tokage playfully winked at him. "Try to stay out of trouble~!"
"Uh, I'll try…" The younger guy watched as the woman sauntered off with her groceries, trying to process it. 'Wait, I honestly couldn't tell. Was she being grateful or flirty…?'
Twilight had come upon the day as Tokage was looking between a recipe on her phone and the stove that she stood at. Following the recipe, she had started making the stew for herself following the ingredients that she had gotten from the store. It was hard to say that she wasn't a COMPETENT cook, but she managed. Every now and again, she'd take a ladle's worth of broth with seasonings and hold it up to her full, supple lips. A quick sip was enough to tell her what needed to be added.
While normally, she wouldn't mind snacking on something like crackers or some form of chips, she needed to stay healthy. Since her Quirk allowed her body to split, not only did it take quite some energy from her, but it also relied on her health, too. She noticed that since her health has been fairly good since cutting a lot of unhealthy snacks from her diet, she was having an easier time managing the pieces separated from her body for a longer period of time and wasn't as sluggish. Though, every once in a while, she would have something like a couple of Milano or something with chocolate to reward herself.
After all, Pro Heroes need to eat too.
As soon as the stove's timer went off, Tokage turned it off, allowing her stew to simmer. After having so many taste tests, she knew she needed it to simmer just a little more before she could fully enjoy it. "Well, that's done. Guess I can get back to my usual." She told herself. She turned towards her screen set in the living room and sat back down on the couch.
As soon as she did, she got to a cozy – and lazy – position and flicked the remote. As if by a sheer stroke of coincidence, she noticed there was the local news on.
"As of yesterday morning, local authorities have placed signs all across Takoba Municipal Beach Park, following its rejuvenation." The news reporter stated. She stood before the entrance to the beach that was on topic. It was showing numerous signs, warning people to pick up their trash. "We still have yet to know which Hero is responsible for this act for his or her community, but with the beach finally reopened thanks to the clearance of the hazardous waste, authorities have deemed the attraction safe once again. There have been some eye-witness reports stating that the act was by two men over the course of several months, but nothing conclusive has been proven at this time."
Tokage raised a brow. "Huh, well, that's something new. Wasn't that beach just a big heaping dump pile? Whoever takes the time to clean THAT?" Though she said that, she had to admit, it was convenient now that she had a place nearby that she could now chill in her downtime. "Maybe I'll stop by and relax along the beach or something this week."
A plan in mind, she decided to indulge herself for the time being. She went over to her stew in the pot, putting it in the bowl and walked back to her living room once again.
"Alright, where was I…?" She sank back to her cozy position, flicking the remote to turn back on her movie from earlier.
Though she hadn't planned on it, the next day, Tokage was able to find the time in her day to get out once again. She still had plenty of time before the Recommendation Exams, and while she was taking an hour a day to study up and get familiar with the protocols a Pro Hero must enact, she was also pacing herself. She had to, otherwise she'd crash and fall out of line…again.
That said, though it sank into her budget, she was able to go to the store in a swimsuit that was her size. Being a young adult, she had a sexy, slender frame, if not subtly voluptuous. She wore a two-piece dark green bikini that showed a lot of skin, for numerous reasons actually. She could have done a one-piece, but in the event of her own body needing to split, it would only hamper her mobility. Though not intentional, she would accommodate the prerequisite.
Standing on the soft sands, she took in the view of the clear ocean waves. It was a clear, sunny day and—for November—the temperature was pleasantly warm at 30 Celsius (~85 Fahrenheit). A seagull cawed as it glided overhead. She took a whiff of the fresh ocean breeze to Takoba Beach Park and sighed heavily.
"Now THIS is what I'm talking about!" She smirked. "I can get a good view from here. The news wasn't kidding. Whoever made this beach the way it was really knew how to clean up after themselves, that's for sure."
Tokage turned her attention over towards a spot that was open. It was clear, and not near other locals. She rolled out a neon green beach towel she also took time to purchase and made sure to flatten it out. She laid down on it, facing the sun that was beaming down at a tall angle on her smooth skin.
She didn't know how long it was after, but amongst the many, many thoughts that stirred about in her head, one stuck out that made her eyes widen in realization.
"…oh sh*t, forgot the sunscreen."
The greenette cursed herself for not realizing that sooner. She knew that if she got a sunburn, it would sting every time her parts would separate and come back together. How could she have overlooked something so painfully obvious?!
Tokage groaned as she started sitting upright. "Well, guess I better go get some then, great…just when I was feeling comfortable."
"Hey, there!" A set of footsteps walked up beside her. When Tokage glanced over, she noticed two boys that were roughly high school age were beside each other. Though slim and fit, they had less than inviting grins on their faces.
"Eh? What's up fellas?"
"Oh nothing, just thought you could use some company, that's all." The first guy teasingly said.
"Yeah, how's about you play with us for a bit? Promise to make it worth your while." The other guy chimed.
Tokage blinked. It was clear as day by their undertone what their real intentions were. However, she showed no particular interest, glancing away. "Thanks for the offer, but I'm just fine. You boys can go have fun yourselves like with a beach ball or whatever."
"Heh, oh c'mon, don't be like that. We're just trying to be nice, that's all." The first guy chimed.
"Yeah, wouldn't hurt to get to know us first." The second guy winked. "We go easy the first time around."
Tokage frowned heavily. It was borderline creepy how obvious they were making it. She didn't like it, not to mention it was wrong in numerous ways. The greenette was tempted to get up and walk away, but with how desperate they were, she wasn't going to bend herself over for the likes of degenerates.
"Hey, bozos. She said no, didn't she? Lay off."
The three turned their attention towards the guy that had intervened. He was walking up, wearing black swim trunks with dark purple triangular accents. Tokage recognized him almost immediately. 'Hold on, isn't he…?'
The first guy's attitude immediately soured. "Hey man, it's cool. We're just doing our own thing here, okay? You can go play Hero with someone else."
However, the kid didn't seem fazed by the threat the taller boys made. His brow furrowed. "If I'm the Hero, doesn't that make you the Villains if you're picking on ladies? Or did what happen to Hayato and his pals the other day not make the message clear?"
The first guy glared at him. He looked like he was about to let him have it, but he chose to turn away. "Pfft, whatever. There's other older chicks around here. C'mon." The second guy followed him, but both continued glaring back at the boy, like it was far from over.
The boy sighed heavily, both from relief and distress. "I knew those guys were a pain in the a** at school, now this…"
"Hey…" Hearing the tone, he looked over at Setsuna. "Thanks, buddy…you, uh, wouldn't by chance have sunscreen on you, right?"
The sun stayed high overhead as the beach waves continued rolling in and out of Takoba Beach Park. It didn't take very long for it to pass when Tokage had once again met with the guy. After a short conversation–by a means of request by Tokage of course–the guy had gotten his purple towel and sauntered over right next to her…with the sunscreen. He knew he couldn't forget about that, either.
As Tokage was applying the sun-repelling cream over her right arm, she smirked at the guy again. "Hey, thanks again for all this. You're a pretty solid stud, you know that?"
Unsure of how to respond to such an open statement, the guy continued looking out at the waves. "Yeah, no problem." He sighed. "Sorry about those guys from before. They can be a real pain in the a** to handle."
Tokage raised a skeptical brow. "Friends of yours?"
"Hardly. They go to the same high school as me. Same grade and all." He then shook his head and sighed in exasperation. "Seriously…I would've thought those jerks would've learned something after Hayoto and his dumba** friends got arrested for pulling the same sh*t the other day."
"Oh? What's the story there?" She asked curiously.
He shrugged. "Eh. Don't know all the details, but a few dudes from my school cornered a couple girls in an alley near the public library the other day. A good Samaritan stepped in to intervene, then those guys attacked him–using their Quirks too." A little smirk crossed his face. "Course the good Samaritan beat 'em up real good anyway, at least from what I heard. Then cops showed up and arrested 'em. Pretty sure those guys are in juvy now."
"Serves 'em right." Tokage then frowned a little. "Though I hope that good Samaritan dude didn't get in trouble too."
He shook his head. "I don't think so."
"That's good to hear. Well, thank you for being my 'good Samaritan'." Tokage smiled. "That was really cool of you."
"It's no big deal." He said dismissively. "I have enough common sense to know what's right and wrong, and I can say what they were doing wasn't exactly right."
Tokage blinked twice, processing what the guy was saying. "Huh…y'know what, I think I'm starting to like you." She teased. "You sure know how-to pick-up women; I'd say that about you."
"Sure, just make sure there's a wet floor nearby." He chimed back, falling onto his back to relax under the sun.
Setsuna stared at him as he was feeling the sun's warmth and the cool sea breeze. Now that she was having a better look at him, for a high school boy, she noticed that he was fairly built. He had a six pack, with a healthy upper body showing, indicating that he must do daily core exercises. He wasn't thin, nor was he too broad or fat. He seemed to be rather healthy.
Plus, even though she hadn't known him for too long, he had enough common sense not to go after her or display any kind of interest in her. If he was, he was doing a good job just playing it off. But he was certainly respectable, if not quiet. To put it bluntly, he seemed like a trustworthy and responsible teenager, even if he was still in high school.
As she leaned back on her towel, Tokage craned her head towards him. "Say, I don't think that I caught your name."
The kid turned his head to spare her a glance. "That depends, am I in trouble for something?"
Tokage playfully smirked. "Well, not yet anyways."
Seeing as how she didn't seem harmful, he decided to play along and be polite in answering her question. "Nakagawa Yuto."
"Tokage Setsuna." She replied. "So, how old are you?"
"16…well, 17 in early January."
Tokage cocked a brow. "Wuh-oh, look out. We've got some young blood on the verge of adulthood." She snickered.
Nakagawa blinked but chose to dismiss the coy notion. "Yeah, guess you're not wrong. " He paused, trying to think of something to say. But as much as he tried wrapping his head around it, he found himself unable to draw to any sort of conclusion. "So…you just visiting around here?"
"Hm? Oh, well actually, I just rented out this apartment in the area. It's a pretty nice setup, plus it's close to where I'm about to be enrolling soon." The greenette smirked. "You're looking at someone who's aiming for UA."
Yuto turned his head towards her, slightly taken back. "Isn't that one of the hardest universities in the country?"
"You know it, but I got here thanks to recommendations, so all I have to do is get a good score to meet the standards here. If I get in, I can spend the next four years learning how to become a Pro Hero. Looking forward to it."
Nakagawa didn't offer anything in response to what she said. Whoever this outgoing girl was, she certainly had a goal in mind, and the way she seemed so sure and confident about it made him think that she might actually have a shot. It wasn't in his place anyways to tell her that she could or couldn't. What was important was that whatever the case was, he shouldn't try to dampen whatever hopes she had for herself.
"Well…I hope it works out for you." He finally spoke.
"Thanks, Hun." She winked. "You around here too, I take it?"
"Yeah, my high school is like a 15-minute train ride, but it works out."
Tokage rolled onto her back, arching her spine so she would feel her nerves pull. It felt good. "Well, guess we'll be seeing more of each other hopefully." She paused. "Hey…"
Nakagawa turned towards her. "Yeah?"
"Nothing." She grinned at him, this time more sincerely and honest. "You're a good guy, I mean it."
Nakagawa stared at her and realized that she wasn't playing with him like she was at the store's entrance. He turned his head upwards, seeing the white shade in the distance gradually draw near. "Thanks…it's looking to overcast soon, you sure you need that sunscreen now?"
Tokage shrugged. "Maybe not. But thanks anyways, Nakagawa-san."
As the overcast drew in, Tokage went quiet, as did Nakagawa. As they were just trying to be familiar and humane with one another, the guys from earlier were in the distance. The girls they were talking to all had other boyfriends or dates that gave them firm warnings. With that in mind, they found themselves staring at the pair with growing ire.
Tokage was sitting on her small sofa, her feet kicked up on the stand that sat in front of her. She felt relaxed as she was reading the latest issue of everything practical about UA University, including its history, prerequisites, and fundamentals. Granted, she took the necessary classes back when she was in high school to apply in the first place, but that didn't mean it was something she had to pass over after one time.
She didn't graduate with top grades any other way than applying her fundamentals after all. She needed to apply herself now more than ever if she wanted to stay ahead of the same.
In the midst of her reading of main points throughout the book, she felt her stomach grumble. Her face contorted to a pout before sighing. "Damn…when's the last time I ate?"
The greenette noticed that her fridge was too far away, so she decided to remove her right hand from her body, along with her head. The two body parts surfed across the air towards the fridge, where the hand grabbed the handle and pried the fridge open. The head looked around, seeing what few food items were available to her. To her dismay, she noticed how an ideal number of items had already been consumed the last time she went to the store.
'It's already been three days since I went, and I'm already spent? Damn, guess I better make another trip.'
Her body parts reconnected, and she bookmarked the page that she was on before closing the book. With it shut, she got ready to head out for the store. She got her clothing adjusted to make herself a little more appropriate, which meant wearing some pants, brown boots, and a bright green turtleneck. With the necessities covered, she made herself scarce out of her apartment and started for the store.
As she was walking towards the destination in mind, the green-haired voluptuous was complacently minding herself. She was starting to get used to everything around her. From the small things such as the little stores that made up the many blocks of the streets she's gotten to know, to the central stores that were a big deal, such as clothing articles, sportswear, books, etc.
Tokage was tempted to get such accommodations, if necessary, but she wasn't as carefree as she was back in middle school. She was an adult, after all. She had to be responsible and account essentials. Perhaps if she gets a better sum soon enough that might change, but for now, she had to manage herself.
'Well, guess another time, I'll try and get something nice to lounge in…' It wasn't intentional, but she noticed a familiar person walking out of a creamery shop. When she recognized who it was, her eyes widened in surprise. 'Hey now, ain't that…?'
Coming out of the creamery with a double chocolate scoop in a Styrofoam cup with two plastic spoons was none other than Nakagawa. He looked visibly sound as he adjusted something in his left ear – an earbud that was remotely connected to his phone. It wasn't heard by anyone since the volume was safely low, but the intense growling heard made Nakagawa's head rock up and down a little.
"Well, now…small world, right?" A familiar feminine voice chimed.
Barely catching on, Nakagawa suddenly turned around with eyes partially wide. "Hm?" When he recognized the familiar green-haired girl, he blinked in surprise. "Oh…hey, what's up, Tokage-san?"
"Surprised to see you out and about." Tokage grinned. "Haven't seen you in a few days, ole' pal. I was starting to think you forgot about little ole' me."
Nakagawa raised a brow, a smirk on the side of his lips. "My bad, I don't have your number."
Tokage snickered, walking over to pat his back. "Relax, buddy. I'm just pleasantly surprised to see you is all. Though if you really WANTED it, you can always just ask." She gave him a small, playful wink.
Nakagawa, who felt mildly uncomfortable with the hints, tried to dismiss the gesture as playful. Though he knew her from the few times they've met by coincidence, it wasn't like they were THAT friendly yet. Though he'd be a liar if he said that he wasn't happy with having an older girl taking a liking to him. But things were moving fairly fast for his comfort.
"I'll…keep that in mind." He responded.
"So, what brings you around this time?" Tokage asked.
Nakagawa held up his cup of chocolate ice cream. "Just figured I'd get a late day treat before I headed to the store. Gotta make stuff for soup."
Tokage raised a brow, smirking. "Wow, small world, huh? Big coincidence then, because I was heading over there myself."
"Really?"
"For sure. Gotta find me some dinner ideas, you know. Can't go around on an empty stomach, or else everything will look like a meal."
Nakagawa paused to process what she said. He looked down at himself, then towards her predatory teeth.
"HAHAHA! Nah, relax. I wouldn't dream of eating you up!" Tokage laughed loudly. "If I did, I'd probably be in an insanity center."
"Yeah, guess that would really suck."
"But you know…" Tokage looked him up and down, smirking. "Still, you've got your own looks that could kill, tough guy."
"If that were the case, there'd be a LOT of bodies dropping around me." Nakagawa dryly chimed back, before taking a bite of his chocolate ice cream.
Tokage could barely hold back her laughter. "See? You're such a charmer, musing ladies like that. You've gotta be a riot with the ladies at your school, huh?"
Nakagawa shrugged with a sneer. "Believe me, you'd be surprised if I told you. I'm not exactly popular with my class…"
Setsuna raised a brow. "That so?"
Nakagawa shrugged. "It's whatever. Kinda prefer it that way. Not like I'm one for the crowds or anything." He took another bite of his ice cream. "Just taking my life one day at a time."
"That's some pretty complacent thinking you got there." Tokage grinned, putting her hands to her sides. "Man, it must be nice to not have to worry like I do. I just gotta study most of the time."
"Yeah, for UA, right? I remember. When's the entrance exam?"
"The end of February, so I have plenty of time. But it's not like I wanna fall behind either. Those Recommendation Courses are no joke."
"I'll keep that in mind." Nakagawa looked down at his ice cream, seeing it slowly melting. "We better get going. Did you wanna shop together since we're going in the same direction anyway?"
"Wow, making moves so soon?" Tokage laughed. "For a guy with little experience, you sure don't mess around!"
"So it's a no?"
Tokage shrugged. "Why not? Might give me some dinner ideas. Plus, if there's any wet floors, I think I can depend on you to catch me."
Nakagawa had a mild grin at the corner of his chocolate-covered lips. "Duly noted."
Their way down towards the store was fruitful. Unlike before where she was slipping, Tokage didn't have any problems related to that. Instead, it went on rather casually, and thanks to Nakagawa's help, she was able to buy some fresh produce and other materials that would get her through the next couple days.
The two walked down the street, having bags of groceries in hand. They were taking the same way back, having mainly idle chit chat. For the most part, Nakagawa didn't seem to mind her…though he had to admit that she was pretty outgoing.
"So you got what you need?" He asked again.
"Yeah, definitely." Tokage smiled, holding up the groceries hanging on her arms. "You didn't have to help find that stuff, you know. You had to get some things too, right?"
Nakagawa looked down at the groceries weighing on his arms. "Yeah, but they were all sale items, so it's not a big deal. Figured out what you're gonna make?"
Tokage shrugged. "Read up some recipes online. Can always make soup, I guess. Wasn't that what you were gonna make?"
"Yeah, thinking of something like that will fill me for a couple days. The gnocchi I got will also be a nice touch."
"Hey, you're a growing boy. I can understand that." Tokage smirked. "Can't go into your second year of high school on an empty stomach, right?"
"Yeah, true that."
The two continued walking, looking to be minding their own company well. As they were both on their way, the two were intervened by nothing short of annoyance.
"Heh? Well, Nakagawa."
Hearing his family name called, Nakagawa turned around, his eyes partially widening when he recognized a few certain boys that he'd rather not get involved with. The same two that were hitting on Tokage the other day. Suffice to say the air didn't sit well.
"Eh? Oh, it's you two." Tokage turned around, recognizing the two boys.
One of the two boys walked closer, smirking. "What's going on here, Nakagawa? You told us to get lost so you could have this hottie all to yourself?"
"Heh, man, some Hero you are." The second guy chimed. "Never pegged you to swoop in and steal the good ones. You pick up hot chicks more often than studying, huh?"
"And yet I get plenty of A's and B's." Yuto replied back, his tone a clear matter-of-fact and lack of amusement in the situation.
"Pfft! That's because you're taking the standard classes. You're not an honors student like us." The first guy chimed. "You don't even talk to anybody in class, why'd she look your way and not ours?"
Nakagawa didn't seem any less unamused. "You seriously being this petty? How old are you guys again?"
"Yeah, I know, right?" Tokage chimed. "Boasting like you're still kids, aren't we?"
The first guy turned towards Tokage, smirking. "Heh, well, it's still true. We're in the top 10 in our year, so how's about you hang with us instead of that loser?"
"Yeah, we'll take you out somewhere on us." The second guy chimed.
Tokage frowned, shrugging with no interest. "Very tempting offer you boys drive…but I'm kinda busy. Gotta study up myself."
"Oh, come on now. Ya serious?" The first guy sounded more annoyed than anything. "You've got plenty of time for that. How's about a little fun? Don't knock us till you try us."
Their intentions were as clear as day. They looked like they weren't going to take no for an answer. In fact, their expressions made that painfully clear for Tokage. She kept her mouth shut as her predatory teeth were starting to gnash. 'If I get in a fight here with my Quirk, my chances of getting through recommendations is gonna be squashed.'
Nakagawa looked over at Tokage, seeing her contemplative. He really didn't like the situation either, especially how the second guy was looking at him.
"Hey, Nakegawa, how's about you go mess with girls your own age. We know a few who we've think would be a good fit for-"
"KRRRRRR!"
The three others stopped dead in their tracks when they heard a very low, deep snarl that sounded like it came from Nakagawa. The second guy immediately took a step back and flinched.
"The f***?!"
Though Nakagawa was shorter than the other guys, his disposition change made him seem more threatening for some reason. Tokage was able to tell the rapid difference in his demeanor. She noticed how he was sticking his neck out a little, and how from the corners of his mouth, his teeth looked…razor-sharp? Not only that, but his eyes especially had feral sclera.
Nakagawa's snarling didn't go unnoticed by the first guy, who just took it as a meek offense and didn't see his sharpening teeth. "Oh, sorry~. You getting upset? That isn't at all manly of you, Nakagawa."
Nakagawa was still growling, but he seemed to be trying to restrain himself. It was like a predator waiting to see what his prey would do, but it looked like the other two were starting to lose interest.
"Well, whatever. Guess if you want that hot chick that bad. We've got places to be anyway." The first guy huffed, turning away. "Besides, that ain't gonna last for you. She'll come around eventually."
The two went off, leaving Tokage and Nakagawa alone. She noticed only a couple people looking at them, but she turned towards Nakagawa. 'His eyes…and his teeth…'
She witnessed Nakagawa's feral teeth and eyes return to normal in a few seconds. He looked to be calm again, with him exerting a deep, aggravated sigh.
"Hey, you okay there, Nakagawa-san?"
Nakagawa glanced back at her. "…sorry about that. You good?"
Tokage blinked. "Yeah, you?"
He sighed heavily. "Yeah, I think so…but it looks like my second year's gonna look like hellfest with those d***heads." He turned towards her. "Did you want me to head back to your apartment with you? I don't know about you, but I'd rather not take my chances walking around alone with those horn dogs on the loose."
"Yeah…sure." Normally, Tokage would have said something more coy there, like how forward or daring of a suggestion it was of Nakagawa. And yet, the mood didn't sit well for something like that. Plus, he had a point. If pompous guys like that were bold enough to show off and try to woo her in broad daylight, it'd be trouble even for a normal woman.
Tokage guided Nakagawa, with the latter looking around carefully the whole time. As soon as they were at the foot of her apartment complex, she turned towards him. "Hey, thanks for walking with me. You didn't have to do that."
"Don't mention it. Just glad you got home in one piece." He responded. "Still, it'll be a while before our respective years start…you sure you wanna go around having guys like that around?"
She put her hands to her hips, smirking. "Nah, it's fine. Really. Besides, that kind of behavior, they'll be caught pretty damn soon. Whatever colleges they're looking to go to, let's hope they don't get anything on their records." She smiled at him. "But I won't have to worry about you."
Nakagawa raised a brow. "Really?"
"Yeah. You're a down-to-Earth guy. I'd hang with ya." She winked. "Plus, unlike those guys, you're pretty cute."
He felt heat in his cheeks. He tried to think of something. "Uh…well…you're pretty PRETTY, how about that?"
Tokage stifled a chuckle. "Yeah, definitely a charmer." She patted his back. "Anyways, thanks for the fun afternoon. Make sure you don't get in any trouble, okay?"
"I should be telling you that. Later." With that, Nakagawa left with his groceries.
As she was walking up the stairs with her groceries, Setsuna thought back to earlier, with how Yuto's disposition was behaving at that moment, 'His eyes, and teeth…that wasn't normal.'
The end of November drew closer. Any leaves that were on trees at the time had either already fallen off or were on the verge of withering out of their beautiful Autumn shades. The weather was substantially cooler than what it was a week ago, and during that time, a certain green-haired young woman was tending to her studies.
With it being cooler, Tokage found herself on a break from her note-taking to get some fresh air. She had been studying up on past Pro-Hero videos and documentaries the past few hours that her head was on the verge of erupting. She decided to take a break, maybe grab a bite on what money she allowed herself to expend for the week on something light.
As she was walking through the park, she was wearing a gray, thick jacket, with a red scarf wrapped around her neck for warmth. It was particularly windy today, so she was thankful she had the scarf when she did.
She stretched overhead, feeling the sun's warmth heat up her face a little. 'Geez, that weather came and went pretty fast. I was really looking forward to spending more time at the beach, too.'
Her small musings were interrupted when she recognized something in the distance, coming down a trail. "Huh?" She narrowed her eyes as she saw the figment jogging. "No way, is that…?"
By the sheer coincidence of it all, Nakagawa was in a small jog, his ears covered by medium-sized headphones that were connected via Bluetooth to his phone. They were fastened as he was keeping a surprisingly fast pace. He was wearing his usual gray jacket with brown sleeves and hood, but was wearing gray jogging pants and running shoes, along with shades to keep the sun out of his eyes.
"Is that…?" She noticed Nakagawa taking the trail heading towards her direction. "Heh, well what do you know…?"
Meanwhile, Nakagawa was running, making sure to keep a steady, hard breathing. He was curving along the soft dirt trail when he recognized the greenette and slowed down to a walking pace.
"Tokage-san…? Hey…" He said in between pants.
Tokage offered a smirk. "Hey there, long time no see, stranger. What are you doing all the way out here?"
He pulled on his headphones, bringing them around his neck so he could hear her. Tokage could hear the drums, guitars, and especially the growling from the earpieces. 'I can hear that from here. Damn, he's got some intense tastes…'
Once his ears were free, Nakagawa exhaled out his mouth and turned towards her. "Sorry, what was that?"
"Nothing. Just asking what you were doing out here." She repeated. "Looks like you were building some leg muscle there, tough guy."
"I like to run." Nakagawa explained, his tone almost matter-of-factly. "Helps clear my head, and keeps me from going nuts."
Tokage couldn't help but cock a brow. "So you exercise quite often?"
"Just about, otherwise I'd lose my mind. What about you?"
Tokage hummed as she shrugged. "I do a little, mostly because it would be a pain to be a Pro-Hero and be out of shape. Unless you're someone like Fat Gum!"
Nakagawa nodded. "I gotcha."
"But to answer your question…" She followed up. "I'm just out for a little walk, nothing big I'm afraid. I was taking a break from my prepping and thought I could use fresh air."
"Oh right, you're studying for those exams into UA, right?"
Tokage grinned wider, showing her predatory teeth. "Hey, nice memory there, pal. Gold star for you."
Nakagawa smirked back. "As long as it's not armed. I don't want a gold star with a gun, otherwise that'd make it a 'shooting star'."
"Pfffft!" she chuckled. "Well make a wish and it might come true for you."
The two walked through the trail that led closer towards the street. They were on a lower slope close to an actual road. It wasn't intentional, but Tokage and Nakagawa found themselves talking a little. The latter could have minded his business and continued his run; but the lack of water and the fact he had already nearly reached 8 kilometers (5 miles) was enough for him.
"So you're trying to be a Hero?" Nakagawa brought up a subject. "If you're a girl, shouldn't that make you a Heroine? That's something that bugs me."
Tokage shrugged. "Hey, I don't make this stuff up. But I get where you're coming from. But then again, it's kinda the same thing when you think about it."
"Guess that's fair." He let the matter go. "So…what exactly does your Quirk do?"
Tokage glanced at him. "You really wanna know?"
"Depends, is it gonna put me in a hospital bed?"
"Nah, it's nothing like that. Here." She held out her hand. "It won't hurt, trust me."
Nakagawa looked at the hand, then at Tokage. He wasn't entirely positive, but he chose to give her the benefit of the doubt. He shook her hand, his once sweaty palms meeting her skin.
"Okay, now what?"
POP!
The moment she suddenly jerked back, her hand had come clean off. Rather than leave guts and bones exposed, instead, there was just solid, smooth black, like slicing through a ham. Yuto paused as he was left to slowly register the appendage, then Tokage. Then the appendage, then Tokage again.
"U-uh…"
Tokage's face brightened as she could barely contain her laughter. "Whoops, guess my hand slipped. Hahaha!"
Nakagawa, however, looked more concerned than anything. "I'm no anatomy expert, but I'm pretty sure your hands aren't supposed to dismember when you shake someone's hand."
"Hahahaha! Man, a reaction like THAT was something I needed after all the cramming!" Tokage calmed herself. "Sorry about that. But I'll explain." Her hand flew back towards her arm, attached as though nothing happened. "My Quirk is Lizard Tail Splitter. I can split my body however I want."
Nakagawa's eyes widened. "So it'll be like somebody diced you to itty-bitty bits?"
"Yeah, something like that. That wouldn't be the first time my Quirk spooked somebody." Tokage explained. "Trust me, back in middle school, I had a blast. This one time, I put my whole head in a fridge, so when my mom opened it, she practically fainted. Hahaha!"
Nakagawa looked shocked. 'Wow…kinda harsh really, but somehow I'm not surprised…'
"But I learned my lesson, especially after she grounded me for a whole week."
"That's cool…I think." Nakagawa seemed more indifferent now that he was over his initial shock. "So you're gonna use that to help and save people?"
"Well, that's the aim at least. But we'll see." She shrugged.
Nakagawa smirked. "Well, if it means anything, I think that power's pretty…'handy' to have." He mused as he gestured towards her hand.
Tokage smiled wide as she rolled her eyes and slapped Nakagawa on the back. "Now THAT was just coy! You got me there, I'll say that much! Hahaha!" She then realized something. "Say, I don't think I got your contact info the last time."
Nakagawa's eyes widened. "You sure? Didn't mean to stand in the way of your studies."
"Hey, it's not a problem. And it's not like I'm THAT busy. Be nice to hear from ya when you're not in school." She winked. "That is, if you think you can handle me."
Nakagawa paused, but he remained mellow. "Guess there's one way to figure that out. Gonna take a gander and say the answer is yes in this one?"
She pulled out her phone. "Bingo, my dude."
Tokage was busy with her studies, reading up on Hero History once more. As she was, her phone vibrated with a notification. Taking a break from jotting down notes and subplots on a different sheet of paper, the greenette glanced over and saw the notice. Her interests piqued when she saw who the message ID belonged to.
[YUTO: YOU GOOD?]
Tokage reached for her phone, pressing on the message to respond back to him.
[SETSUNA: YEAH, JUST FINE. HOW'VE YOU BEEN?]
[YUTO: NOT BAD. JUST WANTED TO CHECK IN AND SEE HOW YOU'RE HOLDING UP.]
Tokage had a small grin appear on her face. Just to check up on her? Not to hang out or swoon her or anything? She hummed as she responded back in kind.
[SETSUNA: BEEN SWELL. STUDYING MY A** OFF FOR THESE RECOMMENDATIONS!]
[YUTO: CAN'T YOUR QUIRK DO THAT FOR YOU?]
[SETSUNA: LOL YEAH, IT CAN. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. HOW'S HIGH SCHOOL LIFE TREATING YA?]
[YUTO: USUAL, TAKING IT DAY BY DAY. BEING A SECOND YEAR IS SO-AND-SO.]
'That's right, I forgot he's two grades below me.' Tokage almost forgot about that notion. It wasn't often, but around once a week, Nakagawa would text her and check in on her and make small talk. Whenever they met up by chance outside, the two would just shop together for their own needs, though Nakagawa would focus on hers first. She actually did appreciate that.
[SETSUNA: BETTER NOT BE GETTING ANYTHING LOWER THAN A OR I'M GONNA BE UPSET!]
Tokage waited for a reply. When she got one, it was a picture of a foreign language test, looking to be English. In the corner was an 89. Tokage hummed again with a smirk.
[SETSUNA: THAT'S NOT AN A.]
[YUTO: BEGGARS CAN'T BE CHOOSERS. IT'S BETTER THAN MY HISTORY GRADE, I CAN SAY THAT.]
[SETSUNA: HOW BAD WE TALKING?]
[YUTO: BARELY B-. I'M NOT THE BEST WITH NAMES OR YEARS.]
'So he's not good at history…' Tokage realized something. She looked down at her current notes, then back at the message Yuto sent. 'Now that I think about it, it's been a while since I've seen him in person.'
She began typing another message.
[SETSUNA: WANNA COME OVER? I'LL HELP YA IF YOU WANT.]
[YUTO: YOU REALLY SURE THAT'S A GOOD IDEA? WHAT ABOUT YOUR STUDIES?]
[SETSUNA: IT AIN'T FOR FREE. BUY ME SOMETHING NICE AND I JUST MIGHT GIVE YOU A LITTLE SOMETHING ELSE LOL]
[YUTO: …I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO ANSWER THAT.]
[SETSUNA: LOL RELAX! I COULD USE A STUDY BUDDY TO HELP ME WITH MY STUDIES. YOU SCRATCH MY BACK AND I'LL SCRATCH YOURS. YOU AVAILABLE THIS WEEKEND?]
[YUTO: YEAH, BOTH SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. YOUR PLACE QUIET?]
[SETSUNA: YEAH, HOW'S SATURDAY?]
[YUTO: WORKS FOR ME. PACE YOURSELF UNTIL THEN.]
[SETSUNA: THANKS, HUN! 😉]
Tokage smiled as she now had plans with the high school student. Normally, it wouldn't have been the best idea to invite someone she didn't know too well to her apartment. However, Nakagawa was an exception, and as far as their interactions go, he seemed trustworthy and mature. He had enough common sense to know making trouble was the last thing either wanted.
Two days came and went, and the door to Tokage's apartment knocked loudly.
"I'm coming!" Tokage rushed over to her door and looked through the small hole. She recognized the blue eyes and spiky hair. She opened the door, presenting herself in her turtleneck dress that went halfway down her thighs. She smirked at her visitor. "Hey there, stranger."
Presented to her was Nakagawa, who had his over-the-shoulder bookbag with a plastic tray of four chocolate cupcakes in hand, obviously store-bought. "Hey, what did I miss?"
"Nothing much." Tokage shrugged and paid really close attention towards Nakagawa, to see if he was checking her out. She could see the struggle it was for his eyes as they were barely able to not stare at her busty physique that was well defined by her tight dress.
'Maybe I should have gone for something more subtle…'Though to be fair, this late-November weather was cold. She noticed the cupcakes in his hands. "You…actually got something?"
Nakagawa shrugged. "You said buy you something nice. You didn't say anything about it being food." He noted. "Besides, rather not deal with low blood sugar."
Tokage blinked. 'Perhaps I should have told him that I was kidding…' She kinda felt bad now that she had Nakagawa take a detour and spend money. She'll make sure to pay him back somehow. She grinned and chose to play it off for now. "What a coincidence, I was getting the munchies anyways. Make yourself at home."
Nakagawa walked in, immediately getting a fresh smell of Tokage's living space. His eyes glazed around, seeing some of the neatly organized materials in her space…as well as all the dinosaur-themed plushies, wall art, and movies she's got hanging around.
'Huh, so she's a fan of dinosaurs…' He would have to make note of this. But he knew a hobby like this was nothing to be ashamed of. After all, he was particularly a fan of dinosaurs too.
"So, ready to get better scores?" Tokage chimed, reminding him of the reason for his visit.
'Right, business before pleasure.' Nakagawa looked at her and nodded. "Yeah, let's give it a go."
"So, you say history isn't your best subject. Is it history in general or any specific time period?" Tokage asked.
Nakagawa shrugged. "History in general, honestly. Thankfully our history class is mostly just covering stuff after the Advent of Quirks."
"Alright…" Tokage considered his words. "Well then, how about we start there then? I get there's a lot to cover, what with Captain America, World War III, and the Dark Times…but we can always meet up again to resume our lessons later."
Nakagawa nodded. "Sounds good."
Surprisingly enough, both were adept at studying. Tokage was surprised by how clean and organized Nakagawa's notes were on history. They were just as good as hers, if not more so. And his handwriting was legible and condensed. For a high schooler, he was pretty easy to keep track of.
The two began their study session in a way that was productive for both of them. They would take two sheets of paper each and make quizzes of their respective materials. A majority were filling in blanks, but others involved long breaks in the lines for explanations. They made an exact copy on spare sheets with the answer guide. They then exchanged the tests and took them, so Tokage took the test Nakagawa made with her notes, and he did the quiz Tokage made for him based on his material. When they were both done, they would look at the answer sheets and compare the answers they got wrong.
The more they practiced, the less incorrect they got. Though Tokage had fewer marks than Nakagawa, enough that the mistakes were hardly even minor. Meanwhile, Nakagawa was looking promising, getting at least A's at the rate he was going.
After two hours, they decided to take a break. "Phew! All that testing got my brain fried! Glad you brought those cupcakes." Tokage chimed.
"Yeah, same here." Nakagawa was about to get up, when Tokage dislodged her hands and opened the refrigerator to pull out two cold bottles of water. The hand floated by Nakagawa to pass him his bottle. "Oh…thanks."
Tokage's hands returned with a bottle for her. "Don't mention it." She undid the cap and began gulping down purified water, quenching her thirst. "Ahhhh! That's more like it!"
Nakagawa paused as he looked at her, as if contemplating something. "…so…does your Quirk, like, work better if you have fluids in your body or something?"
Tokage rolled her neck towards him. "Hm? What brought that on?"
Nakagawa shrugged. "Nothing serious. Just wondered how your Quirk works is all. It's cool you can split yourself…and not gush blood and guts. Then I'd probably be sick every time I saw it happen."
Tokage cocked a brow. "Not a fan of blood?"
"If it's cartoonish blood or it's subtle on shows, sure, I can handle it. But if you get to those slasher films and intestines…I…don't hold up so well." He frowned. "One time I actually passed out just from a movie just from seeing someone's head get blown off. Woke up pretty fast, but I lost my lunch in a trash bin." He groaned. "Let's just say don't put me anywhere near a graphic scenario."
'Guess he'd have a hard time adapting to rescues then and first-aid…' Tokage pondered the hypothetical situation. If she became a Hero, she might have to–no, she will–see gruesome sights like that. It wouldn't be pretty, but it's part of the job.
However, she realized that she was getting off track from Nakagawa's earlier inquiry. "Oh, about my fluids you asked? Well, to be frank, I haven't figured that out yet. If you're trying to say that having healthy fluids acts as a lubricant for my mobility and body parts to respond, I think you might be onto something." She lowered her head. "But really, I just notice that my parts get slower when it's cold out."
Nakagawa raised a brow. "So…like cold-blooded reptiles?"
Tokage jutted her pencil at him. "Yeah, good comparison. So when I get in and get to make a model for my suit, I gotta make sure it's insulated so my body parts don't lose function early."
Nakagawa hummed. It wasn't that he didn't find the whole aspect of being a Hero appealing, but he wasn't anywhere nearly as ambitious. He preferred to take it day by day rather than jump the gun. After all, you may never know what may lurk around the corner to ruin your dreams, or something may come up unexpectedly.
"So, Nakagawa-san, what about you? You gonna try and be a Hero?" She asked.
The question caught Nakagawa by surprise. His eyes partially widened, but he just looked down as his pencil's tip tapped the paper repeatedly. "…frankly…I'm not sure." He admitted. "Don't get the wrong idea, I mean it's a popular career and all, but all those rules and responsibilities…it's a big pain in the a**.
Tokage looked towards the ceiling, pondering Nakagawa's perspective. "Yeah, guess you're not wrong. It can be stressful. There's been incidents where Pros have their Licenses revoked because they broke some rules." She glanced back at him. "Still, ever considered it?"
Nakagawa shrugged. "Something like that. Honestly, just something to help me get by to the next day is all I ask…" His eyes partially narrowed. "Preferably away from people." He muttered low.
"Hm? What was that?" Tokage barely caught his low mutter.
Nakagawa shook his head. "Nothing for you to worry about." He picked up another chocolate cupcake. "So, ready to continue?"
She picked up her pencil, smirking. "That's my line."
Musutafu, Japan - December 2196
The two continued their studying sessions with a routine in their system. They studied until well past 17:00 (5 PM), and then Nakagawa would head back home. Tokage would spend the rest of her evening either watching some more dinosaur-themed movies or trying to eat something. She had to admit, she felt fairly productive today in terms of education.
Of course, it didn't end there. The two would be making plans every weekend, with Saturday being a day where they would educate themselves in studying, and then there was Sunday, when Tokage would get exercise to stay in shape. Nakagawa obliged to help her since he worked out almost every day.
Even though the weeks of mildly cold weather fell from November to December, Tokage and Nakagawa would go on periodic runs in the park. They would dress comfortably and warm for the occasion of course, so it wasn't like others who had heat or cold resistance who could go out shirtless.
As Tokage would pace herself with Nakagawa, she noticed how on their runs, he had his headphones in, tuning out everything as the heavy metal and growls could be subtly heard if she was close enough. No matter how much he listened to it, he looked like he was focused, and he was running fast!
'Damn…I know I'm not the fastest runner, but Nakagawa's really picking up his pace!' She noticed at times, she could see his eyes switching between normal and feral slits. 'Those eyes…is he responding to something? Blood rush?'
As Nakagawa contained a low snarl, he picked his pace up to where he could rival a person riding a bike at full-speed. He sped down the trail, leaving her behind as she just stared in a mixture of awe and amazement.
"…woah."
"On your left!"
Tokage didn't have time to turn her head as a young man rushed past her on her left. She only caught a glimpse of red shoes, teal clothes, and green hair before the man was already so far ahead of her she could hardly see him anymore.
'Damn… Do I need to do more cardio or what?' She sheepishly mused.
Eventually, taking a break after eight kilometers, the two sat down at a bench for a moment, drinking water and getting fluids into their systems. Nakagawa pulled down his headphones and slumped back, looking a lot more relaxed.
"Easy there, you look like you just ran a marathon." Tokage teased.
Nakagawa breathed in and out. "Sorry…that was the adrenaline kicking in."
"Yeah, I can tell. You looked like you were spiked on something back there. Took me forever to catch up." She looked at his headphones. "Guess you like heavy metal?"
Nakagawa caught his breath and sighed outwards. "Yeah, something like that. Really helps filter me out, especially when I work out. Why listen to spa music when you're doing core exercises?"
Tokage cocked a brow at the logic. "Yeah, that makes sense, I guess. Guess the anger filters into your body and gives you that boost. Wish I could do that…but I kinda need my ears to hear people calling for help, you know."
Nakagawa nodded in understanding. He chugged the purified water to refresh himself.
"We already did our core exercises before the run, so after a shower we'll just continue the studies." She chimed. "And since you're free, how's about we go out for once one of these days!"
Nakagawa felt his heart skip a beat. Thankfully his adrenaline and his exhaustion kept his attitude at his general mellow point. "You mean like a date…?"
Tokage shrugged. "Heh, that might be a stretch." She tossed one leg over the other. "Honestly, after all the cramming we did and your scores through the roof, I think we should spoil ourselves for once. My treat."
Nakagawa was touched and embarrassed at once. On one hand, he was flattered that he was going to get to spend some more time with Tokage. On the other hand, he felt bad that he was interceding where he shouldn't be with a soon-to-be college student. She was still 2 grades ahead of him after all. And UA's curriculum was out of ordinary. And he would know with all the quizzes and tests he'd make for her.
Still, she did have a point that they should spoil themselves. Nakagawa obliged. "Well…I'm not picky, so anything works for me."
"Deal." She nudged his shoulder. "Alright, let's do our best!"
Nagakawa returned the smile. "Yeah…so, is this the part where we stick to 'san' or how's it go?"
Tokage cocked a brow. "Huh…you really aren't a social butterfly, are you?"
"Not sorry."
Musutafu, Japan - February 2197
Tokage was on the bullet train back to her apartment. The whole time, she remained quiet as she was thinking of what her Recommendation Exam meant for her. To say that it was an experience would be an understatement. Though, to say it was a great experience with a possibility of becoming a part of UA with the whole competition was another matter altogether.
A small sigh escaped from her as she was heading home. It was then that she felt her phone vibrate from a text message. When she looked at it, she recognized Nakagawa's ID.
[YUTO: Hey, how'd it go?]
Tokage blinked, texting back to him.
[SETSUNA: Nothing I couldn't handle. Tougher than I thought.]
[YUTO: You gonna be okay?]
[SETSUNA: LOL You worry too much about me…but I really do appreciate you. I don't get my results for another 2-3 days.]
[YUTO: Want me to stop by then?]
[SETSUNA: Dummy, I was gonna ask you. After all the time you helped me study, it'd be a crime NOT to! XD]
Tokage meekly grinned and couldn't be so anxious now. It was thanks to Nakagawa's help in sharpening her skills, as well as keeping her in shape. If this wasn't for herself, it had to be for him. She'd be a terrible friend otherwise. 'Right, no sense of doubt! Gonna have to face this with a smile!'
Two days came and went. Tokage opened the door to her apartment and there stood Nakagawa. Said high schooler had a paper bag in hand, which had the label for a Ukio Food store that he stopped by along the way.
"Hey, did I miss anything?" He walked past Tokage, the latter closing her door.
"Nope, just in time." She watched Nakagawa put the bag down as she reached for a letter, with a stamp and address directly from UA. "Just came in. Was waiting on you."
The two hurried over to Tokage's table where they were going to open the letter. She took a seat, whereas Nakagawa stood beside her leaning over with a furrowed brow. He looked down at his friend to see her momentarily pause to brace herself. "You good?"
The young woman took a deep breath in, and exhaled. She smirked at him and nodded. "You bet. Let's get this show on the road."
She thus began opening the letter, where a disc slid out and lit up, projecting an image of the world's greatest hero wearing a nice suit with his trademark grin.
"I AM HERE AS A PROJECTION!"
"All Might?!" Tokage gasped, blinking in shock. Nakagawa looked just as surprised, but he remained silent.
"I speak to you as both a Hero and as a promising teacher on behalf of UA University. First of all, I would like to thank you for taking part in UA's Recommendation Exam, young Tokage. As a recommended student, you had the privilege as well as the responsibility above those who would have applied normally to show this school your potential as a future Hero this world can depend on. There were amongst many recommended students like yourself who strove to reach these heights, but worry not! Everyone is unique in their own way, thus we are not entitled to discriminate our differences. There are many strengths and weaknesses that everyone has, and this test bore yours to UA. And so, allow me to tell you of your active role in this exam you have participated in."
Tokage remained quiet as she furrowed her brow. This was it! Was she going to pass the Recommendation Exam? Was it all worth it?
"There were multiple groups of students in this exam, so we have decided to stick to your group in this evaluation. To start with, your first test was a written test. And I am proud to say that you have passed the test with a score of 93. Very astute of you!"
Tokage gasped and turned towards Nakagawa, who looked just as pleasantly surprised. All those hours of studying really paid off!
"In your practical exam, you've shown us great mobility with your Quirk. Your ability to maneuver well coupled by your physicality shows that you were physically adept to the course you took." All Might paused to clear his throat. "However, towards the end, that's where you started to fall down."
Tokage winced. She knew where this was going.
"You seemed to have had a hard time adapting by the end, thus you were gradually falling short to where you ended up taking 4th place amongst the six peers that you were grouped in. It was a strong start for you, but there was a gap that you have yet to close on.
"Now then, for your interview. As you may be aware, we look at all the outstanding references that students have to determine their acceptance here in UA. We have looked at all of your references, and they were all valid and liable on accounts of your word.
"However…" The pause didn't sit well with Tokage. "Your answers to your questions also had an effect on your overall score. I would say that as a teacher, I would be thrilled to teach you myself. But, as a Hero in evaluation, a recommendation overall score of 78 is rather…subliminal."
Tokage could only stare, clutching her fists tight at what's to come.
"Young Tokage, I do apologize…but we have already selected a candidate from your group with higher scores to follow through with the acceptance."
Tokage literally felt like falling apart. Her head was down as she was frowning deeply with the realization. To say that it was a disappointment would be an understatement. If it wasn't for Nakagawa clutching her shoulder tightly, she'd probably be feeling cold right now.
'I knew I fell off somewhere…I guess I just hit harder than I thought I would.' She silently accepted the defeat. At least she tried.
"But WAIT, there's more!"
All Might continued, getting both their attention again.
"Sorry for the scare there, but I just so happen to be one to keep the folks on the fence! HA-HA-HA! You see, young Tokage, while you had your faults, you have shown your resolve well through your words in your interview. You made it clear the dedication, the blood, sweat, and the tears that you have shed for this event. While your score in numbers are debatably competent, your willingness to accept that and still press on is an aspect that a Hero should aspire to have!
"So, it is with this smile on my face that I am proud to say that there is still a chance, should you choose to take it! So, despite not scoring the highest, the administration took a selected few to participate in the standard exam that is soon to happen next week. And young Tokage…you are amongst those few."
Tokage's eyes gradually widened. Was this real? This couldn't be a joke right? She was literally speechless!
"Setsuna…!" Nakagawa looked at her, showing his shock and genuine joy.
All Might nodded. "Your application for the standard exam will be premium filed in. The deadline to have it turned in shall be noon tomorrow. Young Tokage…I am looking forward to seeing you make your words a reality."
With that, the projection shut off, leaving the two to process what just happened. Nakagawa looked at Tokage, who slowly inhaled and turned towards him. After a second, a smile gradually grew.
"Setsuna?"
"Did you hear that, Yuto…" She turned towards him. "That means…"
Nakagawa smiled. He held out his hand, and she clutched it tight.
"Hahaha! It all wasn't in vain after all!" Tokage chimed.
"That guy really pulled our strings, didn't he?" Nakagawa dryly chimed.
Tokage sighed. "Yeah, you can say that again…" She looked ahead as her smile fell a little. "Still, it's kind of a shame that I didn't pass the Recommendation Exam. After all that work we did."
"I mean, to be fair, you really scored well on the written part. Shows you got brains."
"Yeah, true that. Heh. Well, though it wasn't how it turned out to be…guess it can't be helped." She faced him, balling her left fist. "I'm just going to have to take that standard exam and get in through my merits–by getting my hands dirty!"
Nakagawa cocked a brow. "Well at least wash them afterwards. Don't want any bacteria or viruses getting out."
Tokage winked. "Duly noted." She looked at the envelope, seeing there being instructions to something. "Looks like my application instructions are here, too. I'll be sure to send that in before bed. By the way, Yuto."
"What up?"
"I've been meaning to ask, but…" She turned towards the brown paper bag sitting close by. "What exactly did you bring along with you?"
"Oh, right, that." Nakagawa walked around, reaching for the bag. He started opening it and pulled out some medium-small boxes, roughly the sizes of small cakes. "I stopped by a bakery and picked up some cake, just in case."
"You really shouldn't have…"
"Well I did, so too bad. Meh." He stuck his tongue out at her. "Anyways…tada!"
Tokage peered inside the small pink box. When she did, she saw a dark chocolate cake that was small in size, seemingly enough for two people. On the cake was frosted a UA logo with a big red X on it, and over it had words "SCREW UA" in large red letters.
She raised a brow at her companion, smirking. "Screw UA, huh?"
Nakagawa blinked and looked down at the cake. "Whoops. Wrong one." He clamped the box shut and shoved it off to the side. He reached for the white box and opened it. "THISis the one."
When Tokage looked inside, she saw that the cake had a white frosting. It had small yellow stars, with a designed face of hers with green waves of frosting with her tongue out in pink frosting. Evidently, above it said "UA'S NEWEST HERO!" in large green lettering.
The young woman chuckled. "Gee, and here I thought I was prepared." She leaned over and hugged Nakagawa. "Seriously, I owe a lot to you. I can't thank you enough for getting me this far…you really are a good guy."
He blinked, but he meekly grinned as he hugged her back. "Don't mention it. Just glad there's a glimmer over yonder. But, uh…"
Tokage pulled away, looking at him sparingly and glanced at the box that was meant for if she didn't fail. She knew he liked chocolate and eyes rolled with a smirk. "Go ahead."
"Yes!"
Tokage took a piece of the white cake, whereas Nakagawa took a piece of the dark chocolate cake. The two held up their respective pieces with small grins.
"To failure."
"To success."
Their cake pieces touched, and they separated and bit into them. Tokage savored her piece, though Nakagawa cocked a brow as he did his. "Hm…who knew failure tasted so good."
Tokage laughed uproariously. "HAHAHA! Save me a slice of that failure then, I need a piece after that exam after all."
"Toss me a piece of success then." Nakagawa held out his hand. She dislodged her hand and moved it to instead shove the piece into Yuto's mouth. He accepted it, of course, and quickly devoured it. By the time he finished, he raised a brow as he judged it. "Mmm…I like failure more."
Tokage laughed as the two ate their worries away, and to the possibilities that she still had.