The three children played together cheerfully until the sun began to dip toward evening.
Exhausted but satisfied, Izuku and Kacchan lay on the ground, catching their breath, while Chicchan crouched near them, watching their tired but content expressions with a small smile.
"Huff... huff... Man, that was fun...!" Izuku exclaimed between breaths.
"Yeah... huff..." Kacchan agreed, his chest rising and falling with each breath.
They both stared at the orange evening sky for a moment, enjoying the peaceful moment.
However, Izuku broke the silence.
"Hey, Kacchan...
"...Yeah, Izuku?"
"I wonder what kind of quirk we'll get..."
Kacchan shrugged slightly.
"I don't know... Maybe something like what our parents have," Kacchan mused, wondering herself, "both my mom and dad can produce some kind of liquid from their skin, but only my dad can make it explode. My mom just produces this weird slimy stuff."
"Hehe... that sounds weird and yucky..."
"Haha... it sure does..."
"...Dad has a fire-breathing quirk, and Mom can pull objects toward her..." Chicchan interjected casually into their conversation, "so maybe you would get either one of them, Onii-chan."
"Oh, really...?!"
Kacchan nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, 'cause quirks can be inherited from your parent," Kacchan added, "but... they can sometimes manifest differently from your parents, or you might get a combination of both."
"I see...!"
Izuku listened attentively, absorbing all the information.
But then, he lay back on the ground, staring up at the orange sky again... imagining the possibilities of what kind of quirk he might develop.
"I hope I get a strong quirk, like All Might or Endeavor," Izuku said dreamily.
Kacchan smiled faintly, sharing Izuku's excitement. Chicchan herself only stared at the two best friends with a content expression.
"Katsuki!"
A voice suddenly called out 'Kacchan's' name, catching their attention...!
They turned to see a beautiful blonde woman who looked quite similar to Katsuki himself. It was, of course, none other than Katsuki's mother, standing at the park entrance.
Katsuki turned back to Izuku and Chicchan.
"Guess I gotta go..." Katsuki lamented, getting to his feet, "well... see ya tomorrow~."
Both Izuku and Chicchan looked at Katsuki and his mother as they left the park together.
But... at the same time, another woman approached the park.
Another beautiful woman, with straight, long... and 'dark green,' similar to Izuku's and Chicchan's hair.
She nodded a greeting to Katsuki's mother as they exchanged pleasantries before Katsuki and his mother left the park. The woman then looked toward Izuku and Chicchan's direction.
"Izuku! Chisa! Come on home, dinner is ready!"
She was, of course, their mother, Inko.
Both Izuku and Chisa looked at each other, their faces lighting up with shared understanding.
"Let's go home, Chicchan," Izuku urged, a wide smile etched on his face
"Okay, Onii-chan," she replied... with a small smile on her lips.
They quickly ran to their mother, who was waiting at the park entrance.
"You two are hungry after all that playing, right?" Inko asked with a warm smile on her own.
"Yeah!" they answered in unison. Izuku's voice was enthusiastic, while Chisa's response was in her usual flat tone, but held the same small smile of hers.
Taking their mother's hands, one on each side, the three of them began to walk back home.
But... as they were walking, a previous thought clouded Izuku's mind... the thought of what kind of 'quirk' he would eventually get.
Izuku tugged his mother's hand and called for her attention. He looked up at his mother Inko with his curiosity getting the better of him.
"Mom... when will our quirks manifest?"
"Eh?"
Eyes widened, his question had surprise Inko.
Chisa, too, glanced up at her mother... a look of anticipation on her nearly neutral expression.
"Uhm... well, dear..."
Inko paused for a moment, thinking of how best to answer her son's question. She herself had been wondering when her two children would manifest their quirks.
Their world revolved heavily around 'Quirks'—
A Quirk Society.
Whether they liked it or not, quirks played a huge factor in how one fared in the world. A good quirk could significantly elevate one's social status, while a... "bad" quirk could potentially lead to one's downfall.
Then there were the 'quirkless,' those unfortunate enough to be born without any quirks in a world where quirks could decide one's fate. She had heard how the quirkless were somewhat "shunned" by the 'normal' quirk users...
It was one of the fears that Inko had as a mother—fearing that her children would be discriminated against by society, whether they had a "bad" quirk or no quirk at all.
"Mom?" Izuku called her, breaking her out of her deep thought.
"Y-yes, dear?"
"So... when will my quirk manifest?" Izuku asked again with the same timid tone.
It was honestly a bit overwhelming for Inko to answer such a question as quirks were still something of an enigma, with countless research still ongoing even today.
But...
She had to at least try to answer her child's question.
"Your quirks will manifest naturally on their own, dear," she assured him gently, "so... you shouldn't worry too much about it."
Izuku, however, wasn't satisfied with the answer. His shoulders slumped a little as he absorbed her words as he hung his head low... still left with a feeling of unease.
Seeing her son's disappointment... had made Inko felt a pang of guilt. She contemplated once more, quickly trying to find an idea to lift his spirits—
But suddenly, a thought crossed her mind!
She remembered... that Izuku's birthday was in a few days!
While she had already planned a celebration and a gift for his birthday... she realized she could give him an additional surprise.
"Izuku," Inko called his name softly, catching his attention.
"Y-yes, mom...?"
After a brief pause, she smiled at him.
"How about we do a Quirk Inspection Testing at the local clinic?"
"'Q-quirk Inspection... Testing'?"
"Yup!" His mother's smile grew at his intrigue. "It's a test to see if we can get any early signs of what your quirk might be~."
Izuku's face lit up with both hope and excitement.
"R-really...?! We can do that...!?"
"Of course~," Inko affirmed her son, feeling a sense of relief and joy at his renewed enthusiasm. "We can go the day after tomorrow. How does that sound?"
"Awesome!!!" Izuku shouted with joy, his previous worries forgotten.
And seeing his smile... was a joy for a mother such as Inko.
Chisa, still holding her mother's hand, also tugged her hand a bit and looked up at her.
"Can I do the test too...?" She also requested timidly.
"Yes, Chisa... Both of you can do it," Inko assured her, giving her the same warm smile.
Her daughter might not show much, but there was a slight smile on her expression. Of course, as her mother, Inko could see it quite clearly.
With that promise, the three of them continued their walk home, the children chattering excitedly about the upcoming test, and their mother smiling as she listened, grateful for the chance to make them happy...
But that happiness... wouldn't last long.