Author's Notes: Chapter edited and corrected by Scott Fellman.
Author's Notes: Okay, I usually like to put author's notes at the end, but I guess this needs a little context. Turns out, several people asked about what happened to Hori, and here it is.
The backstory had been in the works for a while, even before I started writing the novel. I was never going to write it down directly, maybe an idea here or there, so they were just ideas in a draft, nothing formal.
But whenever I tried to write a summary of what happened, I always ended up writing a whole chapter, so here it is! And in case it wasn't clear, this is entirely canon.
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Izumi, 16, first year of high school.
I continued humming as I walked, texting the misfits I called friends while laughing lightly. We're supposed to meet up near here in a few minutes. I looked up and looked around… Now, where was I?
I was supposed to arrive near the mall… why am I in a residential area? I tilted my head slightly in confusion before searching for the street I was on. I then tried to locate myself using the GPS, but it still didn't make sense to me.
Sometimes I really hated having inherited Zoro's sense of direction.
I sighed tiredly as I prepared to send my location and a distress signal to the other kids to come get me, when I heard a scream and some barking. I looked up only to see a boy about 6 or 7 years old running, then tripped and fell.
I tried not to laugh and approached him carefully. I saw the dog barking at the boy, and I barely had to flex my Conqueror's Haki for it to start whining and hiding from me.
"Hey, kid, are you okay?" I asked, crouching down and looking at the boy. The boy stood up slowly and awkwardly. Gray hair, olive-green eyes, and a line of blood coming out of his nose. Tears seemed to be forming in his eyes.
I smiled slightly and patted his head gently.
"Okay, okay, don't cry, everything's okay." I tried to comfort the boy, who just whimpered and nodded slowly, holding back his tears. "Well done." I smiled slightly. "Do you know where your parents are? Your home? " I asked slowly. He nodded again. "Okay, why don't you show me around? I'll keep you company and protect you from the bad dogs? " I smiled slightly.
"...thank you... onii-san." The boy murmured timidly, and I simply nodded. I helped the boy stand up, brushing some dust off his clothes. The boy immediately took my hand before starting to stroll.
I had mixed feelings. It wasn't that I minded helping the boy; on the contrary, I was happy to do so. But it was clear the boy knew where he was going; in other words, the 6- or 7-year-old had a better sense of direction than I did.
Quickly shaking off the jealousy I felt toward the boy, I continued strolling, hand in hand with the boy. He had calmed down considerably and was now much calmer.
From the looks of it, we weren't far from his house, because in just a few minutes, we reached our destination. The boy barely paused as he easily entered the house. I tried to stay outside out of respect, but the boy just looked at me and tugged at my hand.
I sighed and followed him into the house.
"Sister!" the boy shouted once we entered. From one of the hallways, a smiling teenager appeared.
"Welcome So-" The teenager froze when she saw the bleeding boy. "What happened to you, Souta?!" The girl asked in panic, dropping what she was holding and launching herself at the boy named Souta.
"I fell," Souta said calmly.
"What?!" the girl exclaimed in panic. I blinked several times... oh, she was Kyoko Hori, and this was her brother... this is... unexpected.
"I guess that's all right, so I'll be going now." I said awkwardly as I turned around to leave the house quickly.
"Ah, sorry! Thanks for your help! " Kyoko said as she thanked me in a panic. I lazily raised a hand, only for Souta to grab my shirt and stop me from leaving. I sighed tiredly.
"Souta?" Kyoko asked, confused.
"Onii-san... stay..." I sighed tiredly again, looking at Souta's pout and bright eyes, which was a terrible mistake. In the end, I couldn't refuse to go inside and have a snack with the Hori's. I let the conversation basically run its course, still undecided on whether to get involved with Kyoko.
A few weeks ago, I'd started my first year of high school. Kyoko Hori was definitely in my class. I'd seen her, but I hadn't interacted with her at all. Really, just because she's Izumi Miyamura now doesn't mean I have to go and marry Kyoko as soon as I see her.
But... I guess coincidences don't happen for nothing? I mean... the chances that with my guidance I'd somehow end up next to Souta just as he fell and be led to the Hori house were astronomical. I guess it wouldn't hurt to try?
"By the way, what's your name?" Kyoko asked after a few turns. I hummed lightly. Well, let's see how this turns out. Izumi Miyamura and Kyoko Hori got married and started a family, and she was cute, so... I didn't see why I shouldn't try.
"Wow, don't you recognize me, Hori? I'm your classmate, Miyamura." I said mockingly, and I saw her freeze and look at me in complete disbelief.
"Huh?" she said foolishly. I laughed amusedly.
"I guess you didn't expect it, is it the hair? Or the piercings ?" I asked playfully. Kyoko blushed deeply.
"M-Miyamura-san! I'm sorry! I didn't recognize you! " Kyoko squealed in embarrassment.
"Don't worry, I understand, there's a reason I wear my hair down." I said nonchalantly, Kyoko continued to look at me, while slightly blushing.
"Y-you look good." Kyoko squealed. I raised an eyebrow.
"Wow, thanks." I purred in her direction, humming as I stood up. "Guess it's time I go," I said nonchalantly. Souta grabbed my clothes again, and I just smiled at him and placed a hand on his head. "Sorry, Souta, but I had other plans and I've already stayed longer than I can," I said apologetically.
"S-Souta, let Miyamura go." Kyoko scolded her brother, Souta pouted, but let go of me, and I laughed lightly.
"Don't worry, Souta, I'm sure we'll meet again." I said simply.
"Really?" Souta asked excitedly. I nodded.
"Yes, of course, if your sister asks me out." I said to Kyoko while winking at her, and Kyoko froze before exploding in red, and I laughed lightly. "Thank you for the hospitality, but I must go." I said simply. "See you in class, and don't make me wait too long to ask me out, Kyoko." I purred her name before standing up and starting to leave.
Luckily, I was able to find my way out easily, just in time when I heard a loud thud, like someone hitting their head on the table.
"Sister?" I heard Souta call his sister. I laughed playfully as I left the house. I grabbed my phone and texted my friends. They still hadn't come to get me.
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Integrating myself into Kyoko's life was really easy. So easy it felt almost natural. To my surprise, Kyoko had asked me out that same week. To my surprise, we had a good time; she was so fun to be with that I didn't bother trying anymore.
As the weeks went by and I spent a lot of time at her house, mainly with Souta and her, my relationship with Kyoko grew stronger and stronger, to the point where I met her parents and vice versa.
Our relationship had progressed enough for me to sleep over at the Horis'. Although, well, I slept next to their father, Kyosuke. I liked him. He was a good guy, despite being just as weird here as he was in the version I remembered.
As usual, I woke up with the sunrise, looked at Kyosuke sleeping next to me on the futon, and carefully got up. Without making a sound, I grabbed the training sword I had brought in a sheath and quietly left the house.
Like most houses, there was a small yard in front of it. It wasn't as spacious as I'd like, but it was big enough to dance as usual. I grabbed my phone, set a small alarm, and put it back in my pocket.
I took up my sword and began to dance, following the steps of Hinokami Kagura. I could feel my body relaxing and moving automatically. I moved from one form to another, completely enthralled and attuned to the sunlight. Dancing in the sun always relaxed me.
I had continued dancing for about an hour before I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, finally stopping me as I took a deep breath.
"Oohhh! That was fantastic! " said Kyosuke as he clapped in excitement.
"It was beautiful, nii-chan!" said Souta happily.
"I didn't know you could dance so well, Miyamura-san," said Yuriko, Kyoko's mother.
"Oh? Didn't I mention it? " I said, confused, I had been dating Kyoko for almost a little over a month.
"Not that I remember, where did you learn a traditional sword dance?" Kyoko asked curiously. I shrugged.
"I made it," I said honestly.
"Wait, really?" Kyoko asked in surprise, and I nodded.
"Yes, it's called Hinokami Kagura. I like to start the day and welcome the sun with it," I told her honestly. "I even do it all night to welcome the first sunrise of the new year." I said honestly. Kyosuke whistled in amazement.
"What dedication, any particular reason?" Yuriko asked, surprised.
"Something like that? Hinokami Kagura is a dance based on my sword style, Sun Breathing, which mimics the sun, so it just… seems right to me." I told her simply.
"I didn't know you wield a sword? You're in the kendo club? I think you mentioned it once," Kyosuke said, stroking her chin.
"Not me, my friend, Kazuto is, but I stop by sometimes." I told her honestly, Kyosuke snapped his fingers.
"That's right, you mentioned it," Kyosuke chirped. "I thought you wanted to keep in shape and all. You're pretty thin. You should eat more! Not that you don't know how to handle it properly," Kyosuke added. I smiled slightly.
"Yes, I want to believe I'm good. After all, I want to take the UA entrance exam." I said with a smile. I could see everyone's eyes widen.
"UA?! Are you going to be a hero, Nii-chan!?" Souta asked excitedly. I smiled slightly.
"That's the plan." I winked at Souta.
"To UA? Is that your plan? "Kyoko asked. I could see her slightly tense. I just looked at her lightly while nodding, "Yeah! I'm super strong! I have faith I'll get in." I said happily. Kyoko only seemed to tense up more, before I could ask, Kyosuke launched himself in my direction.
"I believe in you! You can do it! I have faith in you! " Kyosuke chirped as he placed his hands on my shoulders and shook me. I just laughed lightly.
"Thank you." I said simply before looking at Kyoko, who was quickly entering the house. I looked at her, slightly confused. Had something happened? I shrugged and headed towards the house.
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I never got to talk to Kyoko, and in fact, I forgot, there were more important things. People had obviously started spreading rumors about me. I was still wearing glasses and my hair down in class, so I looked pretty gloomy, which was actually what I was going for.
Obviously, it didn't bother me. But half the rumors were directed at Kyoko, and most of them were coming to some sort of consensus that she was dating me out of pity, or that I had trapped or blackmailed her in some way, and they were feeling sorry for her.
Really, teenagers' imaginations can be very creative when they want to.
I guess we'd gotten to that point… I wasn't going to cut my hair, not in a million years. I loved my hair the way it was. I wasn't vain in any other way—for example, I barely cared about what I wore other than whether it was comfortable—but I loved how my hair looked tied up, and I wouldn't cut it, ever.
But that doesn't mean I can't get ready before going out. I tied half of my hair up neatly, just like I always did, so my face looked just right, contoured enough to frame the shape of my face, and I left my glasses aside—after all, I didn't need them.
Once I was ready, I headed to school, arriving late enough that most of the students were already already in the classroom. Luckily, most of my friends, especially Kyoko, were already there, so it was easy to find them.
Just as I expected and as always happened when I did it in public, stares started coming from all sides, I ignored the girls who were left gaping and walked through the school before entering my classroom.
The classroom fell silent when I walked in, Kyoko turned to look at me and froze, I smiled widely, walked up to her and lightly kissed her lips.
"Good morning, Kyoko." I said while winking at her before heading to my seat.
"Izumi?!" Kyoko squealed in confusion. That finally broke the silence.
"Huh?! It's Miyamura?! He was always so cute!? Damn, no wonder Hori pocketed him first! "
I quickly ignored the chatter while smiling slightly.
"Is everything okay?" Kazuto asked, sitting next to me in a low voice. He seemed confused, and I just laughed. He and the others knew very well why I didn't tie my hair up in class, so I guess it's normal for him to be confused. I just nodded and promised to talk to him later, with all the other kids.
Classes proceeded as usual, except for the sidelong glances from the entire class, which were becoming annoying. But during breaks, most of the girls immediately came up and started talking.
I immediately ignored them, even though it was terribly annoying and only confirmed why I hadn't bothered to even tie my hair up in years past. But still, I'd do it for Kyoko. Speaking of her, I turned to look at her only to freeze.
I expected a cold, almost annoyed, and angry look directed at the other girls, but for some reason, it was focused on me. I stood up to talk to her, but Kyoko turned and left the classroom quickly. I tried to follow her, but the girls quickly surrounded me.
I frowned slightly… what the hell had happened?
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The next few days were… difficult. Kyoko was ignoring me, which was annoying because we still did things together. I went over to Kyoko's house a couple of times; she responded briefly and rarely started a conversation with me. This was getting ridiculous.
I waited for class to end, without even hesitating, I grabbed Kyoko's wrist and started dragging her.
"Izumi!? Where are we going?!" Kyoko asked in surprise as she dragged her.
"To the roof." I said simply.
"Izumi... we're going down." Kyoko said slowly, and I froze halfway down the stairs, feeling my cheeks blush slightly. Kyoko sighed behind me and smiled slightly before losing her smile.
"Follow me." Kyoko said simply, and this time I was the one following her. Once we reached the rooftop, Kyoko turned in my direction. "So?" Kyoko asked simply.
"You've been ignoring me." I said directly, Kyoko looked away.
"You must be delusional," Kyoko said with a shrug. I frowned.
"Kyoko." I said slowly, narrowing my eyes at her. Kyoko flinched slightly and bit her lip. I sighed. "Please... please tell me what's wrong, did I do something?" I asked slowly. Kyoko clenched her fists tightly and glared at me, almost furious.
"What was that?" Kyoko asked once we were alone, and I looked at her, confused.
"What was what?" I asked, confused.
"That! The hair, the attention, everything! " Kyoko exclaimed, startling me with surprise.
"My hair? Is it wrong? " I asked, still terribly confused as I touched my hair lightly.
"It's tied up," Kyoko said tersely. I blinked and nodded.
"Yeah... I thought I'd bring it on a leash. I was getting tired of the rumors about you, and well, it doesn't bother me." I said with a smile, Kyoko grimaced.
"Yeah, you looked pretty comfortable with all that attention you were getting," Kyoko said coldly, and I stopped stiffly.
"Wait, are you upset about that?" I asked incredulously. I mean, yeah, I'd turned into some sort of queen bee now, or rather, king bee? I had no idea what that term was in this world, but yeah, I'd started attracting a lot of attention from basically the entire female population.
And that was like 85% of the student population. And I didn't even understand why. I mean, there were some pretty good-looking guys in my group of friends, too. Maybe it's just the novelty, but still, it's not like I'd been paying attention to anyone.
I even tried my best to avoid all the girls as much as I could, but the damn teenagers were terribly insistent.
Kyoko gritted her teeth.
"No! Yes! I mean, I don't know! " Kyoko exclaimed angrily as she began to pace.
"Kyoko... what's going on? You've been acting strange for a few days now." I said with a frown. Kyoko stopped stiffly and looked at me before biting her lip.
"Why didn't you tell me you wanted to go to UA?" she asked directly.
"But I said it the other day with the rest of your family present." I pointed.
"Before! Before we left." Kyoko exclaimed, frustrated.
"Does it bother you that I decided to go to UA?" I asked incredulously. Kyoko clenched her fists and nodded.
"I... yes, I don't want you to go to UA." Kyoko finally said as she stared at me. "UA is dangerous, being a hero, a hunter, anything is a danger, you'll be constantly putting yourself in danger, no... It's not a place for a boy." Kyoko finally said, looking down.
My eyes widened slightly before hardening. This whole problem wasn't really my hair; it was that she didn't want me to go to UA?
"I'm going to UA." I said directly without hesitation. "UA is where I want to go."
"But why!? Your quirk isn't a strong fighting quirk; you could hurt yourself! " Kyoko exclaimed, almost sounding panicked.
"A quirk isn't everything. I'm more than capable of fighting with my sword." I replied immediately.
"I don't understand why you want to go to UA so much! You can do anything! You can inherit your mother's shop! Or open a restaurant! " Kyoko said, sounding more and more desperate.
"Kyoko…" I said almost pitifully. "What's going on…" Kyoko bit her lip.
"I can't protect you." Kyoko said, trembling slightly. "I won't be able to protect you. You could get hurt at any moment, even die! I... I'll spend my whole life worrying about you! I don't want that!" Kyoko exclaimed, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. "Can't you really change your mind?" Kyoko pleaded. "Why do you want to go to UA so badly?"
I sighed wearily. Why is this happening? We were doing so well. Was it really such a big decision? Should I have mentioned this before? Were we too young? Everything occurred two years before canon. Maybe I was too hasty in starting to date Kyoko. Perhaps I should have let everything play out more organically, given more time.
Getting to know each other better before we started dating. Still… I wasn't going to give up on going to UA.
"Because I can and because I want to. UA is where I belong," I said immediately without hesitation. And… that about summed it up, didn't it? There was much more to it, but that was the essence of it all.
Because I want to and because I can.
My old life was just… I wouldn't call it boring; I was content with it. I had a full-time job, came home, and watched shows, read manga and novels, played games, or did whatever it took to entertain myself.
I would go out with my family or a few friends occasionally, and that was it. I had no aspirations, no ambitions. As long as I had enough to live and enjoy the few pleasures I had, I was more than happy with that life.
I didn't consider myself a bad person, but I wasn't good either, or at least not in a heroic way. Even though I liked spending time with my family or friends, I enjoyed having a lot of personal time without interruptions.
Literally, to do nothing but my own thing, even if it was something as simple as reading a novel or playing games. I preferred spending hours doing that, and I even got annoyed when someone interrupted those plans.
And that's precisely why I never had a serious partner either. Relationships take up time, time I wouldn't want to spend on anyone, so I never formed any lasting relationships.
It would have been so easy to fall back into that rhythm. In this world, I had practically everything secured. I could study something easy, or the same as my previous life, get the same monotonous, easy job I had, and live with that.
Or I could even easily inherit Mom's business. With my quirk, it would be so easy to achieve that my future would practically be assured.
and… I almost did it.
Really, even when I knew I had the templates of two compelling people, the customs were hard to ignore.
Reading novels about people who are locked in their rooms or the epitome of laziness who go to another world, or who have a very fixed lifestyle and suddenly seek to be powerful or something like that, and they overexert themselves and everything and change considerably, is just ridiculous.
Customs don't change overnight, unless there's some major trauma involved, and most of the time, there isn't. Yes, being transported to another world could be considered a monumental change, but it really wasn't.
In fact, Kazuma was the best example of what would actually happen if someone with a personality like his were to go to another world. Even in another world, he remained extremely lazy and a pervert most of the time.
So no, it wasn't instant, I wasn't reborn in this world, and somehow focused on being a role model, becoming the number one hero, or the strongest swordsman, even after seeing that I was in a mashup of apocalyptic series.
It might sound cheesy, childish, or stupid, but what really changed my mind was my mom.
Iori Miyamura, my mother, was the daughter of a renowned, politically powerful woman whose name I didn't even want to think about; I straight-up hated the person who was my 'grandmother'.
My 'grandmother' had somehow managed to purchase Ryuma's sperm for hundreds of millions of yen, obviously hoping to produce the next generation of super-powered hunters.
Obviously, Mom didn't know that part, that she was Ryuma's daughter; to her, it was simply the disappointment of not being able to inherit the strength of a nameless S-rank Hero. And I only found out about Ryuma when he looked me up a few years ago, when he learned about my existence and my swordsmanship.
But leaving that aside, when all my 'grandmother's' investment simply resulted in my mother, with a ridiculous cooking quirk, being kicked out of the family as soon as she came of age, without any financial support whatsoever.
Mom refused to give up and built everything she had from scratch, opening a small bakery that became a complete success thanks to her quirk. With the extra money she quickly earned, she was able to pay for a fertility clinic to get pregnant.
Obviously, since she couldn't afford the DNA of any male with a 'strong' or 'heroic' quirk, it was basically completely random, and then I was born.
Luckily, I turned out to be an exact copy of my mother, which made me very happy, except that I had blue eyes while she had bottle-green eyes.
Mom was terribly happy, and half the time she didn't even know what she was doing. Being a single woman raising a child without any help or support from other family members was difficult for her, but she never stopped trying.
She read book after book about children, about parenting, about everything to help her raise me. She basically did everything she could to raise me, and she did it with a huge, happy smile.
She did everything she could to be a good mother, a mother she didn't have, and she did not doubt that if she had a girlfriend or fiancée, she would also strive to be a good mother to them.
And I was more than happy to call her my mother.
And there was another cliché from some isekai I had read: there were several reincarnated characters who couldn't see their new 'mothers' as mothers, either because they already had one in their past life or because they were too old for something like that, and it was idiotic.
Like, you can only have one mother or something, a mother was a mother, no matter how old you were, it was stupid.
My old mother was still my mother, but this one, Iori Miyamura, was my mother too, and I had no shame in saying that I loved her, not a mother who tried so hard to be a mother by learning as she went along, not a mother who loved me as much as she did.
And I wasn't going to let her die. For the Gates, for the villains, for the end of the world, for anything. And I started training and changing.
The templates guided me through everything so easily, but I still trained hard every day.
It wasn't in my nature to be good, to be altruistic, enough to be a 'hero', I could stay home, and simply defend my mother from any danger, but… I wanted to change, I guess, for the better.
And what better way than to take All Might, or Midoriya, as role models?
I tried so hard to be, and… any of them would try to help in any way they could, and this world so mixed up… needed a lot of help, and UA would be a kind of melting pot.
But like I said, I wasn't that altruistic, I couldn't just throw myself into heroics completely, so… I decided I could be a hero, help others… and still be myself.
My irritating and chaotic self.
So I decided to go to UA, to be a hero and a hunter, the best I could be for my mother and for myself.
"I'm sorry, Kyoko... but I'm not going to give up on going to UA." I said firmly, Kyoko bit her lip as she let out a dry laugh, and tears fell from her eyes.
"Then… I guess there's no other option, right? I… I can't do this… I wouldn't be able to bear the helplessness and worry of it all." Kyoko said sadly, and I sighed, nodding.
"I'm really... really sorry, Kyoko." I said honestly. Kyoko simply nodded before running off. I didn't even turn around to follow her, just sighed as I sank to the ground and lay on the hard concrete floor, staring up at the sky.
This was horrible… but it was right.
…
…
…it hurt a lot.
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The day after the UA sports festival.
I was arranging the freshly baked goods on the display shelves when I felt a small, rather familiar pulse of Haki, the likes of which I hadn't thought about outside the store in a while, hovering outside the door. I smiled slightly as I grabbed one of the nearby boxes and packed some cake slices.
"I'll be back in a few minutes," I said to the air as I placed the box in a bag. I saw Taylor, who was organizing everything in the store, looking at me, confused. My mother was with Azula and Ruby, explaining everything about how the store works.
To my surprise, Azula and Ruby were paying close attention as my mom explained all the tasks around the shop, even as Ruby ate some freshly baked cookies.
I laughed lightly at my mother's enthusiasm for her shop and her 'future daughters-in-law' as she called them, still not giving up on one of them inheriting the shop in the future.
I walked out of the store with the bag in hand and ran into Kyoko, who was slightly startled.
"I-Izumi!" Kyoko squealed in surprise and quickly blushed slightly. I snorted in amusement as I lifted the bag in front of me and handed it to her.
"Here. For the family." I said simply, Kyoko's eyes widened.
"What? I can't accept it! At least let me pay for it." Kyoko said quickly as she took out her wallet. I rolled my eyes, grabbed her hand, and placed the bag between her fingers.
"Come on, I guess you wanted to talk." I said simply with a shrug. I walked a few steps away from the entrance and leaned against the wall. Kyoko looked conflicted before sighing and walking to my side and leaning against the wall as well.
We both fell silent for a moment. I let Kyoko lead the conversation; meanwhile, I could feel Taylor's bugs all over me. I rolled my eyes as I killed a couple to show my displeasure at their blatant lack of privacy, but did nothing to drive the rest away.
"I saw you… I saw you at the UA festival." Kyoko finally said.
"So? I'm super strong, aren't I? " I chirped as I raised an arm and punched my bicep. Kyoko smiled almost bitterly and nodded.
"You are," Kyoko said finally, and I laughed lightly. "You were right. You are strong, Izumi, much stronger than I could have imagined years ago." Kyoko said with an almost bitter smile. My smile fell a little.
"Do you regret it?" I asked simply, looking up at the sky. Kyoko just laughed disdainfully.
"Funnily enough… no." Kyoko said easily, sounding completely sincere. I looked at her curiously.
"I saw the news about the USJ incident," she said simply, and I grimaced. "The villains attacked your class, invaded UA, and then I saw the Festival, and your fighting prowess was beyond compare. You were poisoned and fought almost savagely. I... I wouldn't have been able to bear so much worry if you had to do that all the time." Kyoko smiled scornfully.
"I'm sorry." I said simply, Kyoko shook her head.
"Don't be sorry. You... It's your decision, who you want to be, and that's more than okay; it's not your fault that I can't bear it." Kyoko sighed quietly, as if she had already accepted it.
"Even so, I'm sorry... I really thought we would work out." I said with a bitter smile, and Kyoko laughed lightly.
"Me too, everything was so... perfect, maybe it's cliché, but we were too young." Kyoko mocked, I laughed lightly.
"There's a world of difference between 16 and 18," I mocked playfully as I shoved her with my shoulder. She laughed lightly.
"Of course there is." She agreed, and we both fell silent once more. "So... a fiancée?" Kyoko asked playfully, and I let out a laugh.
"Actually, three. They're helping Mom with the store." I said playfully, Kyoko burst out laughing.
"I see Iori hasn't changed in the slightest." Kyoko laughed, I laughed amusedly, because yes, Kyoko had received the same treatment from my mother, in fact, it's possible that she would have been sadder that I broke up with Kyoko than I was.
"She's an old bitch, she's not going to learn new tricks." I said dryly, Kyoko snorted.
"Don't let your mother hear you calling her an old bitch behind her back." Kyoko mocked, and I snorted.
"She deserves it, practically replacing me as her favorite child in favor of three strangers." I complained, and I certainly didn't pout. Kyoko burst out laughing.
"Aaww, mama's boy doesn't have his mommy's attention anymore?" Kyoko mocked mischievously, and I rolled my eyes.
"Yes, yes, yes, laugh all you want," I said dryly. We both looked at each other and laughed lightly. It was… so easy to be with her. I wasn't in love with her anymore, but still, it was nice to talk to her like this again.
"Well, I have to go, I didn't even know I was going here, I just... walked here." Kyoko said simply, I nodded.
"It was good to see you, Kyoko." I said honestly, Kyoko nodded.
"You too, Izumi." Kyoko said with a smile. " And by the way, just because we're not dating anymore doesn't mean I can't care about you, so don't go dying with some random villain." Kyoko scolded me, almost glaring at me. I snorted.
"Still worried? Then there was no point in separating." I mocked her. Kyoko rolled her eyes.
"There's a world of difference, Izumi, believe it or not," she said softly. "Besides, you're not my responsibility when you terrorize the world now," Kyoko said with a mocking smile. I burst out laughing.
"I'll have you know, I haven't made any of my classmates cry so far." I said playfully, Kyoko snorted loudly.
"You're losing your touch, Izumi. Over a month and no one's crying? You disappoint me." Kyoko said with a laugh, and I shrugged with a smirk.
"Unfortunately, I'm now in a hero college, so I must leave my skills for the villains." I said in a pained voice, Kyoko laughed lightly before sighing.
"Seriously... stay safe, don't let any villains kill you." Kyoko said softly.
"I wouldn't even dream of it." I said, amusedly, Kyoko smiled before sighing.
"Good... good luck Izumi." Kyoko said before smiling widely.
"And you too, really, we need to get together again, and with Souta, I really miss that shorty." I said, amusedly, Kyoko nodded amusedly.
"He misses you, too." She said simply. "And so do my parents. Kyosuke keeps bothering me about it." Kyoka snorted angrily, and I burst out laughing.
"I guess he hasn't changed in the slightest either." I laughed playfully, and she smiled back. With a final goodbye, Kyoka simply turned around and started walking.
I stared at her for a few seconds before smiling. With a final sigh, I started walking inside the store, before stopping when I saw my mother and the three girls busy cleaning the entire store with the task at hand. I snorted as I looked at her.
"Next time you want to spy, be quieter, I could practically hear you murmuring," I said mockingly.
"I told you he heard us!" Ruby growled as she dropped the broom she was holding.
"So, what did Kyoko want?" Mom asked casually, trying to look nonchalant. I snorted.
"I'm not going back to Kyoko, I thought you were happy with your new daughters." I mocked her. Mom's eyebrow twitched slightly.
"Whoever said she'd come back? I didn't say anything," Mom said quickly. "And I'm more than happy with my daughters! Better than an idiot son like you! " I snorted once more as I headed for the kitchen.
"I really feel the love, Mother." I said dryly before smiling slightly.
Yes… what I had with Kyoko was good, as brief as it was, but I wouldn't trade it for one bit. I wouldn't trade what I had now for anything.
Author's Notes: Well, that's all, I hope you liked it! And in case you're wondering, Kyoko is unlikely to ever appear again! Maybe at some point as a wink or something, but definitely not as a couple!
And in case you're asking, Izumi's "grandmother." I have no idea if she'll appear or not. I had several ideas, and that "grandmother" had several important names, so there might be an arc if I decide to use one of them, but I'll see how it all plays out for now, so I can't guarantee anything.