After this, Kaelen went back home and bathed, getting ready for school. He walked out of his house and locked the door, sliding on his headphones as music filled his ears.
The streets of Mustafu were buzzing with their usual morning noise—kids rushing to class, cars honking, the faint chatter of shopkeepers opening their stores.
Aldera Junior High was… well, ordinary. Too ordinary. Very few students here had ever made it into U.A. But more recently, the only notable graduates ended up in U.A's business class.
By the time Kaelen arrived, most of his classmates were already milling around. He stepped into the classroom, scanning the room, and noticed Izuku sitting quietly at his desk near the front, scribbling furiously in that green notebook of his.
Kaelen slid into his seat, pulling off his headphones. To his relief, the "pervert bathroom incident" wasn't haunting him anymore—no whispers, no side-eyes. Good. He could breathe.
He glanced at Izuku, who was hunched over, as if guarding his notebook like it held state secrets. Kaelen smirked to himself.
'I wouldn't mind getting to know bro. Last I checked, he had zero friends here since he was quirkless.'
Reaching over, Kaelen tapped Izuku lightly on the shoulder.
Izuku stiffened instantly, whipping his head around with wide eyes. His face read pure confusion. People usually ignored him—or worse.
Kaelen smiled casually, tilting his head. "Yo."
"Uh… hello? May I help you?" Izuku's voice was cautious, almost defensive, like he was bracing for an insult.
"Nah, I'm just making conversation, I guess," Kaelen said, leaning back. He nodded at the notebook in Izuku's hands. "So, what are you writing over there?"
Izuku's face flushed, and he fumbled for words. "Oh, umm… well… how do I say this?"
"Come on," Kaelen reassured him, tone light, "I won't judge."
Izuku hesitated, then slowly turned his chair fully around, clutching the notebook with both hands like it was a treasure. For the first time, Kaelen saw a flicker of excitement in his expression.
"Well," Izuku began, his voice gaining speed as he spoke, "I've been writing notes on heroes—all kinds of them. Their backgrounds, their debut rescues, battle records, quirks, fighting styles… everything. I guess it sounds kinda weird, but I find it fun."
His words spilled out, almost too fast, but the genuine spark in his eyes made Kaelen pause. This wasn't just a hobby. This was passion.
Kaelen couldn't help but smile. "You must really love heroes, huh?"
Izuku's cheeks turned pink. He nodded quickly. "Yeah, I do. That's my dream—to become a hero myself. Of course…" His voice dropped, and the glow in his eyes dimmed. "…that's not possible since I don't have a quirk."
For a moment, silence hung between them. Izuku tried to keep smiling, but Kaelen could see the cracks in it—the weight of loneliness, disappointment, years of being told no.
Kaelen leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "That's not true."
Izuku blinked, startled.
"Before quirks were even a thing, heroes existed everywhere. Firefighters, police, lifeguards, doctors—you name it. None of them had quirks, but through training, skill, and discipline, they saved lives every single day. And they were respected. They were heroes. If you really dedicate yourself to your goal, if you put in the work… I'm sure you can be a hero too."
Izuku froze, eyes wide. Slowly, his lips trembled, and tears welled up despite his efforts to hide them.
'Damn. Bro is crying.' Kaelen thought, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
Izuku sniffled, wiping at his eyes with the back of his sleeve. Then, like the most stereotypical shonen protagonist alive, he broke into a watery grin—eyes squeezed shut in gratitude.
"Thanks, Kaelen… I'll make sure to never forget that."
Kaelen cringed at the anime-like delivery but nodded anyway. "Uhh… sure, buddy."
Katsuki walked in a few moments later, his presence sharp like a spark catching dry wood. He caught sight of Izuku and Kaelen, their voices raised in a heated debate about All Might, both leaning forward as if the discussion itself was a battlefield. A crooked grin tugged at Katsuki's lips, the kind that promised trouble.
"Well, if it isn't Deku! Guess you finally made a friend," he said, striding toward them with that cocky swagger only he carried.
Izuku's demeanor collapsed instantly, his shoulders curling inward, eyes darting to the floor. The defiance that had burned a second ago vanished as if Katsuki had snuffed it out with a word.
Kaelen turned, his brows knitting as his gaze fixed on Katsuki.
'This fucker. Still makes zero sense why he came back to life,' he thought, irritation sparking like flint in his chest.
Katsuki noticed the stare and snapped, his grin slipping into a scowl. "What are you looking at?"
Kaelen tilted his head slightly, his expression calm but edged like a blade. "A guy who doesn't know what a comb is."
The jab landed clean. Katsuki's frown deepened, heat rising in his eyes until they almost glowed with anger. His knuckles cracked like tiny explosions as he stepped closer.
"You know, I've been holding back on you. Guess I should've given you the Deku treatment as well. Get up." His voice dropped, sharp and daring.
Kaelen's lips parted, a retort already forming, when the classroom door slid open with a sharp clack. Their teacher stepped in, cutting the moment like a sword through tension.
"You're in luck," Katsuki muttered, glaring one last time before stomping to his seat.
'Dumb fuck,' Kaelen thought, settling back into his chair. His eyes flicked toward Izuku, who quickly turned back to face the board, his shoulders stiff with avoidance.
'I'd help him… but no. He's got to face his fears on his own, find his own worth. For now, I'll just hang with him,' Kaelen decided, leaning back as the classroom's hum slowly returned.
Class went by without much excitement, just the usual lectures and chatter filling the room. When break rolled around, Kaelen ended up sitting with Izuku.
The two of them slipped into their usual rhythm, geeking out over hero trivia and analyzing quirks like they were breaking down a sports game. It was one of the few times Kaelen felt fully at ease, laughing and bouncing theories back and forth.
After school, Izuku waved goodbye with his usual nervous energy, heading off in a rush. Kaelen, however, lingered in the city, deciding to pick up some groceries.
His parents had sent him a little extra money during the week, and he figured it was time to stock up on something healthy instead of surviving on instant noodles.
The store visit was quick—vegetables, eggs, some chicken, even a few snacks for later. He felt good about his haul, the plastic bags swinging lightly in his hands as he stepped out of the automatic doors.
That good feeling didn't last.
A blur passed him, fast and rough, yanking the groceries clean out of his grip. The bags swayed in the thief's arms as the man bolted down the sidewalk.
Kaelen blinked once, then sighed, deadpan.
"Wow. Guess I didn't know I was living in Detroit."
The thought barely finished before his legs were already moving. He sprinted forward, his quirk kicking in with every step. The first few strides felt normal, but then—just like always—his momentum started building.
His body grew faster, sharper, the air rushing against his face. By the fifth step, the world blurred, and Kaelen was practically on the thief's heels.
He lunged, snatching the back of the man's shirt before the thief even realized he was caught.
The sudden stop made Kaelen slide across the pavement, sneakers screeching and burning against the ground. By the time he fully slowed down, the soles of his school shoes were ruined—jagged holes and singed rubber.
He groaned, glaring down at them.
"Damn. There goes another pair."
The thief squirmed, eyes wide, but Kaelen just yanked his groceries back and shoved the man away. "Go," he muttered, more annoyed about his shoes than the theft attempt.
Turning the corner to avoid a crowd that had started to gather, he stopped on the next block. That's when it hit him. His feet, still burning hot from the run, suddenly cramped up.
The pain shot up his legs, forcing him to wince and grab onto a railing for balance.
"Man… this is gonna take a while."
Limping the rest of the way home, groceries in hand, Kaelen couldn't help but realize: that he had a lot of work to do.
TO BE CONTINUED