The smell of fresh food fills the air in ways that I can't even describe. Lunch Rush is good at what he does, there's no doubt about it, and I'm not that bad of a cook myself, but there's something special about having Sanji surprise you with a new dish.
In a few moments, we're seated to our table and a new waiter brings over a couple cups of tea while we check out the menu.
"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Emi asks from across the table. She looks much better now than the last time I'd seen her. I guess moving to Tokyo was a good change of pace for her.
"You could say that," I reply, grasping the warm tea and taking a sip. For a second, my thoughts flash to what happened to Yamamoto, but I dismiss it.
"It's been busy at U.A. and it's only going to get busier."
"Busy? Don't act like we're strangers, Renji." Emi giggles as a teasing smile emerges. "I know if you wanted to, you'd have all the time in the world to visit your Aunt."
I don't say anything, instead opting to glance at the decorations as her gaze bored into me.
She giggles again while picking up the menu. "I can see it, you know. Even if you don't want to admit it, you're having fun at school."
She says it so definitively, like there's no possible room for argument. A warm smile blossoms on her face, reminiscent of her youth when she had not a care in the world, always prancing around from one activity to the next.
I give her a semi-shocked look. "Woah, Auntie, for a second it felt like you were years younger."
"Really?" She exclaims, striking a demure pose, "I've been trying a new cream—"
"Actually, on second thought, I take it back."
As fast as lightning, Emi swings her bag at my head. If I were an ordinary human I would've gotten a face full of leather. She should watch where she's pointing that thing.
The moment subsides and we laugh while talking about our future goals. Well, my future goals specifically.
I tell her about my plans to accept I-Island's internship which invoke a few more shouts and stray curse words before she settles down awkwardly when a few of the other customers look over.
"Since when did they hand out internships?" She whispers, glancing around as if she were harboring a national level secret.
A laugh escapes me and I move to grab a slice of pizza from the center of the table. Sanji's been experimenting with new cuisine lately and boy is it delicious.
After taking a sweet bite of cheesy goodness and giving the area a routine scan, I balance the slice. "Since today."
"You mean to tell me that you found out today and then decided out of the kindness of your heart to tell your dear old Aunt about it over dinner?"
"Yup."
"You never tell me things that quickly."
"So, what? Am I not allowed too?"
"Are you sure you haven't been brainwashed by some powerful villain?"
I laugh at that, gesturing to tap the side of my forehead a couple times. "There's a student at U.A. with a Quirk like that. Even if there's someone with a more powerful Quirk than him, I doubt they'd do much to my ever growing brain."
"Sure, sure," Emi lips curl up into her signature smile.
I eye her from the side, a grin forming on my face again. On a regular day like today, I would be relaxing at home, checking out some new technology, developing my own, or striking fear into the hearts of my enemies. But, it was nice to come out here like this every once in a while. Albeit, I was here just a couple of days ago but Emi wasn't here with me.
Her words from earlier still stick, even after all the time that has passed. Sure, it may not seem like a lot of time from her perspective, but I've already taken the liberty of running it through my head a few times with my Quirk.
In the end, I guess there's some truth to her words. I've really taken to school recently. It's very fun to crush people when their ego is sky high, especially the hothead Bakugo. Everyone at U.A. is there because they're supposedly the cream of the crop so it's an even greater feeling.
So yeah, Emi is pretty insightful. Must come from her age.
As if sensing the remark, Emi narrows her eyes at me and frowns. "What? Do I have something on my face?"
"No, I'm just admiring your wizened aura."
"You brat, if we weren't at a restaurant, I'd smack the crap out of you."
"Sanji has a place next door where we could spar it out."
That gives her pause and the slice in her hand freezes in place. "Is it too late to take back what I said?"
"Sure, if you pay for dinner."
She sighs, tapping the side of her pocket where her wallet resides. "If that's what it takes."
—
The walk to the station is short, the night air feels rich and crisp even with the influx of foreigners. While most people simply watched the matches on the internet, there were plenty of people who decided to buy both a plane and admission ticket to watch the festival in person.
My eyes scan around the area as the night life truly began to shine.
People of every nature walked the streets of Tokyo. Even the legendary American could be seen mingling about.
One day I will go to the United States of America. Mainly for one reason of course, but I'm sure there would be other things to check out while I'm there.
Despite the growing crowd along the streets, the sheer amount did nothing to my frequent scans. Dipping in and out of my Quirk is always good practice.
We settle into a comfortable silence on the way to platform. Emi only begins to speak when the announcement system blares overhead announcing the next train was arriving soon.
A calm smile settles over her face and she tilts her head opposite my direction. "I know I always complain about you not telling me things and coming to Tokyo to hang with your old Aunt, but you should try to enjoy yourself more. Evelyn would've wanted that."
"Am I not allowed to worry about you?" I ask with a glance, confused at the sudden demand.
"That's exactly what I'm telling you." She replies with a wink. "I can take care of myself, you know!"
"I know you can," I reply quietly. The rumble of the train reaches my ears from the distance. "But it doesn't mean I'll stop worrying."
She nudges me with her shoulder. "Then at least worry about important things. Like whether you're going to make it through the next semester without blowing up a lab."
"…"
"Renji," she says flatly. "Really?"
"That's not the point—"
The train screeches to a halt, the doors sliding open with a metallic sigh. Emi nudges me forward with strength betraying her petite figure.
"Just promise me," she says, softer now, "don't grow up so fast that you forget to live a little, okay?"
For a moment, the noise of the station fades. It's just Emi, framed by the fluorescent lights, looking at me like she can still see the kid I used to be.
I let out a chuckle at her uncharacteristically serious expression.
"No promises," I say. I'll keep trying to keep her safe no matter what, but I offer her a small smile anyway.
She laughs under her breath and waves at me as the doors close with a soft hiss.
—
[Iida Residence] Iida POV:
"He's been in his room for ages," A voice echoes through the house. The walls were never good at noise cancelling and despite my parents' attempt to keep quiet, I could still hear it all.
"The boy just needs some time." I can hear Father's strict voice as he insists that I'm fine and need time to adjust.
Mother sighs, her voice trembling just enough for me to notice. "He was so excited… Tenya worked so hard and seeing his friends fight so fiercely… He should be out there celebrating with them."
"Tensei would want us to give him space," Father answers, but the steadiness he's known for is beginning to fade. His tone cracks halfway through my brother's name.
My brother was murdered.
The word tastes bitter. It doesn't feel real. How could any of it. One moment he was alive, running through the streets saving person after person, and the next…
"Tenya shouldn't have to deal with this," Mother says. "No child should."
Child. The word irks me to no end. Tensei was your child too and look at what happened to him.
A heavy silence settles over the house and I shift my weight as I sit on the edge of my bed. The faint silhouette of my engines in the dim light of my room are a constant reminder.
It doesn't feel possible. He was faster than anyone, the kind of hero that made people feel safe just being near—my hero.
My vision blurs and I wipe my eyes quickly, frustrated at the shaking in my hands. Ingenium wouldn't tremble. Tensei never did, not even at the very end.
Leaning back on the bed, I inhale shakily. For a moment, I just listen to the muffled arguing, to the heating humming through the house, to the distant cars outside.
Everything feels too normal.
How can the world keep moving when they just lost a hero?
But in the end, I know the answer. The world keeps moving. People continue to laugh outside.
Somewhere in Musutafu, someone is probably watching the Sports Festival replays, replaying the matches, debating who should've won. Just another spectacle, another show.
My hands curl into fists.
Everything feels so wrong. Mother's crying in the kitchen, Father's trying to hold himself together, and at the end of the hall Tensei's room stands still, completely silent.
And the world does nothing.
A sharp exhale tears its way out of my chest and I shove myself to my feet, pacing the cramped length of my room.
My engines buzz uneasily, responding to the storm brewing inside me.
I grip the edge of my desk until the wood creaks. Looking at the reflection in the small mirror, the anger twists back at me.
I replay every moment of the festival. Every second I wasted celebrating with friends, soaking in the cheers, thinking that day was about proving something to myself. All the while, Tensei was dying in a decrepit alleyway, watching as his killer fled the scene.
"Stain."
The name is sour on my tongue and my blood boils.
"Hero Killer Stain," I mutter as the image in the mirror shifts to a familiar figure.
He stole Tensei's future, stole my family's peace, and left us with nothing but silence.
Time won't fix this.
Tensei died protecting people like me, people who weren't even there to help him. People who would never know his name beyond a headline.
Stain killed him because he didn't fit some twisted ideal of heroism.
I sit back down slowly, resting my elbows on my knees.
My thoughts snap back to the list of offers I had received from Aizawa-sensei through email due to my absence today.
I can see it clearly, I'll do whatever it takes to get rid of this blight so Tensei can rest easy.