….
Back to Jin-Ho's side.
["Let's party for the whole night!"] Toya declared.
["You have training at 5 AM tomorrow."] Giran reminded him dryly.
["...Let's party for a reasonable portion of the night."] Toya amended quickly.
Jin-Ho laughed, a real, genuine laugh that felt foreign after the stress of the past few weeks–
"See you guys soon."
As he put the phone away, Jin-Ho sighed. He knew he probably wouldn't get much sleep tonight either.
At least the kids, Toya Todoroki and Keigo Takami, looked livelier now, which was something.
He still needed to prepare them properly, to shape them into the heroes they wanted to become. Their first real step toward that future would come in just a few days.
Naturally, he was considering sending Toya and Keigo to U.A.
And he knew that would create more than a few complications for him.
"Again? What have I gotten myself into?"
As the day went on, he had essentially become their guardian. All he wanted was to finish his mission, and, if possible, keep Toya from walking the same dark path he did in the original story.
Keigo wasn't a concern. The real problem was Toya, and everything attached to the Todoroki name.
If he had a choice, Jin-Ho would never involve himself in someone else's family drama. But he was already too far in to pull back now.
All he could do was brace himself for the Todoroki household's inevitable fury once the truth came out during Toya's U.A. entrance exam: their son was alive, and Jin-Ho had said nothing.
What happened after that would depend on how U.A. handled the situation, though Jin-Ho trusted they would prioritize student safety.
And no, he wasn't remotely worried about whether he would be admitted or not.
So–
"I mean, they have to, right?" he reassured himself.
Jin-Ho had personally requested Principal Nezu not to reveal Toya's information until the exam results were out.
If one is wondering why he didn't just use a recommendation like in the series, it's because Jin-Ho didn't have that kind of influence yet.
He had just become a Pro Hero-what do you expect?
After that, he knew he wouldn't be able to stop the information from leaking. News of Toya's performance in the exam would spread, along with his name.
In a 'normal' case, this might not matter to a second-ranked hero. But Jin-Ho didn't think Toya would pass the exam in a 'normal' way.
In his current state, Toya might even break All Might's record of 222 points.
And that was bound to get Endeavor's attention.
When he found out the one who broke his long-time rival's record was the son he deemed a failure, it would be a slap in the face.
All things considered, the coming days were going to be pretty hectic.
"Sigh, guess being a guardian is as tough as being a hero."
There is a line in the show that says being involved in something when there isn't a need, and when it has nothing to do with you, is what makes you a hero.
Jin-Ho kind of liked that sentiment.
With another sigh, he got up from the bed
"I feel hungry."
He decided to head downstairs.
….
Next Day | Evening.
"Hey Giran, wake up."
Jin-Ho called out to wake him up from his sleep mode.
Giran was sleeping on the sofa again. He opened his eyes with an instantaneous flash, devoid of the usual sluggishness one feels upon waking–
"You scared me…"
"Are they still training?" Jin-Ho inquired, looking around and sensing no one.
"Seems like it." Giran replied, not entirely certain himself.
"Anyway, it's getting late. I will go and get them while you prepare the plate." Jin-Ho suggested, pointing toward the carry bags Giran had placed on the table.
"Okaay!"
Giran's reply was only partially heard as Jin-Ho moved toward the Training area.
When Jin-Ho arrived, he could see four figures: two children, and a man.
The kids were obviously Toya and Keigo, and the man, around 25 or 26, was the future Hero Killer: Stain, whose original name was Chizome Akaguro.
However, Jin-Ho wasn't sure how to describe the situation of the so-called kids.
Toya was sprawled on the ground, sweat covering his t-shirt. He was trying to get up, his hands shaking, only to collapse again.
Stain stood a few meters away, gripping the handles of two blades tightly, ready for another round when his opponent was set.
Keigo was sitting off to the side, looking exhausted but focused, nursing what looked like a bruised arm while observing the spar intently.
They still seemed not to have noticed Jin-Ho.
"Oye... stop it already."
Throwing himself in the middle, Jin-Ho stopped their movements putting an end to their small battle.
"Boss!!"
"!!...Bos-s!!"
The second voice was a bit more exhausted than the first, but both held the same level of surprise.
Keigo also looked up.
I still can't get used to being called 'Boss' by a much older person than him, Jin-Ho thought, referring to the eight-year age gap with Stain.
Not that I am comfortable with Toya calling me that either, but it is bearable as he is much younger.
Giran, though much older, was an exception. Jin-Ho was more than comfortable with him referring to him as his Boss - and he didn't know the reason, perhaps he just liked bullying him.
"So you finally became a Pro Hero, Boss? I hope you won't become like those wannabes in the future." Stain said while putting away his weapons.
"You bet." Jin-Ho replied.
He looked at Toya, who got up from the ground. His legs were struggling from the stress, but he had an irritated expression.
"I was about to win…. but you ruined everything." Toya said with a weak voice.
Then his legs finally gave in, threatening to faceplant him to the ground. Jin-Ho swooped in just in time, supporting Toya's shoulder and leaning him onto his own, stopping him from falling and saving the day like the hero he was.
"Stain you went overboard this time, he is still a kid."
"You are the one who told me not to hold back." Stain shot back, voice ragged as he examined the bruises he had earned fighting an actual child.
Keigo, now back on his feet, gave a tiny nod, Stain wasn't wrong, but he kept his mouth shut.
….
An hour later, everyone had washed up and settled around the dinner table.
Somehow, the conversation had drifted straight onto Jin-Ho's planned Hero Agency name.
"Fairy Tail? You are actually serious, Boss?" Toya leaned back so hard his chair nearly toppled. He burst out laughing, loud and dramatic. "That sounds utterly ridiculous! Like a petting zoo!"
Jin-Ho ignored him. It stung, sure, but he had chosen that name for a reason, one he wasn't changing.
"It lacks credibility, Boss." Keigo cut in. His tone was clinical, the tone of someone who already thought like a pro hero. "Most agencies, like Endeavor's, use solid branding tied to their hero persona. 'Fairy Tail' suggests a disregard for industry standards."
"Not you too, Keigo." Jin-Ho rubbed at his brow. The boy's practicality was relentless.
He took the rest of his juice in a single irritated chug and set the empty glass down with a heavy slam.
The table fell quiet.
"Was that juice, or did you switch to something stronger, Boss?" Jim wondered aloud. "It looked like orange juice. But maybe whiskey. No, definitely whiskey. Or juice."
"You are speaking nonsense again, Jim." Stain muttered.
"Giran." Jin-Ho exhaled and turned toward the man nursing a drink at the corner. "Your thoughts?"
"It's not like you will listen even if I give them." Giran replied, visibly annoyed.
"True." Jin-Ho pushed himself to his feet. The reaction was immediate, Toya's smirk, Keigo's focused stare, Stain's steady attention, Jim's confused enthusiasm. All eyes on him.
"Ahem."
He cleared his throat with theatrical purpose.
"YOU! Boss! You are actually thinking of giving a speech now?" Toya yelled, pretending to be offended.
Before he could continue, Stain reached over and flicked the back of Toya's head.
"Ow."
"Right. Listen up." Jin-Ho said, voice firm. "Whether you like it or not, our Hero Agency name is going to be Fairy Tail. That is final."
"I have no problem, Boss." Keigo straightened instantly, respectful as always. "If that is your decision, I will support it."
"That's kind of cool and completely lame at the same time, Bossu." Jim added, one fist pumping in triumph while his shoulders slumped in defeat.
He really needed to pick one emotion.
Still, Jin-Ho counted it as approval.
That should have been everyone, until a loud, disapproving howl rose from the back of the room.
Tom. And he had grown quite a lot.
"Shoot. I forgot about him." Jin-Ho muttered.
Toya immediately seized the moment.
"Tom! Boss doesn't care about you anymore!" he called out dramatically, trying to coax the creature over.
"I know his response!" Jin-Ho snapped back defensively, pointing at the cat, who, judging by the look in his eyes, absolutely understood what was going on.
….
.
[To be continued….]
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