After school, the noise of the day slowly faded.
Students drifted off in different directions, laughter lingering in the air. Takeshi exchanged a few words with Haru and Emi before quietly heading out on his own—as he often did.
He didn't wait for his father.
The path home led through the forest.
Cool air brushed against his skin, and the steady hum of cicadas filled the silence. For a moment, everything felt calm.
Then—
A sharp whistling sound cut through the air.
Takeshi reacted instantly.
He ducked.
Metal scraps and crushed cans tore past him, slamming into the trees behind him.
He rolled to the side and sprang back to his feet.
"Kaito!" he called out, eyes narrowing as a figure stepped from the shadows. "What are you doing?!"
Kaito stood there, shoulders tense, his expression dark.
"Stop acting like you don't know," he snapped. "Fight me."
Takeshi frowned.
"…What?"
"Fight me properly!" Kaito shouted, his voice cracking with frustration. "No holding back. No pretending. I want to know—who's stronger!"
Takeshi's chest tightened.
"Kaito… we're friends," he said, trying to keep his voice steady. "This isn't how we—"
Kaito didn't listen.
Scraps of metal lifted from the ground, twisting together into a dense iron mass. With a sharp motion, he hurled it forward.
Takeshi sidestepped and moved in.
Fast.
Kaito reacted immediately, reshaping the metal into a bat and swinging with full force—
But Takeshi was already there.
He caught the strike mid-motion.
Twisted.
Disarmed him in one smooth movement.
And drove a punch forward—
At the last second, he pulled back.
Even so—
The impact sent Kaito flying.
He crashed against a boulder, dust erupting around him as he hit the ground hard.
Kaito staggered up, breathing uneven.
"I'm not done!" he shouted, anger and frustration spilling over.
Metal gathered again—
This time forming a sharp blade.
He threw it.
Takeshi's eyes widened—
Too fast.
The edge grazed his arm, slicing through his sleeve and drawing a thin line of blood.
He froze.
Not because of the pain.
But because of what it meant.
Kaito…
His grip tightened.
You went that far…?
Something inside him snapped.
Takeshi moved.
Not fast—
Too fast.
The ground cracked beneath his step as he closed the distance in an instant, his fist already pulled back—
Ready to end it.
Then—
He saw Kaito's face.
Not anger.
Not hatred.
Just—
Fear.
And regret.
Kaito didn't move.
Didn't defend.
Didn't even try.
Takeshi stopped.
At the last possible moment, he twisted his punch away.
His fist slammed into the boulder beside Kaito—
BOOM!
The rock shattered.
Fragments exploded outward, scattering across the clearing.
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
Kaito stared at the broken stone.
Then at Takeshi.
"…That's your real strength," he muttered.
His voice wasn't angry anymore.
Just… quiet.
"I'm sorry," he said, lowering his head. "I didn't mean to hurt you."
His fists clenched.
"I just… wanted to prove something."
Takeshi said nothing.
"I wanted to prove that I'm not weak," Kaito continued. "That I can fight too. That I won't freeze when it matters."
He looked up again, eyes steady now.
"I saw what you did at the river," he said. "You didn't hesitate. Not even for a second."
His voice tightened.
"I couldn't move."
Takeshi blinked.
He hadn't known.
"That's why I needed this," Kaito said. "To see where I stand."
A pause.
"…And now I know."
Takeshi exhaled slowly.
The anger in his chest faded, replaced by something else.
Understanding.
"Kaito…" he said quietly. "I never thought you were weak."
He met his eyes.
"You're the one who always steps forward first. You help people without thinking twice. That's not weakness."
Kaito froze.
Then—
Something shifted.
A faint grin appeared on his face.
"Yeah… I get it now," he said. "You're not strong just because of your quirk."
He clenched his fist again.
"It's your heart."
He straightened.
"But don't get comfortable," he added, a spark returning to his eyes. "I'm not staying behind forever."
A pause.
"I'll catch up."
Another pause.
"And when I do…"
A smirk.
"I'll be the Number Two Hero."
Takeshi stared at him for a second—
Then laughed.
A genuine, unguarded sound.
He extended his hand.
"Then let's make it a promise," he said. "We both become heroes."
Kaito looked at his hand.
Then took it.
"Deal."
The sun dipped lower, casting long shadows across the forest.
The tension from earlier faded into something lighter.
Stronger.
Kaito took one step—
Then immediately winced and nearly collapsed.
"…Okay, maybe not yet."
Takeshi raised an eyebrow.
"Need help?"
"Tch… don't make it a big deal."
"Too late."
Takeshi crouched.
"Get on."
Kaito hesitated.
Then, reluctantly, climbed onto his back.
"…This is humiliating."
Takeshi smirked.
"You started it."
Kaito buried his face slightly, muttering under his breath.
"…Don't tell anyone."
"No promises."
And as the two of them walked back through the forest—
The last light of day stretching across the path—
What had started as rivalry…
Became something stronger.
A promise.
End of Chapter 10