Kuro's earlier words still lingered in Shinso Hitoshi's mind.
In his hands was a metal tray filled with the needles that had been removed from Kuro's body.
One hundred and thirty-seven.
Each one longer than a finger. Some thick, some thin. All of them stained.
The doctors had spent an entire day and night in surgery to extract them.
Shinso had waited outside the operating room the entire time.
Over and over, the same thought replayed.
If he had stayed closer to Kuro… if he hadn't let him leave on his own… would any of this have happened?
He shut his eyes.
All he could see was blood. Needles. Kuro being carried into surgery.
All Might had arrived in time. The three children had walked away without a scratch. Their parents had cried in relief, thanking the Hero who saved them.
Only Kuro had been left behind in that state.
Shinso clenched his hair in frustration, then forced himself to stop.
This wasn't helping.
The villain responsible had escaped. According to the police, All Might had tried to pull it out of the forest by its tongue. The creature had severed it and fled off a cliff.
No one knew if it was dead or alive.
Shinso's hands tightened.
If he ever saw it again—
His thoughts cut off.
Before this, becoming a Hero had been about admiration. About wanting to follow in the footsteps of those he respected.
Crime had always felt distant.
Until now.
The first time had been ten years ago, when Kuro's family was attacked in Kita Bay City.
The second was right in front of him.
Why did it always have to be Kuro?
"I'm still alive."
The voice was weak, but steady.
Kuro lay in the hospital bed, no mask covering his face. His scars were fully exposed, the burns and cuts distorting his features. His skin was pale, his body barely moving.
Shinso looked at him.
There was nothing frightening about it.
Only pain.
Granny Neko stood silently at the door, her usual energy gone. Her shoulders trembled slightly, her head lowered.
Kuro frowned faintly.
He tried to push himself up.
Pain shot through his arm instantly. His body jerked, and his arm dropped back onto the bed.
"Kuro!"
"Kurose!"
Both of them rushed forward.
Kuro let out a small laugh. "What's with the panic?"
He tried to move again, but his arm refused to cooperate. It felt like countless needles were still piercing through it, over and over again.
It hurt.
But he held it in.
No point making them worry more.
"Look at you," Granny Neko snapped. "Do you have any idea what you've done to me—"
She cut herself off, anger taking over.
"Lie still! Don't move! And from now on, you are not using your quirk on anything unnecessary! I know you've been helping Emi fix things—no more! If I see it again, I'll lock you up myself!"
Kuro shrank back slightly.
She was serious.
Still… being locked up at fifteen? That sounded ridiculous.
"Also," she continued, voice rising, "if All Might hadn't gotten you here in time, you'd be dead! Your quirk isn't stable, and you still used it like that? What were you thinking? If something like that happens again, you run! Don't worry about anyone else. Just run!"
Kuro looked away.
"But those kids would've died," he said quietly.
Granny Neko's eyes sharpened.
"And what about me?" she shot back. "You think I can just accept losing you? You're not invincible. You can die."
Kuro didn't answer.
At the time, he hadn't thought about any of that.
There had only been one thought.
Save them.
"My body just moved," he said after a moment.
Granny Neko's expression tightened.
Kuro quickly shut his mouth.
If he said anything more, she might actually hit him.
After a long pause, she sighed.
"What do you want to eat?"
Kuro's eyes lit up immediately.
"Hot pot. Spicy. Lots of meat—"
"Not happening. No spice, no oil, no heavy food."
"…Right."
His shoulders slumped.
"Kuro."
Shinso stepped forward, placing the tray of needles on the bedside table.
Kuro glanced at it, then back at him.
"What are you doing?"
He hesitated, then added carefully, "You're not going to use your quirk, right?"
Shinso frowned. "I'm not."
He reached out and lightly ruffled Kuro's hair.
"Look at you. Got yourself hurt like an idiot."
Kuro blinked.
"Hey—"
But Shinso had already turned and left.
Outside the room, Shinso leaned against the wall, staring up at the ceiling.
He exhaled slowly.
The words wouldn't come out.
They never did.
What he wanted to ask was simple.
Does it still hurt?
But he couldn't say it.
Not now.
Not like this.
And even more than that—
There was something else he wanted to say.
A promise.
That he would find the one responsible.
That he wouldn't let it happen again.
But those words stayed locked inside.