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[32] A Familiar Face
🕑 Added 2025-05-30 16:47:45 +0000 UTC(Kata POV – U.A. Hallway, Evening)
I watch as Nejire walks away, my face as calm as ever. But inside, I’m a mess—relieved, stressed, and… a little sad that she’s gone.
'That was way too stressful.'
Most people tread carefully around these topics. They’re tactful, stopping the moment their curiosity is even slightly satisfied or they realise they've overstepped.
'But that common rule doesn’t apply to her.'
I’m not mad—just shocked. It’s as much my fault as it is hers that it got this far.
At any point, I could have walked away, shut her down, or ignored her entirely. And yet, as much as I hated having someone dig into my insecurities and past…
'I enjoyed talking to her.'
The thought lingers in my mind as an unwelcome revelation. A small frown tugs at my lips. 'It’s been happening with a few people lately.'
Maybe it was just coincidence that she showed up when I was feeling detached from the class, trying to remind myself that I’m alone in this world. That they would never understand me.
Or maybe… it was her energy. The way she speaks in a cute, almost rhythmic way. Or maybe—
'She just asks too many damn questions!'
I groan, running a hand down my face.
'Why didn’t I hate it?'
She poked at things that have only brought me pain so far. She bluntly said things that should’ve pissed me off. And yet…
'It made me happy.' Just a little.
Happy that someone actually wanted to know more about me. That she wasn’t put off by my demeanor, wasn’t guarded or cautious around me. Worst of all—her curiosity was genuine.
Lots of people have asked about me before. Mina, Momo, Kirishima, and most of my classmates. And I know they mean it. I know they’re sincere. But… there’s always been a layer of caution and quiet hesitation, like they're too scared of how I'd react to truly get to know me.
I don't blame them for it. I know they do it out of concern. But it doesn't change the fact that the distance is there.
'And she wants to meet again? To ask more questions?'
Was her curiosity not satisfied? Of course not. She only stopped because it was getting late.
I groan, but my heart betrays me—beating just a little faster at the thought of meeting her again. 'Am I actually looking forward to it?'
My lip twitches. I'm tempted to use my quirk to normalize my pulse and get rid of this stupid tingly feeling. But that would be a waste of power... and it wouldn't actually help with my issue.
I sigh loudly, dropping my hands from my face. 'What the hell?' I’ve thought way too much nonsense today, and it’s getting late.
I look through the window and watch as the sun dips below the horizon, bathing the school in warm hues. Shaking off my thoughts, I turn and start heading home.
(Kata POV – Kata's House)
Stepping into the house, I immediately sense Toga outside in the backyard, practicing her knife skills. Judging by the rhythmic swishes of her blade, she’s fully focused, so I decide against interrupting her and instead change into more casual clothes before starting on dinner.
Time passes quickly as I get lost in thought—mainly about quirks and I barely notice when Toga finally steps inside.
"You're back~?!" she exclaims, her face lighting up with a bright smile as she skips over to the table.
"Yeah. You were busy, so I didn’t want to disturb you," I reply while setting the table. We settle into eating without much fuss.
Halfway through, I speak. "Toga, I have something important to tell you."
Toga, who was distractedly poking at her food, perks up immediately. She suddenly blushes and grins shyly. "Eh? Are you gonna confess your love for me, Kata~?" she teases, leaning forward eagerly, her food forgotten.
I stare at her blankly and sigh. "That’s not it." I should really get to the point before she derails the conversation entirely.
Toga pouts, slumping back into her chair with crossed arms. Before she can start on another tangent, I continue.
"Your charges have been dropped. You’re no longer a criminal."
She blinks, tilting her head slightly. Instead of the excitement I expected, she just plays with her food using her chopsticks. "Oh. Neat, I guess."
'That’s… an unexpected reaction.'
I press on. "Your parents were also arrested for child abuse." Maybe that would get a stronger reaction. Maybe anger, or satisfaction... but she remains just as indifferent.
"Yeah, I don’t really care," she says flatly. Then she grins, her tone turning playful. "They were annoying and didn’t like me much anyway." She shrugs like it’s nothing.
'Is this what it’s like to be crazy?' I marvel at the sight.
"Your priorities are a mess," I mutter. "I expected you to be more excited. Since you’re not wanted anymore, you can go outside freely. I’ll watch you at first, just to make sure you don’t stab anyone."
That gets a reaction.
Himiko gasps dramatically, her hands cupping her heavily flushed cheeks. "Kata~! Are you asking me on a date?!"
I blink. "Where’d you get that idea?"
She grins widely. "Isn’t it obvious~? You want to go somewhere outside together. That’s a date, right?!" she says passionately, her excitement practically vibrating in the air.
I open my mouth to refute, but the words get stuck in my throat. Technically, she’s not wrong—except for the intention. And honestly, she’d probably behave better if she thought it was a date.
I shrug, which she immediately takes as agreement. Her eyes sparkle as she starts murmuring excitedly to herself, planning out where we should go and what we should do.
I sigh, returning to my food. "Anyway..." I say, bringing her back to reality, "Have you thought about what you’ll do now? You could stay here all day, but I’m sure that’d get boring."
'I could kick her out.' The thought briefly crosses my mind as my gaze settles on her, 'but I know it wouldn’t end well. And I doubt she'd leave, even if she had somewhere to go.'
I sigh internally. I took responsibility for her when I saved her.
Toga puffs her cheeks. “Mmm… Nope! I just wanna stay with you.” She grins, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. “Everything else is boring.”
That's not surprising.
'She may not realize it, but what she’s really searching for is a family—people who accept her for who she is. And, I'm filling that role.' The thought amuses me enough to let out a small chuckle, which makes her narrow her eyes suspiciously.
“What about school?” I ask. “You’re around my age, and you never finished high school. I could convince Nezu to get you into U.A.’s General Studies course.”
Toga tilts her head, frowning. “School, huh…?”
Her expression shifts as a spark of interest flickers in her golden eyes. “Wait! Does that mean I’ll get to see you more often~?”
“Yeah.”
Her grin returns instantly. “Then it sounds like fun! Sign me up~!”
Sometimes, she really does seem like a normal girl. 'But that’s exactly what she’s been trying to be this whole time, isn’t it? It's just that she was made to believe she wasn't normal.'
The realization dampens my mood, but I push it aside.
'I'll need to talk to Nezu. Again.' I groan at the thought. The more I interact with that damn rat, the more I realize just how much he enjoys playing mind games. I’ll need to make the most out of the encounter, so it's better if I wait until after the internships.
Dinner wraps up with casual conversation. I do the dishes, making sure to tell Toga not to bother me before heading to my room.
Collapsing onto my bed, I exhale sharply. 'Alright. This next part is going to be hard.' I sit up as my body tenses. 'And dangerous... but if I succeed, the benefits will be beyond imagination.'
For a while now, something has been bothering me about my quirk.
'I think I’ve misunderstood how quirks actually work.'
I’ve been assuming my quirk operates within the confines of physics and logic. It's been working so far, but that’s not how quirks function.
Momo and Todoroki are prime examples. She can create objects with more mass than her body should be capable of storing as lipids. And Todoroki generates fire and ice in quantities far exceeding his natural energy reserves.
'So either quirks are more than 100% efficient, or something else is at play here.'
But the worst offenders? One For All and All For One.
I could rationalize them as something akin to biological anomalies—quirk-based viruses, maybe—but the concept of vestiges contradicts any scientific explanation.
'But that’s not my problem right now. My quirk is.'
I wished for the potential to reach absolute mastery and power in terms of telekinesis. That’s where the problem starts.
Telekinesis is a broad term. So far, I've treated it as a special variant of Psychokinesis, that operates with both mental energy and stamina. And yet… I have Telekinetic Energy which is what I mainly use now.
I lift my hand, watching as a thin layer of translucent force wraps around my skin. 'This wasn’t always a thing.'
At first, my quirk didn’t generate any "energy." I could just act with intent and stamina alone.
Using Telekinetic Energy only started when I tried to form constructs and aura. And I rationalized that there must be a form of energy to achieve that, and that's how I discovered it.
'But, was that really the case? Did I discover it, or was it created because I believed it should exist?'
That thought lingers, both unsettling and profound.
I close my eyes and focus, shutting out the world until nothing remains but my own existence.
I hone in on my body... on my quirk factors. Those minuscule, almost imperceptible strand of genetic code that somehow unlock the impossible. But there’s more to it. I know there is. If I succeed, I’ll finally have my answers.
I push deeper. My awareness divides, splitting apart as I focus on every single cell in my body, every quirk factor. I leave none untouched. And then—
I impose my will upon them.
A sharp, unbearable pain bursts through my core, like a spike ramming through every fiber of my being. My body locks up; muscles convulse, breath catches in my throat. But I don't stop.
I push through the agony, my focus unwavering. I feel the tremors wracking my limbs, sweat pooling at my skin, my pulse hammering so hard it drowns out thought.
I remain in this state of pain and maddening focus until suddenly—
Something gives.
I hear a snap, like a taut string breaking.
My body goes still as my mind descends into darkness, and I collapse onto the bed.
(??? POV – ???)
A dark abyss. No sky, no ground—just the infinite stretch of nothingness. The void is neither cold nor warm, neither pressing nor suffocating. It simply is.
I sit alone in this emptiness, waiting. I know exactly where I appear to be.
A soft chuckle escapes my lips. "Limbo. The place souls go to be processed."
My voice carries across the void, quickly fading into obscurity.
I remain still. Waiting. And then—
He arrives.
A figure manifests before me. Snow-white hair, pale skin marred with old scars and burns. His eyes are closed, but I know their color—a deep, unforgiving crimson.
'He’ll wake soon.'
So I wait. Time is irrelevant here, after all. Whether an eternity passes or merely a moment, it makes no difference.
And then, his eyes snap open.
For a second, he lies there, unmoving, staring blankly into the endless abyss above. Then, recognition flickers across his features.
"This looks familiar," he murmurs. His voice is rough, carrying bitter undertones. He exhales, sitting up as he observes his surrounding until his crimson eyes lock onto mine.
His gaze widens—shock, then caution, as he sees a familiar face.
A slow smile spreads across my face. I can feel it—all of it. His fear, his confusion, his guarded thoughts. He can't hide anything from me.
"Ah, you're awake," I say lightly, amusement lacing my tone. It’s almost comical, watching him register where he’s heard those words before.
Still, I shouldn't play games.
"You understand why you're here, don't you, Kata?"
He frowns, clearly unamused. "I didn't expect to see you, Liam."
