(Kata POV – Hospital Room)
A suffocating silence settles over the room.
No one moves, staying as silent as possible while all eyes are locked onto Endeavour.
Fragile, desperate hope flickers in some gazes, while others carry fear, doubt… and the expectation of disappointment.
…Of being let down. Again.
And yet, despite everything… they wait.
Because this decision doesn't lie with them.
Seconds pass unendingly, and eventually…
Endeavour turns and begins walking toward the door without a word.
My brow lifts slightly. 'He's just leaving?'
I can't say I'm surprised, but still…
'I expected him to at least say something.'
I immediately begin planning to drop off Dabi at the nearest police station, but before I can get far, Endeavour stops.
His hand rests against the doorframe, and slowly, he turns his head towards his family.
Rei sits on the floor, trembling quietly, tears slipping down her cheeks as she tries—and fails—to compose herself. Fuyumi hugs her to provide comfort, her own eyes red as she fights back tears.
Natsuo stands off to the side, fists clenched so tight his knuckles have gone white.
Shoto… doesn't move at all. His gaze carries a deep sense of disappointment,
Endeavour's face doesn't change, carrying the same harsh scowl… but his eyes, for just a second, soften.
"I'll make sure he's held somewhere you all can visit." He says in an indifferent tone.
They stare at him with wide eyes, unable to believe what they've just heard.
Then his gaze turns to me.
"Someone will come collect him soon." He says simply, and I give him a small nod.
And just like that, he leaves.
'What a cocky way of asking me to babysit Dabi.' I groan internally. I've already invested a lot of time into this. A little more won't hurt.
The moment the door closes, the tension holding Rei together finally snaps. Her hands come up to cover her face as her shoulders shake, and Fuyumi immediately pulls her into a tighter embrace.
Everyone breathes a little easier, but the worry and sadness doesn't fade entirely. Not by a long shot.
This is far from a happy ending, but…
Toya is alive.
And for them, that's more than they could've ever hoped for.
I don't interrupt them, and simply wait.
Thankfully, it doesn't take long.
Then the door opens again, police officers and HPSC officials enter, and with efficient detachment, restrain Dabi.
His gaze darts around the room, settling on each face with hate, before being dragged away.
The room feels emptier now. And with Dabi gone, I no longer had a reason to linger.
"I'll take my leave." I say, cutting through the lingering silence as I turn toward the Todorokis. I've fulfilled my role.
"W-wait—!" Rei's voice stops me mid-step.
She looks at me with gratitude despite her tears. There's a fragile smile on her face, one she's clearly forcing through sheer will.
"Thank you, Kata…" She says softly, her voice trembling despite her effort to steady it. "Is there… anything we can ever do to repay you?"
Fuyumi nods quickly beside her, eyes earnest. Even Natsuo gives a small, stiff dip of his head.
Shoto doesn't say anything, but his gaze says enough.
I shake my head.
"There's no need." I reply simply. "Shoto's my friend, and I was just helping out."
Rei looks like she wants to argue… but the words never quite come. Instead, she just nods slowly. Although, her gaze warns that this is something she plans to repay someday.
"Let me walk you out." Shoto steps forward, falling into step beside me as I head for the door.
Once we're sufficiently far away, I speak. "Dabi had a backup plan."
His eyes narrow slightly. "What do you mean?"
"If things went south," I continue, tone even, "He was going to release a video, detailing everything regarding Endeavour and your family."
Shoto freezes in place, and I just turn to him. "It would take away the thing Endeavour treasures most… his hero career."
"Do you know where it is?" Shoto asks immediately, his voice tightening. "Even if he's done all that… exposing it would hurt the entire family. Not just Endeavour."
"Don't worry." I reply evenly. "I'm not planning on letting it happen. I was just letting you know. And hopefully, you let Endeavour know too."
His brows knit slightly, before nodding. "…I'll tell him."
We walk a few more steps in silence before he speaks again.
"Are you…" He hesitates, as if unsure of what words to use.
"Blackmailing him?" I let out a short chuckle, shaking my head. "No."
Shoto visibly relaxes at that, his shoulders easing as he lets out a relieved sigh…
"You are."
He chokes on that sigh, coughing into his fist as he shoots me a look of pure disbelief.
I raise a brow. "What?"
"You just said you weren't—"
"I'm not." I interrupt calmly. "It's insurance for your family." I shrug lightly. "You can just blame me if it makes it easier."
Shoto stops walking for half a second, before quickly catching back up.
He remains quiet for a long while, and when he finally speaks, his voice is lower. "…I didn't expect that from you."
'I do things like this all the time.' I think in amusement. 'I just don't usually leave witnesses.'
Eri, until now, was the only exception.
'And she'd never expose me.'
My trust in her is unshakable.
"I'm making an exception for you." I say instead.
His face cycles through numerous emotions, especially guilt and worry… but eventually settled on gratitude.
"…Thank you." He says simply, but it carries genuine gratitude.
"You're welcome." I return with a small smile.
We reach the hospital entrance not long after, and there's no dramatic farewell.
Just a quiet understanding as we part ways.
(Kata POV – Kata's House)
By the time I get back, the sun's long since dipped over the horizon, and night has settled in completely.
I teleport straight into the living room… and immediately drop onto the couch.
"…What a long day." I mutter under my breath.
Physically, I'm as good as always, but mentally…
'I'm tired.' I sigh. 'It feels like a lot happened today.'
Which makes sense, given that I've had multiple bodies doing different things the whole day. And currently, only one is left.
One escorted Mina home after our impromptu date.
Another rejoined Mirko for patrols while I dealt with Dabi.
As for the last one…
'I still don't get to rest.' I think sadly as I stare blankly at the ceiling.
Since it's still my mind, I experience everything.
Her loud, energetic, and completely unrestrained voice booms in my ears despite her being nowhere near.
"Don't even think about sleeping today, Kata!" Mei shouts, her voice practically vibrating with excitement. "We'll be making babies all night!"
She grins like a maniac, and laughs like a villain at the thought of working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the rest of her life, through me.
'Mei… please let me go…' I think, sending my condolences to that segment of my mind.
Escape became impossible once she realised I could alleviate her fatigue with my quirk.
I manage to enjoy a few seconds of peace, when a door clicks open, followed by light footsteps, then…
"Kata! You're back!" Two voices shout, perfectly in sync.
I crack one eye open just in time to see both Eri and Himiko rushing toward me.
Eri launches first, small arms wrapping around me without hesitation.
Himiko follows right after, dropping onto the couch beside me with far less restraint, practically draping herself over my side.
"What took you so long?" Himiko pouts, though there's a teasing grin tugging at her lips. "Was your date that fun?"
Eri pulls back slightly, looking up at me with bright, relieved eyes. "Welcome back!"
And just like that, I feel my exhaustion fading away as a bright smile forms on my face.
Instinctively, my hands come up and pat both their head, eliciting smiles from both of them.
"I was busy dealing with something else." I say helplessly, addressing Himiko, before turning to Eri. "And yeah, I'm back. Thank you, Eri." I smile, giving her extra headpats, which makes her giggle.
"Hey! What about me?" Himiko pouts immediately, pushing her head insistently into my hand.
"You don't deserve it." I tease, pretending to ignore her.
She lets out an exaggerated gasp, like I've just committed some unforgivable crime before recoiling slightly, one hand pressed dramatically to her chest.
"…You're so cruel." She mutters, turning away with an exaggerated sulk, arms crossed. "Heartless. I give you all my love and this is how you treat me…"
I chuckle at her antics.
"Oh—right." I reach into my pocket and pull out a phone.
It's small and lightweight, encased in a soft pink case, decorated with little red apples.
I hold it out toward Eri.
"I got you this."
Eri blinks in confusion and surprise.
"…For me?" She asks curiously, pointing at herself.
I nod.
She accepts it carefully with both hands holding it like a delicate treasure. Her fingers trace over the case, eyes wide with curiosity rather than immediate excitement.
"Thank you!" She says sweetly. "But what's it for?" She asks, tilting her head.
'Most kids would be jumping in excitement.' I muse internally.
"Well…" I start. "You went out with everyone today, right?"
She nods.
"They took a lot of pictures," I continue. "And… they wanted you to have them."
Her grip tightens just a little.
"So I got you a phone." I finish simply. "Now you can have the pictures and look at them… as well as talk to everyone whenever you want."
There's a pause as she processes my words, then her expression lights up.
"…Really?" She asks, unable to mask the excitement in her voice.
"Really." I lean over slightly, tapping the screen as it lights up.
"I already set it up for you." I add. "All their numbers are saved."
I guide her through it. How to unlock it, where the messages are, how to open the gallery.
She picks it up fast, paying attention to everything with an adorably focused expression.
'I did add some parental controls… just in case.'
Nothing too strict. Just enough to prevent her from wandering onto any bad sites, but no time limits since Eri's responsible.
She won't abuse it.
The moment she opens the messaging app, her phone vibrates. It instantly turns into a buzzer, ringing nonstop.
"Huh—?!" Eri jolts, nearly dropping it as the screen floods with notifications as messages stack on top of each other, while chats light up one after another.
Most of them are pictures.
Not just from today, but older ones too. Every moment someone thought to capture.
"W-Wow…" She breathes, eyes going wide as she scrolls. "There's… so many…"
Her voice trembles slightly from excitement, and she immediately turns the screen toward us.
"Look! Look!" She says, excitement bubbling over now as she flips through them. "This one—and this one—oh! And this one!"
She giggles, replying to messages one by one, fingers tapping carefully but eagerly.
The room fills with the quiet sounds of notifications, soft laughter, and the occasional delighted gasp.
I watch her silently, a small smile tugging at my lips. 'I'm glad she likes it—'
"Notice me~" Himiko's voice cuts through my thoughts, dramatically pitiful.
She's somehow repositioned herself so her head is now resting squarely on my lap, staring up at me with wide, pleading eyes.
I sigh.
"Was that really necessary?" I ask helplessly, not at all upset.
"Mmhm." She hums happily.
I give in, resting a hand on her head, idly patting it, and she melts instantly.
'So shameless.' I muse.
Meanwhile, Eri continues her little world of excitement, occasionally scooting closer just to show us another picture or message.
The night drifts by like that. A mixture of laughter, chatter, and even a few quiet but peaceful moments.
Eventually, Eri slows down as her excitement fades into soft yawns, her eyes drooping as she clutches her new phone.
"I should… go to bed." She murmurs, more to herself than anyone else as she rubs her sleepy eyes.
"…Good call." I say. "It's almost bedtime."
She nods, hugging the phone to her chest.
"Goodnight, Kata. Goodnight, Himiko."
"Night~" Himiko waves lazily without moving from her spot.
"Goodnight." I reply.
She heads off on her own, never having needed a reminder.
Eventually, I head to my room.
And, as usual, Himiko follows.
I don't even question it at this point.
I just let out a quiet breath and collapse onto the bed, hugging her back as she too, uses me as a body pillow, snuggling into me.
The next two days pass without much incident as I wait for the training camp.
Until…
An envelope arrives.
I flip it open, scanning the contents, only to find an invitation.
"The I-Expo?" I raise an eyebrow in confusion, and as I continue reading, I find out the reason. "So it's because I placed first at the Sports Festival."
I'm even allowed a plus one.
But one thing that bothers me is…
'…Did this event happen in the manga?'
*********
A/N: Hello Everyone! How are you all? If you've enjoyed the chapter and book thus far, please consider leaving me some comments, reviews, or power stones. It really helps the book out.
I guess I'll dive right into the chapter. I don't know if the ending felt a bit abrupt, but genuinely nothing happens in those 2 days😅. And I (and I assume you all as well) want to get the plot moving. So, I-Island is up next.
As for some meta knowledge, Kata doesn't actually know about I-Island. I mean, he knows it exists, from a few references in the manga, but the manga doesn't actually cover the movies🫠, even if they are canon. Going back to Kata's childhood in his last life, he would've not had the luxury to watch the movies, so it's a blindspot in his knowledge 🤣. He doesn't actually know what'll happen, or the events that'll occur, and from his perspective, it might be nothing important, since it wasn't significant enough to be covered in the manga.
Bringing that next part in, I'll do a poll😀 (hehehe), and genuinely follow it, within reason. But, who should his plus one be? Himiko, Eri, Mei... Or someone else, who'd be reasonable for him to go with. You can also nominated someone, and I'll make the actual poll tomorrow based on the options.
On the off chance no one votes, I'll either choose Eri or Himiko. Probably Eri, given he doesn't know it'll be dangerous.
As for Mei... He ought to be scared. And yes... When she said make babies, she meant his new suit... Right? Right?!? Hehe.
Anyway, with Endeavour, I took a lot of advice, and overall, thought exposing him serves little purpose beyond being petty, and causes more damage than it's worth. But, I also want a way to ensure he doesn't continue being a jackass, so... Blackmail.
And, if anyone picked it up... Is Todoroki an exception because he's a witness that got to live, or because Kata trusts him?👀 I wonder which it is? Guess we'll never know🤣🤣🤣
You can also read 10 chapters ahead and support me at [email protected]/AMV_WEAKLY
But anyway, that all from me. Hope you enjoyed, and have a wonderful rest of your day/night😁