8:03 p.m. – Hero Agency, Osaka
The breakroom TV was on, as it always was during the evening shift change.
Normally, nobody paid much attention. It was background noise—news about traffic, weather, the occasional villain incident.
But today, every hero and sidekick in the room had stopped what they were doing.
"—seventeen years old, which would make him one of the youngest published authors in Japan's modern literary history. The book, Avatar: The Last Airbender, has sold over two million copies domestically and has been optioned for anime adaptation—"
"Two million," someone whispered. "At seventeen."
A pair of rookies—sidekicks still in the teeth of the apprenticeship grind—huddled over a phone, reading the leaked documents on a cracked display.
"And the kid who wrote it goes to U.A.?" A pro with a shark's mouth grin folded his arms and furrowed his brow like the news was a puzzle and he'd misplaced a vital piece.
"He's seventeen. He's probably in his third year doing work studies by now."
"I toured that place during recruitment. Their schedule is insane. When would he have even had time?"
"Maybe he wrote it before enrolling?"
"You're insinuating he wrote that at fifteen before even coming in contact with heroics. That checks out even less."
"... A Nationwide storm has swept the country at the reveal. Upon further confirmation, sources have confirmed that the young Author in question, Rei Takumi, is currently undergoing his first year at U.A High school despite being two years above his grade. Apparently having been missing for ten years prior before reappearing several months ago. With the leaked publication timeline revealing he signed the contract for his world three months after his reappearance ..."
Silence.
The shark hero turned, meeting several pairs of stunned eyes. "You were saying?"
Somewhere at the back a veteran snorted. "Kids these days. They grow up in three-day increments and suddenly they're geniuses."
While some teased the pro, others frowned at the news. "The kid's been missing for years prior to that?"
"Ten years. That's..."
"You mean to say the kid went missing at the age of seven?"
"Sounds rough. Also sounds fishy."
"Does explain a lot though."
"Huh?"
"I mean the book. I've read it. It's good. Unorthodox and quite creative. What you'd expect from a seasoned author or a pro, not a teenager."
The shark hero nodded slowly. "His maturity would make a lot of sense if the better part of his childhood was spent... wherever he was. Might explain why he could write something like that with some talent and imagination."
"It's obvious why they kept his identity hidden this long. Regardless of what happened to him, the kid's got a story." The man's brows furrowed deeply.
"I hope he's ready to weather what's to come though. This level of pressure might be greater than anything he's ever experienced."
"At least he's at U.A.," someone else offered. "If anyone can protect him from media harassment, it's them."
"They'll try," someone muttered. "But you can't protect someone from this kind of attention. Not really. It's already everywhere. Perhaps he'll be safe in school, but on the streets and at home? He'll probably be hounded like All Might by his fans."
On screen, the news had shifted to showing fan reactions, social media posts, speculation about whether Ken's Quirk had helped him write.
"Poor kid," the sidekick said softly. "First a villain attack, then this."
The breakroom fell quiet, everyone absorbed in their own phones now, reading reactions, theories, speculation.
One hero, younger than the rest, looked up with something like awe. "You know what's wild? He's a first-year. Which means in a few months, he'll be in the Sports Festival. We'll actually see him."
"If he doesn't transfer out first," someone muttered. "This kind of attention could make U.A. impossible."
Nobody disagreed.
__
Midoriya Household
Izuku collapsed onto his bed with a groan that came from somewhere deep in his soul. Every muscle ached. His arms were wrapped in fresh bandages from Recovery Girl, and his mother had spent twenty minutes fussing before finally letting him retreat. Now as he lay on the bed, his mind couldn't help but wander to today's events. 'To think U.A would be attacked, and All Might would be ... '
Even now, it was difficult to accept. All Might had always been invincible.
A fact further reinforced after gaining one for all and experiencing its power himself. 'For him to be injured ...'
The image of All Might sitting on the rooftop showing him his damage stomach area Ten months ago once appeared in his head.
'That makes two strong enemies ... And All Might's power will only constantly delete from here on out. While he was saving the class, I was ...'
Out of commission. While his classmates were fighting for their lives, he couldn't even fight at all.
He had used One for All against Ken during the battle training. Once U.A was attacked, with his arms and legs broken, he had to be taken away by Iida to avoid becoming a burden.
'Dammit!' He though with clenched fists. Never before had he felt so helpless.
'I don't want to experience that feeling ever again. I don't want to stand by while others fight. I have to get stronger and make one for all my own power ....'
T-tring ...
A buzzing sound fell into his ears. "Huh?" Turning his gaze, it fell on his desk where his phone lay. The previously silent phone was now lit up.
T-tring.
And ringing constantly.
'what's going on?' He sat up and reached for it. Seventeen missed calls. Forty-three texts. Social media notifications bleeding off the edge of the display.
"What..." He grabbed it, fumbling with the unlock.
The messages were from everyone. Reading it, he discovered that most were middle school contacts he barely talked to. Come to think of it, aside Ken, he had very few friends in school who willingly talked to him. Most wanted help with homework at best.
The rest were from Iida and Uraraka.
Iida: Midoriya! Have you seen the news about Takumi-kun?!
Uraraka: omg midoriya did you know?????
Unknown Number: yo is it true your classmate wrote avatar?
Hana: Izuku!! Is this real?? The news about your U.A. classmate??
Hiroshi: Everyone, Ken's on the news.
The last was probably a mass text.
"What?" Izuku scrolled faster, his analytical mind trying to piece together what was happening from fragments.
"See for yourself."
Then he saw it. A news link from Iida:
BESTSELLING AUTHOR K.T.R.T IDENTITY REVEALED: 17-YEAR-OLD U.A. FIRST YEAR STUDENT KEN TAKUMI
The phone nearly slipped from his hands.
He caught it at the last second, fumbling, staring at the screen like it had just told him All Might was actually a villain.
"Ken... wrote Avatar?"
The book they'd been reading in literature class. The book Midnight had assigned. The book half the hero community had been praising for months.
His classmate wrote that.
"No way." Izuku pulled up the article, speed-reading with the intensity he usually reserved for Quirk analysis. Contract signatures. Publication dates. Photos from a signing meeting. Everything aligned.
Which made it all the more unbelievable. Ken ... That Ken had written the novel they currently use for literature classes ...
"But... when?" Izuku stared at his ceiling, trying to calculate. "He would've been preparing for U.A. entrance exams. Training. And he still found time to write an entire—"
His phone buzzed again. Another message:
Iida: There will likely be significant media attention at school tomorrow. We should prepare ourselves.
Uraraka: is ken ok??? has anyone talked to him???
Izuku's fingers hovered over the keyboard. Should he text Ken? Was he okay? Did he even know yet?
"IZUKU!" His mother's voice carried up the stairs before he could decide. "You need to see this. Your classmate is on the news!"
He closed his eyes. 'Of course he is.'
___
Bakugo Household
Katsuki had his headphones on, volume high enough to obliterate his mother's continued fretting about the attack on U.A. They wouldn't stop mentioning it, dissecting every detail, asking if he was okay for the hundredth time.
Quite frankly, it was the last thing he wanted to talk about. Getting captured, teleported, and almost helpless... He didn't want to discuss it. It would be the same as reliving it a second time. He just wanted to train and forget this entire shitshow of a day.
"Stupid Ken. Just wait ..."
He dropped to the floor and resumed his push-ups, sweat dripping down his arms, channeling his frustration into raw physical effort. Fifty. Sixty. Seventy. Each rep was a promise—next time would be different.
Next time he'd be ready.
Bzzt. Bzzt.
His phone vibrated on his desk. He ignored it, focusing on his breathing. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Keep the core tight.
Bzzt. Bzzt. Bzzt.
More notifications. Probably the old class group chat from middle school going crazy about the attack. He didn't need their commentary.
Bzzt-bzzt-bzzt-bzzt-bzzt.
"The hell?" The rapid-fire buzzing was getting annoying now. Katsuki paused mid-rep, glaring at his phone like it had personally offended him. The screen was lighting up constantly, notification after notification flooding in.
He pushed himself up, wiping sweat from his forehead, and was about to check what all the fuss was about when—
"KATSUKI! GET DOWN HERE!"
He gritted his teeth. "WHAT IS IT, OLD HAG? I'M BUSY!"
"DON'T CALL ME THAT AND GET DOWN HERE NOW!"
"WHY?!"
"STOP ASKING QUESTIONS AND GET DOWN HERE. REI IS ON TV!"
His brows furrowed. Takumi? On TV? After today's attack, he supposed it wasn't that surprising—maybe the media was doing some follow-up story about U.A.'s first-years surviving a villain attack.
If that bastard was on TV, then he alongside the rest of the class would be the same as well. 'Those reporters had better not given him all the credit just because he fought with All Might.'
He grabbed a towel, wiped himself down, and headed downstairs without bothering to check his phone.
"Alright. What is this about?" He descended the stairs with his usual grumpy expression, ready to tell his parents he had a dozen more reps to put in. "This better be—"
Then he saw the TV. And froze.
"— confirmed to be seventeen-year-old Rei Takumi, also known by his pen name K.T.R.T. The bestselling author has been revealed to be a current first-year student at U.A. High School—"
The news anchor's face was replaced by a photo. That familiar face with grey-black hair and those impossibly calm eyes.
Ken.
Ken Takumi.
No—Rei Takumi.
He kept getting the names wrong. Why the hell did that guy change his name anyway?
'What the hell?'
"Why're they only showing this idiot on the screen? Where's the rest of us? He wasn't the only one involved in U.A's attack. So why ..."
Katsuki grumbled as he drew closer. Only to pause at the words he heard.
Book?
Bestselling Author?
K.T.R.T?
It all hit at once, causing his pupils to constrict.
That bastard .. Was apparently the author of the book that had taken Japan by storm.
"Can you believe it, Masaru?" his mother was saying, hands clasped together in that way she did when she was genuinely excited. "Little Rei wrote that entire book! At seventeen! While preparing for U.A.!"
"Two million copies," Mitsuki breathed. "Two million! And he signed the contract just three months after reappearing. Where did he even find the time?"
His father adjusted his glasses, looking both impressed and concerned. "It's remarkable, certainly. Though I worry about the attention this will bring him. The boy's already been through so much..."
Katsuki stood there, towel still in his hand, staring at the screen as it showed the book cover, then clips from what looked like a press conference, then more photos of him.
His mind was racing, trying to process this information and failing spectacularly.
"When did he even—" Katsuki started, then stopped as his phone buzzed yet again.
He looked down at the device in his hand, finally unlocking it. His screen exploded with messages.
Extra #1: YO BAKUGO! YOUR NEIGHBOR WROTE THAT BOOK?!
Extra #2: Dude Ken's famous. I tried calling him but it's not going through!!! Can you get me an autograph?!
Extra #3: You're both in the same hero class right?
Extra #2: U.A has two hero classes.
Extra#15: I didn't know you knew K.T.R.T. Is he really as smart as they're saying?
Extra #5: My sister is OBSESSED with his book, if you could—
Extra #7: Bro Ken is awesome. Have you seen the news? He's K.T.R.T!!
The messages kept coming, flooding in faster than he could read them. People from middle school he hadn't spoken to in months, random acquaintances, even a few people whose numbers he didn't recognize but who'd somehow gotten his contact info.
All of them wanted to know about Ken.
All of them had been trying to reach Ken directly and failing.
All of them were treating this like some kind of celebrity scandal instead of—instead of—
"Katsuki?" His mother's voice cut through his spiraling thoughts. "What do you think?"
"What's there to think?" Masaru answered for him. "Rei's already dealing with memory loss and reintegration. Adding this kind of public scrutiny..."
"But he's so talented!" Mitsuki countered. "This could open so many doors for him! And you know he's always been such a thoughtful boy—"
It seemed both parents were looking at this from two different perspectives.
Katsuki's eye twitched.
Talented. Thoughtful. Successful.
Ken—Rei—whoever the fuck he was now—had been missing for ten years. He'd come back with amnesia. He'd been homeless for three weeks. And in that time, he'd: Come back with a powerful quirk and written a bestselling novel?
Now the whole country knew his name.
The phone in Katsuki's hand creaked ominously. Small stress fractures appeared in the screen protector.
"I do feel bad for Akira though. Having your kid's information dumped out there ... She must be worried." Mitsuki continued. "Maybe we should call them over .."
The phone's casing cracked.
"—we should do something special for him. Maybe a celebration dinner? He must be so overwhelmed—"
The screen splintered.
"—and of course the media attention will be intense, but I'm sure with U.A.'s support and having friends like you, Katsuki, he'll—"
CRACK.
Both parents turned to look at him.
Katsuki was standing there, absolutely still, his phone clenched in his fist. The device was completely destroyed, crushed between his fingers. Small wisps of smoke rose from where his quirk had activated unconsciously, tiny explosions reducing the already-broken phone to little more than shrapnel.
His eye was twitching. Both eyes, actually. His whole face was twitching.
"Katsuki?" Masaru said carefully. "Are you alright?"
For a moment, there was only silence.
Then—
"THAT ABSOLUTE FUCKING—"
"LANGUAGE!" Mitsuki barked.
"—OVERACHIEVING PIECE OF—"
"I SAID LANGUAGE!"
"—STEAMING GARBAGE—"
"KATSUKI BAKUGO!"
"—HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?! WHEN DID HE HAVE TIME TO WRITE AN ENTIRE BOOK?! HE WAS HOMELESS! HE HAD AMNESIA! HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING JUST TO SURVIVE, NOT—NOT—"
The explosion that erupted from his palms was purely reflexive, a physical manifestation of his complete and utter mental breakdown. It wasn't aimed at anything in particular, just a burst of frustration and disbelief directed at the universe itself.
"NOT WRITING A GODDAMN BESTSELLER!"
When the smoke cleared, there was a small scorch mark on the ceiling. Katsuki was breathing hard, his destroyed phone scattered in pieces on the floor, his face red with a mixture of exertion and genuine emotional distress.
Mitsuki looked at the phone fragments, then at her son, then at her husband.
"That's coming out of your allowance," she said calmly.
___
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