Authors note:
Speaking: "…"
Thinking: '…'
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Inko's POV
Two hours later
Outside the Daigo Penthouse
Walking through the sliding doors of the building with two bags of groceries in her hands and a couple of smaller items levitating around her due to her Quirk, Inko had just returned from a small shopping trip. Since it was already getting dark outside, she had decided to head home and start making dinner for the family.
Stepping into the elevator, she pressed the button for their floor, the highest in the building, and slid her key card. As the elevator began its ascent, she could hear her husband's hearty laughter, accompanied by another, quieter male voice.
"Do we have a guest? He didn't tell me we'd be having visitors. Who could it be?" the emerald-haired woman wondered as the elevator doors slid open.
In that moment, as if time had frozen, everything around her seemed to turn gray. A peculiar scent reached her nose, one she hadn't smelled in years.
"Hisashi?"
She dropped her grocery bags, her heart pounding, and quickly followed the scent.
‚There's no doubt about it... it's the same smell he always carried, the unmistakable brand of cigarettes only he ever bought.'
Her mind drifted back to an image of her late husband, Hisashi Midoriya.
In the memory, he stood on a balcony, a cigarette in his hand, exhaling smoke as he watched the sunset. His sapphire eyes and onyx hair glowed under the fading light. A small puff of flames escaped his mouth, reigniting the cigarette.
Turning the corner into the living room, where the scent originated, she wished, if only for a moment, that she would see Hisashi sitting there. Not because she was still in love, but because she longed to finally let go of the one thing she had never been able to forget.
The day his warm smile turned into the lifeless face of a corpse was the day her world shattered.
Even after sixteen years, a new marriage, and another child, the image of Hisashi's lifeless face had never left her mind.
But as she stepped into the room, instead of a black-haired man, she found someone with silver hair sitting in a chair. He turned his head towards her, revealing his eyes, no warm sapphire gaze, only cold crimson red watching her.
Panting slightly, she took in the man's appearance. She had never seen him before, yet her gaze drifted to the armrest of his chair. There, resting casually, was a pack of Silverwood Smokes, the exact brand her husband had always bought.
It was a British luxury brand, produced using the owner's Quirk, Smokyfy, which allowed any plant leaf to be turned into a cigarette without harmful side effects, emitting a pleasant aroma. However, since they were both expensive and lacked the rush of traditional cigarettes, their buyers were few, mostly wealthy old men who wanted to continue smoking without damaging their health.
And yet, this man even had the same flavor. Cherry Blossom.
A tense silence settled between them.
Breaking the moment, Asahi walked over and greeted her with a kiss.
"Welcome back, honey. I'm sorry I didn't tell you we had a visitor, it was a coincidental reunion between old friends," he explained.
The silver-haired man stood up, walking towards her with a polite smile. Extending a gloved hand, he introduced himself.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mrs. Midoriya. My name is Theodore Blackwood. I'm an old friend of your husband's."
"The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Blackwood," Inko replied weakly.
"Well then, Asahi, I must take my leave now. If you'll excuse me."
With a final nod, Theodore departed, leaving Asahi to bid him farewell.
Returning to the living room, Asahi glanced around, searching for his wife. At first, he didn't see her. Then, looking outside, he spotted her standing on the balcony, gazing at the flame of her lighter with a melancholic expression.
He stepped outside to speak, but before he could, she spoke first.
"You always ask me where I got this lighter and why I always carry it around," she murmured.
Taking a breath, she continued.
"Hisashi, my late husband, was a passionate smoker of the same brand Mr. Blackwood just had. He never needed a lighter because of his Quirk, Flame Breath. But on the only trip the two of us ever took alone, before Izuku was born, we traveled to India. It was a magical experience. And at the end of it, he gifted me this lighter and said,
'Whenever we're together, promise me you'll use this lighter to give me a light.'
And so I did. He never used his Quirk to light his cigarette when I was around. It gave me comfort..., and... a connection to him. A connection I haven't been able to let go of."
She flicked the lighter open and closed, lost in thought.
Asahi watched her quietly before speaking.
"Then I'm sure you'll be glad to know... it was because of Theodore's suggestion that I proposed to you."
Inko turned to him, eyes widening in shock.
"I met him for the first time nineteen years ago at a bar in New York. He was smoking the same cigarettes back then. I was captivated by the scent, and after buying him a drink, we got into a conversation about the Quirk that produced them.
After that, we became good friends, though his work keeps him busy, so we rarely meet."
Her expression softened, shifting from shock to quiet acceptance. Closing the lighter, she sighed.
"So even in death... he's still guiding me toward happiness."
She turned, giving Asahi a small kiss before walking inside.
"Well, I'd better start making dinner."
That evening, the Daigo family shared the most cheerful meal they'd had in a long time.
And the next morning, as Inko left for work, she noticed a police investigation taking place outside the building.
A rather large circular crater had formed in the outer wall of the building.At its center was a deep fist mark.
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Noctra POV
Two Days Later
Her Office
Looking through the emails she had received throughout the day, she sighed after answering the last one. Turning off the computer, she began packing her bags, intending to leave for the day, when she suddenly heard footsteps from within her office.
Looking back toward the direction of the footsteps, a figure slowly walked toward the light. It was a man of average height and a lean build. He was wearing a sleek, dark suit reminiscent of a starry night sky, with shimmering, faintly glowing lines tracing constellations across its surface. His helmet, resembling an astronaut's with a mirrored visor, hid his face.
"Greetings, Noctra. I hope you still remember me?" the man asked.
"What do you want, Nexus?" she retorted, annoyed.
"Why have you not complied with the latest request of the master? Have you perhaps decided to betray us?" Nexus asked carefully.
Walking up to the man, she violently grabbed him by the collar. "No, I simply decided I'm not going to be your little pawn anymore. I'm going to stick with my people, and as soon as I get the chance, your plan will be no more."
She intended to let go and walk away, but then Nexus grabbed her forehead tightly, not letting her leave. She could feel something from him.
"Awakened aura? How on earth do you have that?" she asked weakly, feeling her head begin to spin.
Pressing harder and forcing her onto her knees, the star harbinger answered, "It is the gift received by those chosen by the master. Something you shall never receive. I will now wipe your memory so you cannot get in our way, but remember, this is all because of you." He finished speaking just before Noctra's mind went black.