….
After bidding goodbye to Midoriya, Jin-Ho, instead of heading toward his cafe, took another detour.
"Man, why am I even doing all this?"
He muttered to himself, as he levitated downward, descending toward the front of the household.
And oddly enough, just like before, as he was finally about to land on the ground, the door burst open.
It was a woman with spiky ash-blonde hair, her red eyes sharp and alert. Then came the shout.
But instead of fainting like Midoriya's mother, this woman screamed back at him–
"What the - Who are you?! What are you doing on my property?!"
Jin-Ho raised his hands peacefully. "Wait, I can explain—"
"Explain?! You're floating! Are you some kind of pervert villain?!" She charged forward, hand raised.
"I am a hero! A hero!" Jin-Ho fumbled for his hero ID, holding it up like a shield.
Never would Jin-Ho have thought the hero license he had earned, mainly just so he could use his powers without legal complications, would actually come in handy like this.
The woman paused mid-swing, squinting at the ID.
Then her husband appeared behind her, a calmer presence with similar spiky hair, and helped defuse the situation.
"Mitsuki, wait!" A calmer voice came from behind her, her husband, Masaru, appeared at the doorway. "Let's at least see his credentials before you knock him out."
After some tense moments and verification of Jin-Ho's credentials, the couple calmed down.
Though they were visibly startled to learn that the young cafe owner they had seen around the neighborhood was actually a licensed hero.
"I want to talk about your son." Jin-Ho said carefully.
That stopped Mitsuki from complaining anymore. Her expression shifted from irritation to something more guarded, maternal protection mixed with apprehension.
Jin-Ho was invited inside.
He sat across from them in their living room and explained what he had witnessed, how their son had been bullying a few kids in the park.
But he toned it down considerably, choosing his words carefully. No mother wanted to hear terrible things about her son, no matter how bad the behavior actually was.
Katsuki Bakugo was present during the explanation, having been called down by his mother.
His reaction? Exactly what you would expect from Bakugo, explosive denial, shouting about how 'those extras' deserved it, how they were weak, how it wasn't even a big deal.
"They were getting in my way! And that stupid Deku was—"
"Shut it, brat!" Mitsuki's response was swift and physical, a solid smack to the back of his head.
"OW! What the hell, old hag?!"
Another smack.
But it was Masaru who spoke, the man who had been silent through most of the conversation. "We apologize for the inconvenience our son has caused. His behavior is unacceptable."
That actually startled Bakugo into silence for a moment. "Why are you apologizing?! I didn't do anything wrong! Those losers—"
"I said shut it." His mother's hand connected with his head again, harder this time.
Jin-Ho watched the family dynamic with mild amusement before raising his hand–
"Okay, okay. I accept the apology. But honestly? I am not really here to complain."
Three pairs of eyes turned to him, two confused, one suspicious.
"Your son... I think he wants to be a Hero?" Jin-Ho said, directing the question at the parents while glancing at Bakugo.
That shut Bakugo up completely. His jaw clenched, but for once, he didn't shout.
The parents exchanged glances, listening intently.
"He has the potential, I have to say." Jin-Ho continued, his tone serious now. "Maybe even to become the number one hero in the future. His quirk is powerful, his determination is off the charts, and his combat instincts are already well-developed for his age."
Bakugo's eyes widened slightly. He wasn't used to heroes, real heroes, acknowledging him like this.
"The only thing holding him back is..."
Jin-Ho paused, choosing his words carefully. "His moral compass. His understanding of what it means to be a hero beyond just being strong. The line between right and wrong, between justice and cruelty. I am sure he will learn eventually as he grows up, most kids do."
Mitsuki's expression softened slightly, though worry creased her brow.
"But I think it's better to help him now than wait for 'eventually'." Jin-Ho said. "Guidance early on can make all the difference between a great hero and a problematic one."
He leaned forward, hands clasped together. "I know this might be a bit out of place, but I want to recommend something. I know a person who could provide the right guidance, someone who runs a dojo."
"It isn't that famous, pretty underground actually, but I assure you, he is a great teacher. Especially for someone like your son who wants to be a hero."
The person Jin-Ho was talking about was Stain.
Did Stain run a dojo? No.
But he would now, whether he liked it or not. Jin-Ho would make sure of it.
Jin-Ho felt a little guilty that he was throwing work at Toya, Keigo and Stain when he would be disappearing for who knows how long.
But this felt right. Especially this particular match.
Stain, with his mentality of the perfect, ideal hero, his unwavering principles about what heroism truly meant.
And Bakugo, with his raw talent but twisted perspective, his might-makes-right attitude. It would be quite the combination of teacher and student to watch.
But would the kid even last? Would Stain's harsh methods break through Bakugo's ego, or would Bakugo storm out after the first session?
Jin-Ho privately bet nine times out of ten this wouldn't work out.
But if it did? If somehow these two clashing personalities created something extraordinary?
Well, that would be worth seeing.
"A dojo?" Mitsuki repeated, her tone skeptical. "What kind of dojo teaches hero morals?"
"One that focuses on the philosophy of heroism, not just combat techniques." Jin-Ho explained. "Your son doesn't need help with fighting, he needs help understanding why heroes fight. What they're protecting, what they represent."
Masaru nodded slowly, seeming to understand. "That does sound valuable..."
"This is stupid." Bakugo finally spoke up, his voice tight. "I don't need some washed-up dojo teacher to tell me how to be a hero. I am already better than—"
"Katsuki." His father's voice was quiet but firm. "Listen."
Jin-Ho turned to face Bakugo directly. "You want to be number one, right? Stronger than All Might?"
"Obviously." Bakugo snapped.
"Then you need to understand something." Jin-Ho said, his eyes sharp.
"Strength without purpose is just violence. Power without principle is just destruction. All Might isn't number one just because he is strong, he is number one because people believe in what he represents. Can you say the same about yourself?"
Bakugo slouched onto the couch, arms crossed, glaring daggers at Jin-Ho.
"That's, that's bullcrap! All Might is number one because he is the strongest! Weaklings who can't even defend themselves. How are they gonna be heroes if they—"
"Katsuki Bakugo! Sit down! Now!"
"But—"
"NOW!"
Mitsuki grabbed her son's shoulder and forced him back onto the couch. She turned to Jin-Ho who simply waited for a reply, the silence stretching between them.
The parents exchanged uncertain glances, clearly torn between pride in their son's ambition and worry about his attitude.
The seconds ticked by.
No one spoke.
Jin-Ho could see it in their faces, doubt, hesitation, the natural parental instinct to protect their child from anything that might be too harsh, and demanding. They were weighing whether to trust a stranger's recommendation about some unknown dojo teacher.
It seemed the plan was falling apart at its very first step.
Jin-Ho stood up, concluding this wasn't going to work out–
"Again, I apologize for barging in all of a sudden. I meant no harm. I will take my leave now." He bowed slightly and moved toward the door.
But just before he could leave, Masaru called out. "Wait."
Jin-Ho paused, turning back.
"No, it isn't that we are displeased with you or anything." Masaru said carefully. "You just startled us a bit. This is... a lot to process."
Mitsuki nodded, her earlier aggression replaced with something more thoughtful. "Yeah. We can tell you are genuinely trying to help our kid achieve his dream. It's just..."
"He is still just a kid." she trailed off, glancing at Bakugo, who was still scowling but listening intently.
Jin-Ho's expression softened. "I see. It seems I wasn't considering a few things."
"We just assumed." Mitsuki continued. "That the things holding him back were his temperament and pride. That those were problems that needed fixing."
Jin-Ho actually chuckled at that, a warm sound that filled the room. "Sorry, that wasn't my intention at all."
The parents exchanged confused looks.
"Those two things, his temperament and pride, they are his biggest assets." Jin-Ho explained. "That fire, that absolute refusal to give up or back down? That's what will help him become a great hero one day. I am not trying to fix those things. I am trying to give him direction for them."
The parents looked at each other's faces, a silent conversation passing between them.
"Please, take your time to think this over." Jin-Ho said, pulling out another card and placing it on the table beside the first one. "No pressure. If you decide you are interested, you can just meet me at the cafe. Or call. Whatever works for you."
Mitsuki picked up the card, studying it. "Fairy Tail cafe... I think I have passed by it a few times."
"Drop by sometime. Coffee's on the house." Jin-Ho said with a small smile. "Regardless of what you decide about the other thing."
The parents gave him a nod, and Masaru extended his hand for a handshake. "Thank you for taking the time to talk with us. And for... looking out for our son, even in your own way."
Jin-Ho shook his hand, then began walking toward the door.
The parents followed behind to see him out, and so did Bakugo.
Outside, the evening air was cool.
Jin-Ho stepped onto the front path, crouched down to Bakugo level, meeting the boy's eyes directly.
"Bakugo... I don't know if you can really become the number one hero or not, despite all your potential. But I do know one thing." He paused, making sure he had the kid's full attention–
"A bad friend and son to his parents or friends will never be the number one hero."
"...."
"You didn't like it when your father apologized to some random stranger just now, right? Having to say sorry for something you did?"
Bakugo's jaw clenched. His hands tightened into fists.
"Make sure your parents never have to face something like that again because of you." Jin-Ho said quietly. "Make them proud first, before you even think about becoming number one. Because heroes don't just save strangers, they protect the people closest to them too."
Bakugo opened his mouth, probably to yell, argue, or to say something explosive, but nothing came out. His face was red, whether from anger or embarrassment.
Jin-Ho didn't know how much of what he said would actually get through to the kid. Probably not much. Bakugo was stubborn, prideful, still too young to fully grasp some of these concepts. But he said it anyway, hoping maybe one day it would click.
With that, he finally stood up and took his leave.
And no, this time he didn't fly.
He simply walked away down the street, looking like any other person heading home after a long day.
Behind him, he could sense the Bakugo family still standing in the doorway, watching him go.
"Tch." Bakugo's voice carried through the quiet evening. "What does he know anyway..."
But his voice was quieter than usual. Thoughtful, almost.
Jin-Ho smiled to himself and kept walking, disappearing into the night.
….
.
[To be continued…]
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