….
Midoriya fell into step beside him, his shorter legs working harder to match Jin-Ho's casual pace.
They walked in silence for a few moments, leaving the playground behind.
The afternoon sun was sinking lower, painting the residential streets in warm orange light.
A few other kids were playing in yards, their quirks manifesting in small, supervised bursts, a girl making flowers bloom in her hands, a boy with a gecko tail climbing up the side of his house while his mother watched nervously.
Normal life in a world where the abnormal was ordinary.
Jin-Ho's mind was racing, though his expression remained calm and friendly.
He was trying to think of something meaningful to say.
Something that would light up Midoriya's eyes the way heroes' speeches did, that perfect sentence that would give the kid hope, make him believe in himself despite everything working against him.
Come on, He thought, mentally scrolling through every inspirational speech he had ever heard. There's got to be something. Some words that will matter.
He thought about All Might's catchphrases, but those felt hollow coming from someone who wasn't the Symbol of Peace.
Jin-Ho scratched the back of his head in frustration.
"Big brother?" Midoriya's voice broke through his thoughts. "Are you okay?"
Jin-Ho blinked, realizing he'd been silent for almost a full block. "Yeah, sorry. Just thinking."
After a moment, he finally asked. "So... you want to become a hero?"
"Yeah! I want to be like All Mig-" His voice started high and full of excitement, but halfway through, it wavered. The spark dimmed.
"...All Might." he finished weakly. "And... save people."
By the last word, he was staring at the ground again.
Jin-Ho looked at the kid, and he knew exactly what he needed to tell him. The exact words Midoriya had been waiting to hear from his mother, instead of 'I am sorry." to hear 'You can become a hero'.
Words he wouldn't actually hear until his last year of middle school, from the person he idolized most.
Right now, Jin-Ho could say it. It would probably help the kid too.
But for some reason, he couldn't.
Because Jin-Ho knew this kid would inherit One For All in the future.
But without that knowledge, would he be able to tell this to a random quirkless kid he stumbled upon in the street who just wanted to become a hero?
No. Jin-Ho didn't think so.
After this contemplation, he crouched down to Midoriya's level. The boy's shoulders were trembling slightly, his head hung low.
Jin-Ho gently took his wrist, then lifted one thin arm, feeling how light it was. He checked the other, then looked down at the boy's legs.
"Uh... what are you doing?" Midoriya asked nervously.
Jin-Ho tilted his head. "Hmm. You definitely need to get some muscle. If you ever want a real shot at being a hero, start there."
Midoriya blinked. "...Huh?"
"I mean, you want to be a hero, right? Or at least... give it a shot?"
"Yeah..." Midoriya nodded slowly, unsure where this was going.
"Then why don't you start preparing your body for it? Build some muscle, get stronger. Maybe you are one of those late bloomers, you know, the ones whose quirks manifest later than usual."
Jin-Ho shrugged. "It's rare, but there have been a few documented cases."
Midoriya couldn't quite process what Jin-Ho was saying. His mind was stuck on one simple fact, Jin-Ho hadn't laughed.
After hearing his dream, after learning he was quirkless, Jin-Ho hadn't laughed, hadn't mocked him, hadn't looked at him with pity.
Something fragile and precious stirred in his chest. Hope.
He isn't denying it... maybe... maybe…
"Can I become a hero?"
Jin-Ho looked at the boy. Those wide green eyes, brimming with hope that had been crushed so many times it barely dared to show itself anymore.
He HAD already decided to leave those words for Midoriya's idol. Some things were better told by the right person at the right time.
All Might's words would mean more than his ever could.
"Not a chance... the way you are right now."
The hope in Midoriya's eyes flickered, but didn't die. And that was enough.
Jin-Ho felt a pang of guilt for not being able to just tell him 'yes, you definitely can.' But to Midoriya, this response was already a miracle.
There was no laughter behind it, no pity, no apologetic smile with a hand on his head - It wasn't an outright denial.
It was conditional, the way you are right now, which meant there was a possibility, however slim, if he changed.
His eyes began to water.
But Jin-Ho didn't let him wallow.
He stood up abruptly. "You want to see what it feels like to fly?"
"Wha—"
Before Midoriya could process the question, Jin-Ho grabbed him around the waist, and suddenly the ground disappeared beneath his feet.
Midoriya screamed.
Loud, piercing, terrified screams that probably woke up half the neighborhood. Tears streamed down his face as he squeezed his eyes shut, certain he was about to die.
But death didn't come.
The initial jolt of rising faded into something else, smooth, steady movement.
Like floating on calm water. Slowly, cautiously, Midoriya cracked one eye open.
They were flying. Actually flying.
"Are you calm now, buddy?" Jin-Ho's voice was amused but patient.
He had also activated a high-grade concealment talisman so that people around wouldn't panic at the sight.
Midoriya was pressed against Jin-Ho's chest, one arm wrapped around him while the other seemed to be controlling their flight.
He peeked down at the ground below, they were already several stories high, and immediately regretted it, burying his face back into Jin-Ho's jacket.
"I have got you. You're safe." Jin-Ho reassured him. "See? You're at least brave. You opened your eyes. That's more than most people do on their first flight."
"H-how is this... how are we..."
"How's it feel? To fly?"
Now that the initial terror had subsided, Midoriya's analytical side activated. His head lifted slightly, one eye peeking out.
"Is it an air control quirk? Or wind manipulation... no, there isn't much difference to most people, but there's actually a lot of variation in application... but I don't feel any air currents or wind resistance... it might be telekinesis like my mom's quirk... yeah, that would explain the smooth movement and lack of—"
"Stop it, kid." Jin-Ho cut him off with a laugh.
"S-sorry! I was just talking to myself and thinking out loud and I didn't mean to-" Midoriya's apology died in his throat as he suddenly remembered where he was.
In the air. Flying. Oh god, we're flying. He grabbed Jin-Ho tighter, a small squeak escaping his lips.
"Hey, hey, it's okay. Breathe. Don't stress about it." Jin-Ho's voice was steady, calming. "I am not going to drop you. Promise."
After a moment, Midoriya's breathing evened out. This time, when he looked down, he really looked.
The streets below were ribbons of light. Buildings that usually towered over him were now beneath his feet. The mountains in the distance looked small, almost toy-like.
Everything that usually made him feel small and insignificant was now below him.
For the first time in a long time, Midoriya felt... bigger.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Jin-Ho said quietly. "This is what heroes see. This is the view from the top."
Midoriya couldn't speak. He just nodded, eyes wide with wonder.
"Anyway, I should drop you off at your house now. It's getting late. Your mom's probably worried."
As they glided through the evening air, Jin-Ho spoke again. "Kid... you still want to become a hero?"
"Yeah..." The answer came without hesitation this time.
"Okay. Then give it your best shot. It's going to be a really difficult journey, really, really difficult. Harder than anything you've faced so far." Jin-Ho paused, then continued. "You know the black-haired and wings kid from my café?"
He was talking about Toya and Keigo. Midoriya nodded, remembering the boys.
"They want to become Heroes too. Different reasons, different paths, but same dream. Maybe you three could help each other out."
They approached Midoriya's apartment building. Jin-Ho didn't land on the street, he flew directly up to the balcony of Midoriya's floor, landing with barely a sound.
But the glass door to the balcony was open, and just as their feet touched down, the front door of the apartment burst open.
"Izuku! I was about to call the–" Inko Midoriya's words cut off abruptly.
Jin-Ho had just deactivated his concealment talisman - a tactical error in hindsight.
Inko watched her son standing on the balcony with a man.
A flying man. They had clearly just landed from the air.
"KYAAAAA!" The scream was loud, sharp, and followed immediately by Inko's knees buckling. She crumpled to the floor in a dead faint.
"Mom!" Midoriya rushed forward, Jin-Ho right behind him.
"She will be fine." Jin-Ho said, already helping lift the woman. "Just shocked. Can't really blame her, probably not every day she sees her son flying."
It took a few minutes and some gentle shaking before Inko came to, her eyes fluttering open to see both her son and the café owner hovering over her with concerned expressions.
"I... what... Izuku, were you...?" She sat up slowly.
"I can explain."
And Jin-Ho explained everything from witnessing the bullying to walking home to the decision to fly Midoriya back.
He didn't sugarcoat the bullying part. It was important that she understood what her son was dealing with.
Inko's face cycled through shock, anger, guilt, and worry as Jin-Ho spoke. She kept glancing at Midoriya, who was sitting beside her, looking down at his hands.
"I am so sorry." she whispered, pulling her son into a tight hug. "I am so sorry I didn't know, I didn't—"
"It's okay, Mom." Midoriya mumbled into her shoulder. "I am okay."
The explanation was made easier by the fact that this wasn't Inko's first time meeting Jin-Ho.
But she, like Midoriya, had never suspected that the young man who served them coffee and pastries was actually a Hero.
"You're a... a pro hero?" Inko asked, still processing.
"Something like that." Jin-Ho said with a small smile. "Though I keep a low profile. The café keeps me busy enough."
After making sure Inko was steady on her feet and accepting her profuse thanks, Jin-Ho moved toward the balcony.
It was time to leave. But he paused at the door, turning back.
"Midoriya." he said, and the boy looked up. "Those kids I mentioned, Toya and Keigo. Even though both want to become Heroes, I can't say they have the same reason to become one…. It's complicated. Still though, both of them are not great with strangers, and tend to push people away. It will be hard to convince them to work with you."
Jin-Ho's expression softened. "But I think you can do it. You have got something they need, genuine enthusiasm. And they have got something you need, experience with training."
Midoriya nodded slowly, filing the information away.
"Good luck, kid. Take care, and I will see you around." Jin-Ho grinned, giving a small wave. "And next time I see you? You better have at least some muscle to show for it. Can't have you looking like a strong wind could knock you over."
With that, Jin-Ho stepped onto the balcony railing, balanced for a moment like it was the most natural thing in the world, and then simply rose into the air.
Midoriya and his mother watched from the doorway as he ascended smoothly, silhouetted against the darkening sky, before he shot off into the distance like a shooting star.
"Izuku..." Inko said quietly, still staring at where Jin-Ho had disappeared. "Did we really just meet a Hero who runs a café?"
"Yeah." Midoriya breathed, his hand unconsciously moving to touch his back where the strange warmth still lingered. "Yeah, I think we did."
And for the first time in months, when Midoriya went to bed that night, he dreamed not of his failures, but of flying.
….
.
[To be continued…]
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