….
Jin-Ho finally made his way back to the café - But only after a brief detour, stopping at two places along the way.
One was Eraser Head. The other was the doctor-and-nurse pair who had been taking care of Toya.
For now, though, he was back.
The bell chimed softly as he entered, and the first person he encountered was Lady Nagant.
She was dressed in her work attire, a simple t-shirt and skirt, the casual cafe uniform they had settled on.
"Welcome back." she looked up from wiping down the counter, her expression unreadable as always.
"Thanks." Jin-Ho replied, equally brief.
Their communication was still minimal, stilted.
After all, she was still essentially a captive - someone who had tried to assassinate Toya and failed.
The circumstances of her being here weren't exactly conducive to friendly conversation.
Jin-Ho glanced around the cafe.
It was empty with no customers at this hour, which was just as well. He had things to prepare.
He had already informed Giran days ago that he would be leaving 'somewhere' for an unknown period of time.
Maybe even years.
This wasn't something that came out of nowhere, Jin-Ho had mentioned several times before that he would have to leave someday, though he had never given details about where or why.
To Tony Stark, he had been honest.
He had told the Iron Man that he wasn't from his world. But he hadn't said the same to Giran or anyone else in this world.
The reason was simple enough. Tony would eventually learn that aliens and other worlds existed, it was inevitable in his timeline.
He could handle that information.
But the MHA world was fundamentally different.
Telling people here that other dimensions existed, that he was from one of them? That was a much bigger revelation, one with unpredictable consequences.
Still, Jin-Ho was certain he would tell them the truth eventually.
Sooner or later, his people deserved to know. That's why Giran hadn't pressed for details when Jin-Ho kept things vague.
At this point, they trusted each other enough.
Giran understood that if Jin-Ho wasn't sharing everything, it was for a reason. And he knew that his boss would tell him the full story when it was necessary.
With that understanding in place, things began to move forward.
Jin-Ho gathered everyone together that evening - all his people in one place.
Toya and Keigo arrived first.
Stain came next.
Then Giran.
Jin Bubaigawara and Keigo arrived together.
Lady Nagant stood off to the side, present but separate, as always.
They gathered in the cafe after closing, the chairs arranged in a loose circle. The atmosphere was heavy with anticipation.
"I am leaving."
Jin-Ho said without preamble. "For a while. I don't know exactly how long - could be months, could be years. But it's absolutely necessary."
Toya's eyes narrowed. "Where?"
"Somewhere I need to be ...and no. I can't take any of you."
"That's pretty damn cryptic, boss." Giran said, lighting a cigarette. "Are you in trouble?"
"Haa… Me? In trouble?" Jin-Ho chuckled with an arrogant smile, as if the very idea was absurd.
No one laughed at his joke.
In fact, Toya made a face that clearly said, 'Aren't you always in trouble?' The corner of his mouth twitched in visible annoyance.
Jin-Ho cleared his throat after a cough. "Right. Anyway, the Fairy Cafe will keep running. Giran, you are in charge of operations. And the remaining all just continue what you're doing."
After that, he brought up the kids.
Jin-Ho ignored him. "Actually, Toya, there is a kid named Midoriya. Dark green hair. Yeah, my favorite color—"
"I don't want to know your favorite color." Toya interrupted flatly.
"Yeah, boss. Not interested." Keigo added with a slight grimace.
"The color thing is pretty lame, boss." Giran said with a smirk, leaning back in his chair. "But I wouldn't mind knowing your type though..."
"Oh! My favorite color is black! Dark black! No wait, all black is dark by definition! And my type, well, they have to be kind but also strong!-"
Jin Bubaigawara launched into an incredibly detailed ramble, completely convinced everyone was sharing their preferences now.
"Nobody. Asked." Toya said through gritted teeth.
When the attention inevitably turned to Stain, he simply stated. "I am not sharing."
"Bet it's red." Keigo muttered under her breath. "Or crimson. Definitely blood-related."
Toya nodded in agreement, and even Giran chuckled.
Jin-Ho's eyes twitched.
He was trying to have a serious conversation here. Though at this point, even he wasn't sure if he minded the derailment.
"Can we please get back on track?" Jin-Ho said, though there was no real heat in his voice. "Listen, a kid with green hair, Midoriya, might come looking for you at the cafe, Toya. Something about wanting to train together. Just... Don't be too harsh on him, alright? He has been through enough."
Toya grunted - a sound that could have meant anything from 'sure' to 'I will do whatever I want' to 'stop telling me what to do.'
Jin-Ho took that as acknowledgement and turned toward Stain. "And you - you are opening a dojo."
"You know I hate dealing with brats." Stain replied at once, his tone flat.
"Just hear me out." Jin-Ho said, raising a hand. "Giran will arrange everything, location, permits, whatever you need. All you have to do is teach."
"I think you will like it quite a bit. Instead of just taking the bad weeds out after they have grown..." Jin-Ho allowed himself a small smile. "Why not cultivate the good seeds before they even have a chance to rot?"
Stain's eyes narrowed slightly, considering.
"And if an explosive blonde kid shows up." Jin-Ho continued. "Try not to break him completely. Just mostly."
"I make no promises."
"That's all I ask." Jin-Ho said with a grin.
Jin-Ho had also already informed others, Eraserhead, who had simply nodded and told him to 'stay out of trouble'.
"How long before you leave?" Giran asked, practical as always.
"Tonight." Jin-Ho said. "I have already delayed longer than I should have."
That caused a ripple of surprise through the group.
"Tonight?" Keigo repeated, his eyes wide. "But... that's so sudden!"
"Wait, tonight?! That's way too fast! No wait, it's fine, we will manage! But seriously, that's really sudden!"
Jin Bubaigawara's voice wavered between panic and forced confidence, his hands gesturing wildly. "We will keep everything running smooth, boss! No, we're totally gonna mess it up without you! I mean - we got this!"
Jin-Ho couldn't help but smile slightly at Jin's characteristic duality. "I know you will do fine. Both of you."
"Take care of each other. Take care of the café. And if anything goes seriously wrong…"
His eyes shifted to Lady Nagant, who had been silent the entire time. "If it comes to that, I am trusting you to protect them."
Lady Nagant's eyes widened slightly - the most emotion she had shown in weeks.
She stared at him, seeming to search for deception or manipulation in his words. But Jin-Ho's expression was sincere.
"You trust me?" she asked quietly, disbelief evident in her voice. "After what I tried to do?"
"I am choosing to." Jin-Ho replied simply. "Everyone deserves a second chance. Even assassins. Besides..."
He shrugged. "You're strong enough to actually make a difference if things go sideways. And I think, deep down, you still remember what it means to protect people."
She didn't respond, but something shifted in her expression.
Not quite acceptance, but perhaps the beginning of it.
With that, Jin-Ho finally took his leave.
Just a simple nod to each of them before he walked out into the night. They followed him outside, watching as he headed toward the edge of town.
"Boss." Giran called out. "You better come back."
Jin-Ho raised a hand in acknowledgment but didn't turn around. "I will. Eventually."
He could open portals to his world from anywhere, but he chose to go somewhere isolated, the same abandoned factory where he had spent his first day in this world, where he had tried to help an injured Toya who had stumbled into his life and changed everything.
The factory was dark and quiet, moonlight streaming through broken windows.
Rust and decay surrounded him, but somehow it felt appropriate, a full circle back to where this journey in this world had begun.
Jin-Ho took a deep breath, centering himself.
A portal opened, a green door like structure.
Jin-Ho stepped forward, pausing at the threshold for just a moment.
He looked back at the factory, at this world he had spent so much time in, at the people he was leaving behind.
"See you soon." he whispered to no one in particular.
Then he stepped through.
The portal closed behind him with a soft whoosh, reality sealing itself back together as if it had never been torn.
The factory fell silent once more, empty except for the wind whistling through broken windows.
Jin-Ho was gone.
But he would return, eventually.
….
.
[To be continued…]
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