Musutafu, Japan.
April 8, Wednesday, 6:00 AM
It was finally time to tackle the MHA world again.
That was my main issue for now—well, that and locating Carl's soul, which I had myself hunting down in West City.
I thought as I moved out of Aoyama's mother's bed.
I lifted the blanket carefully as I shifted away from the violet-haired woman—almost waking her as I ruffled the sheets. Her eyes flickered beneath her eyelids.
Her fingers tried to reach out.
"....Don't... leave me..."
Sayuri let out a silent plea.
Her expression twisted in her sleep, making me hesitate during my morning escape.
"I'm not leaving," I said, caressing her fingers. "I'm only going for my morning jog."
I leaned in and kissed her on the lips.
Her eyes briefly opened, catching sight of my face before she drifted back to sleep.
Her outstretched arm relaxed.
I pulled away from her and stepped off the bed completely naked.
I sighed upon seeing pieces of my pajamas scattered around.
"I can be a bit reckless at times."
I shook my head.
I really had to change that, and the first step was taking accountability.
That's why, right now, I recalled every body I possessed into my lamp world and started looking for Carl's soul.
I didn't want him growing in power in West City and screwing me over somehow later.
I rubbed my neck as an evil scowl appeared on my lips.
That's why I had my Professor persona working on ghost tech to find him, along with the Compound V research.
And I had Sandra's body in a West City hospital, pumped full of drugs to keep her unconscious until I could use her as bait to lure out her hiding husband.
—
Third Person
After getting out of bed, Aoyama took a shower, washing off the night's grime.
He planned to enjoy his time in this world.
Especially when time moved slower on the outside again.
Afterward, he went to his room, put on a pair of jogging pants, and left the apartment.
The morning air was cool against his skin.
Musutafu was only beginning to wake up.
Streetlights still glowed faintly while shop owners prepared for the day ahead. The distant sound of trains echoed through the city as joggers and early workers moved along the sidewalks.
Aoyama ran at a steady pace.
Not too fast.
Just enough to enjoy the sensation of movement.
His headphones rested loosely around his neck while the city blurred past him.
Tall buildings slowly gave way to quieter streets.
Then eventually—
The beach.
Waves rolled gently against the shore beneath the pale orange glow of sunrise.
A few people were already there exercising.
Some jogged along the coast.
Others stretched near the railing.
And one girl was currently doing push-ups in the sand.
Izumi.
Sweat glistened along her skin as she pushed herself upward again.
One.
Two.
Three.
Her breathing was controlled despite the intensity of her workout.
Nearby, a gym bag and water bottle rested against a bench.
Aoyama slowed to a stop.
A small smile tugged at his lips.
"Hello, stranger," he called out casually. "Long time no see."
Izumi paused mid-motion.
Her head snapped toward him.
For a second, her eyes widened in disbelief.
Then they lit up.
"Aoyama-kun?!"
Izumi pushed herself up from the sand too quickly, nearly stumbling before catching her balance.
Her face brightened instantly.
"W-what are you doing here?"
Aoyama chuckled lightly at her reaction.
"Funny running into you here."
He slipped his hands into his pockets as the ocean breeze rolled past them.
"I don't normally jog by the beach."
His gaze drifted toward the waves before returning to her.
"But something told me I should today."
A faint grin tugged at his lips.
"Didn't expect that decision to lead me straight to you, though."
Izumi's cheeks warmed slightly.
"O-oh…"
She quickly grabbed her towel from the bench, wiping sweat from her forehead to distract herself.
"I come here pretty often."
Her eyes shifted toward the shoreline.
"It's quieter in the mornings… and it helps me train without bothering people."
Aoyama hummed thoughtfully.
"Do you always train this hard?"
Izumi stiffened slightly.
"I-I have to."
Her fingers tightened around the towel.
"If I don't work harder than everyone else, I'll fall behind."
A brief silence passed between them.
Then Aoyama glanced around the beach again.
"Still…"
He tilted his head.
"I'm surprised it's this clean."
Izumi blinked.
"Clean?"
"The last time I came here, it was overflowing with garbage."
He looked down the coast.
"Old furniture, rusted appliances, scrap metal… honestly, it looked more like a landfill than a beach."
Recognition flashed across Izumi's face.
"Oh!"
A small smile spread across her lips.
"That was before."
She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.
"Someone cleaned it up."
Aoyama raised an eyebrow knowingly.
"Really now?"
Izumi looked away awkwardly.
"W-well… not alone."
"But…"
A little pride slipped into her voice.
"I helped a lot."
The morning sunlight caught against her messy green hair as the wind blew past.
Aoyama studied her quietly for a moment.
Then smiled.
"Impressive."
The simple praise hit harder than it should have.
Izumi's ears reddened slightly.
"T-thanks…"
She brushed a loose strand of hair from her face, still slightly out of breath from training.
"So… do you always go on morning runs like this?" she asked.
Aoyama shrugged lightly, hands in his pockets as they walked along the shoreline.
"More or less. I have to stay in peak condition."
He glanced at her with a lazy grin.
"If I get weaker, my clones get weaker too."
Izumi blinked.
Then something clicked in her head.
"Oh!"
She pointed at him slightly.
"I didn't know how to contact you after yesterday, but… my mom told me to thank you."
"Hm?"
"For helping carry the groceries home."
Her cheeks warmed a little.
"She said your clones were really helpful."
Aoyama waved it off casually.
"It's no big deal."
Then, without missing a beat—
"It's the least I could do after kissing her daughter and planning to do it some more."
Izumi instantly choked on air.
"W-WHAT?!"
Aoyama smirked.
"I mean, if I was planning to go home with you and, you know…"
He tilted his head slightly.
"Practice kissing."
Her entire face turned red again.
"A-Aoyama-kun…!"
He laughed softly at her reaction.
Izumi looked away, trying—and failing—to calm herself.
Then, after a moment, she spoke more quietly.
"Were you… actually serious about that?"
"Hm?"
"The kissing thing…"
She fidgeted with her fingers.
"Was that really what you wanted, or were you joking?"
Aoyama looked ahead at the ocean for a second before answering.
"If we actually went home together yesterday…"
He glanced at her.
"I probably would've done it."
Izumi's heartbeat quickened.
"O-oh…"
A brief silence passed between them before she gathered enough courage to ask—
"Why?"
"Hm?"
"Why were you trying to practice kissing me?"
Aoyama stared at her for a moment.
Then scratched the side of his cheek.
"Honestly… it's kind of embarrassing."
Izumi listened quietly.
"I used to be a lot more timid."
His voice lost some of its teasing edge.
"I spent most of middle school alone. While everyone else was making friends and enjoying themselves, I was stuck dealing with anxiety and obsessing over building support tools."
Izumi's eyes softened slightly.
Eventually, Aoyama continued.
"Then I met someone who changed the way I looked at things."
"Mt. Lady."
He gave a small laugh.
"I know that sounds ridiculous."
"But when she debuted… when I saw how confidently she stole everyone's attention…"
His eyes drifted toward the brightening skyline.
"I felt something."
Izumi stayed silent, letting him speak.
"I wanted that confidence."
"I wanted people to notice me."
"I wanted to stop hiding."
He lifted a hand, staring at it briefly.
"So I started trying to improve myself."
"My image. My confidence. My quirk."
"Everything."
A small smile crossed his lips.
"I know it won't happen overnight."
"So I'm taking it step by step."
He looked at her again.
"And right now, I'm trying to get out of my shell more."
Izumi's chest tightened slightly at how honest he sounded.
"So I figured… maybe I should start taking risks."
He grinned faintly.
"Like asking a cute girl to be my kissing buddy."
Izumi nearly stumbled.
"A-Aoyama-kun…!"
"But don't worry," he added more softly. "If you don't want to, I won't bother you about it."
Izumi lowered her gaze.
Thinking.
Wanting to change yourself…
The words resonated with her more than she expected.
Wasn't that exactly what she was doing too?
Trying to become worthy of One For All.
Trying to become brave.
Trying to stop being the scared girl she used to be.
Slowly, she looked back up at him.
"If you're really serious…"
Aoyama blinked.
"I… don't think I'd mind helping you."
Her voice grew smaller toward the end.
"I-I mean not all the time!"
She waved her hands quickly.
"I'm still kind of timid too, so I'd need time to build courage and stuff—"
Aoyama stared at her for a second.
Izumi's face burned hotter.
"B-but…"
She swallowed nervously.
"If you want to…"
Her heart hammered violently.
"Would you like to kiss now?"
For once, Aoyama looked genuinely caught off guard.
Then his expression softened.
"Yeah," he answered quietly.
The ocean breeze drifted around them.
Izumi stepped closer first this time.
Nervous.
Hesitant.
But not pulling away.
Aoyama gently placed a hand against her cheek.
Warm.
Careful.
Their eyes met for a brief second—
Then their lips touched.
Soft.
Tentative.
A little clumsy.
Izumi's fingers tightened around the hem of her shirt as her heart threatened to explode out of her chest.
Aoyama leaned slightly closer.
Not pushing.
Just letting her get used to him.
The kiss lasted only a few seconds before they slowly pulled apart.
Izumi's face was completely red.
Her breathing uneven.
Aoyama looked just as stunned as she felt.
And then—
"Aoyama-kun?!"
Both of them jolted.
A familiar voice rang out across the beach.
A short girl with purple hair stood frozen nearby holding a sports drink.
Minette—Female Mineta—blinked once.
Her eyes slowly widened.
"You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend!"
She pointed dramatically.
"How scandalous!"
Izumi's brain immediately short-circuited.
"G-G-G-GIRLFRIEND?!"
Minette gasped loudly.
"And after you let me ride on your back during the exam too?!"
Aoyama just smiled.
"No, no. She's way better than a girlfriend."
He gestured toward the completely red-faced Izumi.
"This is my kissing buddy."