Awakening of Quirk

Kimika sat in her room, adorned with bright posters, figurines, and dolls of heroes. The air held a hint of excitement, as all her favorite heroes surrounded her. But most of all, her walls and shelves were dominated by posters and statues of the All Might, Hero Number 1, and symbol of peace, from whom she could never tear her gaze. She never stopped dreaming of becoming just like him: a hero, a symbol of peace who embodied all that was good. The TV sparkled, showcasing yet another report on his victory, and Kimika watched with awe, as if she were part of this epic moment. She dreamed of her own quirk, of the chance to become a hero, just like him.

Suddenly, her mom's voice echoed from the kitchen, loud and insistent:

"Kimii! Time to eat!"

Tearing herself away from her dreams, Kimika trembled. Her heart thudded with joy and admiration, her thoughts filled with the Almighty.

"Mom, five more minutes! I'm almost done watching," she called, trying to buy a bit more time.

"It's your favorite oyakodon!" she heard her mom emphasize the importance of the moment. "And no 'five more minutes'! Come eat now!"

An inner struggle took over Kimika. Oyakodon... How delicious! Warm chicken with rice, tender pieces… She wanted it so much! But the image of All Might, the great hero who could always restrain his desires for the sake of victory, appeared in her thoughts. 'I have to be strong too!' Kimika thought, like a little heroine in her own story.

"If you don't come, I'll eat your favorite takoyaki!" her mom suddenly announced, breaking through her thoughts. There was a playful challenge in her tone, like in the moments when All Might entered a battle.

At that moment, Kimika felt her desire for oyakodon clash with her heroic resolve. Imagining her beloved takoyaki disappearing, she made up her mind: 'No, I won't let that happen!'

"I'M COMING!" Kimika shouted, like a real superhero rushing to the rescue. Her legs carried her to the kitchen, with the thought swirling in her head, 'Takoyaki can't vanish! That's too big a sacrifice!'

In just seconds, Kimika was already at the table, amazed at her own speed. Imagining herself as the savior of desserts, she declared:

"Mom! Heroine Kimi arrives on a mission!" the girl declared proudly, thrusting her chest forward like a true hero. "And I won't let you eat my takoyaki, villain!" she added with a serious expression, just like her all-powerful heroes.

"Oh, my little heroine!" her mom smiled, her eyes shining with pride. "Your mission is to finish the whole portion of oyakodon. And don't you think I'm a villain! If you succeed, you'll get your beloved takoyaki!"

"Mission accepted, heroine-mom!" Kimika gave a playful salute, imagining herself on a battlefield.

Yukiko hurriedly looked at her daughter, holding her favorite dish, and, smiling, placed it on the table, her heart filled with thoughts of how much she loved her little girl. However, lost in thought, she accidentally bumped into the edge of the table. The plate slipped from her hands, and suddenly, everything around seemed to slow down — not by much, but enough to notice. Yet, the moment lasted only a few seconds, and with a loud clatter, the plate hit the ground. Pieces of the dish and food scattered around, filling the kitchen with colorful fragments.

"Kimika, are you alright?" her mom asked worriedly, her voice filled with concern as her gaze immediately fixed on her daughter. She quickly noticed that Kimika's left horn, usually semi-transparent with a bluish hue, had darkened, and her heart tightened with worry. Blood began dripping from Kimika's left eye, the red drops contrasting against her delicate skin, leaving traces of anxiety in their wake. Her mom felt fear and helplessness overwhelm her, but she tried to pull herself together — she needed to be strong now, for her little heroine.

"Mom? I feel really sleepy…" Kimika mumbled, feeling an odd weakness take over her, as if all the energy had drained from her body. Her eyes struggled to stay open, and her thoughts became hazy, like a veil clouding her vision.

'Why is Mom so worried?' a thought crept into her mind. 'Maybe she's just too attached to the oyakodon? Or is it because I watched TV for so long? Or… maybe I just really want to sleep…' she wondered, trying to make sense of what was happening around her.

"KIMIKAAA!!!" her mom screamed, her voice filled with panic. Kimika heard it but couldn't understand why her mom was so distressed. 'Why is she yelling like that? What happened? Everything's fine…'

In that instant, everything around her began to darken, like slipping from a dream into a nightmare. A flicker of light sparked in Kimika's memory, like a flame disappearing into darkness. 'Why all the yelling? Why am I so tired? It's just a dream…' she thought, as her consciousness slowly descended into the abyss of sleep. And then she lost consciousness.

~~~

Kimika and her frightened mother found themselves in a hospital. The girl woke up in a brightly lit room, her heart racing with fear. She couldn't remember how she got there, only that darkness had enveloped her. The doctors assured her that everything was fine: it was just the awakening of her quirk. They had given her painkillers, but when the girl tried to open her left eye, she was overcome with sharp pain. She began to rub it, feeling as if she couldn't see anything.

Before long, they were invited to the doctor's office, and Kimika felt her heart race. This moment promised to be pivotal in her life, and she wanted to be ready for whatever lay ahead.

"Kimika, it's okay, it's okay," her mother comforted her, gently stroking her head. Her voice was soft, but it held so much love and support. "It's just the awakening of your quirk, and now you have it, just as you dreamed. Now you will be a true heroine! You'll be able to perform heroic tasks, just like you wanted, right?" her mother said, trying to convey that everything was alright, even though she was worried herself.

Kimika took a deep breath, still holding onto her eye. Fear, uncertainty, and joy flooded her. 'I'm a real heroine, I can be like All Might!' she thought, but the pain and the fact that she couldn't see out of that eye overshadowed her joy.

"Mom… But why does it hurt so much? And why can't I see…?" Kimika asked, trying to calm herself, but the fear wouldn't let go.

"The doctors said it's temporary. Everything will be alright soon. You're my strong girl, right?" her mother spoke with care, trying to support her and calm herself. She couldn't bear to see her beloved and only daughter suffer and felt helpless. "Soon we will be called in to see the doctor, and he will tell you about your cool quirk. Just imagine how amazing that will be!"

Before long, they were called into the doctor's office, and Kimika felt her heart race again. This moment promised to be pivotal in her life, and she wanted to be ready for whatever lay ahead.

When Kimika and her mother entered the doctor's office, they were greeted by the doctor, who approached the girl quietly with a friendly smile. There was tenderness in his eyes, which calmed her anxious heart.

"Hello," the doctor smiled, kneeling in front of Kimika. "I'm Dr. Haruko Saito. Today, you awakened your quirk. This is an important event, even if it happened under less than ideal circumstances. You're a heroine, aren't you?" he winked, trying to lift her spirits.

Kimika felt her heart race. She had dreamed of this moment, but fear and the strangeness of the situation were evident.

"I... I'm Kimika Tanaki, heroine Kim!" she replied hesitantly, lifting her head.

"Oh, a heroine! From today on, I'm your number one fan," the doctor joked, trying to ease her nervousness.

"No! My first fan is Mom... and my second is Dad... You're the third," Kimika said shyly, smiling and blushing lightly. She wiped her left eye, which still hurt, and noticed her mom watching them with a smile.

"Oh, that's wonderful! You have a real trio of fans!" her mom encouraged her, smiling at her daughter.

"Aww, that's too bad," the doctor feigned disappointment. "Well, the third one isn't so bad either. But tell me," his voice became mysterious, as if he were trying to keep an intrigue, and he spoke quietly so only they could hear, hoping that Mom wouldn't catch it, "have you given anyone your autograph yet?"

"No, not yet," she replied, initially pondering his question. She was curious about why the doctor was being so mysterious.

Seeing that the girl was intrigued, the doctor couldn't help but smile, realizing his method had worked. Now Kimika was no longer hiding behind her mom, and it was wonderful.

"Oh, then can you give me your first autograph?" he asked enthusiastically. "I'll show it to all the other kids and tell them I know a real heroine!"

"Autograph...? Other kids...?" Kimika repeated thoughtfully, her eyes sparkling at the thought of heroism. A feeling of joy filled her heart, as if she truly had become a heroine, and her autograph would be a precious gift. "Yes! I will give you my first autograph!"

"Here, take this piece of paper and this pen," the doctor handed them to her with a huge smile, his eyes shining with happiness. "If you don't have a signature yet, you can come up with one right now. Can you imagine? I'll get not only your first autograph but also see how you come up with it!"

Her mom, watching this scene, couldn't help but feel joy. She saw how the doctor's kind and attentive approach had managed to take away Kimika's fear and completely capture her attention. The girl seemed to have forgotten about her sore eye, and a spark of curiosity ignited in her eyes.

"You know, Kimika, I heard your mysterious conversation and figured out the doctor's plan," her mom said with a smile, her face reflecting joy as she realized the doctor's scheme had been uncovered. "I'm ready to forgo your first autograph, but how about I help you create it?" she said enthusiastically.

Kimika looked at her mom with interest, and the doctor, smiling, added, "Oh, it seems my plan has been revealed… What a shame. Why don't you create your signature for now, and I'll prepare the documents?"

These words filled the room with energy, and Kimika was extremely happy for such support. She began to think about what kind of signature she would come up with. Although she didn't know how to write yet, she was good at drawing, so she decided with her mom that she would draw her face as her signature. As she pondered this, Kimika felt a genuine spark of inspiration — after all, this autograph would be a special symbol of her new heroic journey! She even completely ignored the blindness in one eye, knowing it would surely heal, and she would be able to see the world in all its colors again.

Soon, the joyful girl, feeling a rush of energy, took the piece of paper with her signature, which featured a drawing of her face. The picture wasn't very detailed, a simple childlike masterpiece, but Kimika completely overlooked that, feeling that the doctor would definitely like it. The important thing was that she liked it, and that her mom was smiling and approving of her creation.

"Done! Here, my first autograph!" she exclaimed joyfully, handing the drawing to the doctor.

The doctor immediately set aside the documents and took the autograph from the girl's hands. He could see the determination with which she had created this masterpiece, so even if it only contained simple lines, he would still say it was a very good signature.

"Ooo, wonderful!" the doctor exclaimed, placing the autograph on his desk. He looked at Kimika with a joyful expression full of excitement. "I'll show this to my colleagues; they'll all be envious!" he said, smiling as if he were holding a real treasure.

But then, adopting a serious look, he said, "And now, heroine Kimi, I have one more important mission for you. Are you ready?"

"Yes! I'm ready for any task!" she shouted, filled with energy.

"Then your mission is to allow me to take a little of your blood for tests. It's important so we can better understand your quirk," the doctor explained gently, noticing the shadow of fear appearing on Kimika's face. "Of course, many kids are afraid of this, but if you're ready, we can do it together."

"I'm not a kid, I'm a heroine!" Kimika declared resolutely. "I'm ready!"

Soon, the doctor took out the blood collection device, and Kimika, feeling anxious, leaned into her mom, burying her face in her embrace. She didn't want to look at that scary instrument, which brought up unpleasant associations.

"Everything will be fine, Kimi," her mom softly reassured her, stroking her hair.

The doctor, noticing her anxiety, gently said, "Kimika, could you please extend your arm? It's just a little prick, and you won't even feel how quickly it will be over."

The girl sighed, trying to gather herself, and cautiously extended her arm, trying not to think about the device. The doctor, observing her reaction, acted very carefully to avoid scaring her further. He reassured her that everything would go smoothly and quickly, trying to create an atmosphere of trust. 

"You're a real heroine, Kimika, and I'm sure you can handle this!" he encouraged her, soothing the girl.

Kimika nodded, feeling a slight tremor. When the needle first touched her skin, her heart began to race, but she held on, even as tears welled in her eyes. Yukiko, seeing this, embraced her even tighter, trying to support her in this challenging moment. 

After taking the girl's blood, the doctor placed it in a special analysis device and began conducting a few simple tests. He asked Kimika to look at various objects in the room to check her vision, and then carefully examined her horns to ensure she hadn't inherited her father's quirk. 

To do this, he lied about simple things a few times to check if her horns would react to his words. But seeing no reaction, the doctor decided to simply ask the girl if everything was okay, although he noticed she looked a bit scared. 

"Is everything alright?" he asked gently, trying to reassure her.

"Yes!" the girl replied confidently, even though she felt differently inside. At that moment, her horns suddenly darkened, like her father's, when someone else lies nearby. The doctor, realizing what this meant, quickly noted this moment in his notebook but chose not to comment.

Her mom, watching everything, also noticed the changes in her daughter's horns but decided to stay silent, understanding what was happening. Everyone, except little Kimika, realized that now, when Kimika tells a lie, her horns signal it. Mom knew that the girl would face a difficult future, so she already had a plan in her mind for how to help her daughter cope with this. 

The doctor continued testing the girl, meticulously performing a few more tests.