[I] Chapter 22: New Friend

"Yo, old man. How is the kid?" Ryuji asked as he saw the old man enter the room.

"He is fine," the old man replied.

"Are you not going to question my choice for letting that kid win?" Ryuji asked, curious about the old man's thoughts.

"No, I know you saw potential within the kid. I even saw it myself. I wonder if he will accept me as his teacher," the old man said, playing with his mustache.

"He probably will," Ryuji said. "What is the kid's name?"

"His name is Rekka," the old man replied sarcastically.

"His real name. I'm already sure you did his background check the moment he entered this place," Ryuji said, knowing the old man's thoroughness.

"His name is Toya Todoroki, son of Endeavour," the old man said, revealing the kid's true identity.

"Endeavour, the new number two hero. No wonder the kid is strong," Ryuji said, impressed.

"One thing I'm sure of is that he can kill you in one blast," the old man said, his voice turning serious.

"What do you mean by that? I held back against the kid. I let him win," Ryuji said, confused.

"That child is unconsciously holding back his flame Quirk's heat. He is still afraid of killing, traumatized by his power despite his tough exterior. I'm sure that if he released all of that, you would be ashes right now," the old man said, warning Ryuji of the kid's potential power.

The elderly man's statement was accurate. Following the altercation in the alleyway, Toya vomited.

"So, you are saying that I am weak?" Ryuji looked at the old man, feeling a bit offended.

"Yes, you are weak. Remember, I'm still your master," the old man said, his voice chilling. He then changed his tone back to normal and said, "Have a rest, Ryuji-kun and get stronger."

The old man left the room, leaving Ryuji to tighten his fist in anger.

"That damn old man," Ryuji muttered to himself, feeling frustrated and determined to become stronger.

As the old man made his way to Toya's room, he couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement. The young boy had just won a significant amount of money, and the old man was eager to see the expression on his face when he presented him with his winnings.

However, upon reaching Toya's room, the old man was met with a space. Toya had already left.

"Hmm, he already left. Well, I'm sure I'll see him tomorrow. He didn't even take his winnings," the old man muttered to himself, slightly disappointed.

Toya had left early, knowing that his mother would likely notice his absence if he stayed any longer. He made his way back home, taking care to avoid any unwanted attention. Upon reaching his room, Toya entered through the window, careful not to make too much noise. He pretended to be changing his clothes, hoping to avoid any suspicion.

However, his relief was short-lived as he heard the sound of his bedroom door opening. It was his mother, Rei.

"Toya, get ready for school. Oh, you're already up. Breakfast is on the table," Rei said before leaving the room.

Toya let out a sigh of relief, glad that his mother hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary. However, he couldn't help but feel annoyed that she had left the door open.

...

During a break at school, Toya found himself exhausted and in need of rest. He made his way to the rooftop and laid down, quickly drifting off to sleep.

Unbeknownst to him, someone had quietly opened the rooftop door and slipped inside. It was a girl from his school, who was being careful not to make any noise as it was against the rules to be on the rooftop. She was surprised to see Toya sleeping there and nearly let out a gasp, but managed to keep quiet.

"Todoroki?" she whispered, recognizing one of the smartest kids in their class. "He's quite cute," she added, admiring his peaceful sleeping face.

Feeling a sense of comfort in his presence, she decided to sit next to him and lean her back against the wall. As she stared up at the sky and played with her phone, time seemed to pass quickly and before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.

After a few minutes, her head landed on Toya's shoulder. He woke up suddenly, feeling something heavy on his shoulder and was shocked by the situation. He slowly turned his head to see the girl sleeping next to him.

[ Image Here ]

"Miyazaki-san," Toya said, trying to wake her up gently.

"Erhm," she mumbled, proceeding to stretch her arms and legs and hug Toya like a pillow.

Toya couldn't believe it. Yes, he knew he was living his dream - getting a hug from a cat girl was something else.

Toya poked her cheeks, and she opened her eyes. She tried to analyze the situation, and as she realized what she had done, her face turned red. She quickly separated away and stood up, apologizing in embarrassment.

"No, it's fine. It was pretty nice getting a hug from a pretty girl," Toya said with a smile.

Sakura blushed again hearing that compliment. She saw Toya's face and felt like she was being attracted to that smile.

Toya stood up and said, "We should head to our class. The class will start soon."

Sakura Miyazaki was a senior of Toya and quite popular among boys because of her Quirk. Without it, she may not have been as popular.

As they made their way down the stairs, Miyazaki asked, "Toya-kun, what were you doing on the rooftop?"

"I was sleeping. But what about you? I'm quite sure you're popular," Toya replied.

Miyazaki let out a sigh. "They can be obnoxious, and I need some alone time."

Toya understood what she meant and decided to ask a personal question. "Miyazaki-san, can I ask you something?"

"Hmm," Miyazaki gave him permission.

"Do you have a real friend?" Toya asked, concerned.

"I...may have one," Miyazaki replied hesitantly.

"That's good. Keep them close to you," Toya advised her.

"Okay," Miyazaki said, but she felt a bit weird. "Has your friend ever said that you act like an adult sometimes?"

Toya smiled, thinking about his childhood friend and the past friends he had. "Yes, they have. They're quite the friends I have."

As they continued walking, Toya and Miyazaki talked about their interests and hobbies. Toya found himself enjoying her company and feeling like he had made a new friend.

As they arrived at the middle intersection, they realized that their classes were in opposite directions.

"I guess this is it. See you, Miyazaki-san," Toya said.

"You too, Todoroki-kun," Miyazaki replied with a smile. "It was fun talking to you."

"Same here," Toya said, feeling grateful for the opportunity to get to know her better. "Bye."

"Bye," Miyazaki said as they headed towards their respective classes.