Chapter 1

"Oh, and Midoriya also wants to go to the UA hero course, right?" the teacher dropped the bombshell.

Immediately, the whole class stared at a lone girl who had been minding her own business with her notes. She wore the standard middle school girl uniform under a light green sweater with long sleeves. She was on the shorter end of girls her age, as evidenced by how her legs swung up and down without touching the floor. Her fluffy, shoulder-length green hair moved ever so gently. Light freckles adorned her face just below a pair of big, bright green eyes.

She was Midoriya Shizuka, and she had just noticed how her classmates were all staring at her. She tilted her head and asked with her soft voice, "Hmm? What?"

"Umm, Shizuka-chan..." a girl sitting beside her called, "A-Are you really planning to enroll in UA?"

"Yes, I am," Shizuka answered with a bright smile.

That confirmed it, and soon the class fell into chaos.

"B-But your quirk, you can't, Shizuka-chan!"

"No, don't go, Midoriya!!"

"Shizuka, please think about it more, i-it's dangerous! Hero work is dangerous!!"

"Noooo, Shizu-chan, don't go!"

"Tch, if that's the case, then I will try to enter UA too! Then I could protect you, Midoriya."

"Yeah, right, what the hell are you gonna do with your stretchy eyes quirk, man?"

BOOOMM

Then a small explosion happened and instantly silenced the chaos. The perpetrator stood up and glared at his surroundings. He was an ash-blonde haired boy with a nasty scowl on his face.

"All of you extras need to shut the fuck up! If Shizu wants to go to UA, then she will get into UA," the boy shouted.

Then, one girl opened her mouth, "B-But we're just worri—"

"Haaah?! What's that?!" The boy cut her off and singled her out with a glare.

"Hiiieekk, n-nothing," the girl from before shrieked.

Shizuka, who had watched the entire fiasco, pouted and said, "Kacchan, no bullying our classmates," as she pointed her finger raised up.

"You're too goddamn soft, Shorty. These extras never believe in you in the first place," he cast another glare at his other classmates, except Shizuka.

"Mou, they're just worried about me. You think too badly of others, Kacchan," Shizuka retorted.

"Ehem, Bakugo, I would appreciate it if you didn't misuse your quirk like that again," the teacher scolded the foul-mouthed boy.

"Sure, whatever," the boy replied with a snort.

The boy cast a glance at Shizuka, who was talking to the girl beside him, reassuring her that she didn't feel offended and that the girl didn't need to apologize. The boy gritted his teeth. He hated these extras so bad. All they did was receive Shizuka's kindness while returning it with doubts about her capabilities.

Yes, after all this time, only he, Bakugo Katsuki, wholeheartedly believed that she could be a hero and the only one who deserved to stand side by side with him.

...

School was over, and Shizuka and Katsuki were walking home together.

"You're still writing in those notebooks?" Katsuki asked, his tone tinged with disbelief. "This is like what, the tenth volume already?"

"Nope, it's the thirteenth volume!" Shizuka exclaimed excitedly. "Check this out, I've got Kamui Woods and Mountain Lady's hand signs in this volume." She eagerly flipped open her notebook to show Katsuki.

"...who and who?"

"Kamui Woods is the upcoming top hero, you know! And Mountain Lady just debuted today! Her quirk lets her grow several floors high, it's so cool. Although, it might be a bit tricky if she has to fight villains in confined spaces. Maybe she can control her size when using her quirk? Oh, and I think that's why she teamed up with Kamui Woods. He can outmaneuver the enemies while she packs the raw power. But this morning, they were arguing about—"

PAT

"Damn it, your weird obsession is acting up again, Shorty," Katsuki interjected, placing his hand on top of her head.

"Hey, stop calling me that. I'm not short!"

Katsuki shot Shizuka a deadpan look, then glanced at her from head to toe. Standing side by side, Shizuka's head barely reached his shoulder. He couldn't help but smirk.

"You still look pretty short to me."

"I'm still growing!"

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am. Geez, Kacchan, you're such a meanie!"

"Whatever, Shorty."

"Grrrrrrr."

They continued their playful argument as they walked. As they reached a crosswalk, Shizuka suddenly widened her eyes in realization. She tugged at Katsuki's shirt urgently.

"What?" Katsuki asked, slightly irritated.

"I forgot something!" Shizuka's voice took on a panicked tone. "Today is the release date of the special All Might tumbler! The shop is a few blocks away from here."

Katsuki raised an eyebrow. "So?"

Shizuka stared at him as if he had just committed a crime against humanity. "So? You're asking 'so'? It's a limited edition merchandise in collaboration with Might Tower! I absolutely have to get one."

"Fine, let's go—"

"No time to waste, Kacchan. I'm going there. Can you please let my mom know that I'll be back a bit late?"

"Wait, Shorty. I said wait, dammit—"

"Bye, Kacchan!"

Without further ado, Shizuka bolted off in a rush, sprinting toward her destination. Katsuki, now left standing alone, could only twitch his eyes in annoyance. For a seemingly unremarkable girl of short stature, Shizuka certainly knew how to move quickly when it came to anything related to All Might.

Sometime later, Shizuka was humming as she skipped along, holding her new All Might tumbler in her hands. As she took a shortcut home, she heard a muffled voice coming from somewhere. Intrigued, she turned her head to investigate, and just as she did, a manhole exploded, revealing a green sludge-like creature. A pair of eyes eerily floated within the sludge and stared at her.

"You will do," the sludge... villain? said. "Give me your body!"

Shizuka's survival instinct kicked in, and she screamed, "Kyaaaa! A pervert!!" before bolting away in fear.

"No, wait!! I'm not a pervert! I just want your body," the sludge villain called out, chasing after her.

"That's exactly what a pervert would say! Who says that to a girl?!!"

"I-I just worded it wrong! Please listen to me!"

"No, you pervert!"

"Wait—"

"Sexual deviant!!"

"No, I'm not—"

"Molester!"

"I don't even—"

"Diddler!!"

"Oi, that's too much!!"

The cat-and-mouse chase continued for a few more minutes until Shizuka found herself trapped in a dead end.

"Haaah, haaah, you're a very persistent pervert," she panted, crossing her arms and slowly backing away.

"Listen here, you little brat," the sludge villain glared. "You've got it all wrong! I'm not a pervert!"

"Oh, really? Then what exactly are you planning to do?"

The sludge villain chuckled awkwardly. "I'm going to engulf you in my sludge, seep through your whole body, and—"

"Eww," Shizuka grimaced. "So, you're a pervert."

The sludge villain paused, realizing the misunderstanding. "No, wait, damn it! You've misunderstood! That's not what I meant!"

He tried to explain himself to Shizuka, but before he could do so, someone arrived at blinding speed and instantly appeared between Shizuka and the sludge villain. The newcomer was a heavily muscular man dressed in cargo pants and a white shirt.

"Have no fear, because I am here!" The man declared as he wound up his hand. "Detroit Smash!!" With a powerful punch, he struck the sludge villain.

A gust of wind swept through as the punch connected with the sludge villain. In an instant, the sludge villain seemed to splatter in all directions before getting confined within a glass bottle held by the man. He then turned to Shizuka, giving her a broad smile.

"Are you all right, young girl?"

"A-Awawawawa...." Shizuka's brain short-circuited as she processed who was standing in front of her.

It was All Might!

"Y-yes sir! T-Thank you so much, Sir!" She replied stiffly.

"Y-yes, sir! T-thank you so much, Sir!" She replied with a slight stiffness in her voice.

All Might let out a boisterous laugh. "Hahaha, good, good. Hmm?" He noticed Shizuka's tumbler with his image. "I see, you're a fan."

"Y-Yes, sir. I'm a big fan of yours," she said, robotically extending her new tumbler to All Might. "C-Can you sign this?"

"Sure, young girl!" All Might reached for a pen from his pocket and signed Shizuka's tumbler. "There, done. Here you go."

"Th-Thank you so much, All Might!" Shizuka beamed and then added, "A-Also if you—"

"I'm sorry, young girl, but I need to go now," he said, picking up the bottle filled with the sludge villain. "Goodbye, and stay safe."

"W-Wait!" Shizuka attempted to hold onto All Might, but All Might had already bent his legs and leaped high into the air... with her dangling from his leg.

"Aaaaaaaaah!" Shizuka screamed as she realized how high above the ground she was.

"Young girl, even if you're my fan, this is still too much. You need to let go," All Might chastised her.

"But I'll die if I let you go now!" She stated the obvious.

"Uh huh, good point. Hang on tight."

All Might landed on top of a building, and Shizuka immediately knelt down, then pulled herself back up. "All Might, I want to ask—"

Whoooosh.

She stopped as she saw smoke emanating from all over All Might's body. The smile on All Might's face faded, and then his entire body was covered in smoke. The smoke enveloped him for a moment before dissipating, revealing... a skeleton-like man with a very thin body.

"W-What... is that you, All Might?"

The skeleton man stared back at her before letting out a sigh. "Yes."

"...what happened? How?"

All Might remained silent for a moment before explaining, "You know how people suck in their stomachs and puff out their chests to appear more fit at a pool? I'm basically doing that, but with my quirk." He then lifted his shirt to reveal a nasty scar hidden beneath it.

"...All Might, that?"

"The cause of my... predicament," All Might said, his tone somber. "A souvenir I acquired from a battle some years ago."

"...some years ago?" Shizuka pondered. "Was it Toxic Chainsaw?"

"No, that brat would never be able to do this to me. No, this one was a gift from someone whom the heroes intentionally kept hidden from the public."

Shizuka gasped upon hearing that. A villain strong enough not only to injure All Might to this extent but also hidden from the public to avoid mass panic.

"Don't worry, young girl," All Might reassured her with a small smile. "He won't return. I'll defeat him back—Haaacckk." Before he could finish his sentence, he started to have a fit of bloody coughing.

"A-All Might?!"

All Might held up his hand, cleaning himself with a napkin. "Don't worry, this is nothing new," he assured her. "So, what did you want to talk to me about, young girl?"

Shizuka stared at All Might with uncertainty, but she resolved herself and asked, "I-Is it possible for someone... with a self-harming quirk to become a hero?"

All Might grimaced but steeled himself. "I see, your quirk is that kind, huh?"

Shizuka nodded "I-I can support others with my quirk, but the side effect.....usually hurts me"

"....young girl, you should consider other options if your quirk affect you too badly," he advised, closing his eyes briefly. "There's... no need to become a hero if it would bring harm upon you."

"...You too, All Might?" Shizuka's voice trembled slightly.

"I'm sorry, young girl. But please understand. Also, there are many respected careers involved in heroism in other ways, like becoming a police officer, firefighter, or doctor."

Shizuka took a deep breath. "Yes, I understand. Thank you for your... input, All Might."

All Might could clearly see the shift in the young girl's demeanor, how her youthful spirit seemed to have dimmed. Offering her a smile.

"I must go now. Be careful and stay safe, young girl," he said, leaving Shizuka alone on the rooftop.

Shizuka stared in silence as All Might walked over to the stairs and left. She slowly gripped her chest above her heart, a sad smile gracing her face.

Even All Might had said that to her.

...

Shizuka grumbled as she was forced to go down the whole building using stairs. The elevator was broken due to a villain attack, they said. After a couple of gruesome minutes of walking down the stairs, she finally reached the ground floor and headed out. Her mood wasn't exactly the best right now, as proven by how she puffed her cheeks along the way.

As she walked, Shizuka noticed a crowd of people gathering not far from her. Curious, she got closer to the crowd.

"Uuuuhhhh, I can't see anything." Unfortunately for her, her not-short-just-slightly-below-average height made this difficult for her. She then turned to a man near her and walked up to him.

"Excuse me, what's happening here?" she asked.

The man turned his head down to her before replying, "There's a villain holding some boy hostage."

Shizuka gasped, "That's horrible. Is there any hero around?"

The man turned back to see the hostage scene at the front before nodding. "There sure are some of them there." Then he narrowed his eyes. "But they don't seem to be doing anything from what I can see."

BOOOOM

Then an explosion was heard.

"Seems the villain can also control the boy's quirk," the man muttered. "Explosion quirk? That's a nasty one."

Shizuka's heartbeat skipped a bit in shock. Her face became slightly paler. Immediately, she forced her way into the crowd, moving between the people there to reach the front. A boy with an explosion quirk being taken hostage. She really hoped she was wrong.

As she reached the front of the crowd, her gaze turned horrified.

Katsuki was being held by the sludge villain from before. His body was forcibly wrapped in the sludge, and the villain had taken control of his body that way. Based on how Katsuki's explosion was being used, the villain was also capable of taking control of his quirk somehow.

She quickly turned her head left and right, wondering where the heroes were. To her surprise, they were here. She saw at least Kamui Woods, Mountain Lady, Backdraft, and Deatharms. Four heroes were present, yet none of them were making any move.

"I can't get any closer because of the explosion," Kamui Woods said to the other heroes.

"Neither can I," Death Arms grunted. "Contact other suitable heroes!"

"On it!" Mountain Lady replied.

Shizuka couldn't believe what she had just heard. Wait for other heroes? At that point, it might be too late!

She gritted her teeth in frustration, then she gazed at Katsuki... and saw how helpless he was.

Enough.

She had had enough.

She took a deep breath and immediately rushed towards Katsuki and the sludge villain.

"Hey, kid!"

She ignored Kamui Woods's scream and kept her pace. As she ran, she took off her backpack and held it in front of her. Then she shouted,

"Kacchan, duck!"

And she threw her backpack at the sludge villain. A splat sound was heard as her backpack hit the sludge villain. Not wasting any more time, she activated her quirk.

The world turned monochrome to her, then a glowing string that connected her and Katsuki appeared.

...

"Well, you certainly have a unique quirk," that's what the doctor said years ago when Shizuka's quirk first manifested.

It all started when she, Katsuki, and a group of other kids were playing around in a forest near their kindergarten. They walked in a line with Katsuki leading them while crackling a small explosion on top of his palm.

"Onward! Explosion Hero Squad!" Katsuki cheered as he marched.

"Ooh!" the other kids cheered and followed Katsuki.

"K-Kacchan, be careful!" a young Shizuka said to her childhood friend.

"You're such a worrywart, Shorty," Katsuki replied. "Don't worry, I'm strong!" Katsuki let another crackle of explosion which was praised by the other kids.

"But still..." Shizuka still wasn't convinced yet.

"Bah, whatever, let's go!" Despite Shizuka's warning, Katsuki continued their march.

Soon, they reached a riverbank with a small, old-looking tree log on top of the river, acting like a bridge. All of them stopped in their tracks; most were doubting that the log could hold up against their weight. But for Katsuki, this was not something that would stop him.

"You guys are a bunch of chickens, look," He then stepped on top of the log and walked to the middle of it. "See...it's fine?"

Katsuki was now on top of the river, and his voice grew uncertain as he heard crackling noises. Then, to everyone's surprise, the whole log snapped and Katsuki fell down to the river below. The other kids screamed in terror, Shizuka included.

Then Shizuka saw... the world turned black and white, losing its color, and everything moved in slow motion. She noticed a small string coming out of Katsuki toward her. She didn't know what it was, but her instinct told her to grab it. She did so, and the colors of the world quickly returned... along with something unexpected.

Turning back a couple of seconds, just as Katsuki fell, he had already braced his body mid-air. He screwed up, but this was still nothing. He would just prepare himself and come back up like it was nothing, just like a hero would do.

He hit the body of water and felt how it soaked his clothes. He waited for a moment, but he didn't feel any pain. Confused, he pulled himself up and checked his body. There wasn't even a single bruise. He began to smirk as he thought this was another proof of why he would be the number one future hero.

But "Ouch!" he heard Shizuka's voice in pain.

Immediately, he ran towards the other kids and saw Shizuka on her knees, seemingly holding back pain. The other kids were just as surprised as he was when Shizuka suddenly felt pain. Katsuki was a smart kid, and his mind began connecting the dots. He didn't feel any pain, but Shizuka, who didn't even do anything, was suddenly in pain. Slowly, he then pinched his left arm; he felt nothing.

"Ow!" Another wince of pain was let out by Shizuka as she rubbed her left arm.

Katsuki was shocked; he then walked closer to Shizuka. "H-Hey, Shor—Shizu! Are you okay?"

"I-I don't know..." Shizuka muttered. "My arms and legs... they hurt."

Katsuki turned around, crouched down. "Come on, hop on. I'll carry you back."

"K-Kacchan?"

"You guys!" Katsuki barked at the other kids. "Help her."

The other kids frantically nodded and helped Shizuka onto Katsuki's back. They then walked home with Katsuki carrying Shizuka on his back.

"Kacchan... I'm sorry," Shizuka murmured into Katsuki's ear.

"The hell are you talking about?" Katsuki replied with a slight tone of annoyance. "You didn't do anything wrong, you even saved me," he murmured the last part.

"Hmm, what?" Shizuka asked, not quite hearing the last part of his words.

"I said congratulations on awakening your quirk, Shorty," Katsuki said while grinning.

"Eh?"

When they returned, with Katsuki giving Shizuka a piggyback ride all the way to her home, Shizuka immediately told her mother about her new awakening quirk. Naturally, her mother was surprised and happy for her daughter. She even contacted her husband, who worked overseas, and informed him too.

They went to the hospital to check for any injuries, fortunately, there was nothing major, only small bruises. Shizuka's mother then took her to a quirk counseling doctor. There, she underwent a thorough examination and several small tests. In one of the tests, Shizuka was asked to "grab the strings" she saw. She spotted a string that connected her mother to her and did exactly as the doctor instructed.

The doctor noted that when they asked her mother to lightly pinch herself, Shizuka was the one who felt it.

"Your daughter has a unique quirk, Midoriya-san," the doctor told Inko, Shizuka's mother.

"What exactly is her quirk, doctor?" Inko asked while ruffling Shizuka's hair, while Shizuka herself was happily licking a lollipop given by the medical staff.

"It appears that Shizuka-chan here has a quirk capable of bending causality in a way. Based on the tests we conducted, her quirk allows her to share the burdens of those emotionally connected to her. These burdens could be physical, such as fatigue and pain, but also mental, like feelings of anxiety," the doctor summarized.

"The interesting thing about her quirk is that when she uses it on others and they activate their quirks, she experiences the side effects of their quirk overuse instead of them," the doctor continued.

"Can I be a hero with my quirk?" Shizuka asked.

"Well, you definitely can, Shizuka-chan," the doctor replied, "but... I highly recommend not doing that. While you can provide support to another hero, it would essentially render you quirkless in a fight and burden you with the physical and mental burdens of others at the same time," the doctor bluntly said.

"…oh," Shizuka's shoulders slumped.

"Shizuka…" Inko noticed this and immediately pulled her daughter into an embrace.

That evening, after their visit to the quirk counseling, Shizuka mindlessly watched a debut video of All Might on repeat. She hugged her legs as she watched how All Might saved countless people. She watched the video repeatedly until she fell asleep.

The next day, she told the other kids in kindergarten about her quirk. Unsurprisingly, many made fun of her quirk, calling it worse than being quirkless. However, their laughter was silenced when Katsuki punched the first one who made fun of her.

"All of you extras, shut up!" he glared at them. "Her quirk is way more useful than any of yours."

"K-Kacchan?"

Katsuki then turned to Shizuka and with a huff said, "You, you need to realize your own potential"

"My...potential?"

"Do I need to explain it to you?" He groaned. "Look, you... you saved me yesterday, and that alone is enough proof! You saved the future number one hero! You should be proud!" he smirked.

He continued, "I'll be the number one hero, and you'll be beside me as the number two. We'll make a great team. I'll fight the villains, and you'll provide support from behind. What do you think?" He extended his hand to Shizuka.

A spark of determination ignited within Shizuka's heart. Her expression brightened as she grabbed Katsuki's hand. Shortly after, she pulled Katsuki into a hug.

"Kacchan... thank you."

Katsuki paused in surprise, but he returned the hug shortly after and said, "Yeah, yeah, you're welcome, Shorty."

"Muuu, why are you still calling me that?"

Katsuki snorted. "Grow taller then; I'll stop calling you that if you manage to do that."

"Kacchan... you meanie."

...

Back to the present and a dimmed glowing green aura enveloped Shizuka. The sludge villain tried to brace for whatever he thought Shizuka would do, but the one who attacked was Katsuki instead.

"Fuck off, you slime bastard!" Katsuki spat as he blasted several explosions at the sludge villain.

"G-Guaaahhh" The sludge villain was forced to let go of Katsuki and was thrown back.

"Shorty, are you okay?"

"Hmm" Shizuka nodded weakly as she tried to hold the pain and suffocated feelings Katsuki had felt earlier. Despite this, she managed to say, "Go wild, Kacchan" and gave Katsuki a grin.

Katsuki replied with his own grin and aimed his palms at the sludge villain. "Gladly, now die you slime bastard!!"

BOOOOM BOOOOM BOOOOM BOOOOM BOOOOM BOOOOM BOOOOM BOOOOM BOOOOM BOOOOM BOOOOM BOOOOM BOOOOM BOOOOM BOOOOM BOOOOM BOOOOM BOOOOM BOOOOM BOOOOM BOOOOM BOOOOM

Katsuki let out a barrage of chain explosions towards the sludge villain mercilessly. He only stopped as he saw in the corner of his eye how Shizuka started becoming a bit pale. He scoffed when he saw the sludge villain was now a mere puddle-like thing on the street, too weak to come back up.

To those who watched what had just happened, they were shocked at how Katsuki suddenly managed to defeat the sludge villain. The heroes nearby quickly reprimanded the sludge villain and contained him in a glass container. Paramedics were rushing towards both Katsuki and Shizuka, making sure they were okay.

Katsuki growled as the heroes praised him for what they called his courage and power to fight back, but chastised Shizuka for being "reckless" as they put it. He snorted as he heard that, it was funny when it came from the heroes who barely did anything when he was stuck.

In his eyes, Shizuka was more heroic today than these bunch of clowns.

"Shorty, let's go. We're done here" He grabbed Shizuka's hand and walked off. "I'm tired of seeing these pathetic excuses for heroes"

"E-Eh hmm yes, Kacchan"

Both young girl and boy left the scene, leaving a bewildered group of heroes dumbfounded by what he just said. A skinny man among the crowds, tightening his fist. He recalled the moment when Shizuka rushed towards the sludge villain. The skinny man took a deep breath before leaving

He finally made his decision.

....

"Kacchan, I'm fine now," Shizuka insisted.

"Yeah, I call bullshit. You can barely stand and walk straight, Shorty," Katsuki retorted.

Shizuka pouted as Katsuki remained adamant about her leaning on him for support. It was somewhat embarrassing for her as they were essentially attached side by side while walking. Katsuki had given her the choice between this and him carrying her on his back. Shizuka opted for the less embarrassing option.

After a few more minutes of walking, they spotted a bench. Katsuki turned his gaze to Shizuka. "Wait here for a moment. I'll buy something for you to drink. You really need to rehydrate yourself now," he said.

Shizuka nodded slowly. "Alright, and thanks..." she said with a smile.

She then tried to rest on the bench, waiting for Katsuki to return. However, out of nowhere, someone came running and shouting.

"I am here! Like a normal person!!"

Shizuka was jolted in shock. "A-All Might?!"

"I told you to be careful, and you immediately got involved in a hostage situation," All Might stated, then he grinned. "And you even helped with the situation!"

"A-Ah, that was... I couldn't just let my best friend be a... hostage without doing anything," Shizuka explained. "My legs just moved when I saw him in danger; I had to do something."

Shizuka braced herself for a scolding from All Might, as her actions could be seen as vigilantism. But instead of scolding her, All Might burst into laughter.

"Yes, yes. That was exactly the right choice!!"

"....huh?" Shizuka tilted her head, clearly confused.

"Well, not exactly right in the eyes of the law," All Might scratched his cheek. "But it was the right choice for someone with a heroic heart, like you! Your body moved on its own? That's a sign of being a hero."

"I... don't know about that," Shizuka averted her eyes. "Surely back then, there were many who could have done a better job than me."

"But they didn't do that, you did," All Might remarked. "The will to stand against the odds, the desire to save others. I am ashamed to admit that I also couldn't do anything but pathetically watch from the sidelines." All Might unconsciously placed his hand over his scar.

He balled his right fist and continued, "Young girl, I saw your determination, your will to fight for the sake of others... Young girl, you can be a hero—no, you will be a great hero!"

Shizuka's eyes widened at All Might's words.

"And I also want to ask you. Young girl, do you want to inherit my quirk, my strength, and hold the pillar of justice high? Do you want to be... my successor?"

Shizuka didn't fully grasp what All Might meant by his quirk and strength, but she nodded anyway. With a bright smile, she answered, "Yes."

Shizuka had never even dreamed of her idol acknowledging her dream, let alone asking her to become his successor.

"Sorry, I took too long to get back, Sho—what the hell happened here?" Katsuki returned, only to witness All Might standing there with Shizuka.

"U-Ummm," Shizuka stammered, trying to find the words to explain.

"Well, hello there, young boy. Nice to me—oh shit" All Might's cheerful words were cut off as he was enveloped in smoke. The smoke gradually faded to reveal All Might's skinny form.

Katsuki didn't even know how to react as he saw the number one hero transform from a muscular figure to a frail almost-dead looking one. He shifted his gaze to Shizuka.

"I-I can explain?" Shizuka offered with an awkward smile.

"Haaah, this... is not my best day," All Might grumbled.

[Chapter 1 END]