I... love her..

- Location: Japan, At a certain prestigious school.

[POV: Third-Person]

Another year passed.

Jihye and Henri sat at a school lunch table as they talked. "Do you really want to be a hero? Don't you think it would be dangerous?" Jihye said in sign language.

"It won't be as dangerous if you and Mary come with me!" Henri said as she took the longest French fry, causing Jihye to show a sad expression.

Jihye then looked at Mary, who was looking around the cafeteria. They discovered that Jihye could forcibly make her visible; otherwise, she stayed perfectly invisible.

"I don't know... I kind of wanted to become a cop like my dad," Jihye said as she took a sip from her tea. "Being a hero is basically like being a cop but cooler!" Henri said with a smug grin, which irked Jihye.

"No hero is cooler than my dad!" Jihye said with an annoyed tone. "Besides, I don't want to wear those stupid hero costumes," Jihye said as she crossed her arms.

"Those costumes are just for their brand image!! You technically don't need to wear them as long as you are still an able-bodied hero without them," Henri said as she waved a fry toward Jihye.

Jihye ate the fry as she started giving it some serious thought. "Come on, Jihye!! I don't want to go to UA on my own! That would be so boring," Henri said as she rested her head on the table.

"I don't know... I'll have to ask Dad about it," Jihye said with an unsure expression. "Will you consider coming with me if I gave you a lifetime supply of blueberry shortcake?" Henri said with a smug grin, thinking that she had won.

Jihye hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Do you think I'm that easily manipulated?" Jihye said as she stood up, finishing her tea.

"Come on, Jihye! What will it take for you to come with me?" Henri asked in desperation as she pulled her arm.

"How about a bet?" Jihye said as they walked out of the cafeteria. "What kind of bet?" Henri asked as she waved at Mary, who was following behind them.

"Let's train our quirks until we graduate sixth grade, and then let's have a mock duel. If I lose, I'll come with you," Jihye said as she opened her locker.

"Oh! You're on!" Henri said with enthusiasm, jumping up and down. "But what happens if you win?" Henri asked as Jihye closed her locker.

"I get a lifetime supply of blueberry shortcake, and I get the right to deny going with you on your shopping sprees," Jihye smiled as she held her notebook.

Henri hesitated for a moment as doubt filled her heart. "What's wrong? Don't chicken out now," Jihye said with a grin as they walked toward their classroom.

"Fine! I agree!" Henri suddenly said with a determined voice. "What made you hesitate earlier?" Jihye asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I-it was nothing! You go on ahead!" Henri said as Jihye just nodded with an odd expression as she went inside the classroom.

"I just didn't want to lose more time with you..." Henri muttered as she took out her notebook from a nearby locker.

...

[POV: Henri]

Three years passed in the blink of an eye.

Jihye and I have been practicing our quirks together as we figured out ways to better utilize them.

While her dad was teaching her how to fight, I was tinkering with more and more machines, finding different ways to create more useful equipment for being a hero.

Some might call my ambition basic, but I never really wanted to be a hero just to save people. I mean, that's a big reason, but it's not the only one.

I really just wanted to introduce Jihye to the entire world. I have been her friend for such a long time, and I know how kind, caring, and supportive she can be despite how she usually acts.

I hated it when I saw people looking down on her just because she couldn't speak or because of her gloomy appearance.

I... love her... dearly, but I could never say it. We are far too young for such a relationship. We are just about to enter middle school after all.

Tomorrow will be the day of our duel.

I am extremely nervous, as this duel might determine our future.

"I will win," I muttered as I grasped the sky through the open glass ceiling of my room.

...

[POV: Third-Person]

At a certain building owned by the Heinrichs, Jihye and Henri faced each other on top of a mini-arena.

"Good luck, Jihye! I believe in you!" "My princess! Show them what you have been training for!" "You got this, young miss!" "Woohoo!! Go Jihye!"

The small audience was composed of Kei, Henri's dad, Liam, and Officer Takebayashi, who took a day off just for today's duel.

"Are you ready?" Henri asked with a smug expression, crossing her arms.

"Let's get this over with," Jihye said as she smiled, nobody was paralyzed.

The hired referee then held his starting flags.

"BEGIN!!"