A fake genius

"I'm home!"

Neito's dad called out as he stepped inside, kicking off his shoes with a tired sigh. The door clicked shut behind him as he moved into the hallway.

"Welcome back!"

The voice that answered was cheerful—exactly what he was used to hearing after work. But when he looked up, expecting to see his wife…

He blinked.

"...Neito? What are you doing here?" His eyes narrowed a little. "Where's your mom?"

Neito grinned wide and responded—in his mom's voice, tone and all. He even copied the way she tilted her head when she talked.

"She's at the neighbors!"

For a split second, his dad just stared. Then he burst out laughing.

"You little sneak! You used my Quirk to prank me? That's dirty!"

He walked over and ruffled Neito's hair, still chuckling. "When did you even touch me, huh?"

Neito followed behind him, holding up his thumb proudly. A few of his dad's hairs were wrapped around it.

"I touched your hair, I got it from your comb. I got Mom's Quirk too—but I can only use one at a time."

His dad glanced down and gave a lazy nod.

"Huh, so it works with hair too? That's actually pretty handy. Makes things way easier. Alright, go play or something—I need a shower."

"Okay!" Neito said, already turning toward his room.

But as the door shut behind him, his grin faded into something more thoughtful.

'That wasn't just for fun. I needed to know how well I could use a copied Quirk. If even Dad couldn't tell I was using his quirk, then my control's getting better.'

He flopped down onto his bed, watching his fingers as he slowly activated Mom's Body Shaper Quirk again. His nails thickened, sharpening like tiny blades.

'Copying someone's Quirk doesn't mean I get all their skill. It's not like I get their muscle memory. I've gotta figure it out myself. That's probably why I've been picking things up faster lately. My brain's working fast trying to keep up.'

He tapped his fingers together, then let the change fade.

'It's not like I'm smarter all of a sudden. I'm just learning faster because I have to. My Quirk kinda forces it—it's either learn quickly, or be useless with new powers.'

The original Neito probably felt the same thing. But he'd let his jealousy cloud everything. Neito could feel that same jealousy inside—like a need to copy others and "level the field."

'The jealousy's part of the Quirk too, huh? It builds up when I see someone strong. Like a craving. But it fades after I copy them. Weird how that works.'

He looked down at his hands again and activated Body Shaper once more, this time bulking up his forearm slightly.

'This Quirk's crazy. I bet I could shape myself into something like All Might's muscle form. Or give myself longer legs for jumping. Or copy Muscular's body reinforcement in a different way.'

He stood up, walking over to his desk. Climbing into the chair, he turned on his computer and waited for it to boot.

'Alright… let's test how fast I'm actually learning.'

He opened the browser and searched for IQ tests, memory games, puzzles—anything challenging.

'Original Neito was smart too. But he got stuck. Spent all his time being jealous. If I keep my jealousy under control, maybe I can use my brain for something better.'

He clicked into a test designed by Principal Nezu.

'This test looks difficult. Let's see if I can do it.'

The first few questions took some effort, but soon he picked up speed. His brain was clicking into place. He wasn't just solving problems—he was adapting to them. Every mistake taught him something, and the next set felt easier.

'I'm definitely not a genius. But I learn fast. Really fast.'

'Guess that's just how the Quirk works—it needs me to be quick on my feet, so my brain's keeping up.'

By the end of it, he was breezing through new problems like he'd seen them before. He leaned back in his chair, a grin tugging at his lips.

'That settles it. Time make a comprehensive training plan.'

He opened a notepad and started typing.

Training Plan (Age 4)

- Passive Quirk Training Using Hair

- Light Physical Exercise

- Mental Adaptation Training

He read it over, then nodded to himself.

'Not bad for a four-year-old. Problem is… school's gonna get in the way. I'm not learning anything there anymore.'

He opened a new tab and started looking up education laws, grade-skipping requirements, and early testing programs.

'What if I skip ahead? I could finish elementary by seven, middle school by nine. No one's gonna say I'm cheating—I'm not boosting my brain. I'm just passively smart because of my Quirk.'

His reflection stared back at him in the screen—just a regular little kid.

But inside, he was already three steps ahead.

'Let's see how far I can go.'