Chapter 4 - Simple Gestures

Supsup, here's the next part for MHA - AFTT. This story got a ton of positive feedback, something that I'm glad to see. Hope this will continue the flow.

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Chapter 4 - Simple Gestures

"How are you holding up, Izu-chan?!"

"P-Pretty well, Y-Yukio-kun!" Izuka huffed, trying to conserve her breath so she could keep up with me, "Y-You?"

"H-Heh, I still have a little left in me!" I replied with a cheeky smile, trying hard to not let the added weights on both my arms and legs tire me out. The mere thought of them is causing me suffering, "We covered quite a bit of distance, faster than last time, actually. We can keep going for another ten minutes before we can call it quits, sounds good?"

"Alright!"

With that declaration, Izuka and I continued to jog in silence, maintaining the exact same pace without slowing down.

Sticking to my promise to Izuka that I would train alongside her with increased intensity, we would follow this routine and it worked out better than expected. Not hindered by the lack of sleep and pressure to prove herself, the change was more than noticeable now that she had a healthier outlook. Making it so I would tire out around the same time was a small detail that helped us stay even.

Now actively using her mind to calmly process each bit of training from all angles, sticking to individual limits before moving on to the next part. Doing this for a while made her realize the benefits in the long run, and the reality of physical limitations at an early age. But she was more than motivated when further studying what kind of techniques/exercises granted promising results.

I also tweaked a bit of how the training would go to get more value timewise. I'll wait a bit more before I make any drastic changes, but for now, we're making fine progress as is.

That wasn't the only improvement. We were able to talk more openly, with a natural feel in the atmosphere between us. While Izuka's main hobby was centered around Quirks, such topics outside of training were enjoyable to listen to, it made her happy and I was more than fine with it. Now needing to actually use my brain to socialize, I talked about plenty of topics for the sake of variety. It felt rather strange to talk without thinking too much into it, yet enjoyed every second of it.

While doing so, it reminded me that I should really go back to doing normal things every once in a while.

"Ghaagh, with that, I'm officially pooped," I huffed, leaning back onto the back of the park bench, finally glad we were finally done.

Izuka sat next to me, her head hung low with her elbows on her knees, "S-Same here…"

Removing my backpack, I took out a bottle of water for her and myself, both of us nearly drinking the entirety in one gulp.

Looking in the distance, my mind went to think about what we should do next. We were done for the day, not needing to go any further since we extended the duration by a small amount. Plus tomorrow is our day off, so we need literally anything that doesn't involve training like dogs.

"Say, Izuka, are you free later today?" I asked casually.

"Not particularly," Izuka responded before continuing, "I-I mean, I promised my mom to buy a few things before I come home, but other than that, I don't have anything else planned. W-Why do you ask?"

"Wanna come over to my house?"

Just as Izuka went to drink again, what little amount of water in her mouth was spat out in a coughing fit, "W-W-What did y-you say!?"

"If you want, that is," I added, "We haven't done anything besides training since we met, and while I'm always up for that, maybe we should try something else for a change? There are a few things I wanna show you that I think you'll like. You can buy the stuff that you need before we go in case the stores close. Oh, and my father is very eager to meet you, he keeps on insisting that I bring you over ever since I told him about you."

Like a fish out of water, Izuka's mouth would open but nothing would come out, "B-B-But… I… can't come to y-your house like… this!"

"Don't worry about it," I waved the issue off, "We have two bathrooms, I'm sure my dad won't mind. Besides, this way we won't waste too much time, instead of me going home then picking you up since you never saw where I live. What do you say?"

Seeing as I backed her into a corner, on top of reassuring Izuka on whatever potential "problem" she could think of, Izuka agreed, albeit with difficulty.

Initially, Izuka seemed reluctant about our agreement, fearing that my request didn't seem forceful.

I was quickly proven wrong when I would notice her energetic and jittery behavior every time she thought I wasn't looking.

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"Dad!? I'm home!"

I called out to him since I knew he had the morning shift today and didn't need to sneak around. Once we took off our shoes, Izuka followed me across the hallway towards the living room, finding him nowhere in sight. Since nothing's going on, he's most likely up in his room.

On the other hand, Izuka slowly walked to eye every inch of the room we passed, a curious look on her face on every object or piece of furniture as if they were made out of gold.

Our home was pretty basic, a two-story house with two bedrooms and an empty room that could very easily be used for a third one but never had the need to. A mixture of dark gray and white interior design, the living room was quite large, connected to the kitchen with a hallway leading towards the garage, basement, and back entrance.

We kept some plants indoors to liven the place up, either on the kitchen counter, living room table, or shelves on the wall. It would seem that was what caught Izuka's interest the most, eying each plant from top to bottom before moving to the next one.

"There are so many." Izuka awed upon landing a small tree-like flower, a small water stream flowing down from a miniature waterfall that moved in circles.

"I added the water bit," I commented while leaning next to her, rotating the decoration slightly to show a small blue crystal that emitted a slight glow that stood out from a closer look, "As long as water comes from one side, it will push it with enough force to flow up, then go back down in a continuous loop. Though a slight improvement to make it look nicer wouldn't be so bad. My Mother always liked these kinds of plants."

"Say, you never really told me much about her," Izuka said with a smile, "Is she working all the time?"

Oh, I might have forgotten to mention that detail.

"She… passed away when I was two years old, in a car accident," I said lowly.

Her smile quickly disappeared, eyes going wide with her mouth trying to find the words to respond, "I… I'm sorry, I didn't know."

I didn't let that kill the mood, nudging her playfully, "Hey, don't worry about it. It's not particularly easy to bring up in conversation. Besides, she had a Plant Manipulation Quirk that she would always use to take care of plants and keep plenty of decorations all over the house. So in a way, she's still with us. I like to think that's the case, rather than feeling down each time my dad and I look at them."

Izuka smiled at that, most likely glad knowing that this subject didn't bother me. She would know what it's like, with Hiashi practically non-existent in her or Inko's lives.

"Up here, Yukio!"

"[-So anyway, did you get the new commissions I sent you? We got quite a few lined up this month, might as well get those figured out before we take any more in. You get me, Riku-san?]"

"Yeah, yeah, I got the memo," Dad sighed as he walked down the stairs, still yet to look up from his notepad which he furiously tapped on, "You'd think half these cases would have at least something that's not a total headache. Still, my guess would be to star-"

Just as he did a sharp U-turn after fully coming down, he stopped mid-sentence when he found me and Izuka standing in the middle of the living room. His phone almost slipped off his shoulder when adjusting his head, catching it at the last second without taking his eyes off us. They went back and forth, looking at Izuka with a face of surprise and shock while the girl eeped upon making eye contact.

[Oi, Riku-san? You there?]" The voice from the phone spoke up, causing dad to blink in confusion while shaking his head, "[Hello?]"

"S-Sorry, something's come up," Dad "lied" with a slight cough, "I'll call you in a little bit."

Before the person on the other end could respond, he'd already hung up, now fully focusing on us two.

"Dad, this is Izuka, the friend I've been telling you about," I told him with a bright smile. "Izu, meet my dad!

Before my Dad could speak up, Izuka beat him to it.

"T-T-Thank you for h-having me, Toshiaki-san!" Izuka greeted him with a stutter and about a few dozen bows, "Y-You have such a lively home, if-if might s-say!"

Initially, Dad was silent for a few short seconds, most likely taken aback at the obvious contrast between us. Placing away his phone and putting the tablet behind his back, dad tried again.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Izuka," Dad properly greeted her with a smile, "Yukio has told me quite a lot about you, so let me just say, I'm happy that you're getting along so well with my son. Please, make yourself at home, and I hope you enjoy your time here."

Giving a low nod, Izuka adverted eye contact to look at literally anything to avoid further talking. I already guessed that she would be overly shy once we step foot into my house, so I decided to help her out.

"Hey, Dad," I asked him by pulling on his sleeve to get his attention while Izuka continued to observe the other plants, "We just got done with training and instead of waiting for her to go home to clean up, I told her she could use ours so we don't waste time. If that's alright with you, that is."

"Sure, it's no problem," Dad said before quickly continuing, "Just make sure you prepare some clothes for her when she's finished. I didn't throw away any of your old clothes you grew out of, so try finding her something that isn't too big, okay?"

"Will do! Thanks, Dad!" I shouted while jogging towards Izuka, grabbing her by the wrist, pulling her lightly before she could object, "Come, let's stash that in the fridge, then find you some clothes that fit."

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Since I had a growth spurt, I had to get a complete overhaul in regards to clothes, but Dad never threw away the old ones for some reason. To not give her something too big, I found an old white hoodie I wore two years ago and gray track pants when I was five. Turns out, it fitted Izuka perfectly but showed an obvious sign of embarrassment from wearing my clothes.

Now, for the grand reveal.

"Tada!"

I swung the door wide open, presenting Izuka with my slightly messy room. Unlike before when I was Quirkless, I was relatively "tame" in keeping my living space from being overcrowded or having it look like a tornado passed through.

Sadly, I seemed to develop a small habit of ignoring those reminders.

It by any means wasn't untidy or close to being considered unsanitary, but… it did have days where it was practically in ruins. Seeing as using the garage was acceptable, I mostly used it for testing purposes on stuff I knew wouldn't cause a mess. There were more bookshelves than before, stacked with plenty of reading material regarding technology and research that can be used for my Quirk.

The area around my desk essentially became a workstation, having labeled boxes containing specific parts and tools of my own creation to help out in the building process. Better than having to go to the garage every few minutes. If anything, it's the only part of the room that was rarely kept cluttered with all kinds of stuff in the making.

"Sorry for the mess," I said sheepishly, "You're the first person I ever invited to my house, guess I should've tidied up a bit before asking you, huh…"

"N-No! It's not a bother!" Izuka quickly perked up, "Besides, it's not that messy."

"Heh, you should have seen what it looked like before I repaired all the damages," I self praised/insulted with that statement proudly, then motioned her to follow me, "Right over here is what I wanted to show you. It's not much, but the effort is worth it."

Walking towards the desk, Izuka got a better view of my work, eyes going wide at the sight of dozens of blueprints and unfinished projects. There was at least a one-second window before her head would turn from one spot to another.

"You made all this!?" Izuka asked in excitement,

"It's nothing special, considering I started doing this type of thing a few months ago," I explained, "Some ideas for potential Support items I hand in mind. Most are in development stages, at the very least."

"But why are you making them?" Izuka asked curiously, "Aren't Support Items created by a support company? I believe the most popular one is associated with U.A."

"I just wanted to make something on my own," I shrugged, "There's a whole process involving registering and getting a Support Item accepted if it isn't already. Besides, that doesn't stop me from making these babies with my own two hands. Not only gear, but other stuff like energy supplies and such that can have a variety of uses. Let's just… keep this whole thing between us, we ramble open in public enough as it is."

Sealing her lips with her finger with an invisible key and throwing it away, I smiled while mimicking the gesture before we continued going over my workstation.

"Are these the notes regarding your Quirk?" Izuka asked with contained excitement upon finding my notes.

With a smile, I replied. "Indeed they are. Just cut me some slack, they aren't in detail like yours are, nor are any of them complete. I only managed to scratch the surface of what it's fully capable of. That, and I would first test and see what's possible before doing anything else, that's why some of them are unfinished if you haven't already noticed."

"Regardless, the groundwork is there. Yukio-kun," Izuka complimented while quickly looking through the stack of papers, "Although, I expected for you to have more of them."

"I don't write all of my discoveries on paper, either being too tired to do so or it's embedded in my mind already," I replied simply, "That, and I have a small habit of what I like to call 'eating more than you can chew,' constantly trying out new testing methods that end up forming new possibilities. Focusing on a single field is easier than juggling between multiple ones at the same time. Actually, I think I wrote down a few theories on the last few pages."

Flipping through the stack, Izuka took the last few pages to look them over, then going back to the first one. I'm positive she knew most of what's on there, so Izuka took out a specific page for her next question, "I see you put extra emphasis on this one, an electricity style technique. But from all the other Heroes that use this kind of ability, I have never seen one like this, well the theory behind it that is. Is this one of your more eager projects?"

I nodded, fishing out two more notes that further dived into it.

"For starters, the electricity I absorb can be released as projectiles of various forms and sizes, but that's too simplistic for my liking," I gave Izuka the single chair in my bedroom while I quickly made my own to sit beside her, "There are many applications a single ability can do, and when used in conjunction with other Quirks, new abilities are possible to be made, rather than just using them separately."

"Well, considering Copy-Type Quirks are extremely rare, and depending on the overall limitations of it, running into delays or issues during training, as well as the lack of Quirks to copy, I can imagine how difficult it may be, even if the Quirk itself is remarkable," Izuka commented upon lifting her head, "In your case, everything works beside the ladder potentially being a small issue, but nothing scarce. Tell me, what are all the things you primarily focused on?"

While before Izuka would ask me nitpicky questions of different parts of my Quirk's functionality, this was the first time we discussed my method of using it.

"When my Quirk manifested, I noted my body experienced several changes after I changed back for the first time at that store robbery mentioned. Almost every regular aspect was increased, but my physical capabilities are high up there for my age. Make no mistake, I'm still limited as my body is yet to properly develop, so all I can do is wait until then."

Pausing momentarily to prepare a slight demonstration.

"Now, in which one did I put those things…" Looking back down to find one of my more useful tools, "Oh! Here they are."

Pulling a medium-sized box from the far end of the table, taking off the top half to reveal small spheres a little half of what a regular baseball would seem. Taking a page out of Gwen's book when she tried doing Kevin a favor by getting him materials to absorb on the fly. The issue stemmed from not having enough of said material to fully utilize it.

However, I only managed to make small progress for the prototypes. After doing some tests and trying to recall from memory, Kevin was able to, at best, change only his forearm with a single sphere.

"If you recall, once I absorb a property, I can change my entire body into what I took," I explained while giving a demonstration, my arm turning a dark blue color with a metallic tint. "The issue I came across is if there isn't enough of it, it reaches a certain cap. My Quirk doesn't repeatedly absorb something, it's like trying to eat small portions and expecting to be full, it's not that simple. I tried decompressing them to some degree, but I've yet to fully figure out a solution."

"I see," Izuka muttered with a thoughtful expression, examining one of the spheres on display, "Carrying anything bigger would be bothersome, storage space is important to not cause unnecessary weight. You said decompressing doesn't do much? Well, have you thought about finding a Quirk to shrink or increase size? I feel something like that would work, since, in theory, the number of atoms doesn't change when shrunk, only affecting its weight mass. Alongside that, you can use said objects as projectiles and expand in size while traveling. If that doesn't work, then doing it vice versa might be the answer. Although, I think something similar to the Quirks Support Heros have would work. They can't empower themselves, excluding potentially physical improvements, but that might be the solution for not only absorption but other fields as well."

"Hmmm, that does make sense," I mused. Support Heroes usually get outshined by higher-ranking Heroes solely because of flashiness. It wasn't their fault, but the ability they bring to the table is nothing to scoff at. When you need extra firepower, having such a Quirk on a team of people is invaluable. I might have to do more research on this, luckily, I have what is essentially a walking Wikipedia to help out, "That just might be what I'm looking for. Will make a mental note to start a file on that."

"Oh, quick question!" Izuka blabbered out suddenly, nodding for her to continue. "Say if you absorb metal, but you further reinforce it with additional changes, either durability-wise or something else, will the same effect transfer to you post absorption? Or one specifically made to augment other extensions of your Quirk. While you can do it individually within your body, this would save time and probably not cause too much strain to keep all those things together."

My mouth opened to answer, but no sound came out. How haven't I thought about that? Oh, that's right, my mind has about a few dozen different ideas circulating that take up enough space as is. Not only could it be used in a defensive manner, mixing in a few offensive techniques with a spark of creativity could do wonders. That is without including mass producing any material if I so choose.

"Izuka…" I uttered before forming a large grin, "That's brilliant! Having those kinds of things prepared would be ideal in preparation for a mission. I think I already know a few examples for where it can be used."

"S-Speaking of which…" Izuka twirled her fingers, looking away before continuing, "I-I know you didn't ask, but… I thought of some Quirk combinations that "could" be useful in the future… perhaps?"

My eyes lit up instantly, leaning a bit forward in excitement, "Really?"

The sudden action caught Izuka off guard, "It-It nothing special, r-really! Just a few ideas for potential synergies I thought would fit your s-style of fighting from observing you this last month. N-Not in that way, I-I mean… actually, now that I think about it, m-maybe I should've asked your input b-before I-"

"Come on, Izu, don't leave me hanging like that," I pouted playfully with another forehead flick, "Spill the sauce! I might have ideas of my own, but having another pair of eyes on this topic is far better than doing it solo."

Forming a small smile, Izuka spoke up with confidence, "But before that, I have to ask, you had no difficulty in using two or more Quirks simultaneously, right?"

"Noup," I replied, but quickly backtracked, "Actually, that might not be an accurate answer. My enhanced capabilities make it so my body doesn't experience any side effects, as well as able to adapt to any change that came from other Quirks. Since all are different, some are either more difficult to use than others or require more concentration to maintain. Since I didn't get a chance to properly test it out, I can't say for sure at the moment."

Izuka nodded, "Definitely worth looking into further. An improved regenerative capability that can be further sped up by using absorbed energy, having some sort of healing Quirk would be worth the search for extra measure. S-Sorry for getting sidetracked. Anyway, how many Quirks do you have?"

"Not many," I replied honestly, "I asked some of my dad's friends from work, they didn't mind. In fact, they were glad I was able to find a better use for them. One of them was a Heat Manipulation Quirk, it's pretty useful to make sure none of the machines overheat or need a jumpstart. On its own, it has its uses, but is an ideal example of combining it with other Fire-based Quirks or amplifiers would make a more powerful technique. But the grant total, less than ten."

"Oh," Izuka uttered in surprise, "I thought you would have more."

"Heh, I'm in no rush," I waved it off, "Mastering the other two subsections of my Quirk seemed more appealing to not get overwhelmed."

"Plus, I don't think any kids at school would be too keen on copying their Quirks," Izuka admitted apologetically.

"On one hand, you can't blame them for their way of thinking," I expressed, it was easy to figure out the reason why, "It would make them seem not as special when someone else has their Quirk, losing a sense of uniqueness. Now add the fact that word would get out of a very smart kid that can copy and retain MULTIPLE Quirks and use them to better efficiency, it's an easy way to get singled out as the one kid to avoid physical contact with. It was like the plague if I'm being honest."

That may have sounded different to Izuka's ears than from what I originally intended, as she went silent afterward. Izuka tried speaking up but had difficulty doing so, "I… didn't know that. Does that mean that you've-"

"Had a hard time befriending other kids? Very much so," I admitted without skipping a beat. "Even without mentioning my Quirk, I never particularly… fit in with everyone else. I was always seen as that "creepy smart kid" that always knew everything and was way too mature for his age, with a Copy Quirk to boot.

Izuka stayed silent, solely focused on my eyes before looking down, "I never would have guessed that you had to go through all that."

"Mmm, I didn't mind it... that much."

I don't know why I added that last part. It sort of just came out on its own. As much as I liked getting a second chance and being blessed with an amazing Quirk, all that time I spent made me feel like I never got a proper time to relax. Hardly ever do any of my old hobbies, maybe taking inspiration here and there but that was about it.

My thoughts were broken away as Izuka used the wheeled chair to close the distance between us, leaning in to rest her head on my shoulder with her hands going underneath my armpits to tighten the lock around my back. It lasted a pretty long while, with me trying to break the silence but couldn't manage to accomplish that. When Izuka broke away from the hug, she still had her arms around me before speaking.

"I… rarely see my Dad. Actually, I haven't seen him since I was little, I can barely remember how he looked like. Growing up without a parent is hard, I wouldn't want anyone to go through those kinds of hardships," Izuka paused briefly, "You are such a wonderful and caring person, and anyone should be lucky to have you as a friend. You, out of all people, shouldn't have experienced that kind of treatment from others, especially for being gifted. For Quirkless people, I can somewhat understand, but the same can't be said for someone like you. S-Sorry if that came out of nowhere… I just… wanted you to know how grateful I am to have met you, Yukio-kun."

"It's alright, Izu, I was able to use that time for better use. That's better than nothing, right?" I said, before quickly adding one more thing with a smile, "Besides, I'm glad now neither of us have to go through that again."

Sharing the same gratitude as me, Izuka formed a bright smile which was more than enough of a response to the sentiment.

"Anyway, I believe you had some Quirk combinations you wanted to share?" I asked eagerly while pulling a blank paper to begin writing, "Let's see what kind of fighting styles you thought would suit me the most."

Pulling her chair closer towards the desk, taking a nearby pen of her own, "Well, you frequently mentioned how you particularly favor utility and maneuverability while fighting, I have quite a selection that I think you will find worthwhile. First off-"

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Unlike twenty minutes prior, just getting off work to immediately jumping into a call to plan out two months' worth of work came to an abrupt pause with no intention of continuing.

Well, he tried but had great difficulty doing so.

Riku's mind would constantly trail back to his son and their guest.

Kids were simple, or to be precise, easy to understand. But what happens when kids are way too mature for their age but have yet to experience what life has to offer? He managed to learn a bit more about Izuka over the last couple of weeks when Yukio would join him to eat after he came back from work. The dynamic between the two greatly interested him, since, honestly, there was an instant contrast that was too hard to not notice.

The memories of growing up Quirkless became more constant while thinking about Izuka.

The percentage of people born without Quirks with each generation only decreases, meaning the chances of Izuka-chan experiencing a more severe case about feeling like you don't fit in, especially since every other person around you has some kind of ability. While he never particularly cared about being a Hero and never had more than occasional thoughts about what it would be like if he was born with a Quirk, he was able to find solace in meeting other Quirkless kids as they were more common when he was young.

Sadly, he couldn't say the same for other Quirkless people.

Recalling all the articles and news shows he saw over the years, including his past experiences, he can only hope his son's friend was alright, mentally speaking that is. Riku would very much like a long discussion with the parents of the boy who repeatedly harassed her prior to meeting Yukio. It was a very important issue that was known to get snubbed at times.

He was glad his son didn't turn a blind eye that day.

Regardless of how kids tend to be, saying one side didn't have any clear advantages compared to the other is flat out false. Also discovering Yukio is her first actual friend because she was the only Quirkless kid in her Elementary School, Riku was well aware of how a few simple acts can go a long way. He was probably overthinking it, the poor girl was just too shy, but was comfortable around Yukio, and vice versa.

At the end of the day, that was all that mattered.

Unable to do anything else to pass the time, Riku realized the kids probably didn't eat anything after they came back from training. Heading towards the kitchen, he decided to prepare some snacks, as they will probably spend the majority of the time inside his room.

After preparing two glasses of juice and decently filled sandwiches, Riku walked towards his son's room, finding the door left open slightly. Taking a peek inside Yukio's room, Riku was about to fully open the door so he could pass through, but stopped himself upon listening to their conversation.

"-so it really means there's no limit to what your body can change to at any given time without an issue?"

"In a sense, you're correct, the overall amount of changes it can undergo potentially has unlimited potential. The only issue I see is using a technique in a specific state might force it into a cooldown of sorts. It is possible to bypass it by fueling that process with newly absorbed energy or if I have it stored up, but the former is conditional and the ladder might be risky to not waste too much of it."

"Then something along the lines of an enhanced adaptability Quirk. Nothing flashy, but a passive ability that compliments prolonged battles and increases stamina on almost all accounts."

"Too hard to find. Although, combining several ones can achieve that. It wouldn't be that effective since the Quirks required to make it need to work well with one another in order to get proper results, though."

Riku wanted to drop off the tray as he intended, but the longer he observed the two kids, he couldn't find it in him to interrupt their discussion.

No matter how hard he tried, there was always a barrier present between him and his son. It was beyond his control, yet it didn't worry him, to a certain extent.

He was a mechanic, picking mechanical constructs apart and putting him back together was his field of expertise, yet, that was far too little to truly get on the same level as Yukio. Hell, at the rate he was going, Riku could give an entire rundown of the profession in detail and the chances of him finding it as "child's play" wouldn't be too low.

No other kid or adult was able to keep up with Yukio.

Until now.

It was the one thing he wanted ever since he learned how advanced his son is.

Although, it seemed that the effect worked both ways.

It was the way Izuka looked at his son that told him everything, able to process what he was saying and continue the discussion without missing a beat. The sight of that filled Riku's insides with joy, alongside a very small amount of jealousy at how easily they were able to speak their own language so naturally.

It was there Riku came to a sudden realization.

Riku never had a problem with his son pursuing his passion, but it was the fact that nobody, not even his own father, could fully understand how his mind ticked. The Quirk or no Quirk factor played a role in that, but it was far more complicated than that. There wasn't a thing Yukio couldn't solve on his own, coupled with years of isolation since birth, Riku was worried things would get worse later in his life.

It was difficult to fully "not worry about it" as Yukio would usually say, for obvious reasons. Now, for the first time, Riku felt at ease.

With a smile that only seemed to expand endlessly, Riku bent down to slide in the tray right beside the door. Whatever part of "mental capacity" regarding a Telekinetic Quirk seemed more important to break their train of thought with something as insignificant as food.

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"Seems we've been cooped up in here longer than planned, huh," I commented.

"S-Seems so," Izuka commented shyly, observing the amount of paper we used to write all our ideas on.

"Nevertheless, thank you for your help, Izu-chan," I said while picking up the tray my Dad left some time ago, only about a half-hour ago that we actually noticed it was there, "Next time we'll have an easier time since we know where to start."

Walking down the stairs to the living room where Izuka placed her clothes, I walked over to the fridge to take out the errands she bought. Just before I could give Izuka her bag, I mentally slapped myself upon remembering I haven't shown Izuka one last thing.

"Oh!" I perked up, "I'm such an idiot, I almost forgot to show you the best part of my house!"

Before I could even let the girl process what I just said, I grabbed her wrist to enter a light jog, pulling Izuka with me as she tried objecting but would stutter every third word that came out. The glass doors leading to the garden were several meters away, stopping before we would get too close.

"Close your eyes, okay? I'll make sure you don't trip on your way down," I asked politely.

"O-Okay…" Izuka did as she was instructed, using her hands as to not accidentally take a peep.

Opening the door, I walked behind Izuka and placed my hands on her shoulders, giving her simple yet precise instructions to ensure she doesn't fall. When we were outside, I turned on the lights around the garden on a low setting, since the sun went down about half an hour ago.

"You can open 'em now," I told Izuka, eager to see her reaction.

Upon doing so, Izuka's eyes went wide as she tried taking the whole environment in front of her. Dad and I did some changes to it over the last couple of years, most notably expanding the pond so we had a miniature island in the center of it all so one place can stick out compared to the rest of the garden.

There were more lights than before, illuminating the place that gave some uniqueness when on and off. Especially as some of them glow in the dark, or change drastically depending on the season. Since I've yet to find a Quirk that can control plants, I used other methods for them to live longer. Technology nowadays had a device for universally anything, investing some into the garden was a brilliant decision.

I think the major selling point was discovering about a hundred various kinds of plants when first starting out, the type of ones you'd call fake if you'd see them in my past life. It's one of the many instances where I labeled it as "different universe rules" on how these things worked.

Seeing as how the option of choosing was expanded, I didn't want to do this half-assed or not put in the right amount of care. Compared to countless possibilities regarding Quirks or several centuries ahead in terms of technology, doing this managed to achieve the one thing that was difficult to experience since I was born into this world.

To relax.

Not for the wrong reasons. It was the closest thing to normalcy that connected me to my old life. No need to plan out or think about anything, just enjoy doing simple tasks that were too unheard of for this universe.

Seeing as Izuka was in a bit of a trance, I nudged her slightly to break her out of it, "So? What do you think?"

"It's... breathtaking…." Izuka uttered in complete awe, her eyes scanning every inch of the display in front of her.

"Thanks..." I responded as we entered a slow walk, "You should've seen how my mother used to take care of it. I'm just sad we couldn't keep it the way it was before she passed away, but felt it's better to change it up a bit every now and then, you know?"

Gently trailing down a purple flower with her finger, Izuka turned her head to face me, "I bet she would have been proud. If anything, she'd prefer for it to be like this way. You and your dad continued to look after it when she no longer could, I think that alone would mean the world to her."

Giving her a grateful smile, I didn't need to say anything in response, continuing to walk at a slow pace.

Even though I showed her this just as she was about to leave, I didn't want to seem like I wanted for it to be over so quickly, letting Izuka take her time and observe at her own pace. The ever-so-growing look of awe continued upon moving to a new batch of flowers the more we walked.

"I once visited a fairly large flower shop with my mom and seen pictures of similar places... " Izuka paused to take another full look around, "But they were nothing like this."

"That's good to hear, means all those hours spent finding the right ones to grow paid off," I exclaimed, glad that Izuka enjoyed the view, "I'm trying to find more that glow in the dark, like those ones over there," I pointed towards the ocean blue flowers with a yellow orb in the center, a faint glow visible on the edges, "They still need an hour or so until they glow for real, it's like a miniature lantern when it lights up."

Because I didn't want her mom to worry about where she run off to, I promised her that next time we'll stick around for far longer, even telling her that she could join me for some garden work when I get around to it. Safe to say, the offer made her brain shut down and reboot before saying she would be more than happy to help out.

"Hold up," I stopped her before she go back to the house, wanting to give her a gift, something both Izuka and her mother would enjoy.

Tapping the closest ceramic vase, I created an identical copy of it while walking to the shed to fill it with dirt, as well as one device to keep the flowers healthy.

Crossing the short bridge to where I kept all the best ones, I paused to think which ones I should give her. I wanted to give her the option to choose, but something told me if I did, we would be here till sunrise before she could decide on her own.

I'll let her do that next time.

Taking several white petunias so there wasn't any shortage of them, the first part was complete.

All that was left was the final touch.

Having the ideal option to top it off, I walked a few steps towards the dozen dark-green rose-like flowers that were simply stunning to look at, with a pleasing scent that worked best in small rooms. Unlike the others, these took an ungodly amount of time before they finally bloomed, contemplating if the man who sold them to be scammed me or not.

Picking out a large and a small one, I placed them in the center at just the right angle, taking one last look at my picks if I should reconsider a last-second change but decided against it.

"Here you go!" I exclaimed cheerfully, extending my arms out so Izuka could easily take the vase, a gesture that left her speechless, "It's not much, but I should at least give you this for having you follow along during training. You're making excellent progress, so a small gift is in order. I hope you like them."

Instead of entering into a long stuttering session, Izuka simply held the vase in total silence.

"Who knows, if I get crippled in the hero business, I can always open a flower shop as a backup plan," I told her with a small grin.

The green-haired girl looked up, eyes widening slightly while giving me a blank stare.

Oh, crap.

"I-I'm kidding, it was just a joke…" I clarified but thought I needed to say more, "A bad one... but still."

Izuka's head went back down to the flowers in her hand, gently trailing the two dark-green roses. Her face stayed neutral as if nothing else was important than the items she was currently holding, "I promise to take good care of them."

"Now that's what I like to hear," I replied with a warm smile.

---LineBreak---

Once Izuka left, reassuring me that I didn't need to walk her home this time around, my thoughts were scattered for the rest of the night.

Not in a bad way by any means, if anything, I seemed more upbeat than usual, according to my Dad that is.

Writing down many pages of different Qurik combinations courtesy of Izuka, I was happy but for a different reason. It wasn't the fact that we managed to rack up quite a number of potential hits, but that we were able to talk for hours yet the only thing that prevented us from continuing was time itself.

For a while, I just kept asking myself, why was that?

Yet the answer was very simple, it only revolved around me and Izuka enjoying our hobbies

Days such as these remind me that even though the future will be grim, it's important to enjoy the moment. Constantly worrying about what's going to happen might only mess with me if I don't keep my thoughts in order. It's not like I would think about it all the time, but I'd be lying if I would simply forget about it.

Whatever the case may be, I owed Izuka a lot for what she managed to do. Before drifting off to sleep, my mind would be eager to plan for what to do tomorrow, as opposed to the same old training routine I found myself doing for years now.

'I should really see if there are any new games worth buying,' I pondered the thought with a long yawn. 'Might as well waste some time doing that before I manage to fry my brain with, Kami knows I need it.'