blink

despite himself, he laughs at the other’s comment about the licence exam. at least this hero student wasn’t so blinded by the entire system and everything about it to admit how difficult it was. he knew how some heroes would defend every part of being a hero, including some of the unfair aspects that heroes experience themselves. it was a little refreshing, though he finds that hard to admit out loud.

“the entrance exams are kind of the same. they test specific things, when heroes and quirks are versatile. it’s a little weird, kind of unfair to a few other hero-aspiring students who can probably be good heroes.” better than the ones that actually became heroes, mingyu doesn’t add. he stops himself there, not wanting to stray too off-topic, in case kiwoo had more to say and this conversation will be prolonger more than it needed to be.

“min kiwoo.” he repeats, a little surprised that the other student recognised him. “nice to meet you,” he still manages to say, despite everything that had transpired earlier. “you’re the kid that can teleport, right?” he tries to recall. he really shouldn’t be calling the other a kid, considering their difference in age is most likely not that big, but mingyu wasn’t thinking about that now.

he gives a small grunt. “yeah, well, i wasn’t trying during the sports festival. with how the competitions are designed, my quirk can probably just keep me alive on the ring long enough until my opponent gets tired, or something.” he didn’t really like explaining his quirk, he didn’t like his quirk. “basically, my body is dead. i don’t breathe, i don’t need to eat or drink, i don’t even have a pulse. i can use my body even if you break all my bones.”

“i guess they are. the entrance exam my year was only combat based really, i barely managed to even get in because i don’t really have the best quirk for fighting robots. i only got in on rescue points.” kiwoo said with a small shrug. the entrance exam had been hard, and he’d known it would be but it had seemed rather one sided. defensive or any non-combative quirks were going to struggle to pass it, especially when the whole thing ran on a points-based system. “i never thought about all the kids you don’t get in on the course though.”

he smiled a little at the mention of his quirk, waving his hands a little as he bagn to explain it as much as he could. it never was just as simple as being the teleporting guy. “yeah! instant teleportation, it’s not that great. i can only teleport up to ten feet but i’m really quick. it’s mainly just useful for moving quickly during fights and stuff like that but i make it work for myself.”

「サムライハート」some like it hot

it was shitty. he knew that very well and wouldn’t deny it, but that didn’t mean that kenta liked hearing it in such a straightforward way. it was all in the past. he messed up, he got punished for it and was still repenting. after all, him getting a bit too up and close with his quirk had been the very reason he couldn’t even attend the school he had wanted to in Japan and was now stuttering his way through words unfamiliar on his tongue. 

his glance was locked strictly on kiwoo’s shoelaces, both because of the usual refusal to look others in the eyes, but also because of the shame he felt yet again being faced with the consequences of his actions. “shitty yes…” he commented, a slight pout forming on his face. “but i learn from actions. friends not friends any longer. father told me to cut ties. he very disappointed. thought i will becoming hero to be better person, but… not very hero like after all.”

kiwoo knew it had to be a lot for kenta to open up to him like this and it hurt to know he couldn’t do much more to comfort his classmate. fiddling with his fingers for a moment as he contemplated all of it before finally sighing and nodding a little to himself. “it sounds like you’re doing good then, kenta. you’re here to get better and to make up for your mistakes and i know you can do that.”

a kind and what he hoped was supportive smile on his face. “i mean you’ve never been shitty here as far as i’ve noticed. i like you and so does most of the class and we all think you are going to be an amazing hero. that’s got to make up for any stupid stuff you did back in middle school, okay? still need to practice with your quirk though so come on and lets go and do some fun training, yeah?” a teasing lilt to his voice as he held out a hand to the other boy.

see what you’ve got

to say that max is nervous would be understatement. even with years of practice, using his quirk would always make him nervous, and the fact that he’s using it today for combat practice only makes him worried more. it’s why he put more fire extinguishers than normal (he has 4, one on each side of the room) just in case because you’ll never know. practice can be really fun, if it really comes down to it, but there’s nothing wrong with being too careful.

in max’s understanding, kiwoo’s quirk is teleportation - a quirk he finds to be really interesting and challenging to work with. it’s probably why he had wanted to ask the other male for practice. it’s a good opportunity for them both, and because he had been really curious to see kiwoo’s quirk in action.

“that’s everything. i think we’re good to go. when in doubt, teleport on one of the extinguishers, yeah?” he says as he fiddles with his gloves, making sure they’re fit and snug. the goal is to work on their control and kiwoo’s reflexes. he’s going to need to be consciously aware of where he’s aiming and make sure kiwoo stays safe. he literally can’t slip up. “ you ready?”

for @mhkiwoo

kiwoo had always liked training ever since he was young. though back then it had just been going to martial arts or messing around with his brother, but it had always been fun. since coming to u.y he had been able to see a real improvement in his skills. he always wanted to push himself further though. so when max offered to train with him he’d been over the moon. it was not exactly every day you got to train with a real hero.

taking into account the other’s quirk kiwoo had paired his normal hero costume with a couple of support items. mainly ones that helped avoid burns and heat, they’d been made in his first year when he used to still get burns from his quirk but even if he didn’t use them much anymore he had a feeling they would come in helpful today.

“like i won’t just make hyeran my new best friend,” jaehan huffed as he marched them along. “how come you can be mean but i can’t?” sticky, sometimes that’s how he thought of kiwoo, but jaehan was just as sticky too, and didn’t he used to tease his older brother the same way? it all pointed to the conclusion that he had no right to talk.

the act of balancing their weights together and making sure they didn’t careen into the other people who had the misfortune of sharing the sidewalk space with them was reassuringly familiar. they got there soon enough, jaehan recognizing the storefront’s frilly awning from afar. just like he’d said, there was a poster advertising new flavors in one of the windows, something about mango and pineapple and chili powder – a wonderfully disturbing-sounding combination that, predictably, just made jaehan want to try it more. “were you serious about chili and chocolate, is that any good?” he poked kiwoo on the side of the head. “you think they have chocolate sauce?”

“no, you can’t have hyeran. if you dump me as your best friend then hyeran becomes my best friend.” kiwoo was trying to hold back an endless amount of giggles as they continued working. shrugging with a small sigh at the question. “because i’m younger and cuter therefore when i’m mean it’s just me being mischievous but when it’s you you’re just a cruel hyung. duh.” the same teasing glint still in his eye.

kiwoo had not had shaved ice in ages, it was in a part of town he never really bothered to walk too but he was excited. peering around at all of the options when they got there, though his nose scrunched up at quite a few of them. it was unclear whether the shop wanted to enjoy their flavours or hate them. “oh yeah! my dad bought home some chili chocolate when he went on a business trip to america last year. it was weirdly good, the sweet and spicy went together really well.” letting a small whine out when jaehan poked his head even if he was as quickly smiling at him again. “they better have.” already moving towards the counter to see if he could find it anywhere.

「サムライハート」some like it hot

was the other right? absolutely. did kenta want to admit that the other was right? absolutely not.

palms against knees, kenta was bent over to get air for a bit before his body moved upwards again. “is not cool…” he whined in protest. “is trouble and annoying.” admittedly he did feel a bit bad for so vehemently rejecting kiwoo when all he did was genuinely want to help, but whenever other people wanted to get involved in his quirk, it always led to no good.

“kiwoo san don’t know but…” thinking a bit before he formed his sentence, kenta was struggling with the korean words, still foreign on his tongue after a year and a half. it was so much easier to understand it rather than speak it. “in middle school. friends want to see girl’s underwear. girls don’t like.” obviously they didn’t but he didn’t possess the ability to express himself properly. “anyway. quirk made girls upset.”

kiwoo knew that maybe he was pushing. kenta was obviously uncomfortable with his quirk in many ways and pushing forward with it but that wasn’t a sentiment kiwoo himself could really understand. he’d always been in love with his quirk from the second it had manifested. “i think it’s cool.” is all he could say with a small shrug.

frowning slightly as he listened to the boy speak. having to let everything process for a moment before he found himself just sighing. “so you used to use your quirk to spy on girls?” it didn’t really match with the image of kenta he had in his mind but he also knew that people could always surprise you. tapping his foot against the floor as he thought before finally seeming to come back to himself and clapping a hand onto kenta’s shoulder. “that was shitty, anyone would tell you that. shitty move but i think that just shows even more that you need to practice with your quirk and get good at it. you did shitty stuff with your quirk but that doesn’t mean you can’t do good stuff with it, right? so let’s make your quirk good! together!”

“i promise you that i will try my best to ensure that you don’t get sick afterwards,” she nods her head once, voice filled with determination. “but if anything happens…” she trails off, avoiding meeting his eyes about as she purposely leaves out the last part of her sentence. hearing about their plans made her even more excited. the places that kiwoo brought her to always made her feel a sense of solace — but perhaps it was just kiwoo’s presence that made those places even more alluring and charming.

hyeran agrees with him whole-heartedly. the ambience was just so warm and inviting — she loves it. her face scrunches up slightly, lighting pushing his shoulder, before deciding to play along. “really? i just thought that someone as competent as you wouldn’t have trouble teleporting me around,” she thinks out loud, her eyes gleaming dangerously with playfulness, “besides, i thought that my company would be enough as repayment.” there’s a small pout on her face now. but after she takes a sip of her drink, it disappears. a smirk now present on her face, she teases, “did i get you?”

his eyes squinted in a playful glare at the teasing. “if anything happens i’m going to be very hurt and upset. and probably dying of food poisoning.” sniffling dramatically before breaking into a smile and sipping his drink. it was always nice to spend time with hyeran, it was easy to relax and mess around with her. in fact, it was hard for kiwoo not be smiling whenever they were spending time together.

seeing as the boy promised not to tell on him, mingyu figured the best course of action was to just answer whatever question the other had and be done with it. it was clear that the boy wasn’t going to give up anytime soon, and mingyu was frankly too exhausted to run around in school when he already had to do that same thing during the night. it was good that so far, no staff of the school had come across his nightly activities, he wouldn’t know how to go about that.

he changed the song he was listening to, opting for a more calming beat that soothed his nerves. “i get it. thank you, i suppose. guess i was lucky you were the one who found me instead of some stuck-up.” not that he should make a habit out of getting found out. he lets out a sigh, resting his cheek against his palm. realising that he didn’t even get the other’s name yet, he asked, “what’s your name, kid?” he wasn’t the best at remembering names. faces, yes, but not names.

mingyu blinks, not expecting the younger to immediately jump onto questions. he also kept his voice quiet, for all he knew there could be someone with an invisibility quirk lurking around. “i don’t like the idea of being a hero,” he admits, plain and simple. that wasn’t exactly a secret. for some reason, he could tell the boy before him was a wannabe hero even without being told so. “i purposely don’t try during the sport festivals. i don’t think i’ve done anything so bad that they wouldn’t let me, i just don’t want to.”

“i guess. i ain’t gonna tell on you, someone else might but i won’t. i know that technically it’s illegal and stuff to do hero work without a license but i did the provisional hero license exam and it’s hell on earth. i can get why someone might want to skip it.” shrugging flippantly. maybe he should care more about illegal activity by a fellow student but kiwoo could tell that mingyu wasn’t doing anything bad. the other boy was helping people, not hurting them so how bad could it be.

“kiwoo! min kiwoo. you’re mingyu, right? i think i’ve heard people calling you that before.” the younger boy knew that he was maybe being a bit much and in the others face but it was hard for him not to be. he was too interested and curious about everything that being a vigilante intailed. though the answer did have him blinking a bit. as a hero in training who was constantly surrounded by other people who wanted to be heroes it was a bit weird to hear that someone simply had no interest in being one.

okay whoever wrote this, i love you so much. thank you so much for this!! i’m blushing omg

“the other option was a demon! so imp is basically a compliment!” he argued, gesturing wildly with a broken wheel. then he squeaked in indignation when kiwoo confirmed that he would just fizzle away into the sea of faces. “i can’t believe you’d say that after all the faith i put in you,” jaehan sniffled, before he whirled around and stormed off, never to be seen again.

(he reached a nearby garbage bin. he dumped the remains of his skateboard in, may it rest in peace, then immediately looped back to kiwoo, already a bounce in his step.)

“okay, to the shaved ice.” he hooked an arm around kiwoo’s and began pulling him along the winding path out of the park. “i saw they had some new spicy syrup – which, i don’t even know how that works – but i kind of want to try it? oh, and then you can help me look for a new best friend who won’t call me hyung while they’re being mean to me.”

kiwoo could only giggle at all of jaehan’s dramatics, his cheeks reddening slightly the more he laughed. “come on hyung! it’s hard to be a hero and remember everyone you’re ever met.” he continued to tease, giggles turning into pure cackling as the other stormed off. if he was really worried about jaehan being upset with him he’d be teleporting after him as quick as possible but that wasn’t the case. he stayed just where he was until the older boy was linking arms with him and dragging the mischievous hero-in-training along with him.

“spicy? that sounds like it might be awful but i’m up for it. maybe it will be like chilis and chocolate, that’s nice.” rolling his eyes as the other continued to complain. kiwoo leaning into his side and placing his head on jaehan’s shoulder even as they continued to walk, trusting that jaehan wouldn’t lead them astray as kiwoo pouted at him. “you can’t replace me, that’s so mean hyung. you’ll never find a best friend like me and you know it. plus, you’d only get more upset if i didn’t call you hyung whilst i teased you. i’m mean but respectful.”