A Kunoichi's Birthday
I. 391-03 Apartment Complex, Downtown Kyoto
As they strolled down the dimly lit hallway, bathed in the soft glow of moonlight streaming through the windows, Inigo couldn't help but steal a glance at her, his eyes twinkling beneath his vigilante costume. "Isn't this a little romantic?" he teased.
"The evening ambience is nice. And there's a bright moon tonight," Hoge said quietly, following him through the long dark hallway, broken only by windows to their right.
"Yeah.. Hey, thanks for coming along. I know you've been busy with the exams."
She didn't reply.
"We haven't caught up in a while. Sorry, I've been stuck on family stuff.."
Hoge nodded inside her helmet, staring at his silhouette. He had been acting strange. In fact she was surprised to hear from him tonight. Her stomach churned and she balled her fist until her knuckles turned white. What had Inigo been up to, that he would keep it a secret even from her? He had been less talkative lately too. Even now, she observed how quiet he was. Had she done something wrong?
A minute passed before she broken the silence.
"What were you and Chris doing before? In the classroom. You were shouting a lot."
"Huh? Oh that! We were rolling dice. Two Dee-sixes!" he chuckled.
"For what?"
"To see how many kids we're gonna have someday!"
"Ehh...." she pinched the tip of her nose.
"Chris rolled a nine! Bobby got a four!"
"..."
"And I got a twelve! Six girls and six boys! Gonna have Orochi and Hifumi roll later-"
"Ini! That's not-- that's a minimum 10 years pregnancy and nursing! Even without considering my career, I couldn't possib--"
She paused at his grinning face. Those damn green eyes stared straight through her. Shining in the moonlight.
"Huh? Where'd you go?" Inigo blinked. She was gone.
Hoge tensed in her panic. So stupid! Dumb! She had almost-- almost overstepped and done something foolish. Admitting to a future with him that's beyond their high school relationship. Whatever childish dice games he was playing, she had taken it a step further and believed it related to herself.
"Is everything okay?" Inigo asked. "You can talk to me."
Suddenly, she felt her heart ache. She blinked back tears inside her helmet. It was more than just the dice game...
She didn't want to admit it but she was scared. She had buried herself in work, chocolate-making, and her studies to cover up that fact, that the school year is almost over. Sophomore year was fast approaching.
Chi-chan.. Orochi.. Tame.. All the others.. Sally too.
There was no guarantee that 1-D would stay together.
There were already talks of transfers and scrambling the classes.
How much longer would it last?
And would they stay together?
She couldn't go back. Not to how it was before.... She felt like running away. But before she could retreat further into her thoughts, Inigo's comforting embrace envelop her. She looked up to meet his eyes on her.
"Hey. Don't worry. It's non-canon! I mean, it's not like I care about the numbers. As long as I'm with you."
"B-baka!" Hoge protested weakly, though her heart slowed "Deciding the future with dice rolls is horrible."
Inigo chuckled softly, his arms still wrapped around her. "I know. It's Nurse Becky's fault. I suppose I just got carried away—"
"Ini.."
"Coru-chan.."
"I'LL TEAR MY EARS OFF IF I HAVE TO LISTEN TO YOU TWO FLIRTING ALL NIGHT!" Junichi roared through their comms. He was outside the building, the sounds of battle around him.
"We weren't—" Hoge started, her cheeks flushing.
Inigo flashed her a mischievous grin. "You can always join in if you want, bro," he teased, earning a growl of protest from Junichi.
"Right, back to the mission," Inigo declared, releasing Hoge from his embrace as he resumed their progress down the hallway. "We've reached the kitchen. You know, for a gang of cannibals, these guys sure keep their apartment clean."
Hoge couldn't help but smile. Her breathing slowed. She would deal with her growing dread later.
"Hey." Inigo's voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Yes?"
"Do you have any plans for tomorrow?"
Hoge shook her head. "No, just catching up on reviews and attending the press conference after class. I'll be too busy to go out, and you won't be able to convince me otherwise," she replied, walking past him.
Inigo grinned, sharing a knowing look with Gigan on his shoulder.
"We'll see about that," he teased.
She really did forget her own birthday.
II. Valiant Park
As Hoge diligently arranged chairs and tables for the Shiketsu press event, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. The absence of news vans and her classmates made the atmosphere unusually quiet, leaving her alone in the vast space. Where was everyone?
Lost in her thoughts, she felt a sudden darkness descend over her vision, and before she could react, gentle fingers covered her eyes.
"Ini?" she questioned. She heard excited murmurs and movements all around her.
"You gotta trust me on this one," came Inigo's familiar voice from behind her.
With her heart fluttering excitedly and anxiously, Hoge allowed Inigo to guide her to the center of the event, where he leaned in and whispered, "There is no press event. You were helping set up something else."
Before she could process his words, he took his hands off her eyes, revealing the space now adorned with colorful birthday decorations and filled with warm familiar faces. They gathered around her.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY HOGE!"
"Happy Birthday!" they chorused in unison. Hoge felt her heart swell with emotion as tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill over. Inigo's reassuring touch steadied her, anchoring her in the overwhelming moment.
"Sorry, we had to keep it a secret, cuz!" Hifumi called out.
"It was Myoga-kun's idea," Chihiro pointed out, a hint of mischief in her tone.
"We're all culprits though," Christopher chuckled softly.
"I... I don't forgive you," Hoge managed to say, her voice trembling as she smiled. She started to hiccup and cry.
"Gross," Sally shook her head, but there was a hint of warmth there.
"I wanted to be here to make you happy, Neee-chan!" Eri's voice rang out.
"Don't forget the cake! This took forever to bake but Minnie helped me,"
Inigo stepped forward, holding up a beautifully decorated cake adorned with flickering candles. "Make a wish," he encouraged gently. "Make a wish!" the others echoed.
Hoge wrung her fingers together.
"Okay, I wish for--"
"Don't tell us or it won't come true!" Bobby called out.
Hoge hesitated.
"I'm sorry... I've never had friends celebrate my birthday before. I don't know how to do this," she admitted, her voice trembling. "I don't want to ruin it...by doing the wrong thing. If you would give me a moment to--."
Inigo's expression softened. "It's okay, Coru-chan. You don't have to study for this! There's no wrong way or right way. How about I help you?" he suggested.
With a shaky breath, Hoge nodded, allowing Inigo to join her in blowing out the candles together, their combined efforts filling the park with warmth as the others cheered one more "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!".
She looked around at all her classmates as others joined the park's event. Her dorm neighbors, other students and teachers from Shiketsu, people she's saved and helped. Slowly, her tears fell again.
Psychedelic rock music swam out from the stage, originally meant for the fake press conference. Standing there was a band she recognized. Inigo grinned at the look on her face. Already she was half-smeared from her quirk. Half the guests were wondering who they were celebrating.
"And this is just the start! I got the Happy Soup Kitchen catering. So we have all your favorite foods! And I went around to all the pizza places to check all your orders! Happy four- I mean- sixteenth birthday, Hoge!"
III. Fun and Games
The evening breeze danced through the park, carrying the scent of freshly cut grass and the distant sound of laughter. Inigo sat by watching Hoge interact with guests. He winked as he caught her eyes before fluttering on green wings towards the center of the stage.
"Alright, everyone, listen up!" he called out, his voice carrying easily over the chatter of his classmates. "Now that we've had our fill of food and music, it's time for the real fun to begin!"
The murmurs died down as all eyes turned to him, curiosity piqued by his mysterious announcement.
"I've arranged a little game for us to play with the help of Shiketsu's 3-D," Inigo continued, his grin widening. "It's called 'Quirk Tag!'"
Excited whispers rippled through the crowd.
"Here's how it works," Inigo explained, his voice laced with excitement. "There are three challenge flags across the park! Get all three and claim your gift bag! But here's the twist – there'll be a quirk going around marked by a green light on your palm, when you tag someone, you swap quirks with them! Don't worry cause it'll all be reversed at the end of the game! Oh yeah! No tag backs! And the food area is a safe zone."
"So, get ready for some fun!" Inigo declared, his enthusiasm infectious. "Hoge, since it's your special day, you get to be the first to tag someone and acquire a new quirk! Everyone else, get your challenges done quick for some prizes!" As cheers erupted from the crowd, Inigo winked at Hoge, his eyes sparkling with excitement. The stage was set for an unforgettable birthday. Take your pick!
Hoge's heart fluttered with adrenaline as Inigo announced the Quirk Tag game. She glanced around at her classmates, wondering who she should tag first to get an interesting new quirk. Hoge wasted no time. She darted through the crowd as they ran for the first challenge flag.
The stack of flags were in the middle of the pond! There were kayaks and pedal boats placed on the shore too, but it'd be nice if she had a quirk that could help. She watched Inigo eyeing her from above. The evening breeze carried her delighted laughter as she settled on a target.
She darted through the crowd towards her target, tapping them lightly on the shoulder. "Tag, you're it!" she declared with a grin. A green glow enveloped her target's hand, signaling the quirk swap.
Tag
Who does Hoge tag?
▸Tag Kaylee!
▸Tag Hifumi!
▸Tag Chihiro!
▸Tag Cube-Chan(?)!
▸Tag Inigo!
Kaylee
Hoge considered her options, then set her sights on Kaylee. She dashed over, tagging the giant girl eagerly.
"Hey birthday girl! I see what you're doing," Kaylee mused as she thought about who to tag next. Her eyes set out for Edith.
"Arigatou," Hoge bowed politely.
As the quirk swap took hold, Hoge focused, summoning Kaylee's ki. She could feel the thrumming energy within, begging for release. With a grin, Hoge channeled it downward.
She clumsily rocketed skyward, the crowd shrinking below as she soared. Panicking at going too far up, she lessened the blast and nervously descended. Hoge laughed gleefully after a few more attempts. She skipped, punching the air marveling at her strength. Nearby trees swayed from the force of her blows. Oh, wow!
Spotting Inigo watching from below, Hoge darted over. She scooped him up effortlessly, relishing his startled yelp. "Hold on, Ini" she teased, before blasting off again, looping through the sky with Inigo clinging.
"Alright, Kay-lee! Ya got me!" Inigo laughed. He held out a pocket mirror and Hoge noticed that her hair was standing up and spiking. Was she growing blonde too?
Setting him down gently, Hoge waved before taking off once more. The challenge list would be child's play. With a burst of speed she flew to the middle of the pond and grabbed the challenge flag. Two more to go!
Hifumi
Hoge's eyes darted between potential targets, weighing her options. Christopher's Mirror could be useful but his drawback was too risky. Inigo would've taken him out of the game. Sure enough, Christopher was one of the ones in the safe zone eating a calzone. Inigo would be the next versatile choice, but perhaps a touch predictable.
Her gaze settled on Hifumi, realization dawning - his teleportation could be fun! Hoge bounded over to him, tapping his shoulder.
"Yo, cousin! Nice choice! Now ya get a chance to be number 1!" Hifumi called out as he immediately sought out Hailey to tag.
Hoge focused her eyes and pictured the park stage. When she closed them, she was standing atop it. She heard the crowd gasping in surprise below. A grin spread across her face.
She closed her eyes again, envisioning the tallest tree in the park. Then, she was perched in its boughs, waving down at the people below. Giggling, Hoge blinked around the park, popping up in the most unexpected spots and enjoying her classmates' shocked reactions.
But the real fun was yet to come. Hoge pictured Inigo and when she closed her eyes, she was right in front of him, noses nearly touching. "Gotcha!" she laughed, poking his chest before teleporting away.
Oh yes, Hifumi's quirk opened up all sorts of potential! Hoge quickly snatched the flag in the middle of the pond! One down, two to go!
Chihiro
Hoge scanned the crowd, contemplating her options. Her gaze settled on Chihiro and inspiration struck - that was it! It was a way to get closer to her sensei and understand her more.
Bounding over, Hoge tapped Chihiro's shoulder lightly. "Tag! Chi-chan!"
Startled, Chihiro blinked twice, red eyes focusing on her star pupil and bestfriend. "Please be careful, Hoge-chan."
"I will. Please don't worry and have fun, Chii-chan," Hoge bowed.
As the green glow indicated the swap, Hoge focused, summoning Chihiro's ki draining aura. She could feel the thrumming power already. But Hoge was careful - she would not recklessly drain her classmates.
She made her way to an isolated group of trees. Closing her eyes, she attuned herself to the nearby plant life, tuning out the chatter around her. There were sturdy oaks calling to her. Hoge carefully directed the aura, the trees' vitality flowed into her.
She could feel the surge of speed welling up within her. Her eyes snapped open, a grin on her face. In a blur, Hoge zoomed off, whipping through the crowd too quick to track. Her delighted laughter echoed behind as she zipped about. She leapt up someone's shoulder and ran above the crowd, her feet only barely touching their shoulders with each lunge.
Finding Inigo standing by Hifumi and Bobby, Hoge dashed over, waving at them each before sprinting away. Zipping by Inigo again, Hoge blew him a kiss.
When her energy waned, Hoge returned to replenish herself, ever conscientious. Another day she might push further, but not now. Today she would delight in her borrowed quirk responsibly. Running towards the pond, she bounded from one boat to another until she reached the flag in the middle.
One down, two to go!
Cube
Hoge pondered the swirling crowd, then realization struck - this was her chance! She zipped over to Cube-chan, tapping the floating cube eagerly. "I want to try your quirk."
As the swap took hold, Hoge's form shifted, becoming a heavy hovering cube. She let out a series of musical beeps - this was fun! Hoge had always wondered what it was like to be Cube-chan.
She watched as Cube-chan transformed into a girl, yelping in surprise as she raced off to the trees. Hoge beeped encouragement - it'd be a novel experience for them both.
Hoge floated aimlessly, amused by the unique perception from this geometric body. People gave way when she floated by instead of ignoring her. Spying the lake, she drifted over, but found herself unable to grasp the flags dotting the middle. Ah well, she couldn't finish the challenge. She rescind herself to floating by the shore watching the others.
Inigo winged over, head cocked quizzically. "You okay, Hoge?"
She responded with a series of cheerful beeps. Inigo grinned, plopping down beside her.
"Mind if I sit down?"
Overcome with affection, Hoge nudged her cube form against Inigo's shoulder as they gazed out across the shimmering water. As the muffled sounds of the ongoing game echoed around them, Hoge's heart slowed. She wished she could articulate her gratitude for this birthday. But perhaps the contented beeps and warm pressure against his side communicated it well enough. No matter her form, Inigo somehow found her.
"I do like triangles better though. Just saying."
"Beep beep beep. Beep!"
"I'm kidding!" he laughed.
▸You lost the challenge. Go back?
Inigo
Hoge surveyed the crowd, then realization dawned - of course, the obvious choice! She dashed over to Inigo, tapping him eagerly. "I'll be taking Gigan, Ini!"
"I knew you were just using me for my dragon," he winked.
As the quirk swap completed, Hoge focused her will. With a burst of emerald, Gigan formed cheerily before her. Hoge laughed, running her hands over his scaled hide. At last, she was the dragon-knight now!
Inigo grinned, clearly delighted by her choice. With a wink, he turned, tagging a surprised Shinkan. Hoge giggled as Inigo's head transformed into a train's.
Vaulting onto an enlarged Gigan's back, Hoge took to the skies, the wind rippling through her hair. She guided the dragon slowly through dives. The world was brighter and colorful. Is this how he saw everything? She created a mirror with Gigan and looked at herself.
Pretty.
Spotting the stage below, she landed and started testing Gigan's shapeshifting. In front of the crowd and the band, she created a large green Mobius strip which morphed into several fractals which joined to become a Sierpinski triangle that twisted into a larger Fibonacci spiral. Ugh.. She felt like throwing up all of sudden. She held her head and felt.. slow. She might've overdone it.
"There you are!" She could see a train-headed Inigo moving cheerfully to carry her off the stage. "Gigan, take her to get the pond flag. I'd be careful trying to make complicated stuff, Coru-chan. Catch ya in the next spot!"
He winked as Gigan took Hoge to the flag.
One down, two to go!
Second
Hoge was reveling in her new quirk as she sought out the next challenge. A few of the guests had given up on completing the challenge and was content in playing with their new quirks, and some had retreated to the safe zone to enjoy pizzas and the live music.
Suddenly, a blur of motion caught her eye - Tame was rocketing up towards her at high speed! Before Hoge could react, Tame tagged her shoulder. "You're it, Nyoro-chan. Happy Birthday!"
A now-familiar green glow enveloped Hoge's palm as her quirk disappeared. She was quirkless again! Hoge pouted briefly. The game was still on!
Scanning the park below, she spotted the next location - flags were tucked deep in a row of hedge mazes. Hoge set her sights on her new target. She'd need a quirk that could help navigate the twists and turns, and investigate.
Moving deftly on the soft grass, Hoge surveyed the crowd. There! She found her next target. This quirk was just what she needed! The flag would soon be hers.
Who does she pick next?
▸Tag Orochi!
▸Tag Imai!
▸Tag Sally!
Orochi
Hoge surveyed the swirling crowd, contemplating her next move. Seeing Orochi off to the side, she dashed over, tapping the dragon-girl eagerly over her shirt.
"Sumimasen, Atsushi-san," Hoge said with a bow.
Orochi was calmer than usual. "Oh, hello class-rep. Happy birthday." Her voice seemed weak. "I hope they're useful." Orochi wondered who she should tag for herself. She wandered off looking at her glowing hand.
"Yo Orochi!" Inigo grinned, standing on top of a rock as he pointed straight at her.
"Huh? What is it, Myoga?" the white-haired girl muttered.
"You lose your quirk yet?"
"I guess," Orochi shrugged.
"Good! Team POPSY! MOVE OUT!"
Before she could react, Orochi found herself in the middle of a group hug. Kaga, Sally, Chihiro, Yui, and Inigo were embracing her.
Orochi stiffened in surprise as the group enveloped her. What was happening? She glanced around at the smiling faces surrounding her.
"I...don't understand. Why are you all..." she trailed off, unsure how to respond.
Sally shrugged. "Just accept it, will ya?"
"Remember we talked about this in the tournament, a while back? Turns out you're a target," Inigo said excitedly.
Chihiro smiled. "We noticed you've been down since Valentine's Day. We wanted to cheer you up the same way, Popsy-sensei thought us."
Orochi blinked, taken aback. A warmth blossomed in her chest.
"I didn't realize it was so obvious," she mumbled, gaze lowered.
Yui squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "That's what friends are for! We care about you! You dork!"
Orochi's lips curved into a faint, tentative smile. She was unused to being touched. Even knowing she didn't have her quirk, this felt unnatural. Unnatural but warm.
"I...appreciate this," she said slowly. "Thank you, all of you."
As the group hug persisted, Orochi felt the melancholy that had clung to her since Valentine's lift slightly. Maybe it was good that she got up this morning. Perhaps she had been too quick to isolation. She relaxed into the embrace, savoring the moment. For the first time in weeks, the gloom clouding her spirit parted, if only slightly. Orochi whispered another quiet "thank you," hoping it conveyed enough.
As the quirk took hold, Hoge felt her form shift, three serpentine tails bursting forth from her back. It felt weird. She focused, and each tail sprouted a hissing hydra head. Hoge's eyes go wide as the hydra-heads surround her inquisitively. She patted each one before excitedly running into the maze. She could sense in all directions at once! The maze's twists and turns would prove no match for this.
Slithering towards the looming hedges, Hoge felt the sting of thorns against her scales. But the cuts regenerated quickly, Orochi's toxic skin protecting her. Hoge plunged into the verdant labyrinth. Her hydra heads darted about, searching for flags. After several wrong turns, success - a flash of red through the right head's peripheral vision! Hoge snagged the flag with a triumphant hiss. Two down, one more to go!
▸Next
Imai.
Hoge surveyed the chaos, pondering her next acquisition. Her gaze settled on Imai - yes, his telepathy could prove useful. She dashed over, tagging him eagerly.
"Nyoro-san. I didn't see you. I was enjoying the band. Good luck!" Imai smiled before walking off to tag Ashleigh.
Hoge nodded in return. She wondered if Imai's sparkles came with his quirk. She ineffectively tried to get them to come out.
The sparkles didn't work, but attuned her mind as thoughts around her flooded in. The maze came alive with the chatter of her guests' inner voices!
Following the mental breadcrumbs, Hoge navigated with ease, avoiding dead ends others had hit. A left, a right, straight ahead - the mental maps guided her steps. Turning she detected a student who had stumbled upon several flags. She knew from Christopher that Imai's quirk was more than just mind-reading. Now was her chance to find out more.
Grinning, Hoge planted a subtle suggestion, directing the Mahoko towards her location.
Moments later, her unwitting pawn emerged from the hedge.
"Huh? What am I doing..?" Mahoko said. He doubled back to the spot in confusion. Hoge followed him and skipped over, plucking one up. The boy blinked in confusion, but shrugged and continued on. Hoge hummed happily, letting the mental maps light her way out of the maze.
Buoyed by her trickery, Hoge decided to follow her other classmates and listen to their thoughts before moving to the next flag.
▸Next
Sally
Hoge surveyed the crowd, contemplating her next quirk. Her gaze settled on Sally - why not confound her? She dashed over, tapping Sally eagerly as the American girl squawked in protest. Hoge ran into the hedge maze before Sally could chase her. She wiggled her fingers and willed Sally's arm-guns to emerge.
She aimed at a nearby hedge, firing off a few experimental rubber shots. Hmm, not bad...this could be amusing! Hoge wandered the maze, peppering plants with bullets, thinking to vex Sally by misusing her quirk so. But try as she might, no flags revealed themselves.
Rounding a corner, she stumbled upon two stern officers investigating the gunshots. Hoge froze, realizing her mistake. As the officers began to question her, Sally appeared.
"McCathy, tell them that this is just quirk tag."
"Hmmp!" Sally simply smirked and pointed. "There's your shooter, officers! I'm a witness to her crimes."
Before Hoge could object, she found herself in handcuffs, being led away. "Sally, tell them it's a game!" she cried over her shoulder, but the American just waved cheekily.
One hours later, the cell door creaked open to reveal Inigo's grinning face. "Sorry we lost you for a bit there. The party had to end early." he said comfortingly. Hoge sighed, both embarrassed and touched by his coming to her aid. Perhaps she should have thought twice before choosing Sally's quirk.
She offered Inigo a rueful smile. "Let us speak no more of this."
BAD END
▸Go Back?
Final
Hoge was exiting the hedge maze, borrowed quirk still enhancing her perception. Suddenly, a green and purple blur shot by, tagging her shoulder. "I'll be taking this! Hahaha!" Victor laughed. The now-familiar glow enveloped Hoge's palm as her borrowed quirk faded. Okay! She would tag one more person. One challenge still remained!
Scanning the park, she spotted the final flags waving from atop the coiled forms of Gigan and Hitomi. The dragon constructs were the size of blimps. Rheir scales shimmered as they playfully bounced away any climbers who went after the flags. The two roamed the park's green. Unable to finish the challenges. Most of the guests felt content to just ride on their legs.
Hoge prepared herself mentally. For this, she would need formidable strength or agility. Hoge raced towards the dragons, surveying the crowd for her final quirk.
Choose your action:
▸Tag Bobby
▸Tag Rob
▸Tag Hailey
▸Tag Junichi
Hailey
Finding Hailey with her friends under a tree, an idea struck Hoge - telekinesis would let her claim those flags with ease!
She skipped over to the koreans. "Excuse me, Hailey-san! I'll be borrowing your quirk for a bit!"
Before Hailey could react, Hoge tagged her, feeling the telekinetic power awaken within.
"Hey, wait a minute!" Edith protested.
"You can't just take her quirk without asking!" Maxine called out.
Hoge smiled. "It's my birthday, please."
With a huff, Hailey relented. "Oh fine, but be careful with it! I'm going to find Hifumi."
Giggling, Hoge turned to the dragons, focusing her newfound psychic strength. She enveloped the flags in an ethereal glow, tugging some free with her mind and raining them to the ground. Gigan was able to catch most of them, but a few fell to the crowd. They cheered and Hoge took a bow. She smoothly yanked one into her hand.
She wondered what else she could do with telekinesis. She decided to go find Inigo and tell him she finished the challenges.
▸Done!
Junichi
Hoge spotted Junichi leaning against a tree, casually smoking. She skipped over, eyeing his quirk eagerly.
"Hey Junichi! I've chosen your quirk," she said, tapping him on his jacket before he could react.
"Hey, what the hell?" he protested angrily. But then he sighed, smoke wisping from his mouth. "Whatever, birthday girl. Just...be careful with it. It's not a 'fun' quirk. It's gonna hurt."
Hoge nodded. "I know, but I want to know more about what you do."
Junichi shrugged and reached into his pocket, "You smoke?"
She shook her head and refused, but still lingered. "Takagi-san. I wanted to say, I appreciate you always looking out for Inigo and me. When we're out there."
Junichi blinked in surprise, then gave a small smile. "Yeah, well...someone has to. Go get that flag." He awkwardly patted her shoulder. "Happy birthday, Hoge."
Hoge nodded and made her way to the dragons who were busy rolling around the grass. She felt Junichi's quirk. With some effort, she extended sharp bone blades from her limbs. It was a sharp pain that caught her by surprise. She hissed and whimpered. Maybe this was a bad idea. It ached, but the pain fueled her determination. After the initial sting, the pain didn't linger quite as badly.
Brandishing bone daggers, Hoge leapt onto Gigan, stabbing handholds to climb his thrashing form. The crowd under the dragon spotted her and cheered wildly. After fiddling with her quirk and creating serrated daggers, she reached the summit and claimed the flag. Though taxing, the quirk had seen her through.
Seeing her with the flag. Gigan mewed and created a looping slide that led her right into Inigo.
▸Done!
Bobby
Bobby's solar-powered quirk was the prime choice. She would have looked for Kaylee too, but the tall girl wasn't around. She dashed over, tagging the foreign boy eagerly.
"Aw, and I just got it back too. Ya'll have a ball out there, birthday girl!" Bobby shot her a thumbs-up before spotting Orochi. "I got someone to catch!"
As Bobby's quirk suffused her, Hoge turned her face skyward, embracing the sun's radiance. She could feel its energy coursing through her, hardening her skin and swelling her muscles. Hoge flexed, testing her newfound strength with a grin. Oh yes, this would do nicely!
Striding towards the dragons, Hoge cracked her knuckles, bracing herself as Gigan swung his mighty tail towards her. She caught it effortlessly, not even budging from the blow. Swinging onto his back, Hoge clambered up the undulating dragon, his attempts to dislodge her proving fruitless against her solar-charged body.
Reaching the summit, Hoge snatched the flag in a single fluid motion. She waved it overhead victoriously before nimbly leaping down, cushioned from the fall by her hardened skin.
Buoyed by her sunlight-fueled success, Hoge picked up her three flags and decided to search for Inigo. If only she had this heroic quirk instead of wasuremono. How different would things be for her? She looked around at all the people in the park who came here for her. She suddenly missed her own quirk. The one that got her here.
Rob
Hoge eyed the towering dragon constructs, pondering her next move. Spying Rob amid the crowd, she wondered about his quirk - his sticky goo could enable her to scale the dragons but did it have to come out of... there. Could she fire it from her fingers or palm.
Darting over, she tagged Rob without him noticing, feeling the quirk manifest within her. Focusing, Hoge tensed and grimaced, slimy pink goo leaked from her shirt. She would need to change. But still.. she had a flag to get. She sighed and went to work.
████ ██████ █████ █████ █ ███ ████ ██ ████. █████ ██ ██ ███, ███████████████. ██████████████████████ ████████ █████ ███████ ████, ███ ███ ███? ████ ██████ ███████ █ ██ ███ ████ ████. ████ ███ ██ ████████ ███.
"Oh god! There's so much of it!" █████████, ███████ ██████████. ███████ ██ ███████ █████████████████ ████████████████, ███████████████ █████████ ████████ ███████████████████? █████ ██████████ ████████████ ████████████ ███ █████████ ████████████ ████.
BOOOOOM
███ █████, ███ ████ ███████ ████████████ ████ ██████████ ████████ ████████ ███████ █████████████ ████████████████████ ██████████ ██████ ███ ██. "Spare us please!"██ ████ █████ ██████ ██████ ████████████████ █████████████ ██████████ ████████ █████████ ██████████ █ ██████████ ██████████ █████ ███████ ███.
Or at least, that's what she imagined would happen. She decided it would be too crude and not at all befitting of a class representative. Resigning herself to her fate. She decided not to go for the 3rd flag.
"Here!"
Hoge looked up to see the 1-F student Rob standing there with a flag.
"It fell off and I don't have the first two. Take it. Happy Birthday! Thanks for the grub!"
Hoge bowed, accepting the flag. "I'll make good use of it!" Being the birthday girl had its advantages. She decided to look for Inigo and tell him of her success.
▸Done!
Done
Hoge emerged from the chaos of the park, flags in hand, to find Inigo and Christopher observing the madness from under a tree.
"Way to go, Corune-chan! I'm proud of ya!" Inigo cheered with a grin.
Christopher grimaced at the chaos. "I'm glad I sat out, look at this mess..."
Inigo chuckled. "Yeah there might've been a reason why Quirk Tag is rarely played. Took me months to convince 3-D."
Hoge watched the scene in front of them. Guests were screaming and laughing maniacally at their new quirks. Some parts of the park were frozen or completely covered in soot. There was a man who transformered into a 91 ton whale, and a girl wearing leaves claiming she wants to be a cube again.
A skinny boy with swirly eyes yelled out triumpantly over the chaos, "NOW I'M THE FLYING FORCE! HAHAHA!"
<"See I told you the list guy is Flying Force!">
<"Rob, you really have a crush on that kid?">
<"Nooo! Not him! That's not Kaylee!">
<"It looks like Flying Force to me....">
<I'll keep your secret, man. For love!">
Behind them, something exploded into ice. Total pandemonium.
With a sigh, Hoge plopped beside Inigo. "Should you reverse it then?" Inigo shrugged, unperturbed. "Nah, let's give it a few minutes!" His eyes twinkled mischievously.
"Besides, I want to try out Hifumi's quirk. You wanna come with me?" Inigo winked roguishly and wrapped an arm around her. "Don't ask me how I know this but Skycarver-sensei has a bed in his office with a Seiryu pillow."
Christopher groaned. "Oh god, I don't want to visualize that."
She shook her head, suppressing a smile. "I'm a little tired."
"Oh, maybe later then! We have food!" Inigo said, reaching for a picnic basket.
Hoge reached for a sandwich.
"Dude, are you just eating calzones? There's pizza!" Inigo said to Chris.
"Hmmp- calzones are better, man," Christopher stated, mouth half-full.
"What did Missouri do to you, bro? It sounds like a horrible place. Here, just try the dragonfruit chili pepper pizza! It's--"
With a happy sigh, Hoge leaned against Inigo, flags across her lap. The sun was high in the sky and the party games were finally settling down. However peculiar his methods, Hoge was touched by Inigo's efforts to make her birthday fun. All things considered, she had a lot of fun playing quirk tag.
III. Presents
"Alright everyone, it's time for presents!" Inigo announced excitedly. Hoge blushed as her friends gathered around her. There on the table was a small mountain of gifts. She had never had so many.
"Open mine first!" Eri called out. She had been forbidden by her guardians to play quirk tag, but the eager girl had watched Hoge excitedly the whole time. Inside the large box was a bicycle helmet.
"It comes with a bike too! Grandpa said it's much larger than mine cause it's for grown-ups!"
"Thank you, Eri!"
"We can go riding later. Do you know how?"
"I.. I never learned."
"I'll teach you, Nee-chan!"
Inigo laughed as both girls hugged tightly.
Afterwards, Mahoko handed Hoge a glowing chura-tama necklace. "From home! It glows in the dark too." Hoge smiled, putting it on. "A piece of home to keep close for my new home! And as an apology for the incident." Mahoko chuckled.
On Chihiro's turn, Hoge's sensei and bestfriend gave her a beautifully crafted cicada mask. "I made this myself. For summer festivals!" Hoge's face lit up as she read the words inside the mask. Written in overly-curved calligraphy was a haiku written by Chihiro.
A year has passed
In the Spring, you first arrived
Now, the best of friends
Hoge's eyes watered and she threw herself into hugging the smaller girl. "I love it, Chii-chan!"
Next, Christopher and Faith passed over audiobooks on crafting smoke bombs, various ninja implements and conversational English. "Learning is the greatest gift, right?" he said, half-ironically. Hoge nodded, patting his arm in thanks. "Thank you, Cain-san."
Kaylee presented a sturdy wooden box with a lid featuring a small carved-deer figurine. "For storing important things!" she explained, looking away. "I've been working on my woodcarving and- Inigo said you'd like this."
"It's a deer statue from the theme park!" Inigo announced.
Blinking, Hoge stroked the carving and marveled at the likeness. "It is. Thank you!" She hugged the taller girl. Hoge admired the fine craftsmanship. It would hold many treasures.
"Happy birthday, class rep. I didn't forget about yoou! ~" Orochi called out as she handed Hoge a stack of super sentai figures. A faint smile appeared on the silver-haired girl's face as her hydra-heads sniffered the figures. "Sorry, one got bitten."
Hoge shook her head. "That's okay. These are lovely."
"Whoa! This one even looks like your costume," Inigo pointed out.
Next, Sally tossed her a squeaky red clown nose. "You seem like you need more laughs!" she teased. Hoge blankly threw it at the pile. "Thank you for coming, McCathy. You didn't have to come."
Noah awkwardly slipped through behind the American and held out a gift card for Snowpeak and Montbell, two big camping and mountaineering stores. "And this is from Noah. Please use it well, Nyoro-san."
On her turn, Yui eagerly handed over a Gigan doll, buzzer, and pencil case. "Only the best for you!" Hoge laughed, comparing the plushie with the real Gigan. Yui had made her own modifications which made it more realistic. "It's just like the real thing!"
Lastly, Hifumi held out two tickets for a theme park. He described his ninja show plan, paid for by Hailey. Hoge practically glowed with excitement. A day of ninja stardom! "This is a great gift! Thank you" she cheered, grabbing them both in a fierce hug. Hifumi and Hailey shared a satisfied look. "No problem, cuz! Be sure to record it! Kick butt out there!"
As her friends chattered around her, Hoge felt filled to bursting with love on this special day. She met Inigo's gaze, who tapped his nose.
"My gift will come later! It's kinda embarrassing," he whispered. She looked up at him and wondered. What is it that would embarrass even him?
"Alright, folks!" His voice booming from the mic. Inigo pointed at the stage. "I got one more thing before we can all settle down and enjoy the band!"
He clicked the play button on a projector remote, the lights focusing everyone's attention on the stage. A video began with a familiar scene - the training grounds at Shiketsu High. Hifumi stepped forward, his usually serious demeanor softened by a smile.
"Hey Hoge, happy birthday! You know, you're the most dedicated person I know! Keep reaching for the top because I'm gonna meet ya there, cuz!"
Bobby appeared next, a grin spreading across his face. "Happy birthday, Hoge! We don't hang out much, but I'm glad yer' my class rep! Keep being awesome!"
Finally, Inigo's own face filled the screen as he turned the camera to shoot him. "Hey babe," he said, his voice warm with affection. "Happy birthday. You make every day brighter just by being you! I love you!"
The crowd oooh'd and aww'd as Hoge turned red. D-did everyone just see that? Inigo grinned his face flushing as the video kept playing. Under the table, their hands met.
Imai's earnest face appeared on the screen. "Happy birthday, Nyoro-shan. I knew you were something special from the first day. Your determination inspires us all."
Tame followed, she cheered loudly. "Happy birthday, Hoge-chan. May your days be filled with joy and friendship. If you ever need anyone or anything at all. You can count on me, yo! Thank you for being my friend! Let's go to the arcade soon!"
Ashleigh's soft voice chimed in next as she popped up next to Imai. "Hey Hoge-san! You're the coolest ninja around! Don't forget that."
Finally, Hiro's face filled the screen, his eyes unamused. "What do you want me to say? Happy Birthday?"
Inigo's voice came from off-screen. "Yeah, dude! Don't worry if you make a mistake cause I'm cutting this!"
"Huh? Okay.. Happy birthday, Nyoro. Here's to another good year at Shiketsu. I'm looking forward to our 2nd and 3rd semester." He paused. "Is that good?"
"Yeah! Huh, that's weird. This button is supposed to be red."
Woops. Inigo chuckled as he fast forwarded the video. Skipping a few classmates. The video then started playing on the parts for the teachers. The guests around them went quiet.
Hoge tensed. A wave of sadness washed over the room as Hijack-sensei's image appeared on the screen, his polite smile a bittersweet reminder of his absence.
"Happy birthday, Nyoro," he said softly, his voice tinged with emotion. "It won't be wrong for me to say that you are a shining star in class 1-D. When I first read your file, I have to admit that I had my doubts. A middle-school girl with no athletic or hero training background applying for Shiketsu? And your teachers had almost nothing to say about you. I firmly believed that you'd be turned away, but here we are now. Don't forget the potential in you, and everyone of your classmates! I fully believe that you'll all be great heroes someday."
As the video played on, Hoge felt tears prickle at the corners of her eyes, as Inigo pulled her into a hug. They had all gone through so much. He thought about cutting Hijack's part, but... perhaps they needed to hear from him one last time.
IV. Supermoon
As the last guests left, Inigo and Hoge slipped away from the park. They climbed the winding steps of the old water tower overlooking the park, the full moon lighting their path. At the top, Hoge gripped the railing, gazing out at the moonlit grounds where hours before, quirks had run amok during the riotous tag game. Now an air of tranquility blanketed the park.
"Today was great. I couldn't have imagined it better," Hoge said softly. Inigo sidled up beside her.
"Yeah but why do you look sad?" he asked, noting her wistful smile.
Hoge sighed. "I'm going to miss everyone. I'm going to miss being 1-D together."
They stood in silence, soaking in the ambience. A gentle wind rustled the trees below.
"A full moon," Hoge murmured.
"It's a supermoon tonight," Inigo added. "Bigger and brighter than usual. The villagers used to say it can make wishes come true."
Hoge glanced at him. "Wishes?"
Inigo nodded. "Yeah. It's a good sign for your birthday wish!"
He turned to face her, expression earnest. "I'm anxious too but.. All I know is that even if we all grow apart after this year, the moments we've shared are irreplaceable. No matter how much time passes, that won't disappear."
Inigo gazed up at the luminous moon. "That's my wish, moon - YA HEAR ME!? - that our bonds persist!"
Hoge followed his gaze. The radiant orb seemed to glow in response. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes. Even if she felt anxious, she decided to wish upon the moon too. When she opened her eyes, Inigo was holding out a small box. Nestled inside was a silver bracelet with dragon-shaped beads. Hoge's eyes widened.
"Sorry, I couldn't wrap it. This is dragonstone - you can only get it from my clan's ancestral ground in Kyushu - it always stays cool, and it'll never get hot, perfect for summer," Inigo explained, looking suddenly bashful. "It was my great-grandmother's. I thought you should have it. The clan elders got mad when I took it out of the vault. But they they calmed down when I said you're going to be my-" He looked away, blushing. "-so yeah, they let me take it out."
Hoge lifted the bracelet with trembling fingers, admiring the exquisite craftsmanship. Her vision blurred.
"Inigo, this is..." She trailed off, at a loss for words. Carefully, she clasped it on, then pulled him into a fierce embrace. "Thank you," she whispered.
At last they drew apart, hands clasped as they sat gazing at the moon. Hoge's heart swelled with emotion. Not just for the gift, but for friendships, which she now knew would persist beyond this fleeting year.
She leaned her head on his shoulder. "My wish is that we always have moments like this," she murmured.
Inigo smiled, giving her hand a squeeze. "We will. And we'll make new memories too, with everyone else." He chuckled. "We could do something like meet at the dojo every year. I bet the Clique is planning it already!"
Hoge laughed, picturing their energetic friends grandiose schemes. Her anxiety melted away. As the supermoon traversed the starry sky, she nestled closer to Inigo. The future seemed less daunting.
"Thank you for today," Hoge whispered. "It was perfect."
Inigo planted a soft kiss on her hair. "You deserve perfect birthdays. But the best is yet to come."
Hoge smiled up at him, then back at the shimmering bracelet on her wrist, the dragon stones cool against her skin. This was a moment frozen in time, one she would revisit in every future year. A reminder that some wishes did come true.