OSAKA DIARIES

(Author's Notes: This story follows Eyes In The Dark: https://rentry.org/xw5nmeyr )

Chapter 1: Night Train to Osaka

Night trains have a way of making everything feel unreal. Like you're traveling between worlds instead of cities. Inigo Myoga knew this feeling well, but tonight the emptiness of the 12:15 to Osaka pressed in around him like a physical thing.

His clown makeup felt heavy on his face as he hunched over his phone, scrolling through unanswered messages. No response. Not even after spamming Chris with puns on his name. And that usually worked when he knew someone was ignoring him.

An exhausted salaryman occupied the far end, his skin faintly glittering like morning frost— some kind of crystal quirk. Further down, an elderly woman with two extra eyes used elongated fingers to quietly knit a web-pattern scarf.

Through their connection, Inigo felt Gigan's unease before he noticed the construct's restless movements on his shoulder. The little green dragon kept lifting its head at every shadow, every subtle shift in the air. Dragons can sense things humans can't. Inigo had learned to trust those instincts.

His mind circled back to that dark shape on the rooftop. Hitomi. What was she doing alone? More importantly, why hadn’t she wanted him to see her? The questions tangled with Desolator’s words:

"They were either persuaded or coerced. Ask yourself, what kind of monster the Shie Hassaikai might obey."

Whoever this monster was, it had spooked Rosethorn (a top 10 hero!) enough to personally check on Chris. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. Even his ridiculously sexy clown costume didn’t help him feel better. And wearing it on a nearly deserted train felt depressing. He leaned back and closed his eyes, allowing himself to fall into his shared senses with his construct. Gigan curled around Inigo's arm. Inigo was hyper-aware of the faint squeak of his gloves, the shift of the costume's overgrown green eyebrows, and the subtle rhythmic clatter of the tracks. In a little bit, they'd be in Osaka and he could see Hoge. She'd know what to do. Not like he could rely on anyone else right now.

Across from him, his patrol partner Yui had abandoned her catbells choker but still wore the bent blue-and-white jester hat. She’d leaned against the window and dozed off, her slow, even breathing filling the quiet.

His phone buzzed. For a moment his heart leapt, but it was just Junichi.

Checked the dojo. No sign of him. Some weird old guy with a dog yelled at me to stop smoking.

His sigh was audible as he stared out the window.

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---

“Some patrol,” Yui muttered groggily, stretching her legs across the empty aisle as she woke. “One trash fire and zero villains.”

“The fire could’ve spread,” Inigo replied absently.

"Seriously though.." She watched Inigo's reflection in the dark train window. "You've been weird since the station."

"Just tired."

"Right." Yui's fingers twisted in her lap. "I can help out if you tell me," she said uncertainly. She had seen the way he looked after his chat with Rosethorn. He was white as a ghost. That flash of secrecy in people's faces, it only brought bad memories.

"Missing Hoge. You know how it is." Inigo's painted smile didn't reach his eyes.

"And you keep checking your phone because you miss her so much? You know, she rips the battery off her phone like a weirdo when she's not using it."

"Hey, I'm a sensitive guy." He struck an exaggerated pose. "My heart yearns."

"It's the thing with Chris, right? Didn't Rosethorn seem weird to y-?"

"She was just asking for my new Insta," Inigo cut her off. "Guess she was missing her hottest student. Have you seen my abs in this clown outfit?"

"Don't. Jerk!" The words had burst out before Yui could stop them. Too loud, too angry - just like always. The crystal-skinned salaryman glanced their way. Yui took a breath, tried again. "Don't do that, asshole."

"Do what?"

"That thing where you make everything a joke. Where you pretend nothing's wrong." Her voice started rising despite herself. "We've been in the same class for almost a year. You think I haven't noticed Chris acting strange, or Sally being weird, or whatever Nyoro is doing-"

Red threads began manifesting in her hair. The old woman with the long fingers stopped knitting, watching them over her needles.

"Don't pull that crap with me, Inigo. Not after everything."

Inigo's smile faltered. She never used his first name unless things were serious. "Yui..."

"Why am I always the one in the dark? Remember what you said. Back when I didn't want anyone around. You kept showing up at that stupid café until I finally talked. You said I could trust you..." Her voice started rising despite herself.

She caught her reflection in the window - saw that same angry, scared girl who'd spent a year watching her old classmates move on without her. The one who'd sworn she'd do better this time. Who'd actually started to believe she belonged at Shiketsu. Belonged in 1-D. The internship had been going really well. Too well. Something always happened. Something always ruined it.

Her hands were shaking. Great. Perfect. Push away another friend. That's what you do best, isn't it? Just like when-

But Inigo was looking at her differently now. Not with the judgment she expected. Not with the wariness she'd grown used to. Gigan lifted his head in the same manner.

---

---

---

---

"I'm sorry."

Inigo stared at her, his usual mask falling away. Sometimes he forgot how far they'd come - him and Yui. She'd been his first real friend at Shiketsu, before Hoge, before the Boys™, before all of it. Back when he was still trying to figure out if he could actually make it as a hero.

Back then it had just been the two of them - the class clown and the delinquent, hanging out at Thanks a Latte after school. Him trying increasingly ridiculous ways to make her laugh while she pretended to ignore him from the pinball machine. They'd spread out since then, made their own groups, found their own paths. But somehow they'd ended up here together again, doing circus patrol duty under Popsy.

"You know then?" he whispered. "About Chris' head issues."

The train began to slow, gliding into Osaka Station. Through their connection, Inigo felt Gigan's attention snap to something moving in the shadows above the platform. The construct growled softly. They were forced to pause as a group of tourist poured into their train car.

"He might've blurted something out on the roof," Yui said, already heading for the south exit. "Talk over food? I know a place in Dotonbori that's still open."

---

---

They found seats at a cramped takoyaki stand, the owner doing a double-take at their outfits before shrugging and taking their order. The smell of grilled octopus and the sizzle of batter on the hot griddle filled the air. Gigan curled around Inigo's neck like a scaly green scarf, occasionally flicking his tail in interest at the passing food. Some things never changed, even on nights like this.

They then wandered deeper into Dotonbori, where the narrow shotengai opened up to the canal. The famous Glico Man towered above them, his victory pose reflecting off the dark water, every ten minutes a hologram of the mascot ran across the water to wave at groups of tourists. Steam rose from countless food stalls, mixing with the cooking oil from Kushikatsu Daruma where salarymen still lined up even at this hour. Yui knew her way around - she'd spent enough nights here during her delinquent days. She led them past the tourist traps to a tiny korokke stand wedged between two buildings, where an old woman worked the fryers alone. The breading was perfectly crisp, the sauce secret and unchanged for forty years. Gigan panted excitedly on Inigo's shoulder, his tail twitching at the smell of fried food. Every now and then he'd bump his head against Inigo's ear, trying to convince him to share a bite. The old woman caught him staring and slipped him a small piece of chicken, which he accepted with all the regal dignity of a tiny dragon who definitely hadn't been begging.

Yui led them toward a less crowded alley after they got their food. With more privacy, they returned to the topic of Chris.

"Yeah, he fessed up after you guys locked us on the roof," Yui said quietly. "Plus I noticed him acting weird at Smokin's dojo. All standoffish when I tried talking about the new Jump chapter. A guy gets a girlfriend and suddenly he's too good for manga?"

"Wait, are you jealous of Faith?" Inigo couldn't resist teasing.

"Don't push it, Myoga!"

"Besides," Yui said softly, watching the cat eat, "I have... other things to worry about." A soft meow interrupted whatever threat Yui was about to make. A scraggly calico cat had emerged from the shadows, eyeing their food hopefully. Without hesitation, Yui pulled the meat off her skewer and held it out. The cat approached cautiously, accepting the offering with delicate bites.

Her fingers gently scratched behind the cat's ears. Something in her expression made Inigo hold back his usual teasing. Then his phone buzzed:

LookingGlass: Sorry about earlier. Home now.

A message from Chris. Inigo stared at the words, relief warring with worry. Something was still off.

IniGOAT: YOOO where'd you been bro?
LookingGlass: Late night dojo training with Ryusei. Everything's fine, just tired. Talk tomorrow?

"That Chris?" Yui asked, tossing her half-eaten yakitori in a nearby bin.

"Yeah, he's okay for now, but he definitely wasn't in the dojo all night," He paused to feed the rest of his skewers to an excited Gigan. "I'd be fine if it was just his regular weird nerdy self," Inigo continued. "But someone put this thing on him -- it's called a Red Light. It means he's under the protection of a syndicate family."

"Yeah I know what that is," Yui looked up from petting the cat, suddenly sharp. "How do you know about Red Lights?"

"How do you?"

"Ex-delinquent remember?" Her voice was barely audible. "I knew someone who ignored one once." She leaned against a vending machine, its violet light casting shadows across her face. "They... it didn't end well for them. It was fucked up. That's part of why I..." She trailed off, but Inigo knew she was thinking about her year away from hero school.

"Yeah. I get it. I just don't want the same thing to happen to him."

"Then let me help." Yui straightened, something fierce in her expression. "I still know people. Ways to get information without drawing attention. I wasn't gonna go back to my old stomping ground while we're here but-" A toothy smile crossed her face. "But this time I've got backup. Unless you're too good to work with someone like me?"

"Please, I'm literally in a clown costume." Inigo grinned back. They both laughed.

Above them, between the neon signs and power lines, Gigan spotted something moving in the shadows. The construct growled softly, but when they looked up, whatever it was had vanished into the Osaka night. It wasn't Hitomi, but another shadow among many. All the shadows seemed more dangerous right now.

As soon as they had made two laps around the street, they decided to head back. Inigo took Yui's hand with a nod.

"Ready?"
"Wait- hold on!"

Gigan transformed into a spring platform beneath their feet, launching them skyward before they could blink. In mid-air, the construct shifted again, returning into its green dragon form, large enough for two.

"Hey, a warning would be nice!" Yui gripped the dragon's scales, her heart racing.

"Woops, heheh." Inigo grinned back at her. "I'm in a hurry! The sooner we get back, the sooner I can see Coru-chan!"

"Sheesh. Fine! But no dragon diving."

"You got it!"

Banking east, they soared over Osaka Bay. The city lights sparkled on the dark water like scattered stars, guiding them toward their destination - an artificial island marked by pulsing yellow and green beacons. Inigo smiled, remembering their first sight of it just a week ago.

Back then, it had been nothing but urban decay - abandoned shipping containers rusting in the salt air, weathered shacks with peeling paint, and a single massive warehouse that looked ready to collapse.

Now the island blazed with life. Strings of colored lights crisscrossed overhead like shiny spiderwebs. Food stalls lined freshly painted boardwalks, their awnings bright splashes of red and gold against the night sky. The faint scent of takoyaki and cotton candy drifted up even at this height. Game booths and carnival attractions dotted the grounds - a towering Ferris wheel, a hall of mirrors that Strong Man had personally reinforced, even a petting zoo where Randy the Elephant held court.

And at the heart of it all rose their pride and joy - the Grand Show Tent. Its red and white striped peaks soared upward like a castle built from circus dreams. By day they trained there under Popsy and Strong Man's watchful eye, learning to blend acrobatics with heroics. By night they helped raise new support beams, rig safety nets, hang trapeze bars. Tomorrow it would host their debut performance.

Inigo felt his chest tighten with excitement. All their clown training, all those hours of practice, would finally be put to the test. Team Popsy's recent heroics had already attracted a lot of attention - all their fans would be coming to see them. Maybe it would even make Chris smile, if he had time to watch. Maybe Junichi too. All the friends he's made. All the people he's met since starting at Shiketsu. Tomorrow the whole country would be watching.

Mom, are you watching me too?

The thought came unbidden as they circled their hotel building. He pushed it aside, focusing instead on their landing approach. There would be time for memories later. Right now, he had a friend to help, and a show to put on.

Chapter 2: Night Research

They're late.

Nyoro Hoge noted. Through her dormitory window, Hoge watched Osaka's neon skyline paint the clouds orange. Just west of their hotel room. The Big Top Circus's half-constructed skeleton rose from one of Osaka Bay's artificial island - Popsy's grand project. Further than that, Agency 360's skyscraper and Saurus Tower dominated the horizon, their illuminated logos looked garish to her Kyoto-centric sensibilities. The Clown had been the one to insist that they go here.

She did not want to go Osaka. A city she'd only been to once, with a memory she had tried to forget.

"Focus," Hoge muttered, the tip of her mechanical pencil threatened to snap on the paper. The clock read 12:45 AM. Hoge's pencil stopped its methodical scratching across her revision notes as she stifled another yawn. Across the room, Chihiro slept peacefully, her gentle breathing a steady rhythm in their shared circus dormitory.

There was a lot of work to do, which made for easy distraction even without Inigo here. The term exams wouldn't pass themselves, and she had a GPA record to maintain. Her study materials were arranged in perfect order - physics notes stacked by chapter, biology flashcards sorted by topic, each textbook positioned at precise right angles. Just because they were in an internship didn't mean school stopped.

But her eyes kept drifting to her phone (battery carefully removed) and the red-black computer sitting innocently beside it. Charlatan's laptop. She'd been diving into the mastermind's encrypted networks about Agency 360, following a trail of breadcrumbs left by someone calling themselves "Tofu" - an insider leaking documents about Agency 360's darker operations.

"Just one hour," she whispered, fingers already reaching for it. Sleep could wait. This was too important. The laptop's glow illuminated her face as she pulled up the files again. Agency 360 - one of Osaka's premier hero organizations, was locked in eternal competition with Saurus Agency. While Saurus focused on helping struggling mutant heroes and underprivileged candidates, 360 cultivated an image of sleek corporate perfection. Unlike Kyoto with its prestigious Shiketsu Academy, Osaka had no dedicated hero schools. Instead, its two major agencies - 360 and Saurus - ran hero development programs for nearby schools, each fighting to cultivate the next generation of pros.

She opened another document:

Osaka Hero Programs Analysis:
Agency 360:

-- Elite training facilities
-- Corporate sponsorships
-- Efficient placement rates
-- HERO PLUS Program: Focuses on tech and "marketable" quirks

Saurus Tower:

-- Community-based training

-- Rehabilitation focus

-- RAWR Program: Mutant quirk specialization

-- Targets underprivileged candidates

Competition increasingly one-sided
360's recruitment up 43% last quarter

While Saurus focused on gungho action-packed heroes, 360 cultivated an image of elite excellence. On paper, Agency 360's program was perfect - better funding, higher success rates, more pros placed in top rankings. They had a system for turning promising students into perfectly polished heroes.

But there was one blemish they'd tried to hide. One case that a leak had brought to light.

Jun Koroda.

First-year hero candidate, mutation-type quirk. Last seen entering 360's special training program. Then nothing - just a neat stack of transfer papers with her father's signature at the bottom, filed away among hundreds of routine approvals.

She typed rapidly:

Agency Analysis:
360: Corporate efficiency, high success rate, selective recruitment
Saurus Tower: Community focus, mutant outreach, rehabilitation programs

Strategic Development Department:
-- Material Logistics Division
-- Father's position: Executive Manager, Procurement
-- Approves equipment requests/transfers
-- Signs off on facility maintenance
Pattern: Rising incidents involving mutation quirks
Hissori Nyoro's signature: On routine paperwork, requisition forms, transfer documents

That last point held some concern. Her father was just another office drone really - managing procurement paperwork, approving routine transfers, overseeing logistics. Perfectly mundane. Almost boring. She'd never questioned his work before. But now...

Jun Koroda's transfer papers had crossed her father's desk. Just another form to sign among hundreds. Except this one led to a disappearance that was never solved.

Scrolling through; two contact numbers were listed for Jun. She'd been staring at them for three nights. Her fingers hovered over the first one.
She dialed. Three rings, then-

"WHO THE HELL IS THIS?!" A voice exploded through the speaker.

"I'm calling about Jun Koro-"

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? @#$!*#! IT'S ONE IN THE MORNING YOU LITTLE SHIT! NOBODY WITH THAT NAME LIVES HERE! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU PEOPLE?!"

"If you'd just-"

"LISTEN HERE YOU BRAIN-DEAD WASTE OF SPACE! I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT JUN! I DON'T WANT TO KNOW! AND IF YOU CALL THIS NUMBER AGAIN I'LL-"

Hoge's voice dropped to an eerily gentle whisper, her quirk making the words seem to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. "I know where you live, Tamaka-san. Apartment 2B, 15-7 Naniwa Ward. The one with the lovely purple curtains."

Dead silence.

"Sleep well," she murmured, and placed the phone down with a snap. "Fufufu~"

Chihiro stirred slightly at the noise but didn't wake. Hoge waited until her roommate's breathing steadied before dialing the second number.
A different voice answered - tired, wary, but not surprised. "You're calling about Jun, aren't you?"

"Yes. About the testing facilities he mentioned."

"Three nights of calls now. You're persistent." He sounded resigned. "They buried everything, you know."

"But my fa- the executive who signed off on his transfer. Did he ever contact you?"

"Hissori? That cold bastard just sent form letters. Said Jun had 'voluntarily withdrawn' from the program. Wouldn't even meet with us."

"Did Jun mention anything about special equipment? Containment tech?"

"Listen," Koroda's voice dropped. "Jun's mutation quirk was strong but unstable. They said their program could help. Had some new technology for 'quirk regulation.' After that last call though..."

Hoge's grip tightened on her pen. Quirk regulation. The same terminology used in the documents marked "91".

"I have to go," Koroda said suddenly. "Don't call again. They monitor everything."

The line went dead.

She was about to call again when a soft knock at her door made Hoge quickly close the laptop. Chihiro, having somehow spun herself to the bottom of the bed, stirred, lifting her head.

"It's just Ini," Hoge whispered, and her sensei nodded sleepily before settling back down.

She moved to the door, opening it just enough to see him. Light from the hallway spilled into their dark room, illuminating Inigo's face - still in his clown makeup, but gifted her one of his warm smiles.

"Did you need something, Ini?" she murmured through the crack.
"I just wanted to see you. It seems like it's been forever since we last talked.
"You saw me this morning."
"Really, it feels like a year? I've really really missed you."
"I was waiting for you."

They heard a bang as Yui's door closed. She shared a room with Sally opposite Hoge's.

"Yeah so.. uh- how's the studies going?"

"Good."

"Patrols?"

"Just one dumpster fire. A homeless guy who could pee gasoline started it."

"How is he homeless?"

"Not sure."

"Ini, it's late."

"Yeah, I know, but can you stay a bit?"

Their hands found each other automatically through the gap, fingers intertwining. They stood like that for a moment, comfortable in the silence, until they both took a breath at the same time.

"Hey, there's something I need to-"
"I've been meaning to tell you-"
They stopped, looking at each other. Hoge's laptop seemed to burn behind her. Inigo's worry about Chris weighed heavy in his chest.

"You first," they said in unison, then shared a small laugh.
"Never mind," Hoge turned away.
"Yeah, it can wait," Inigo said softly, squeezing her hand. "You should get some sleep. Big day tomorrow."
Hoge nodded, she lingered close and ran a hand up his arm. "Good luck tomorrow. I expect a satisfactory performance for grand opening."
"It's gonna be amazing! Night, Coru-chan."
"Good night, Ini."

They both checked to see if anyone was looking.

Twenty minutes later, the door closed softly between them, leaving Hoge alone with her thoughts in the darkness. And the soft light of the laptop's screen lit her face once more.

Chapter 3: The Big Open

Electricity was in the air! The Popsy Jamboree Circus opened in full force. For weeks, Team PR-D had trained relentlessly, honing their quirks and acrobatic skills under the guidance of the eccentric ringmaster, Popsy, and her assistant Strongman. Now, as the lights dimmed and the music swelled, Inigo Myoga took a deep breath, anticipating the moment before their grand finale.

Looking back now, our time in Osaka with Popsy was one of the best of my life. In those moments, I knew what it meant to make people truly happy. To bring light into a world full of shadows and darkness, isn't that what being a hero is all about?

Sixty feet above the ground, Inigo could feel the vibrations of the crowd's roar through the soles of his oversized clown shoes. He watched as Strong Man, the Russian pro-hero, lifted Randy the Elephant using only his pinky. The sight never failed to amaze, even though he knew the trick behind it. Strongman's quirk allowed him to change gravity in a small distance.

BANG!

The confetti cannon meant it was showtime! Not a minute passed and he was halfway through his highwire act, swaying comically from side to side in his jester outfit. The bells on his costume jingled with each exaggerated movement, adding to the fever pitch of circus sounds below.

He waited for his cue from the others. He took in the organized chaos of his teammates' performances. Inigo felt pride. They've come so far since they failed Popsy's first challenge. In a way the entire internship was their training for this performance. Now look at us – a real circus troupe!

Gigan, transformed into a large pole in Inigo's hands, communicated silently.

It's almost time, Gigan. Get ready!

In moments, the construct would set off a firework, creating a fountain of multi-colored sparks. Inigo's practiced panic would ensue as his eyebrows and hair "caught fire," leading to his dramatic plunge from the wire.

Twenty feet below, Yui and Chihiro were finishing their trapeze routine with a flourish that left the crowd gasping. The whoosh of their swings and the slap of hands clasping wrists carried clearly to Inigo's position. Kaga zoomed through flaming hoops, leaving a trail of smoke and sparkles in his wake.

On the ground, Sally, blindfolded atop a horse, threw daggers at a spinning, jacket-bound, and chained Hoge. Inigo's breath caught in his throat.

Come on, Hoge. You've got this.

The crowd gasped as the chains clattered to the ground right before Sally's daggers struck dead center. When the jacket fell away revealing only empty space, Inigo allowed himself to breathe again. Good. She's in position.

As if on cue, the highwire erupted into flames on both sides. Inigo's exaggerated yelp of surprise carried across the tent. The audience laughed. With a wink to the crowd, he leaped. Green sparks flashed around him.

The world slowed as Inigo plummeted. He could hear individual gasps and cheers from the audience, feel the heat from the pyrotechnics on his skin, and smell the ozonic scent of Popsy's quirk activating. Forty feet from the ground, he caught Yui and Chihiro at the halfway point, their hands joining in a perfectly synchronized freefall.

A cannon boomed, and Kaga joined their aerial dance, leaving a trail of glitter in his wake. Sally triggered the final pyrotechnics, and suddenly Inigo's vision was consumed by a world of flashing, living color. In the heart of it all, inside the vortex, he could see Popsy holding up a glass of water – their improbable landing pad.

As they splashed down in a feat that defied the laws of physics, Inigo let off a mighty cheer. They posed in their branching formation, sparklers in hand, and at the very top of their cheer pyramid was Hoge, reappearing safe and sound. The crowd erupted in thunderous applause. It was the perfect closing moment to the Big Top Gang Popsy Jamboree.

We did it, Inigo thought, grinning widely as he caught the proud gleam in Popsy's eye. No mistakes, no accidents – just pure circus magic.

"Would ya look at that! Never thought I'd see a crowd chanting my name again," Popsy winked at them. "Couldn't be prouder of each of ya!" Strong Man's booming laugh carried across the tent. "It was good, but could be better. We have three more circus nights! Already sold out! HAHAHA! After today, we should get bigger tent."

As the crowd chanted "POPSY! POPSY! POPSY!", Team PR-D stepped forward to take their bows.

"THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING! THAT'S ALL FOLKS!" Popsy announced grandly, his voice carrying to every corner of the big top.

But if I had known then what I knew now. I would've ran. I would've ran far away and taken you with me. To preserve those happy innocent days of six kids playing circus clowns.

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In the midst of the standing ovation, two figures remained seated, their heavy yet fashionable coats marking them as out of place. Inigo had noticed them earlier, their awkward stillness compared to energetic crowd around them, and the bodyguards that loomed close by.

"This won't do at all." The Mayor checked his Bulgari watch. The exact moment public sentiment shifted. He'd seen it before, studied it in focus groups. The instant when carefully cultivated fear transformed into hope. His fingers drummed against the mahogany armrest: one-two-three, one-two-three
"My first reelection campaign was built on being tough on vigilantes and washed-up heroes like this... clown. Now look at them, eating from her hand."

"The people do seem rather enchanted," the hooded figure observed coolly.

"She's becoming a symbol," Kawashima spat. "My opponents are already using her in their propaganda. We need to shut this down immediately." He adjusted his wire-rimmed glasses with trembling fingers. "Ao Kizawa has been cleared for governor, and I intend to follow her straight to the top. Did you see the latest polling data?""

"Reform Party support down 12 points in Osaka prefecture. Hero approval ratings up 23% among ages 18-35."

"Precisely." Kawashima's jaw clenched. "Six months of legislative engineering. The Quirk Registration Act. Mandatory quirk dampeners in government spaces. All the careful groundwork we laid with the media conglomerates." He gestured toward the celebrating crowd. "And now this..."

The temperature around the hooded figure seemed to drop. "The human element is often unpredictable. That's why we have contingencies. Phase one is nearly complete. Media assets are in position. The accident will occur tomorrow afternoon. Matsuda's opposition will be neutralized by Friday. And Ao Kizawa takes the governorship as planned."

The figure's voice remained perfectly modulated. As he spoke his breath became more and more visible despite the warmth of the circus tent. A shivering Kawashima was forced to pull his coat closer.

The villain continued, "The Daiichi has received tribute. The cabinet position is secure, and the Kizawas will play their role."

"Excellent." Kawashima stood, adjusting his glasses to catch the light. "And about our pest problem."

"What would you have me do about the clown?" The figure's voice produced icicles in the air..

"Call your friends in the media. We'll remind the public why they stopped trusting heroes like her in the first place."

---

As the show ended, Inigo glimpsed the two rise to leave. As they moved toward the exit, Inigo felt a chill run down his spine. The human mind excels at pattern recognition - even subconsciously identifying threats before conscious awareness catches up. Even from his position above, certain details caught his eye: like Mayor Kawashima's platinum tie clip catching the spotlight. What was he doing here?

The crowd rose for an extended encore and the two dissapeared behind the crowd. Inigo slipped the sighting far behind in his mind, and joined in the celebration. The grand opening had been a success. And Popsy was shining brighter than ever! He'll bask in the glory for a few minutes and then slip out to meet his brother.

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After finishing her journal entry, Chihiro carefully tucked the diary away in her bag. She then reached for the saya, a keepsake from her family's dojo. As she held it, memories of training with her parents and the years spent in the tranquil woods surrounding the dojo flooded back, cutting out the city noise outside, and she felt like she was back in Kyoto communing with nature once again. She had been so good at controlling at her quirk, Strongman sensei and Popsy sensei complimented her often and it made her hopeful.

It struck her then just how long she'd been away - this internship in Osaka was the furthest and longest she'd ever been from the dojo. A pang of worry hit her, but she pushed it down. Shion had promised to check on the dojo. And this was an important opportunity, one her parents would want her to make the most of.

With a soft sigh, Chihiro gently placed the sheath back in its place of honor on her bedside table. She readied herself for bed, going through the motions of her nightly routine.

Finally, she slipped under the covers, pausing to run a finger along the sheath one more time.

"Goodnight Father, goodnight Mother," she whispered, before closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.

That night, her dreams once again took her to that dark, barren dreamscape, an endless expanse of cracked earth under a starless sky. And once again, she found herself standing before that mysterious mound, the bodies of her past laid out before it like offerings. She set to her task of moving bodies, but tonight there were colorful balloons on the ceiling of the dojo.

Chapter 4: Under Siege

The success of their opening night had attracted the wrong kind of attention.

Yui paced the living room, wearing a path on the carpet. Morning sunlight filtered through the apartment's blinds, casting prison-bar shadows across scattered circus props and half-eaten breakfast. Camera flashes kept bursting through the gaps like aggressive fireflies, accompanied by the constant drone of reporters below.

Every few steps Yui pause at the window, crimson threads curling unconsciously around her fingers as she glared down at the media circus. Reporters packed the street, their cameras and microphones pointed up like weapons.

"They've got the whole hotel surrounded," she muttered. "Even the back alley's blocked."
Sally sprawled across the couch, one leg draped over its arm, scrolling through her phone with increasingly angry swipes. Empty energy drink cans pyramided on the coffee table beside her. Behind them was Popsy's bedroom, their mentor had sealed herself in the room early and had refused to come out. She was reverting back to her pre-internship days. Had the media won?

Chihiro knelt formally at the low table, back straight, hands folded in her lap. Her tea had gone cold hours ago, but she hadn't moved to refresh it. The picture of composed stillness, except for how her eyes kept darting to the TV screen.

The morning news droned on, with celebrated reporter Daiki Miyamoto dissecting their lives savagely. He was known for his hardline stance on heroes and crime, and he had been hammering Popsy and her interns relentlessly all morning.

Footage played of Popsy's "lost years" - their mentor stumbling out of bars, missing patrols, the camera lingering on empty bottles through apartment windows. Years of depression condensed into a greatest-hits montage of disappointment and failure. Miyamoto's full exposé on Popsy's last five years hit her like a gut punch.

"Turn it off," Yui snapped, starting toward the TV. But Sally held out a palm.

"Wait." Her grip tightened as new footage began playing. "They wouldn't..."

But they did. A dramatic reenactment filled the screen, actors in exaggerated American gang costumes playing out scenes from Sally's past in Montana. It was entirely inaccurate. A mock parody of how ordinary Japanese citizens saw Americans. Every schoolyard confrontation transformed into yakuza-movie violence, complete with ridiculous accents and over-the-top camera angles. There were guns, rap music, and random WcDonald ads too.

"That's not..." Sally's voice cracked. Her hand fell from Yui's wrist as she watched actors portraying her terrorizing a neighborhood. "I was helping scare off a mountain lion from Farmer Earl's sheep!" It was one of the first times she felt her gun quirk could be useful to someone. For Miyamoto to twist it like this... How the hell did he even find out about that?

She trailed off as the music changed, becoming low and ominous. The screen showed an old dojo surrounded by cherry trees in bloom. Children training in neat rows. Parents watching proudly.

Chihiro's teacup fell and shattered.

"Moving on to the worst offender in this faux internship. We have Chihiro Matsurugi. Four years ago," Miyamoto intoned gravely, "Some of the footage you're about to see might be disturbing. This peaceful dojo scene is about to become a nightmare."

Security camera footage played in stark black and white. A little girl laughing maniacly in the center of the dojo. A dark aura spreading outward like spilled ink. Bodies dropping one by one as parents rushed to grab their children, only to fall themselves.

"Stop it," Yui whispered. But the footage kept playing, relentless. "Shut the damn thing down."

"Twenty-seven dead," Miyamoto continued, "including the child's own parents. And now this same girl performs in Popsy's circus, mere feet from civilian audiences. Can we truly trust-"

Crimson threads ripped through the TV in an explosion of sparks and broken glass. The sudden silence pressed against their ears like cotton.

"They're right." Chihiro's voice was barely audible. She stood slowly, formally, like she was in her parents' dojo again. "I am dangerous."

"That's bullshit!" Yui whirled toward her, threads still whipping. "You were a kid! You couldn't control-"

But Chihiro was already walking away, and soon the soft click of her bedroom door was heard.

"Popsy? You there?" Sally tried their mentor's door again, pressing her forehead against the wood. "Miyamoto is lying about us. You can't let him win like this."

Nothing. Just the clink of bottles and the sound of old wrestling matches playing on endless loop.

"She's been in there all day," Yui said, slumping against the wall. Her threads coiled listlessly around her arms. "No damn training. HEY POPSY! COME OUT! Fuck..." She was shaking.

"Because she knows they're right!" Sally slammed her palm against Popsy's door. "We're freaks! Mistakes! A villain, a gaijin thug, and a girl who..." She couldn't finish.

"Don't." Yui's voice was sharp. "That's what they want. To make us second guess ourselves.."

"Yeah... hey, where the hell are Inigo and Hoge?" Sally demanded, pacing the apartment like a caged animal. "He'd have some stupid plan to fix this, and she'd..."

"Actually, maybe it's good they're not here," Yui muttered. "She'd probably call into Miyamoto's show. And he'd do something stupid and possibly illegal..."

Through the window, camera flashes still burst like artillery fire. Reporters still shouted questions designed to wound. The world still wanted confirmation of their worst fears.

Sally stopped pacing. She stared at their reflections in the dark TV screen - three girls being torn apart by their pasts. Then something shifted in her eyes.

"Okay!" She spun around, energy suddenly crackling off her like Yui's threads. "Listen up! I have a plan!"
Yui raised an eyebrow. "Is it as dumb as one of Inigo's plans?"

"Dumber." Sally grinned, and there was something dangerous in it. "We're gonna give them exactly what they want - a real circus. And we're gonna do it live."

Yui blinked. Then slowly, her own grin spread to match Sally's. "Tell me more, McCathy."

Behind her closed door, Popsy turned up the volume on an old match, trying to drown out the sound of her students planning. She knew as their mentor that she had to do something. She knew they had another performance in one day. But her body wouldn't move.

She reached for another bottle.

ED / Credits:

Shiketsu ED 0.6 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OINkMCPcOMM